The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 969: Elina’s Birthday (1)

"Meet Her Highness the Princess?"

Orlan was surprised.

Nolan gave a slight nod.

"I’m very interested in her. Maybe if I could meet her and learn from her, I could gain more knowledge."

Of course, that was a lie. Elina was his sister and clearly inferior to him. He just wanted to return to her side under a new identity.

"Hmmm..."

Orlan thought about it for a moment before giving a slight nod.

"As it happens, Her Highness Elina’s birthday is in five days. How about you come with me?"

"Birthday?"

Nolan was stunned. Only then did he remember that his and Elina’s birthdays were both on the twenty-first day of the tenth month.

he said with a bitter laugh.

Even though he had already prepared himself for this, it still hurt. He didn’t care about losing his powers, and he didn’t mind being forgotten by everyone else.

But Elina was different. She held a special place in his heart.

She was his twin sister. Ever since they were born, he had always been the one looking after her whenever Isabella wasn’t around.

To Nolan, Elina was no longer just his younger sister. She was a part of him.

Taking a deep breath, Nolan smiled and nodded slightly.

"All right, I’ll go along with your plan."

Orlan patted him on the right shoulder.

"In that case, we’ll head to Virella tomorrow."

The journey from the southern region to the east was quite long, especially since Virella was located at the far eastern edge of the territory.

Nolan said nothing. After exchanging a few more words, Orlan walked away, leaving Nolan standing there with a dazed expression.

...

Time flew by, and five days passed in the blink of an eye.

The town of Virella was bustling with activity. Today was Elina’s 20th birthday.

For the people of the Great Velmora Empire, the age of twenty was considered sacred.

Those who turned twenty were considered full-fledged adults.

With adulthood came greater responsibilities, especially in the eyes of society.

Elina was a princess and one of the candidates for the throne.

Naturally, her 20th birthday drew a lot of attention from across the empire. Some people were happy for her, while others weren’t so pleased.

The ones who weren’t happy were those who had opposed Elina from the very beginning of her struggle for the throne.

"Her 20th birthday, huh?"

Cedric toyed with a chess piece in his right hand, his face expressionless.

"Are you going to come?"

Margaretta came up behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and rubbed her cheek against his.

"No way."

Cedric shook his head.

"After what I’ve done to her, do you really think she’d let me come to her birthday?"

Margaretta realized his words made sense and how silly her question had been.

"I’m sorry."

"It’s okay."

Cedric smiled and kissed her cheek.

"By the way, how’s your work going? Are those nobles still being stubborn?"

Margaretta’s beautiful face clouded over as she gave a slight nod.

"They still refuse to shift their support. They remain stubbornly loyal to Elina."

Cedric’s expression didn’t change, as if he had already expected this.

"What do you think makes them insist on supporting Elina despite the intimidation we’ve used against them?" Margaretta asked.

"Isn’t it obvious?"

Cedric laughed mockingly.

"The Singularity of Chaos..."

Margaretta gasped and slapped her forehead.

"How could I have forgotten? You’re right. They must be afraid—no, more accurately, they’re hoping that if Elina wins, they’ll gain protection from the Singularity of Chaos."

Ever since the Singularity of Chaos had saved the empire from two catastrophic-level dragon attacks—one in the western region and another in the capital—he had become an idol to the people of the empire.

Compared to the intimidating Singularity of Light, gaining the support of the Singularity of Chaos was clearly much more realistic and beneficial.

"It’s fine. Don’t pressure them anymore. Let them stick to their guns."

Cedric stood up and stretched his stiff body.

"In the end, I’m the winner—Cedric Lorian."

A cold smile spread across his face.

Ever since his defeat at Elina’s hands, his uncle had given him a serious scolding.

During that time, he had reflected on his actions and realized how foolish and hasty he had been.

If he had taken things slower and thought everything through, there was no way he would have fallen into the same trap.

Most importantly, he had put too much trust in Margaretta and her ability to see the future.

In war, relying too much on your subordinates could easily lead to defeat—or even death.

Of course, he didn’t blame Margaretta. It was his own fault for being too impulsive.

That was why he had prepared everything for a grand spectacle. And on that stage, there would be only two people—him and Elina.

Cedric was certain that when the time came, Elina would shatter into a million pieces beneath his palm.

Just imagining her desperate expression made Cedric chuckle to himself.

"I can’t wait... hehehe..."

...

"Today is Elina’s birthday. It’s such a shame I can’t be there."

Isabella stood in front of her pavilion, staring blankly at the blue sky.

Turning twenty was a big milestone for anyone, especially for her daughter.

As a mother, she should be in Virella right now.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to go. She simply couldn’t.

Her husband was in a coma, and there was no telling when he would wake up. As his wife, she couldn’t just leave him like that.

Fortunately, Elina seemed to understand her situation, so she didn’t pressure Isabella to come.

"Argan," she called.

An old man dressed in a red robe appeared behind her.

"What are your orders, Your Highness?"

Isabella turned toward him and said, "Please send Elina plenty of gifts. Ten kilograms of gold, jewelry, and various other valuable items. But remember—don’t tell her they’re from me. Tell her they’re from the Izanagi Eastern Empire instead. Understood?"

Argan fell silent, looking hesitant.

Noticing this, Isabella asked, "Is something wrong?"

Argan bowed his head.

"Your Highness, the Eastern Emperor has sent special gifts for Princess Elina. If we send them in the empire’s name, it will surely cause confusion."

Isabella understood what he meant.

"Hmmm..."

She lowered her head, lost in thought.

"Mother Isabella, how about combining your gift with mine? We can send them in the name of the Prime Minister and you, Mother."

Isabella was startled. She turned around and saw Seira walking toward her with a smile.

"Seira."

"I’m sorry for dropping by without notice, Mother."

Seira stopped in front of her and bowed respectfully.

Isabella’s surprise quickly turned into a smile.

"Raise your head. You’re the Prime Minister and the Regent."

She helped Seira straighten up.

"By the way, your idea just now was pretty interesting. Are you sure you’re okay with it? And when are you planning to send it?"

Seira chuckled softly.

"Of course, Mother Isabella. I’ll send the gift this afternoon."

"Great idea." Isabella couldn’t help but smile. "Thank you."