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

Chapter 855: The Pitiful Novaria

Elina, Nolan, and Rafine walked out. When they saw Novaria standing there, they all looked surprised.

"Novaria?" Elina approached her, looking her up and down with a hesitant expression. "What are you doing here?"

Her relationship with Novaria had never been particularly good.

How should she put it?

Novaria was arrogant and often looked down on Elina and her brother.

They had clashed more than once in the past. During family dinners, Novaria would often make snide remarks about Elina and Nolan, whether intentionally or not.

Their father always scolded her on the spot, but Elina still couldn’t let it go.

Even now, their relationship remained distant. They didn’t hate each other, but they certainly weren’t close.

After everything Novaria had done to her and her brother, Elina had no interest in getting any closer to her.

Novaria could naturally sense Elina’s cold attitude, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Elina was the only person who could help her.

Biting her lower lip, Novaria lowered her head and greeted her in a trembling voice.

"I’ve come to see you."

Elina raised an eyebrow but said nothing. She simply gave a small nod.

"What brings you here?" she asked again.

Novaria lifted her head before speaking in a weak voice.

"I’ve come to ask for your help."

"Help?" Elina looked slightly surprised. "What kind of help?"

Novaria fell silent for a moment. She took a deep breath before replying, "I want to stay with you for two months. Will you allow it?"

The atmosphere instantly fell silent. Rafine and Nolan exchanged confused glances.

"Stay with me for two months?" Elina narrowed her eyes slightly. "Can you explain what you mean?"

Novaria nodded. She was about to speak when Nolan suddenly cut her off.

"Let’s go inside first. This isn’t the right place to talk about something like this."

Realizing Nolan was right, Elina turned around and said casually, "Come on, let’s go inside first."

Novaria let out a sigh of relief. She had been thinking the same thing.

She glanced at Nolan and gave him a slight nod in thanks.

Nolan simply ignored her and followed Rafine inside.

***

"So, what do you mean by staying with me?" Elina asked bluntly.

Novaria sat with her head lowered, her fingers tightly clasped together as if trying to hold back her anxiety.

After taking a deep breath, she slowly lifted her head.

"I’ve been betrothed."

That brief statement startled Nolan, Rafine, and Elina, who sat across from her.

"...My mother can’t wait any longer," she continued softly, her expression turning complicated. "She already sees you as a major threat that can no longer be ignored. So, she wants to secure a powerful ally—someone who can help Aldric win the battle for the throne. And I... I’m the price being offered for that."

Her hands clenched into tight fists.

Looking back, the hope she had placed in Aldric seemed ridiculous—almost foolish.

The arranged marriage was meant to benefit him.

And yet, she had actually asked him to help her get out of it.

It was like asking a tiger to let go of its prey when it hadn’t even had its fill.

"An arranged marriage, huh?"

Elina’s expression grew complicated. Before joining the battle for the throne, an arranged marriage had been her greatest fear.

In a way, it was one of the reasons she had chosen to enter the battle in the first place—alongside her ambition to become the ruler.

But what could she do?

Being born a princess of a great empire meant shouldering a heavy responsibility.

There was no perfect choice. Whether she joined the battle for the throne or accepted an arranged marriage, both came with their own risks.

If anything, an arranged marriage was the safer option. At the very least, princesses like her could still live comfortably after getting married.

But there was always the chance that their husband’s family would grow to resent them. It wasn’t uncommon, and Elina had seen it happen more than once.

"I understand."

Elina took a sip of her tea.

"So, you’re planning to stay with me so you can avoid that arranged marriage. Is that right?"

Novaria nodded repeatedly.

"That’s right!"

"Then, what do I get in return?"

"Huh?" Novaria froze. "W-What do you get in return?"

Elina smiled faintly.

"You don’t expect me to do this for free, do you?"

Novaria tensed. Her breathing grew heavier.

She hadn’t thought about that at all. After all, they were sisters, even if they had different mothers.

So, shouldn’t Elina agree to her request?

At least, that’s what she had thought. But now that Elina had brought it up, she didn’t know how to respond.

"I do sympathize with your situation. Arranged marriages were once my greatest fear as well," Elina said casually. "But letting you stay here is a different matter. There are many possibilities I have to consider. One of them is..."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"What if Aldric sent you here to keep an eye on me?"

Novaria’s face paled. She hurriedly waved her hands and protested, "No, that’s not why I’m here! I—"

"Yes, maybe that’s true. But I can’t just trust you right away, can I?" Elina interrupted firmly.

Novaria pressed her lips together, her expression filled with confusion and anxiety.

"Novaria—no, Sister—the battle for the throne has reached a critical stage. The struggle between me, Aldric, Adalen, and Cedric has already entered its second year. In the history of this empire, the longest battle for the throne lasted four years. Compared to that, we only have about two years left."

Elina took another sip of her tea before continuing.

"It may sound like a long time, but it really isn’t. According to my spies, Aldric, Adalen, and Cedric are planning something big, and I’m most likely their target. After all, I’m the biggest obstacle to their victory. Zarak is dead, and so is Cassian."

"That’s why I can’t let you stay here. One wrong move could weaken my position, make the nobles lose faith in me, and undo everything I’ve worked for over the past year and a half. I hope you understand where I’m coming from."

Novaria’s situation wasn’t much different from Seira’s. Both had been forced into arranged marriages for the sake of their brothers..

But there was one key difference.

Seira had Nolan—someone who wanted to help her.

Novaria, on the other hand, had no one. She was completely alone. Worse, she had chosen to run away instead of facing reality.

Elina did feel sorry for her, but that was all. She had no intention of getting involved in Novaria’s affairs or helping her solve a problem she herself wasn’t willing to face.

It sounded cruel, but she didn’t care.

Novaria bit her lower lip, feeling both ashamed and frustrated. In the end, all she could do was let out a long sigh.

"I understand."

She stood up and gave Elina a slight bow.

"Sorry for taking up your time."

From the beginning, she had known this would be the outcome. Her relationship with Elina had never been close. In fact, it would have been stranger if Elina had simply agreed to her request.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, Nolan’s voice suddenly stopped her.

"Wait a minute."