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

Chapter 693: Seeing Alina Again

"Hahahah... their anger has finally erupted. It wasn’t in vain that I carefully orchestrated everything."

Standing on the balcony, Karakh gazed into the distance, where the crowd had begun to storm the palace gates with all their might.

Anger, hatred, and various other negative emotions were clearly visible on their faces.

However, Karakh wasn’t panicking at all. After all, this was the moment he had been waiting for over the past few days.

"Reporting, Your Highness!"

A voice came from behind him. He turned and saw a man in a black cloak standing in a respectful posture.

Karakh smiled and asked, "How is it going? Have the nobles in each city taken action?"

The man knelt on one knee and replied, "Yes, Your Highness. Protests are breaking out in other cities as well. All of them have been orchestrated by the nobles you enlisted. Furthermore, the troops at the border and other key points are still held up. It will take more than two days for them to return to the capital. So, we have plenty of time to act."

"Excellent!" Karakh clapped his hands, his face filled with joy he couldn’t hide. "The chaos at that evening’s party wasn’t in vain. Those nobles have finally sided with me. My chances of overthrowing my father have increased dramatically."

In truth, even without the support of the noble families, he could still overthrow his father.

Moreover, he had already secured ninety-five percent of the support in the ministry, including that of the generals and other high-ranking officials.

Still, he was a cautious man. The anger and resentment of the noble families could become a thorn in his side.

If left unchecked, it could become a wound in the future. And once that happened, it would be both difficult and troublesome to remove.

But now, he no longer needed to worry. They had already chosen to support his ascension to the throne.

"Alright, let’s go to the throne room. I’m sure the ministers are already waiting for me to take action," Karakh said proudly.

The man nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

***

In her room, Alina paced back and forth with a panicked, anxious expression.

Occasionally, her gaze drifted out the window, where a sea of people had gathered, demanding the overthrow of her father as king.

Frankly, the sight was terrifying. She hadn’t expected the chaos from eight days ago to ignite such intense anger among the capital’s citizens.

"What should I do?" Alina asked, her voice trembling with anxiety and fear.

She didn’t know if it was just her imagination, but since that incident, many strange events had occurred within the royal palace.

Her third older brother, Meliodas, had passed away. It wasn’t just him—many of her other siblings had also died under suspicious circumstances: poisoned in their sleep, stabbed in the heart, and more.

More shockingly, most of those deaths had occurred within the royal palace itself—a place that was supposed to be the safest location in the kingdom.

Alina began to suspect that the culprit was the same figure who had caused chaos in the capital eight days ago. In fact, there was a possibility that the current protests were also being orchestrated by him from behind the scenes.

Just as panic and fear began to overwhelm her, a calm voice sounded from behind.

"It’s been a long time, Alina. How have you been?"

Alina froze. With stiff movements, she turned and saw a handsome man in a black robe sitting on the sofa.

His hair was jet-black like the night sky, while his eyes were purple, like carefully carved sapphires.

There was a thin stubble on his chin, but it didn’t diminish his handsomeness. If anything, it made him look even more masculine and captivating.

Alina’s heart raced as she pointed at the man and stammered, "N-Nolan!?"

Nolan gave a faint smile. He crossed his legs, leaned back, and replied, "Yes, it’s me. Surprised?"

Alina froze for a moment, then clenched her teeth in anger.

"You... why are you here!?" she asked coldly. "How dare you show up? Don’t you know the chaos in this kingdom is because of you!?"

Once, she had considered Nolan a friend—perhaps even her closest friend. Nolan had a troubled past, much like her own.

She trusted him completely—more than anyone else, even her own father.

But what did she get in return?

Betrayal!

Nolan had betrayed her in the most unexpected way. He had killed her older brother, which sent the queen into a deep depression and caused her to lose her sanity.

A series of disasters followed—riots in the capital, the weakening of her father’s position, and various other incidents.

She had once thought Nolan was the man she could rely on, someone she could have by her side in her loneliness.

But the reality was different. This man was a monster... an evil person... a bastard.

If it weren’t for him, her life wouldn’t be in such a mess.

Seeing the look of resentment and hatred on her tear-streaked face, Nolan remained calm.

There was no change in his expression, as if he were an outsider with no responsibility for the pain Alina was experiencing.

"Are you blaming me?"

That single question was like a sword piercing Alina’s heart. Her breathing grew heavy, and her eyes turned red.

"Yes, I blame you! You’re the cause of all this!" she screamed hoarsely.

This was the first time Nolan had seen this side of Alina.

Usually, Alina would always smile, even in situations that made her uncomfortable.

Nolan gave a faint smile and asked, "Then do you think I have the motive or the power to be the cause of this chaos?"

Alina jolted. Her eyes widened, and her body trembled slightly.

"Are you saying you’re not the culprit?"

Nolan nodded. "I’m just a pawn—or more accurately, a piece on the real culprit’s chessboard. I’m sure you’ve already realized there’s someone pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Alina fell silent. She had indeed realized that. But Nolan’s sudden appearance had led her to assume he was the main culprit.

"But there’s no denying that I’m also at fault in this matter. And I don’t regret it," Nolan said coldly.

That emotionless statement made Alina’s breathing grow heavier.

"However, you don’t need to worry. I didn’t come here to apologize, cause you trouble, or anything like that. I’m here to help you uncover the real mastermind," Nolan continued calmly.

"Uncover the mastermind?" Alina narrowed her eyes. "Can I trust your words?"

He had lied to her before. To be honest, it was hard for her to trust him again now.

"It’s up to you. The decision is yours. I’m not forcing you."

After saying that, Nolan closed his eyes and stopped pressing her further.

He understood that, in the end, Alina would still choose to trust him.

After all, she didn’t have many other options.

Alina gritted her teeth, her mind torn between trusting Nolan or not.

A few minutes later, she took a deep breath and replied coldly, "Fine, I’ll trust you. Tell me—who did it?"

Nolan opened his eyes, his purple pupils flashing with amusement.

"Isn’t it obvious? It was your second older brother, Karakh."