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

Chapter 559: The Person Behind the Incident

The door slowly opened, and Evalyn stepped in gracefully.

Without turning his head, Nolan asked casually, "Are you done?"

Evalyn walked toward him and replied calmly, "Yes. I taught him a harsh lesson before killing him."

She took a chair near the desk, pulled it over, and placed it beside Nolan.

After sitting down, she glanced at the unconscious Kaede and asked suspiciously, "What’s wrong with her? Why did she faint?"

Her eyes were filled with suspicion.

"I don’t know. She just suddenly passed out," Nolan replied with a shrug.

"Heh..." Evalyn’s suspicion didn’t fade—in fact, it deepened.

However, she didn’t press further and instead changed the question. "You didn’t do anything to her, right?"

Her voice was soft, tinged with jealousy.

Nolan rolled his eyes. "Do you think I’m that kind of person?"

Evalyn fell silent, then turned her face away and answered shyly, "No. You’re a coward, after all."

Nolan: "..."

Not only did she doubt him, but she was also mocking him. Still, she wasn’t wrong—he wouldn’t dare do anything.

Although Kaede appeared to be a fragile princess, a special artifact was actually implanted inside her body.

If she were truly in danger, it would activate and kill anyone who tried to harm her.

Of course, with Nolan’s power, disabling the artifact would be effortless. But there was no need for that. He had no interest in Kaede.

"Alright, enough nonsense. Take care of her while I go to my room to get something," Nolan said as he slowly stood up.

"Huh? You’re leaving me here alone?" Evalyn asked, clearly dissatisfied.

Nolan rolled his eyes. "Don’t be dramatic. I’ll only be gone for a moment."

Without waiting for her reply, he walked out of the room.

Evalyn pursed her lips in annoyance. She shifted her gaze to Kaede and fell into thought.

Kaede was a princess. It felt strange that no powerful protector was accompanying her back to the Eastern Empire of Izanagi.

Suddenly, her right foot bumped into something. When she looked down, she saw a strange black mask.

Surprised, she picked it up and examined it.

"A mask?" Her brows furrowed. "But... whose is it?"

***

Nolan sat casually beside Evalyn, reading a book.

"Hm?" His brows lifted slightly when he felt someone staring at him. He turned and saw Evalyn looking his way.

He picked up a biscuit from the plate and took a bite.

"What is it? Is there something on my face?"

Evalyn startled and quickly looked away.

"Nothing. But... there’s something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

Evalyn took a sip of her tea and looked at him intently.

"I found a mask here," she said, holding it up. "Is this yours?"

Nolan looked at the black mask, then shook his head.

"No, it’s not mine. It belongs to an assassin who failed his mission."

"An assassin?" Evalyn’s eyes widened. "Are you saying others came while I was fighting that man?"

Nolan nodded. "Yes. There were two of them. Unfortunately..."

He let out a soft chuckle and waved his right hand lightly.

"I killed them."

His words startled Evalyn. She froze for a moment before regaining her composure.

With a faint smile, she repeated, "You killed them, right? Alright, I believe you."

Nolan looked at her suspiciously. "You really believe me?"

Evalyn nodded firmly. "Yes, I believe you. You wouldn’t lie to me, would you?"

A gentle light flickered in her eyes, leaving Nolan momentarily speechless.

Unconsciously, he smiled and murmured, "You really haven’t changed..."

"Ugh..."

Just then, a faint groan came from the bed. Both of them turned toward it and saw that Kaede had woken up.

"Mmm... Has the killer been defeated?" she asked weakly.

Nolan nodded. "Yes. You don’t need to worry anymore."

Kaede let out a sigh of relief. She sat up and looked at Nolan and Evalyn.

"Thank you, both of you. I owe you my life," she said sincerely.

Evalyn smiled and waved her hand. "It’s alright, Your Highness. We helped because we wanted to. There’s no need to thank us."

Kaede nodded in relief. But in the next second, the expression behind her mask froze.

"What did you just say? Your Highness? How did you know I was a princess?"

Evalyn gasped but quickly composed herself. Just as she was about to explain, Nolan cut her off.

"I’m sorry. We’ve known from the beginning. But you can rest assured—we had no malicious intent."

Kaede stared at Nolan in silence before giving a slight nod.

"I believe you. Yes, I am the princess of the Eastern Empire of Izanagi—Kaede Taira."

She placed her right palm over her chest and bowed her head slightly to the two of them.

In truth, she hadn’t intended to reveal it. Her identity was highly sensitive.

But there was no point hiding it now. They already knew the truth.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," Evalyn said politely.

Even though Kaede was a princess from the eastern empire, proper courtesy was still necessary.

Nolan did the same. Their statuses were equal, but since he was currently disguised as an ordinary man, he had to act accordingly.

Kaede smiled faintly and gave a small nod.

"Oh, right. I obtained some important information from the assassin earlier," Evalyn said seriously. "Your Highness, they were sent by your older brother—the First Prince."

The expression behind Kaede’s mask darkened at those words.

She had already suspected her older brother, but hearing it confirmed made her heart ache.

Nolan glanced at her, as if sensing the emotions hidden behind her mask.

"Do you want to hear my story?"

Her sudden words surprised Evalyn and Nolan. They both nodded without a word.

Kaede felt a warmth rise within her. She didn’t know where it came from, but she felt that the two people before her could be trusted.

She let out a soft sigh and began, "Once upon a time, I..."

Fifteen minutes later...

"This is such a classic story. As expected of a great empire—schemes like this are inevitable," Nolan said with a faint sneer.

Evalyn shot him an irritated look and nudged his stomach.

Nolan groaned in pain, but he didn’t retract his words.

According to Kaede’s story, her eldest brother—the First Prince—wanted to become emperor. However, the Eastern Emperor had no intention of granting him the throne.

Instead, he planned to pass it on to his daughter—Kaede’s twin sister.

It sounded strange, even illogical. In this world, most rulers would never consider giving their throne to a daughter.

But when one recalled the ancient legend of the Eastern Empire of Izanagi, it no longer seemed so unusual.

After all, Kaede and her twin sister were the children foretold in a prophecy from thousands of years ago...