The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 697 Settling a Score (2)

"Argh! Let me go!" Karakh screamed out in agony.

He began to punch and kick at Nolan, struggling with all his might to escape the man's hold.

However, his desperate efforts proved to be completely useless. Nolan's grip remained unyielding, like iron claws clamping down on him.

Instead of loosening, the grip tightened further, squeezing the life out of him.

"Give up. Tonight will be your end," Nolan stated in a chilling tone.

Karakh began to tremble uncontrollably, sheer terror seizing him. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and tears welled up, streaming from the corners of his eyes.

"D-Don't kill me! I-I was wrong! Yes, I… I did it all!" he confessed in a frenzy of panic and dread. "I'm the one who orchestrated the chaos in the capital! I'm also the one who incited everyone out there! F-Forgive me!"

His sudden confession left the assembled ministers utterly stunned into silence. They had once placed their hopes in Karakh, believing him capable of restoring their kingdom to its former glory.

But they had been gravely mistaken. This man was nothing but a traitor, a scoundrel, a truly despicable criminal.

He had intentionally plunged the capital into anarchy, directly causing the deaths of over a thousand innocent souls.

Their faces contorted with profound disgust, as if they were gazing upon the foulest filth imaginable.

Even Gulvar seemed sickened by the actions of his own son. He would not deny his own complicity in certain matters, but to sacrifice so many lives purely for personal ambition was a line he himself would never cross.

Karakh felt a surge of shame, yet he was utterly powerless to resist his current predicament. In the end, his own life mattered far more to him than any shred of pride.

"I-I've confessed… C-Can you forgive me?" he pleaded, his voice shaking uncontrollably.

Nolan simply offered a cold smile and leaned in slightly, his voice a low whisper, "Did I ever say that if you confessed, I would forgive you?"

Upon hearing Nolan's words, Karakh's eyes widened in pure shock. Before he could utter another sound, a mysterious force began to drain his life force away.

"Argh!"

A soul-wrenching scream tore from his throat as he thrashed wildly, like a man possessed by a demon.

His once fair skin lost all color in an instant, and his youthful face began to age at a terrifying, unnatural rate.

"It hurts! Help me!"

A sinister black light radiated from his body, causing everyone present to instinctively recoil in fear.

Merely a few minutes later, his voice faded into nothingness. Karakh’s thrashing ceased as well.

His body withered away until not a single ounce of flesh remained. His vacant eyes stared upward, forever frozen in a mask of terror.

Nolan casually tossed the desiccated corpse aside, as if discarding unwanted trash.

Not a single soul dared to break the silence. All present lowered their heads, their hearts pounding with the fear of becoming Nolan's next victim.

"I hold no grudge against the Ancient Kingdom of Eron. So you can all relax."

His words brought an immediate wave of immense relief throughout the room. However, what followed next sent a fresh, icy chill down their spines.

"By the way… there is still one person whose promise I have yet to collect."

Nolan's gaze slowly drifted, finally locking onto Gulvar.

The moment he felt that intense stare, Gulvar began to tremble violently. Cold sweat poured down his body, and his breath came in ragged, desperate gasps.

"N-Nolan Lorian… I-I have no grudge against you! P-Please don't hurt me!" he pleaded, his voice cracking with fear.

"No grudge against me?" Nolan smirked, taking a slow step closer. "Have you forgotten what you did to me and my sister? You dispatched tens of thousands of troops to hunt us down. Is that what you call having no grudge?"

The soldiers who had been holding Gulvar immediately stepped back, releasing him.

Freed from their grasp, Gulvar quickly scrambled to his feet and retreated further away.

"I-I admit I was wrong! B-But that's a normal reaction, isn't it? You killed my son—I had to take action!" he argued desperately, trying to justify his actions.

His reasoning sounded plausible to him, but Nolan paid it no mind, continuing his steady advance.

"Damn it!"

Realizing that words were utterly useless, Gulvar spun around and bolted.

Nolan made no move to stop him. For a fleeting moment, Gulvar allowed himself to believe that he had successfully escaped.

But in the very next instant, a searing fireball descended from the heavens, striking him directly.

"Argh!"

A piercing scream ripped through the throne room as Gulvar collapsed, writhing uncontrollably in agony.

"It's hot! It's burning me! Argh! Help me!"

No one dared to intervene. The ministers and soldiers could only watch, paralyzed by sheer terror.

Seconds later, his screams began to weaken… then faded into complete silence.

Yet the inferno still raged, consuming his body, which was now charred black and lay utterly motionless on the floor.

Nolan turned his attention back to the ministers, a silent signal that prompted them to quickly lower their heads once more.

"As I said before, I hold no grudge against you," he stated calmly. "Nor do I intend to interfere in the affairs of this kingdom. However…"

A faint, enigmatic smile touched Nolan’s lips.

"I hope the Lyren family is not overthrown. If I recall correctly, Princess Alina is still part of the Lyren bloodline. I trust you understand what I mean."

"We understand, Your Highness Nolan!" the ministers replied in unison, their voices filled with deference.

Nolan nodded, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. Without another word, he turned and departed from the throne room, leaving behind an oppressive, heavy silence in his wake.

***

Outside the throne room doors, Alina stood with a blank expression. She had just witnessed Nolan destroy both her father and her elder brother.

An impossible event had unfolded right before her very eyes.

Nolan stepped out and met her dazed gaze directly.

He walked past her as if she didn't exist. However, after a few meters, he abruptly stopped.

Glancing back over his shoulder, he stated calmly, "I'm not asking for your forgiveness. From the very beginning, my sole intention was to use you, Alina Lyren."

His words struck her like a dagger, shattering her last remaining composure.

Her fists clenched tightly as she asked in a trembling voice, "Why are you doing this? What did I—or my family—do wrong?"

"You're not at fault," Nolan said with a faint, mocking smile. "But your family is. I don't know whether you're naive, foolish, or simply pretending not to understand, but your family has done something they should never have done."

Alina gasped in shock. "What is it?"

"Their attempt to bind my older sister," Nolan replied sharply. "From the very start, your father intended to use your brother, Aldrian, to tie my sister to the Lyren family. Their objective was straightforward: to secure the support of the Singularity of Light within the Holy Empire of Valtanir."

He paused briefly before continuing his explanation.

"Did you know? The Holy Empire of Valtanir is currently preparing a plan to invade the Great Velmora Empire."

His final words caused Alina's eyes to widen in disbelief. She turned to him with a horrified expression and stammered, "D-Don't tell me… you're doing all this just to stop the Holy Empire of Valtanir from receiving help from us?"

If her father had succeeded in binding Seira, the Ancient Kingdom of Eron would have naturally gained the support of the Singularity of Light.

In return, Eron would then assist the Holy Empire of Valtanir in the impending war.

"Precisely," Nolan admitted without hesitation. He made no attempt to conceal his intentions. "There's a saying: 'It's better to cut off your enemy's right arm before it becomes the cause of your death.' I don't want any hidden threats that could endanger my empire."

A faint smile returned to his face.

"Honestly, if your father had simply intended to establish diplomatic ties through marriage, I wouldn't have objected at all. It's a shame…"

He trailed off and shook his head lightly, a gesture of regret.

Alina fell silent, her teeth gritting tightly in frustration.

"By the way," Nolan continued, narrowing his eyes thoughtfully, "there's another saying: 'Failure is the beginning of a comeback.' If you desire revenge against me, then become stronger. Become someone influential enough to stand against me. Should you achieve that, then perhaps you'll have a chance."

With that, he turned away and walked into the encroaching darkness of the hallway, ultimately disappearing from her sight.