The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

Chapter 599: Rafine’s Wild Imagination

”You’re so annoying! Don’t you know I was really scared just now?”

Rafine stared at Nolan with teary eyes while punching his chest in annoyance.

Her heart had almost stopped when she thought it was a ghost.

It turned out to be Nolan. She felt relieved but also annoyed. If only this man had called her name right away, she wouldn’t have been so scared.

”Pfft!” Nolan chuckled softly as he gently rubbed her head. ”Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. But it’s not entirely my fault. I knocked on your door, but you didn’t respond. So when I saw you open it, I simply came in.”

He shrugged his shoulders as if to show he was innocent.

Rafine was irritated by his excuse, but once she felt his hand on her head, embarrassment immediately overwhelmed her.

”Humph! Fine, I’ll forgive you this time,” she grumbled, turning her face away. ”Next time, knock and call my name, understand?”

Nolan nodded resignedly. ”I understand.”

Rafine felt somewhat relieved to see him give in. Then, her eyes fell on the food trolley behind Nolan, and she asked hesitantly, ”So, what brought you here? And why are you carrying a food trolley like that?”

Nolan glanced at the trolley and replied, ”Elina said you hadn’t eaten dinner yet. So I prepared dinner for you. I haven’t eaten either. How about we eat together?”

Rafine was surprised. She didn’t expect this usually indifferent man to be so thoughtful.

’Could he have hit his head?’ she wondered.

Pushing the thought aside, she looked back at the food on the trolley and felt hungry. But she was afraid that eating dinner would make her gain weight.

Still, Nolan had prepared it, and it would be rude to refuse. Besides, she did want to eat alone with Nolan, without anyone else around.

Faced with the choice between the fear of gaining weight and the desire to be alone with him, Rafine chose the latter.

”Okay, let’s eat together,” she replied, a little embarrassed.

Nolan arranged the food he had brought on the table in the middle of the room, and Rafine helped him.

Since Nolan had already prepared the food, it would have been impolite to let him do all the work alone.

When they were done, the two sat side by side and began their dinner.

”Umm! This roast chicken is delicious!” Rafine’s eyes sparkled. ”The meat is tender and juicy. The sweetness of the honey combined with the sauce is perfect. Who cooked it?”

She turned to Nolan with a curious look. Since she came to this mansion, she had never tasted food this delicious.

”I made it. It’s delicious, isn’t it?” Nolan gave her a playful look.

”You?” Rafine was stunned. She stared at the roast chicken in her hands, then back at Nolan, as if she couldn’t believe him.

”Why? Don’t you believe me?” Nolan asked, dissatisfied.

”N-No, it’s not that.” Rafine smiled awkwardly. ”I believe it. Elina told me that you’re good at cooking. I just didn’t expect you to cook for me personally. This is... a bit unexpected.”

In her wildest dreams, she had never imagined this would happen.

Cooking required a lot of time and effort. It seemed impossible that Nolan would spend his precious time preparing food just for her.

”Just treat it as a small gift. After all, you’ve helped Elina and me a lot. I don’t know how to repay you. You’re the daughter of the Austin family, so everyone knows you don’t lack money or status. This is all I can give you. Don’t be offended, okay?”

He had a principle of repaying kindness. Rafine had contributed a lot to this battle for the throne, and there was no denying it.

Although he knew Rafine did it voluntarily, Nolan still wanted to show his appreciation, so he decided to cook personally.

At least, that sincere gesture would make Rafine feel that her efforts were appreciated by him and Elina.

Upon hearing his words, Rafine was silent for a moment before smiling sweetly.

”I didn’t expect you to be so thoughtful. Are you still the same Nolan I knew when we first met?”

She gave him a teasing look. She still remembered how cold and harsh Nolan used to be.

At that time, he had refused her invitation to dance in front of the other young nobles. Fortunately, Zarak had appeared as a catalyst, allowing the man to dance with her.

Otherwise, she would have felt very embarrassed and lost face in public.

Since then, her relationship with Nolan had continued as a friendship. Well, calling it a ”friendship” might be a bit ambiguous.

After all, at that time, the Austin family had not yet declared their support for Elina.

It could be said that they were just friends without any real closeness.

”I’m human too, okay?” Nolan rolled his eyes. ”I already consider you a friend and also... family.”

His words made Rafine’s smile freeze. Her face flushed red, and her heart began to race.

’What is this guy talking about? Is this still the Nolan I know? How can he say something like that to me? Doesn’t he understand what that means?’

Her toes curled, and her body trembled with embarrassment.

”Family” was a word that could easily make someone misunderstand. Yet this man had said it so casually to her, making her feel happy, embarrassed, and also... annoyed.

She didn’t understand why Nolan had said that to her. Could it be a confession?

Thinking about that possibility made Rafine feel even more embarrassed.

If it was, how should she respond?

Agree or refuse?

If she refused, would he hate her and walk away?

If she accepted, how would they handle the relationship? Would they get engaged right away, or even... get married?

The image of herself and Nolan in bed, her body pinned beneath his strong arms, made her face flush even more.

Nolan, unaware of her inner turmoil, looked confused. ”What’s wrong? Are you sick?”

Unconsciously, Rafine placed her right hand on her forehead, which immediately snapped her out of her reverie.

”Ah!” she cried out.

”What’s wrong?” Nolan asked again.

Rafine turned to him but quickly looked away.

”It’s nothing. Sorry to worry you,” she whispered shyly.

She didn’t expect her voice to sound like that.

She wanted to bury her face in the ground, but that would only make her look strange in his eyes.

Nolan nodded slightly. ”I understand. Oh, right, I want to tell you something. Tomorrow, I’m going to the capital with Evalyn.”

”Huh?” Rafine was surprised. ”Going to the capital?”

Nolan nodded as he continued eating and explained everything to her. Of course, only the matter related to his mother—nothing more.

”Something like that. So, please take care of Elina while I’m gone, okay?” Nolan accompanied his words with a handsome smile.

Rafine pursed her lips, still feeling dissatisfied. However, she knew there was nothing she could do.

Bowing her head, she tugged at the hem of Nolan’s robe.

”Nolan, there’s something I want to ask you,” she said.

Nolan blinked curiously. ”What is it?”

Rafine held back her words for a moment. Then she lifted her head, her eyes filled with both fear and hope.

”I...”