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

Chapter 864: Discovering an Unexpected Truth

"Waaah! Mother, I’m scared! Save me!"

"Someone, please help! I’m afraid of the dark! Mom, Dad! I want to go home!"

"Sniff... Sniff... I don’t want to be here. It feels so suffocating! I want to go home!"

The cries of children and young girls echoed throughout the prison.

The young women immediately tried to comfort them, even though they were terrified themselves.

None of them knew where they were or who had kidnapped them. They also had no idea what awaited them.

There was nothing they could do except try to calm the frightened children.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the prison, Novaria sat with her face buried in her knees.

The beauty, confidence, and pride she once carried were nowhere to be seen, replaced by despair and an empty look in her eyes.

She had no idea how long she’d been locked up. Two hours? Four? Maybe six?

The place was so isolated that she had completely lost track of time.

"Why... Why did everything turn out like this?"

She clutched her head as frustration gnawed at her.

No matter how much she thought about it, she had never imagined her fate would end up like this.

What terrified her even more was not knowing what awaited her. She might be sold... or forced to become someone’s slave.

Just the thought of it sent chills down her spine.

"N-No, I can’t let this happen!" she growled. "I have to get out of here... I have to get back to Elina’s mansion! But... how?"

She looked up and scanned her dark, silent surroundings. The iron bars confining her and the others were incredibly sturdy. There was no way she could break them with her bare hands.

"Hey, have you eaten yet?"

A gentle voice came from beside her, startling her.

She turned and saw a young woman, around twenty years old, smiling at her.

Although her clothes were disheveled and traces of fear still lingered on her face, she remained calm and kept her emotions in check.

"I-I..."

Novaria was about to say no when her stomach suddenly growled.

Her face instantly turned as red as a tomato.

The young woman let out a soft giggle before holding out a piece of bread.

"The people who kidnapped us gave us dinner earlier. This is your share."

Novaria stared at the bread in a daze. It had an odd, unappetizing shape.

In the outside world, it would be nothing more than animal feed. No, even calling it garbage wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

But in this place, where food was almost nonexistent, it looked like the most luxurious meal she had ever seen.

She accepted it with trembling hands and whispered, "Thank you."

The young woman simply smiled before walking over to the girls and children, who were finally beginning to calm down.

Novaria silently watched her back. Even as the others cried and trembled in fear, the young woman stayed calm, refusing to let her fear show.

For the first time in her life, Novaria knew what utter defeat felt like.

She wasn’t just outmatched by her sisters—Seira, Sharon, Elina, and Freya—but also by an ordinary woman.

She lowered her gaze and stared blankly at the piece of bread in her hand.

"Why am I so... pathetic?"

...

"Stop."

Nolan raised his right hand.

Luvistar, Rafine, and the soldiers behind him immediately came to a halt.

Nolan pointed ahead.

"Look over there."

Following his gaze, they saw a wooden house standing in a small clearing surrounded by towering trees.

"Your Highness, could that be where the bandits are?" Luvistar asked, his expression serious.

Nolan nodded.

"Most likely."

He then dismounted his horse.

"Wait here. I’ll go check it out."

Rafine was startled and tried to stop him, but Nolan had already walked away.

***

"Hmmm..."

The burly blond-haired man leaned against a tree trunk.

He took a drag from his cigarette before slowly exhaling the smoke.

"It’ll all be over soon. We just have to leave the eastern region and continue our kidnappings in the southern region," he muttered, gazing up at the silent night sky.

Their actions would inevitably put the Austin family—the rulers of the eastern region—on high alert.

For their own safety, they had to leave as soon as they sold the slaves to Jakes.

Lost in thought, he suddenly heard rustling coming from the bushes ahead.

Startled, he quickly turned toward the sound, his eyes fixed on the bushes.

"Who’s there?"

No one answered, but he didn’t let his guard down.

He wasn’t worried about another person.

What concerned him more was the possibility of a wild animal—or worse, a monster.

After all, they were deep inside its territory.

Without a second thought, he quickly stubbed out his cigarette.

Just as he was about to turn away, a hand suddenly grabbed the back of his neck.

"Argh!" he cried out in pain.

"Shut up. Or do you want to die right now?"

A cold voice, as sharp as a knife, came from behind him.

His heart pounded as fear slowly crept in.

"W-Who are you?" he asked, his voice trembling.

He hadn’t sensed the person’s presence at all. It was as if they had appeared out of nowhere.

"No need to ask. Tell me—why are you kidnapping people in Virella?"

The man’s eyes widened in shock. He immediately realized who this person was. They had to be someone sent by Virella’s new lord.

A smirk spread across his face as he let out a sneer. "Hehe... I don’t know how you found this place, but it doesn’t matter. I’m not telling you anything."

Nolan narrowed his eyes. His expression remained calm and indifferent, as if he’d already expected that answer.

"In that case, don’t blame me if I have to get brutal."

The hand gripping the man’s neck emitted a faint purple glow.

At the same time, the burly blond-haired man was overwhelmed by excruciating pain.

"Argh! Let me go! It hurts!"

Before his scream could reach the wooden house, Nolan waved his hand, sealing off the surrounding space.

Now, only the two of them remained inside the isolated area.

Nolan closed his eyes and searched through the man’s memories. A few minutes later, the man’s screams gradually weakened before fading away completely.

The arrogance on his face disappeared, replaced by overwhelming fear. The light in his eyes had also faded, a clear sign that he was dead.

Nolan tossed the body aside and slowly opened his eyes.

"How interesting... I never expected these bandits to be nothing more than pawns," he muttered.

From the man’s memories, Nolan discovered that the bandits he had believed to be the masterminds were merely pawns.

A far more powerful organization was operating behind the scenes, controlling bandit groups across the entire continent while protecting them.

It was known as the Black Skull, a threat that had to be eliminated.

But that wasn’t what caught Nolan’s interest. What intrigued him even more was the existence of a man named Jakes.

Jakes was a member of the Black Skull organization and the primary buyer of the slaves captured by those bandits.

"Jakes... If I remember correctly, he’s a well-known businessman in the northern region. And more importantly..."

A faint smile spread across Nolan’s face.

"He has ties to Cedric..."

Nolan covered his face with one hand before letting out a low laugh.

"Interesting... Very interesting! Cedric, oh Cedric. My dear brother, you’re truly finished this time. Having ties to—and even receiving financial support from—a criminal. There’s only one fate waiting for you... destruction."