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

Chapter 998: Private Conversation

"Ahem!" Nolan cleared his throat. "Actually, I’ve met His Majesty Ragan before."

Seira furrowed her brow.

"When?"

"About two years ago," Nolan replied casually. "Back then, we talked about a few possible collaborations. Then, he asked me about my favorite drink. I told him I liked tea with pomegranate essence. He said he’d always keep some ready in his office so I could have it whenever I visited. Unfortunately..."

Nolan put on a helpless expression.

"His Majesty fell ill, and I haven’t been able to speak with him since."

Seira narrowed her eyes suspiciously. She was still a little skeptical of his explanation.

She remembered Ragan once saying that he had never met the true owner of the Blue Moon Trading House.

However, the expression and tone of the man in front of her didn’t make him seem like he was lying.

In the end, she decided not to ask any more questions and went back to prepare his drink.

Nolan let out a sigh of relief and lightly tapped his own head.

"I’m such an idiot! That was a close call."

Seira was an intelligent woman with sharp intuition. Fortunately, she hadn’t asked any more questions, which worked in his favor.

After brewing the tea, Seira placed the cups on the table, then sat across from him and took a sip of her own tea.

"Mr. Frey, I’m sorry for what my mother said earlier in the throne room," she said softly. "I hope you weren’t offended by her words."

Nolan smiled slightly.

"It’s fine. I don’t get angry over something as trivial as that."

Seira felt relieved to hear that.

She took another sip of her tea, her expression turning slightly sad.

"You know? Ever since I was little, my mother and I have never really gotten along. I don’t know why, but she seems to... hate me."

Nolan stayed silent and simply listened. As her younger brother, he had always watched their relationship from the sidelines.

The relationship between Seira and Clarisse was indeed strange.

They were mother and daughter, yet the way Clarisse treated Seira didn’t feel like how a mother should treat her daughter.

She seemed to hate Seira, as if Seira were nothing more than a disgrace to her.

Nolan had once asked Isabella about it, but his mother refused to answer, as if the subject were taboo.

"She most likely wants to get involved in the Blue Horizon Project because she wants to secure your support for my younger brother in the battle for the throne," Seira continued with a dismissive smile. "His name is Adalen Lorian. You must know him, right?"

"I know him. He’s the third prince, famous for his handsome appearance, right?" Nolan said jokingly. "He’s also a great prince."

Handsome?

Adalen?

Damn it, he’s nothing compared to me.

But Nolan couldn’t say that in front of Seira.

After all, they were complete strangers now.

"Great?" Seira drained her cup of tea. "What’s so great about a spoiled brat who can only rely on his mother? He can’t even solve his own problems and always drags his family in to clean up after him. It’s truly... pathetic. If the throne falls into his hands, this empire will crumble within a few years."

Her words weren’t just empty talk. That was indeed the reality. Adalen simply didn’t have what it took to be a leader.

Seira knew this because she was his older sister and had watched him grow up since childhood.

In fact, the faction supporting Adalen’s claim to the throne was the Holy Empire of Valtanir.

They wanted to turn Adalen into a puppet emperor and control the Great Velmora Empire from behind the scenes.

Seira couldn’t let that happen. The Lorian family’s legacy, which had lasted for thousands of years, must not fall into the hands of outsiders.

Nolan smiled at her words.

"You seem to care deeply about this empire, Your Majesty. Why don’t you run for the throne yourself? With your abilities, it should be easy for you to win, shouldn’t it?"

"Run for the throne?" Seira laughed. "What a joke. I’ve never been interested in the throne, not even once. If it weren’t for my father falling ill, do you think I’d want to take on this heavy responsibility? No way!"

Her voice was filled with confidence.

Nolan simply chuckled. He believed her. Seira was just like him. Neither of them had any interest in power.

As the famous saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility."

"By the way, just drinking tea isn’t much fun. How about some wine? My father has a lot of good wine stored away."

Seira stood up and walked toward a secret room in the back.

When she opened the door, the strong aroma of wine immediately wafted out.

Nolan could even see the wine barrels he had obtained from Levi’s ghost ship during his journey to the Kingdom of Kaldarion on the northern continent.

Shortly afterward, Seira returned with a slightly dusty bottle of wine.

She didn’t forget to bring two glasses, which she placed on the table.

"I hope you don’t get drunk easily," Seira joked.

"Of course not." Nolan wasn’t worried.

Seira opened the bottle and poured the wine into both glasses.

"Here you go."

She placed the bottle on the table and handed one of the glasses to Nolan.

Nolan took it and took a sip.

Bitter, sweet, and sour flavors blended together. Nolan recognized it immediately.

"Evria wine," he murmured.

"Oh? You recognize it?" Seira looked surprised.

"Of course."

Nolan chuckled softly as he swirled the wine in his glass before taking another sip.

"Evria is a special wine made by the dwarves of the southern continent. It’s extremely rare. Even if you can find it, it’s incredibly expensive," he explained casually, gazing at the reddish-blue liquid in his glass. "Are you sure your father won’t be upset that you’re serving this wine to me?"

Seira smiled dismissively.

"Wine is just wine. What’s the point of it other than to drink it? Besides, you’re a VVIP guest of the Imperial Family. There isn’t a single person in this empire who could pull off a massive project like the one you’re undertaking. Am I right?"

Nolan smiled as well.

"You’re right."

Talking to a smart person was enjoyable. There was no need to pretend or explain every little thing just to be understood.

Nolan had never felt this comfortable in a conversation except with a select few people.

The two then began discussing business matters related to the Blue Horizon Project. Seira asked most of the questions, while Nolan answered them.

"Are you going to involve the nobility?"

"Of course. They play a significant role," Nolan replied indifferently. "I’ll secure the main route to the eastern region first."

The eastern region was Elina’s power base. Consider it a reward for their willingness to support his beloved younger sister in the battle for the throne.

As for the rest... well, he’d figure that out later.

Once Elina won the battle for the throne, whether they would continue to oppose her or not was something he would have to keep an eye on.

If they did, Nolan wouldn’t grant them any investments from Blue Moon or White Lotus.

Without capital from those two major trading houses, they would essentially be finished.

Seira simply nodded without saying anything else.

But suddenly...

"Hey, do you believe in something called... reincarnation?"