The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne
Chapter 85: Orlan’s Gratitude and Syra’s Decision

Chapter 85: Orlan’s Gratitude and Syra’s Decision

"By the way, wife," Orlan said as he turned to Nolan behind him, "this is His Highness Nolan, the Sixth Prince of the Imperial Palace—and the man who saved you."

Syra smiled. "I know, dear. When I woke up earlier, I asked about him and learned that he’s the Sixth Prince."

She turned to Nolan and continued, "Even so, I’m truly grateful, Prince Nolan. Without your help, I might never have recovered... or been reunited with the people I love."

In truth, Syra had never lost consciousness. Her body had merely been paralyzed, as if some mysterious force was holding her captive.

For more than six years, all she could do was watch—watch Orlan weep, watch Alicia grow up in loneliness, and witness countless other painful moments. Many times, she had wished she could just die.

But it seemed the gods hadn’t abandoned her. She had been given one more chance to be with her family—and all thanks to one man: Nolan.

"You’re welcome, Lady Syra," Nolan replied casually. "Helping you was part of my agreement with Marquis Orlan, so there’s no need to thank me."

"Even so, your help cannot be overlooked. Please, don’t reject my gratitude, Prince Nolan," Syra said sincerely.

Nolan paused, then offered a faint smile. "Very well. I accept your gratitude."

"Good!" Syra let out a breath of relief and exchanged a glance with Orlan.

"Anyway, I’d like to return to my room now," Nolan said as he turned to Orlan. "Enjoy this precious time with your wife and daughter, Marquis Orlan."

Orlan nodded with a grateful smile. "Thank you, Prince."

Without another word, Nolan turned and left the room, leaving the family to enjoy their reunion.

Seeing this, Alex also made a move to leave, but Orlan quickly stopped him.

"Wait, Alex."

Alex turned around, surprised, and responded respectfully, "Do you need something, my lord?"

Orlan gave a small nod. "Please retrieve the Caltheron family token from my office and bring it here. I will hand it over to Prince Nolan tomorrow."

It wasn’t just Alex who was surprised—Syra, sitting beside Orlan, also widened her eyes in shock.

"Honey, do you mean..."

Before she could finish, Orlan looked at her and interrupted, "Yes. I intend to offer the Caltheron family’s support directly to Prince Nolan—no, to his younger sister, Princess Elina."

As promised, Nolan had healed both Alicia and Syra. Now, it was time for Orlan to fulfill his end of the bargain.

"Good! I agree, dear," Syra said firmly. "I’ll also speak to my father and convince him to give Princess Elina his full support in the struggle for the throne."

Since she hadn’t truly been unconscious during her coma, Syra had overheard many things from the maids who cared for her—especially about the ongoing succession battle.

Learning that her husband had traded her and Alicia’s safety for the Caltheron family’s backing of Nolan only made her more determined not to stand idly by. She wanted to offer her own support as well.

Although not as powerful as the Caltherons, her family were still count-level nobles, well-respected among the Empire’s aristocracy.

By doing this, she hoped to ease her husband’s burden, even if just a little.

Orlan was surprised—he hadn’t expected his wife to take such initiative. Still, he had no intention of stopping or rejecting her.

The more support Elina had, the greater her chances of winning.

And if she succeeded, both his family and his wife’s family would reap immense benefits.

Yet, Orlan’s confidence didn’t lie in Elina’s ability—it rested in the man standing behind her: Nolan.

That young man... Orlan believed he would one day shake the entire Empire and drastically alter its political landscape.

Just imagining it sparked a fire of excitement and anticipation within him.

"That would truly be something thrilling, wouldn’t it?" He murmured to himself.

***

Nolan was walking down the hallway but hadn’t taken more than twenty steps when a voice called out behind him.

"Wait a minute, Nolan!"

He stopped and turned around, only to see a short girl with a curvy figure—Jisha.

"What is it now?" he asked flatly.

Jisha frowned at his cold tone but suppressed her irritation. She walked up to him and stopped at his side.

Crossing her arms at her waist and narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Nolan, are you the one who erased Alicia’s memory?"

"Oh?" Nolan looked slightly surprised but made no effort to deny it. "Yes, I did. Do you have a problem with that?"

Jisha fell silent, unsure how to respond. She had expected him to deny it—she had even prepared a whole argument to confront him.

But Nolan’s reaction caught her off guard. Instead of denying it, he admitted it without hesitation—and somehow, that made her even more annoyed.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly shook her head. "No, I don’t. In fact... I’m grateful. Because of that, Alicia can go back to being her old self—free from the trauma of Melissa and Nina."

Her expression softened as she looked at Nolan, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude.

To Jisha, Alicia was like a younger sister. She couldn’t bear to see the girl live her life burdened by scars that refused to heal.

"You don’t need to thank me," Nolan replied, shaking his head and yawning lazily. "I did it for myself. I’m not looking for gratitude."

"You..." Jisha was taken aback, then let out a frustrated growl.

For some reason, this man always managed to get under her skin.

"If that’s all you wanted to say, then let’s end it here. I’m going to sleep."

Without waiting for a reply, Nolan turned to leave. But Jisha quickly reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Wait a minute!"

Realizing what she had just done, she looked down at her own hand, still gripping his arm. Her face flushed as she quickly let go.

"I didn’t mean it like that," she said in a rush, turning her gaze away.

Nolan was mildly amused by her reaction and nearly teased her—but he held back.

"Alright, just say it," he said casually.

Jisha took a deep breath, then looked at him seriously.

"Tell me—how did you know it was Melissa?"

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t understand.

As far as she knew, Orlan had said that Nolan had never met Melissa in person—after all, he had only arrived yesterday afternoon.

But how could he pinpoint the real culprit so quickly?

He had even teamed up with Alex and managed to gather solid evidence.

It just didn’t add up!

Nolan simply smiled, shot Jisha a playful glance, and said softly, "I’ll tell you... but only if you meet one condition."