[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce":3,"chapter-the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-chapter-263":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},396449,661,"Chapter 263: Saving Masha (1)","the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-chapter-263",263,"\u003Cp>\"Hahaha! Old man, we meet again. Have you prepared this month’s tax money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Masha and the old man flinched. Reflexively, they turned toward the voice and saw a burly blond-haired man approaching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His face was ugly, twisted into a creepy grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The muscles under his t-shirt stood out clearly, and in his left hand he carried a sheathed sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His presence instantly struck fear into the other merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn! He’s really here! I need to close my shop quickly!\" one merchant exclaimed in panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The others reacted the same way. The blond man was a thug in this area, and no one dared oppose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was big, muscular, and terrifyingly strong. Crossing him was as good as signing your own death warrant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man swallowed his fear and said nervously, \"Can you give me some time, Jack? I have no money.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every month, this man came to collect what he called \"taxes.\" Of course, it wasn’t anything legal—just an excuse to extort the merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\" Jack’s voice grew louder, his eyes narrowing sharply. \"Give you time, old man? Are you kidding me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scratching his ear, he continued coldly, \"One month is a long time. You should have made plenty of profit by now, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze fell on the pile of bread on the table that clearly hadn’t sold at all. But he didn’t care. His goal was simple: to collect \"taxes\" from the old man and the other merchants.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether they made a profit or a loss was none of his concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other merchants and some passersby felt sorry for the old man, but none of them dared to step in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone knew that this man named Jack was no ordinary thug. In the past, a hundred men as burly as him had surrounded and tried to beat him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead of defeating him, all one hundred were slaughtered brutally by his hands. From that day on, no one dared to defy his demands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, their lives would be forfeit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if he wanted to speak but didn’t dare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Masha, who had been silent until now, stepped forward and crossed her arms in front of her chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You bad person! Don’t bully this uncle! He’s a good man!\" she snapped coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\" Jack was taken aback and looked down. \"A little girl?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for her voice, he might not have noticed a child standing there at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t interfere, kid. If you do, I’ll beat you up, got it?\" Jack threatened with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, women or children made no difference—he showed no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You... you...\" Masha pointed at him angrily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since childhood, no one had ever scolded her—not even her father or mother. And now, a stranger dared to reprimand her openly?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frustration boiled over, and the sudden urge to strike Jack flared within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean by pointing at me? Are you challenging me?\" Jack squinted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A terrifying aura burst from his body, making everyone’s chests tighten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Masha felt it too. Her small body staggered as she gasped for breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hehehe...\" Jack laughed indifferently. \"This is what you get for challenging me, kiddo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached out, grabbed Masha by the neck, and lifted her tiny body into the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ugh!\" Masha groaned in pain, flailing helplessly against his choking grip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jack, don’t hurt the child!\" The old baker shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shut up, old man!\" Jack roared back, kicking him hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man’s body slammed into the stall, his back hitting it with a thud. The freshly baked bread toppled from the table and scattered across the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack didn’t care. He yanked back Masha’s hood and froze for a moment, stunned by her beautiful, delicate face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh! What a stunning appearance!\" Jack gasped. \"Are you some runaway noble girl? Hmm... naughty kid. Do you think the outside world is so wonderful? Hahaha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Masha struggled desperately to break free, but it was useless. Regret welled up inside her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I hadn’t left the mansion, I wouldn’t have run into this misfortune,she whispered sadly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of her selfishness, she had made a foolish choice. Now she was trapped in the clutches of this wicked man, unable to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing tears stream down her cheeks, Jack’s grin widened. He wiped them away with cruel delight and sneered, \"Regret? Too late for that. You’re of high quality—if I sell you at the slave market, I’ll be rich! Hahaha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He declared his intentions without shame, right in front of everyone. Of course, no one dared to say a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all knew how insane Jack was. Reporting him to the authorities would only make them the next target of his revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Let me go! I don’t want to go with you!\" Masha cried, struggling and kicking her legs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of her kicks landed squarely on Jack’s solar plexus, making him grimace in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it!\" Jack roared, then slapped her hard across the left cheek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Masha fell silent. The sharp sting froze her body, and seconds later, tears streamed down her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoa! That hurts! You’re a thug! Woaa! I’ll tell my father, my mother, and Brother Nolan! Whoa!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her loud wailing grated on Jack’s nerves. Annoyed, he growled and raised his right hand to slap her again—only to have his wrist suddenly caught in midair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Startled, Jack turned and saw a tall, handsome man standing beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was nearly two meters tall, so towering that Jack—proud of his size—suddenly felt small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although his build was lean, his grip on Jack’s wrist was iron-strong. His sharp features, piercing purple eyes, and short black hair that stirred in the breeze gave him an imposing presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fine, tailored clothes he wore made his noble status unmistakable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack’s heart pounded. His instincts screamed at him to run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish speaking, the man—Nolan—tightened his grip, and Jack’s wrist shattered with a crack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Argh!\" Jack let out a shrill scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Nolan didn’t stop there. He drove his left fist into Jack’s stomach, sending him flying until he crashed hard into a stall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nolan then caught Masha, who was about to collapse, and held her securely in his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sensing the familiar warmth of his embrace, Masha froze in shock. She looked up, and her eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brother Nolan?\" she exclaimed. \"Is it really you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nolan smiled gently and pinched her cheek. \"Of course it’s me. Who else would it be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Whoa!\" Masha burst into tears and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. \"Brother Nolan, you finally came! I was so scared! Whoa!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, she had thought her life was over—that she would be dragged away as a slave. The fear was so overwhelming that she couldn’t stop crying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her worries had been for nothing—Nolan had come to save her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a crybaby,\" Nolan teased with a soft chuckle. He wiped the tears from her cheeks and said soothingly, \"Alright, that’s enough crying. Otherwise, people will think I’m the bad guy here, you know?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Masha’s sobbing slowly quieted, and she gave a small nod. A bright smile blossomed on her face as she replied happily, \"Hehehe! I won’t cry anymore, Big Brother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\" Nolan nodded in satisfaction and was about to say more when a furious shout rang out from the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Asshole! Who the hell are you!?\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1231,"2026-05-30T06:57:16.338Z","2026-06-01T04:30:34.828Z",1,"novelbin.me","cdedc4e97227f91191449276cbd956f06d40076e75852b874390cb4f8d1714fe","the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-chapter-264","the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-chapter-262",748,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-cover.jpg"]