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

Chapter 815: Ayakami

Hearing that, Sylvia’s eyes narrowed.

"Why did you suddenly bring him up? And... what do you mean by that? Since when have you known Nolan Lorian?" she asked suspiciously.

Chloe gave a faint smile.

"There’s no need to be so wary. Sharon Lorian, his older sister, is my personal student. Is it really that strange for me to ask about him?"

Sylvia considered her explanation and found it reasonable. Even so, a sense of unease lingered in her heart. For some reason, she felt that the woman before her harbored ulterior motives regarding Nolan.

Then again, perhaps it was just her imagination.

"Nolan Lorian, huh?" Sylvia muttered. She leaned back against the sofa and stared at the ceiling through her blindfold. "I think he’s an interesting person. To the outside world, he’s known as a worthless prince. But who would have thought? Beneath that facade lies someone with frightening ability. He’s not only intelligent but also incredibly cunning."

Chloe quietly sipped her tea as she listened.

After Sylvia finished speaking, Chloe set down her cup and gave a slight nod.

"I see."

"Why did you ask about him?"

Chloe merely smiled and shook her head.

"It’s nothing. Nothing important, at least. By the way, let’s talk about the event."

Although her suspicions remained, Sylvia chose not to press the matter. The two of them soon began discussing the event.

***

"A welcome party, you said?"

"That’s right." Sharon gave a slight nod. "I don’t know why my master suggested it either, but she said it’s meant to welcome the guests."

She shrugged and took a sip of her drink.

Seira rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"That sounds reasonable enough. So after the welcome party, the event will begin, right?"

"Yes, that’s correct," Sharon confirmed.

"That’s a bit of a hassle. Looks like I’ll need to find a nice dress," Seira said helplessly.

Sharon chuckled softly.

"There’s no need to worry. I have plenty of nice dresses for you—and for you too, Rafine."

"Huh? Me too?" Rafine asked in surprise.

"Why not?" Sharon looked at her curiously. "You didn’t bring a formal dress, did you?"

"Well..." Rafine smiled awkwardly. "That’s true. I didn’t expect there to be a welcome party or anything like that, so I didn’t prepare one."

In truth, the trip to Falling Star Academy had been arranged so suddenly that she hadn’t had time to pack properly.

"It’s fine. I’ve already got it covered." Sharon patted her chest confidently.

"Then what about me? I don’t have anything to wear either, you know," Nolan chimed in.

"You?" Sharon stared at him in surprise. "Right! How could I forget?"

She tapped her forehead.

She didn’t have any formal robes for men. Even if she bought one outside, the quality would likely be mediocre. As a member of the imperial family, wearing an ordinary robe would undoubtedly attract annoying gossip.

Suddenly, something came to mind, and a smile appeared on her face.

"I know someone who can help you."

Nolan tilted his head in confusion, as though three question marks had appeared above it.

***

"A noble’s robe from the eastern region?" a woman asked in confusion. Her features carried the distinctive beauty of the eastern continent.

"That’s right." Sharon nodded. "I need one. Didn’t you bring five sets from your family?"

"I did. But what do you need them for?" the woman asked curiously.

"Well..." Sharon scratched her cheek. "My younger brother, Nolan, has arrived. Since he doesn’t have any suitable clothes for the party this afternoon, I was hoping to borrow one from you."

"Your younger brother?" The woman’s eyes widened. "Nolan? The one whose mother is from the East?"

"That’s right." Sharon nodded. "So, can I borrow one? I’ll repay the favor later—"

Before she could finish, the woman cut her off.

"Of course! You can borrow one!"

Sharon blinked in surprise at the immediate response.

Then again, it made sense. Ayakami had always been interested in Nolan.

It had all started when Sharon showed her a picture of him. Somehow, that alone had been enough for Ayakami to develop a strong interest in him.

"But on one condition." Ayakami raised her index finger. "I want to meet your younger brother. And I want to see him wearing one of my robes."

Sharon: "..."

***

"Ah, so you’re Nolan Lorian. Nice to meet you!"

Ayakami shook Nolan’s hand enthusiastically.

Nolan was slightly taken aback by her enthusiasm.

"Yes, I’m Nolan Lorian. You’re Ayakami, right? From the Ashikaga family? Nice to meet you too."

Ayakami giggled and nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, that’s me. Has Sharon told you about me?"

"She has."

"Then what do you think? I’m still single, you know. If you don’t mind..."

She traced a finger across Nolan’s palm.

"I’d like to get engaged to you right now—or better yet, we could get married immediately."

Nolan: "..."

Sharon: "..."

"Ahem!" Sharon cleared her throat and quickly stepped in. "All right, that’s enough nonsense, Ayakami. You’re starting to worry me."

Ayakami glanced at her in confusion.

"Really? But I was only expressing my feelings," she replied hesitantly.

Sharon rolled her eyes. Ayakami was normally smart and perceptive, so why was she being so dense today?

"All right, let’s not waste any more time. You brought the robe, didn’t you?"

"I did." Ayakami nodded and handed over a neatly folded red robe. "Here. This is the finest robe in my collection. I’m sure you’ll like it."

Nolan ran his fingers across the fabric and found it incredibly soft.

"Silk? No, there must be something else mixed in. Silk isn’t usually this soft," he muttered.

Just from the texture alone, he could tell the robe was extremely expensive.

"Thank you," Nolan said.

"You’re welcome! Now put it on. I want to see how it looks on you," Ayakami replied eagerly.

Nolan blinked in surprise. He glanced at Sharon, who could only return a helpless look.

A sigh escaped his lips, but he wasn’t annoyed. Without another word, he headed toward the dressing room.

...

"Wow! You’re so beautiful, Your Highness," Rafine said in admiration.

Seira turned around and saw Rafine approaching in a red dress. Beside her was Eira, dressed in white and holding Rafine’s hand.

"You’re beautiful too, Rafine. No wonder you earned the title of the most beautiful woman in the empire," Seira replied with a giggle.

Rafine immediately felt embarrassed.

"Please don’t say that, Your Highness. It’s just a title given by the noble children. They rarely see you, so they don’t realize that you’re far more beautiful than I am," she said modestly.

Her words weren’t just flattery. That was honestly what she thought.

The title of "one of the ten most beautiful women" came from both the empire’s nobles and commoners.

Since Seira rarely showed herself in public, it was only natural that she wasn’t ranked first.

Seira waved a hand dismissively.

"You’re being too modest. You really are beautiful." She shook her head before changing the subject. "By the way..."

Her gaze moved from Rafine’s dress to her own.

"Does your dress feel tight?"

Rafine shook her head.

"No, it fits perfectly. Is yours too tight?"

"You’re right." Seira nodded as she lightly adjusted the front of her dress. "For some reason, it feels a bit tight around my chest and hips. Maybe it’s a little too small."

Rafine: "..."

Her eyes glanced briefly at Seira’s figure before she lowered her gaze to her own.

Although she was confident in her appearance, she had to admit that Seira was blessed with a more mature figure.

"All right, let’s head to the party first. Nolan can catch up with us later," Seira said, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

Rafine simply nodded and followed her, with Eira skipping along beside them.