The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 926 A Strange and Absurd Dream (What If)

Nolan's expression darkened when he heard her words.

"A pile of bodies, huh?" He frowned. "Can you tell me exactly what you saw?"

Alice nodded and quickly told him everything.

The more Nolan listened, the more serious he became.

After Alice finished, he hugged her and gently patted her head.

"All right, don't worry about it. It was just a dream. Starting tonight, I'll sleep with you."

Alice's sad expression immediately turned into a bright smile.

She kissed Nolan on the cheek and whispered, "Thank you, Big Brother!"

***

Nolan lay beside Alice in the bedroom. The little girl wore an adorable nightgown with a bear embroidered on the front, making her look even cuter.

"Big Brother, tell me a bedtime story!" she said excitedly.

Nolan chuckled softly. He gently pinched her cheek and asked, "What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"I don't know. As long as it's exciting, I'll listen!"

Nolan rubbed his chin. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and said, "I'll tell you a story about a prince from a faraway land."

"A prince from a faraway land?" Alice blinked curiously with her big, round eyes. "What's his name, Big Brother?"

Nolan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"His name is Nolan… Lorian."

Half an hour later…

"The prince—"

Nolan was about to continue the story when he noticed that Alice, who had been listening so intently, had already fallen fast asleep.

"This little girl finally fell asleep," he chuckled.

He had been telling the story for more than half an hour, and his mouth was naturally feeling dry.

He pulled the blanket over her tiny body before reaching for the glass of cold water he had prepared earlier.

Luckily, the AC was still on, so the water hadn't gotten too warm.

Nolan downed the entire glass in one go.

"Phew…"

He let out a sigh of relief and wiped his lips.

"Taking care of a child is really a hassle," he muttered.

Of course, he wasn't blaming Alice. He loved her dearly. It was just that he felt the next few days would be a bit of a hassle since he'd have to stay with her at night.

"Those parents are really irresponsible," he grumbled.

Arden and Mey had been on vacation in Europe for the past two days.

Like it or not, Nolan had to handle the family matters on his own. Fortunately, he had Seira and could always ask for her help whenever he was in a bind.

Nolan stretched before lying back down beside Alice. The little girl was sleeping soundly.

Just as Nolan was sure she wouldn't have another nightmare, a faint groan suddenly came from her.

Nolan was startled and quickly sat up. He watched as Alice's expression changed.

Her peaceful face twisted in pain.

"I… didn't do anything wrong… I'm sorry…! M-Mom, don't hit… me!"

Nolan was stunned.

"Mom? Does she mean Mey?"

He considered the possibility for a moment before immediately dismissing it. Mey was indeed strict, especially with Nolan when he was a child.

But Nolan was certain his mother would never treat Alice that way.

After all, she was older now, and harsh methods were no longer appropriate, especially with a little girl like Alice.

Nolan shook her gently and called out, "Alice? Wake up, my dear. Alice!"

But the girl still didn't wake up. She continued thrashing weakly, as if she were trapped inside her nightmare.

"B-Big Brother… Help me… Alice isn't to blame…!"

"Damn it!" Nolan cursed.

If only he still had the power of the Singularity of Chaos, he could easily enter her dream.

"What if I try it?"

Gritting his teeth, he placed his palm against his forehead and whispered, "Dream Breaker: Enter!"

Nothing happened.

But Nolan didn't give up. He tried it three times, but the result was the same.

Cold sweat formed on his forehead as he clenched his left fist and shouted, "Dream Breaker: Enter!"

Whoosh!

His consciousness was suddenly pulled by an invisible force. His head spun, but Nolan held on with all his strength.

When the dizziness finally subsided, he opened his eyes and found himself standing in an extremely luxurious living room.

Several golden vases stood at the far end of the room, while a beautiful crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.

Four three-seater sofas were neatly arranged in the center of the room, with a long table between them.

"This…" Nolan's eyes widened in surprise. "Is this a noble's house?"

Nolan was very familiar with the nobles of the empire.

The eastern region had an architectural style and culture somewhat similar to the Eastern Empire of Izanagi, though they weren't exactly the same.

The southern region had a more modern look, while the western region was a bit more old-fashioned, with wooden furniture being common.

Meanwhile, the northern region had a unique style, somewhat similar to the medieval kingdoms of Europe.

And judging from the room, Nolan was certain he was inside the residence of a noble from the northern region.

"How did I end up here?" he wondered.

Suddenly, a cry of pain rang out from behind him.

When Nolan turned around, he saw a beautiful woman in a purple gown whipping a little girl.

"Alice!?" Nolan exclaimed in horror.

How dare that woman hit his little sister?

He immediately rushed toward the woman and grabbed her wrist.

The woman was startled and turned around, only to find a terrifying black creature staring back at her.

"Monster!" she screamed.

She dropped the whip and hurriedly ran out of the room.

Nolan was stunned. He had a very handsome face, okay?

How could that damn woman call him a monster?

But Nolan was too lazy to think about it. He turned toward Alice, who was also staring at him.

The girl slowly moved backward, her eyes filled with fear as she looked at him.

The corner of Nolan's mouth twitched. He rubbed his temples and said softly, "Don't be afraid. It's me, Nolan, your older brother."

Alice's eyes widened.

"Y-You… Brother Nolan? How is that possible? Why is your face completely black?"

Nolan: "…"

He didn't understand why he looked like that to Alice and the woman either.

"That doesn't matter. I heard you crying out in pain, so I entered your dream."

"Entered my dream?" Alice covered her little mouth with her right hand. "How did you do that, Brother?"

"I don't know either. The important thing is, you don't have to worry. If you have another nightmare, I'll save you, okay?"

Alice hesitated for a moment before breaking into a bright smile.

"Mhmm! I get it! Thank you, Big Brother!"

She was about to stood and hug him, but Nolan had already disappeared from her sight.

***

Nolan opened his eyes and found himself in Alice's room.

Seeing that the little girl had calmed down and was no longer talking in her sleep, Nolan breathed a sigh of relief.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but think about Alice's dream from earlier.

"How could Alice's dream be connected to the northern region of the Great Velmora Empire? And..."

His eyes narrowed sharply.

"Who is that woman...?"