[{"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-388":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},396874,661,"Chapter 388: Refusal to Provide Help","the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-chapter-388",388,"\u003Cp>Morning...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man sat working in his study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked relatively young, in his early thirties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wore a casual robe, modest yet pleasant to look at. His dark brown hair was cut short, and a small mole marked the area under his lip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was Gareth Redwyre, head of the Baron Redwyre family—the rulers of the town of Torosvia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the easternmost towns in the region, Torosvia faced countless daily challenges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without careful management, life for its people would be difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, its fate was better than that of Virella, a town on the far edge of the region near the Calvorn Forest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gareth opened report after report, reading their contents carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the head of a baronial family, his responsibilities were not as weighty as those of a viscount, count, marquis, or duke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Torosvia had its own problems, some of which could give him quite a headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was immersing himself in his work, footsteps echoed outside his office door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My lord, there is an important letter for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gareth paused and looked toward the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Come in.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door opened slowly, and a man in a formal robe stepped inside. He approached Gareth and handed him a blue letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This letter arrived last night, my lord. Since you were asleep, I kept it safe for you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gareth took the letter, studying it curiously from both sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who is this letter from?\" he asked, slowly opening the envelope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s from the new leader of Virella,\" the man replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The new leader of Virella?\" Gareth froze. \"Wait a minute...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed. \"Since when does Virella have a new leader? And why wasn’t I informed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man smiled faintly. \"It’s been several days, my lord. Do you remember the information I gave you back then? It concerned Virella’s new leader. Have you forgotten?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gareth paused, lost in thought. Suddenly, their previous conversation came back to him, and his expression relaxed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re right. I remember now. Is the new leader Her Highness, Princess Elina?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s correct, my lord. The new leader is Princess Elina. This letter was sent from Virella on her behalf—it appears to be a request for assistance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gareth’s expression darkened. He knew Elina well—the Sixth Princess of the Great Velmora Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was also aware of her role in the battle for the throne, news that had caused a sensation just a few months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was clear: the Redwyre Baron family had already pledged their support to Prince Cedric.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was impossible for him to reach out to the prince’s enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he knew that refusing outright would be like insulting Elina herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given her higher status, such a move would be extremely dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no choice but to read the letter first and carefully consider his next steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gareth withdrew the letter from its envelope and began reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while, he finally understood Elina’s intentions and muttered, \"So it really is a request for help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The letter asked the Redwyre family to supply food to the town of Virella.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elina had also made it clear that this was not charity—she intended to pay for the supplies in cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Redwyres had nothing to worry about; they would not be giving aid for free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What should we do, my lord?\" The man asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gareth remained silent for a moment, leaning back in his chair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We will not help them,\" he said, his tone indifferent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s expression grew serious. \"Are you sure? Doesn’t that risk declaring hostility toward Her Highness the Princess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Open hostility toward Elina would put Torosvia—and everyone living there—at great risk. After all, rumors of her support from the Singularity of Chaos were widely known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then what?\" Gareth frowned. \"We’ve already declared for Prince Cedric. Do you think aiding Princess Elina wouldn’t be viewed as treason by him and his supporters? If I were the prince, I certainly would.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But we can only refuse her politely, without offending her. That is the limit of what we can do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The support he gave Cedric, in any case, was not without its rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Prime Minister’s influence, the town of Torosvia could grow more prosperous and develop rapidly. That was why he couldn’t act rashly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, the prosperity he had worked so hard to achieve could be undone—and he couldn’t allow that to happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man had nothing more to say. Since Gareth had made his decision, there was no room for protest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All right, I’ll convey Princess Elina’s message,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he turned and left Gareth’s study.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hah...\" Gareth sighed softly. \"I hope my decision is justified.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would be a lie to say he wasn’t afraid of offending Elina. As his subordinate had mentioned, she was supported by the Singularity of Chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making an enemy of someone like her was practically suicide. Yet he had no other choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Losing the support of his allies and being labeled a traitor was far more dangerous than crossing Elina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elina was at work in her study. Many plans had been prepared; all that remained was to put them into action.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She knew it wouldn’t be easy. Achieving her goals required outside assistance—from the city of Torosvia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had no choice but to wait for their response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, the door opened, and Rick entered, his face pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Highness, I brought a reply from Torosvia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\" Elina looked surprised. \"That fast?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rick just nodded, his face gloomy and depressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Elina straightened, rested her elbows on the desk, and laced her fingers together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it? Why do you look so pale? Is it bad news?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rick let out a small sigh. Instead of answering, he handed her the letter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll understand when you read it,\" he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elina’s curiosity spiked. She took the letter immediately and began reading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few moments later, she finished, her expression calm as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, the Baron Redwyre family supports Cedric, huh? How foolish of me to ask them for help,\" she muttered, a hint of helplessness in her voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she known, she wouldn’t have sought their aid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it wasn’t entirely her fault. The Baron family was at the lowest rung of the aristocratic hierarchy, and their alliances weren’t widely known.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They didn’t wield the influence of Viscounts, Counts, Marquises, or Dukes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, no matter. By the way, who leads Black Horn town? And do they support any of the throne candidates?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rick paused before answering, \"Thelberg family leads the town, Your Highness. Their head is Leonard Thelberg. To my knowledge, they haven’t pledged support to any candidate.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good!\" Elina nodded in satisfaction. \"In that case, send them a message like the one I sent to Torosvia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rick bowed deeply. \"Yes, Your Highness. As you command!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1134,"2026-05-30T06:57:16.338Z","2026-06-01T04:30:35.482Z",1,"novelbin.me","ae0ba8a0f97b43e1bc21462367c5b904e49d4d7477dcda6b0ff67074698ef093","the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-chapter-389","the-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-chapter-387",748,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-hidden-extra-the-lazy-prince-refuses-to-asce-cover.jpg"]