The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 1014 The Bitter Truth

"Dear, can I come in?"

Syra knocked on the door to Orlan's office.

After waiting for a few moments, she didn't hear any response from inside.

"Dear?" she called again.

"Oh, sorry, honey. Come in. The door isn't locked."

Orlan's tired voice came from inside.

Syra opened the door and saw Orlan standing by the window, gazing at the view outside.

Syra's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she walked in.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked worriedly.

Orlan took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled before turning toward her.

"Yes. It's something very important and annoying—so much so that I can't relax."

His voice sounded heavy and tired.

Syra remained silent for a few seconds. Then, she walked over to the sofa and sat down.

"Come here."

She patted her thigh.

"I'll give you a massage."

Orlan said nothing and walked over to her. He sat down beside her and rested his head on her thigh.

Syra reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial. She opened it, poured some of the liquid into her palm, and gently massaged his temples.

Orlan's tense body slowly relaxed, and the wrinkles on his face began to fade.

"Your massage feels so good. What kind of oil are you using?"

"Cestria flower oil."

"Hmmm? What's that? Why have I never heard of it?"

"Of course you haven't. It's a new product from Blue Moon. It was released just a week ago. It's supposed to help calm the mind while getting a massage. So, how do you feel now?"

Orlan smiled and closed his eyes.

"It feels wonderful. The oil feels cool, and my head feels much lighter."

Syra nodded in satisfaction. She continued chatting with Orlan about random things to help him relax.

Sure enough, he started looking better. He smiled more often and even laughed a few times.

Once the atmosphere had relaxed a little, Syra finally brought up the question that had been on her mind.

"So, what's really going on? Why do you seem so anxious? Does it have anything to do with the rebellion on the southern border?"

Orlan nodded weakly.

"That's right. The rebel forces have breached the border. They've already burned many cities to the ground. Thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of people have died."

His voice was heavy with frustration.

Syra frowned when she heard this.

"What about Duke Malvain? Hasn't he given any orders yet?"

With the situation this serious, Duke Malvain should have already gathered the nobles to deal with the crisis.

Orlan's expression turned serious.

"I don't know. Duke Jason still hasn't done anything. This makes no sense."

He couldn't understand what Jason was thinking. It felt like the man was hiding something from them.

"Syra, I want you to help me."

Syra nodded.

"Tell me, my dear."

Orlan reached out and gently stroked her delicate face.

"If things take a turn for the worse, take Alicia and the servants to the Balfron family. At the very least, make sure they survive."

Syra was startled by his words.

"What about you?"

Orlan chuckled as he slowly sat up and kissed her forehead.

"I am the Marquis of Caltheron. The lives of millions of people in the cities of Lunaris and Valmiris rest in my hands. How could I just walk away?"

"But—"

"No 'buts.' This is my order as both your husband and your leader. Understand?"

Orlan cupped Syra's face in both hands and looked deeply into her eyes.

Syra was at a loss for words. Her husband had spoken, and as his wife, she couldn't refuse him.

She let out a small sigh before replying weakly, "All right, I'll do it."

Orlan smiled contentedly and kissed her lips.

"Thank you," he whispered.

…

"Why did you do that to Freya? Didn't I tell you not to hurt each other?"

Seira crossed her arms over her chest and stared intently at Nolan.

Nolan leaned against the wall and smiled.

"Did I hurt her? Your Majesty, you saw with your own eyes that Her Highness Freya wasn't injured. So where did I go wrong?"

Seira was at a loss for words as she thought back to what had just happened. Freya really wasn't injured at all.

"Still—"

"Your Majesty, you know Her Highness Freya better than I do. She's a strong woman with incredible resilience. Fainting for a moment isn't a serious issue for her."

Seira pursed her lips. She didn't know how to argue with that. What Nolan said, after all, made sense.

"You… Ugh! Why didn't I realize you were so annoying?"

Seira gritted her teeth and glared at him.

Nolan burst out laughing at the sight.

"Did you finally realize it?"

"Of course. You're Frey, the owner of the Blue Moon Trading House," Seira said coldly.

Nolan wasn't surprised by her guess. He had anticipated it from the start. Otherwise, he wouldn't have shown his face to Seira in her office back then.

"What do you mean by getting close to Elina? Do you have any malicious intentions toward her?"

Seira's eyes narrowed sharply, like a stabbing sword.

But Nolan wasn't afraid. He crossed his arms over his chest and replied, "Don't take it too seriously. I don't have the slightest ill intent toward Elina. If anything, I just want to help her from behind the scenes. And you can be sure I won't meddle too much. After all, I've already made a promise to someone."

Seira stared deeply into his eyes, as if trying to determine whether he was lying. But she couldn't detect any signs of deception, so she decided not to press him any further.

"Whatever. As long as you don't cause any trouble, I'll turn a blind eye."

Nolan nodded contentedly.

"By the way, Your Majesty, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Seira raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

Nolan gave her a faint smile before grabbing her hand and pinning it against the wall.

Seira was caught off guard by his sudden move.

Before she could react, Nolan grabbed her other arm, brought both arms together, and pinned them against the wall with his left hand.

"Y-You…"

Seira's mind went blank. Her body tensed, and her face turned pale.

Once she came to her senses, a flush of red—not from embarrassment, but from anger—spread across her face.

"Let me go!" she snapped.

She tried to break free but failed. Nolan was a man, and his strength was greater than hers.

Nolan gazed gently at Seira's angry face.

"If I look closer, you really do resemble her," he whispered. "Why didn't I notice this before?"

Her facial features, eye color, and smile were strikingly similar to those of Seira, his fiancée.

Perhaps because he had always viewed Seira as his older sister, he had overlooked those details.

Seira was dazed by his words. She looked at Nolan's face, which was filled with longing and sadness.

'What's going on? Why do I feel sad, too?' she wondered.

She didn't understand her own feelings. She should have been furious right now.

The man in front of her was being incredibly rude by pressing her against the wall. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to get angry.

Nolan stared at her pale pink lips, and an urge to kiss her suddenly arose.

Just as he was about to do so, a voice echoed in his mind.

"She's your sister. You're related by blood."

His fantasy shattered instantly.

Nolan's expression darkened as he let go of Seira and turned away.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I'll get ready to head to the battlefield."

Without waiting for a response, he walked away, leaving Seira standing there in a daze.