The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 964 Meeting Orlan Caltheron

"Have you heard?"

"Hm? Heard what?"

"Tsk! You're so clueless! I mean, the news about His Majesty the Emperor's illness!"

"Oh! I've heard! That's absolutely crazy! I never expected His Majesty to fall ill. And I heard he's in a coma, too, right?"

"That's right. Tch! This is terrible news. I just hope this doesn't affect my food rations or my family's."

That conversation was taking place at table number seven. But they weren't the only ones. People at the other tables were discussing the same issue.

A handsome man with black hair sat at table number twenty-eight, eating leisurely as he listened to the conversations around him.

"That old man fell ill?"

His eyebrows rose slightly.

Nolan hadn't expected to hear news like this after returning from Earth.

He took a sip of his beer and focused his attention on the conversations around him.

A few minutes later, he finally understood what had happened. The news of Ragan's illness had come three days ago.

The imperial palace itself had already announced it.

As a member of the imperial family, Nolan knew that Ragan's illness must have started long before the announcement—probably a week or even half a month ago.

They had only announced it once they were certain the news could no longer be concealed.

Nolan took another sip of his beer, lost in thought.

"What really happened while I was away?"

Four months had passed in this world, where time dilation wasn't too severe.

Although the gods were annoying, at least they hadn't tormented him by taking away all his relatives and the people he loved.

As Nolan was mulling over various possibilities, the tavern door opened, and a man in his thirties stepped inside.

Nolan's gaze unconsciously turned toward him, and he smiled slightly.

"Marquis Caltheron… we finally meet," he chuckled.

The teleportation city connected to Rudard was Valmiris, one of the twin cities. The city was under the rule of the Caltheron family.

Nolan had deliberately chosen to eat at this tavern because he knew Orlan would show up here.

That man was the only person who could put him in touch with Elina.

Nolan finished his beer in one gulp before walking over to him.

Orlan's appearance naturally drew everyone's attention. But they were already used to seeing him, so they merely offered him a polite greeting.

"Marquis Caltheron, what would you like to drink?" the female bartender asked with a professional smile.

Orlan sat on a stool at the bar and replied casually, "The usual, Merya."

Merya nodded and prepared his order.

Orlan picked up a medium-sized book and opened it.

Just as he was about to start reading, a casual voice came from beside him.

"Edward Layard's twentieth work, Human Psychology. That book is quite famous."

Orlan was startled and turned his head, only to find a handsome man with black hair and purple eyes walking toward him before sitting down beside him.

After regaining his composure, Orlan asked curiously, "How did you know the title? Are you a fan of Edward Layard's work?"

Nolan didn't answer. He ordered a cocktail from the bartender before lazily resting the left side of his head against the bar.

"You could say that."

Orlan couldn't help but smile.

"It's pretty rare to see commoners reading Edward Layard's works. You're quite the exception."

Nolan merely smiled at his words.

In reality, the literacy rate in this empire was actually quite high, especially after Ragan introduced a policy that allowed commoners to attend the Imperial Academy.

Even so, not everyone was interested in studying.

Most commoners were used to working hard just to make a living, so buying books was pretty rare.

Usually, the people who bought books were nobles who had never had to worry about food since they were young.

"What's your name, young man? Judging by your age, you're only in your early twenties, aren't you?" Orlan asked.

The female bartender set down Orlan's and Nolan's cocktails at the same time.

Nolan took a sip of his cocktail, savoring the blend of tart and sweet flavors.

"My name is Nolan… Nolan Frey. Nice to meet you, Marquis Caltheron."

"Nolan Frey? That's a nice name. Nice to meet you, too."

He extended his hand, and Nolan shook it.

The two chatted casually, mostly about Edward Layard's books.

Nolan remembered that Orlan was a true fan of Edward Layard's work, so he deliberately kept bringing up the topic.

Before they knew it, half an hour had passed, and both of their cocktails were gone.

Instead of leaving, Orlan ordered another round—one for himself and one for Nolan.

"By the way, Marquis Caltheron, I'm quite curious about how you managed to make Valmiris as advanced as it is today. If you don't mind, could you share some insights with me?"

Orlan chuckled softly as he took a sip of his drink.

"I did it the usual way. Nothing special. However…"

He gazed gently at the cheerful people around him.

"One of the things I do is ensure the people's well-being. Don't treat them like livestock that exist solely to be taxed. They are the true driving force behind the economy of a city—or even this entire empire."

Nolan nodded in agreement. Unfortunately, that simple way of thinking wasn't shared by many rulers on this continent.

They only thought of their own interests and ignored the fact that the people were the very reason they existed and held power.

Without the people, the very foundation of a kingdom or empire would vanish entirely.

"Just as I expected from the Marquis—your thinking is truly brilliant!" Nolan praised.

"You're overpraising me."

Orlan waved his hand, though his expression betrayed an unmistakable sense of pride.

The two continued their conversation until Orlan finally decided to leave.

"By the way, you're not originally from Valmiris, are you? Where do you live now?"

Nolan shook his head.

"I'm a traveler from a distant land."

His gaze drifted toward the window, looking out at the street.

"For now, I don't have a place to stay. Or any money, either." He shrugged.

Orlan stared blankly into his violet eyes. He didn't know why, but seeing the young man wear that expression made him feel uneasy.

What's really going on?

He placed his right hand over his chest. This was the first time he had ever met this young man.

Logically, it made no sense for him to feel pity for someone he had just met. But in reality, he did. It felt as if he had once been close to him but had somehow forgotten him.

Taking a deep breath, Orlan patted Nolan's right shoulder and said seriously, "How about you work for me?"

"Work?" Nolan feigned surprise.

Orlan nodded.

"As it happens, I have a daughter at home. Her name is Alicia. She doesn't have any friends. I'll pay you well to keep her company."

Nolan was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Orlan to trust him so readily, especially since Orlan didn't remember him at all.

"Aren't you afraid I might hurt you or your daughter?"

Nolan was testing him.

Orlan's expression remained calm as he pointed to his temple.

"I have an innate ability—I can see a person's true nature. And you…"

He gave a faint smile.

"…aren't an evil person."