The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne - Chapter 277

277: Last piece of the puzzle 277: Last piece of the puzzle “Looks like that woman is in love with you.

Tsk!

You really are lucky to be adored by such a beautiful woman.” Without even turning, Nolan knew who was speaking.

He folded his arms across his chest and replied, “Do you think I’m happy about that, Malverna?” Malverna walked to his side, studying his face with an investigative gaze.

“Hmm… you don’t look like it.

Your face is as cold as ice.” Her words made the corners of Nolan’s lips twitch, but he didn’t want to argue and quickly changed the subject.

“So, what are you doing here?

Are my sister and Rafine okay in the palace?” Malverna averted her gaze from Nolan and moved toward the chair Anna had left earlier.

Sitting upside down, she rested her chin on the backrest and replied casually, “Don’t worry.

They’re fine.

Do you really think your siblings are foolish enough to dare harm someone protected by the Singularity of Chaos?” Her tone lingered on “Singularity of Chaos,” making Nolan roll his eyes.

“You’re right.

But we still can’t rule out the possibility of them making a sudden move.

They’re all smart and cunning, so we have to stay alert,” Nolan said casually as he walked to the sofa in the center of the room and sat down.

Don’t mistake this calm for lasting peace.

The real game hasn’t started yet.

It’s only a matter of time before a single trigger unleashes true chaos.

When that happens, the Empire will be thrown into unbearable tension.

Malverna was pensive at his words.

Subconsciously, a glimmer of admiration appeared in her eyes as her gaze lingered on Nolan.

“By the way, what did my sister do while I was away?

There’s no way she was just lazing around, right?” Nolan asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Of course not,” Malverna replied, rising and walking toward him.

“Your sister has been very busy, working hard to gain the support of noble families in the western, southern, and northern regions.” “Oh?” Nolan raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.

“So she’s not in the palace right now?” “That’s right.

She’s in the western region, visiting Viscount Rosenthal’s family and a few other noble houses,” she explained, sliding slowly onto the seat beside him.

“I see.

Well, that’s good.

She’s growing up, and I’m glad she can manage on her own,” he said with a gentle smile.

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t pleased with her progress.

Gradually, Elina was learning to stand on her own, proving she deserved to be the ruler of this empire.

“I wanted to ask you something.” Malverna folded her legs, resting the right side of her head on her right hand.

“How long will you be here?

Isn’t the matter with the Red Obsidian Trading House resolved yet?” Seven days had passed since the trial, and she hadn’t seen Nolan take any action.

Instead, this lazy man was constantly with Anna, Rovert’s wife.

If she didn’t already know this cold-hearted man’s nature, Malverna might have suspected Nolan had a hidden agenda-perhaps trying to make Anna his own.

“It’ll be over soon,” Nolan replied.

“Just waiting for the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place.” “The last piece of the puzzle?” Malverna’s brow furrowed slightly.

“What do you mean?” Nolan simply chuckled.

“You’ll see soon enough.” With that, he glanced toward the window, a playful glint in his eyes.

… “I have a task for all of you,” a man dressed entirely in black announced.

His tight clothing revealed a muscular frame, and his posture was tall and imposing, with two swords crossed across his back.

A half-mask covered his nose and mouth, leaving only a pair of cold, indifferent brown eyes visible.

Up close, his appearance resembled the ninjas of the eastern regions.

“What’s the task, boss?

Is it far?” A man who looked similar to him asked casually.

The other five glanced at the man called “boss” with curiosity.

“The mission is to kill a woman,” he said nonchalantly, handing them a brown scroll.

The six of them unrolled the scroll and saw a woman’s face inside.

“Wow!

She’s unbelievably beautiful!” one of them exclaimed.

“Do we really have to kill her?

How about we… play with her first?

Hehehe…” The man shot him a sharp glare.

“Don’t mess around!

This mission comes straight from a major client.

The reward is huge-ten million Kynar!” At once, they all gasped in shock.

“Ten million Kynar?” They exchanged stunned glances.

Ten million Kynar-equivalent to one hundred thousand gold coins-was more money than any of them had ever seen.

“Boss, I have a question,” the leftmost man said.

“Are you sure the mission is only to kill this woman?

Who is she really?

Or is she so powerful that the client is offering this much money?” His gaze lingered warily on the picture of the woman-Anna.

“No, she’s not powerful or special.

She’s just an ordinary person.” “An ordinary person?” They stared at each other, disbelief written all over their faces.

“I don’t know the reason either.

The organization that sent me didn’t explain it.

I asked them, but they didn’t know either.

From what I understand, the client wants the mission done smoothly, without any obstacles.

Do you understand?” His eyes met each of theirs, sharp and commanding.

“Understood!” they replied in unison.

“Good.” The man nodded, satisfied, then turned.

“We leave tonight.

The location is Gardian City, in the eastern region of the Great Velmora Empire.

By tomorrow, the job should be done.

Prepare yourselves.” Without another word, he walked out, leaving them buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

…

Two days later… The moon shone brightly, its light cutting through the darkness that symbolized evil and fear.

Stars were scattered across the sky, accompanying the moon as they illuminated the world.

Nolan sat on the balcony, reading a book, with a cup of coffee and a plate of dry biscuits set before him.

Fffft… fffft… He turned the pages slowly, sipping his coffee.

Occasionally, a quiet laugh escaped his lips, as if something in the book amused him greatly.

Whoosh!

A sudden gust of wind blew across his face.

His hair fluttered back, and a sharp chill prickled his skin.

Nolan closed the book, picked up a biscuit, and nibbled on it.

As he chewed, he looked up and smiled faintly.

“Have they finally started making their move?” *** Anna slept peacefully in her room.

Being pregnant, she couldn’t move freely-any sudden motion might endanger the child she carried.

Two pillows were placed on either side of her, keeping her from shifting too much during sleep.

Whoosh!

A gust of wind stirred the curtains, and from the shadows, six men clad in black silently emerged.

Their eyes locked on Anna, cold and calculating, before one finally spoke.

“Is this the target?

Then let’s kill her.”