The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne - Chapter 449

449: Mikazura Takes the Stage (2) 449: Mikazura Takes the Stage (2) Everyone froze, turning toward the source of the voice.

There, Prime Minister Mikazura strolled casually, a smile playing on his lips.

‘Prime Minister Mikazura?

How is that possible?’ Cedric’s eyes widened.

He had never imagined Mikazura would step forward to defend Elina.

Yet there he was, and the truth hit Cedric like a blow.

The man he had hoped to win as an ally was openly defending Elina.

It wasn’t just Cedric-Aldric, Adalen, Cassian, Ragan, and everyone else present were equally stunned by his sudden appearance.

“Prime Minister Mikazura, what is the meaning of this?” Ragan asked, narrowing his eyes.

Mikazura remained composed, stopping beside Elina on her right.

“Your Majesty, I apologize for the intrusion,” he said politely, placing his right hand over his chest and bowing slightly.

“Prince Cedric mentioned that witnesses must be neutral, correct?

I am here as a neutral witness.

Does that suffice?” His words cut through the shock like a blade.

It made perfect sense.

Mikazura was an outsider, unaffiliated with any of the throne candidates, including Elina.

He was, in fact, the ideal choice for the neutral witness Cedric had insisted upon.

Ragan collected himself and spoke in a measured, heavy tone.

“In that case… will you give your statement?” “Of course,” Mikazura replied without hesitation.

He turned to Cassian and said, “The dance party hadn’t even begun when I arrived, and once it started, I observed Princess Elina closely until the very end.

I can assure you she did not commit such a despicable act.” Cassian’s frown deepened.

“No, that’s impossible!

How could you have watched her the entire time?

What proof do you have?

Remember, I have a recording of Elina committing the crime!” Everyone nodded in agreement, their eyes fixed on Mikazura, eager to see how he would defend himself.

Mikazura chuckled softly, opened his hand fan, and let it obscure half his face.

With a playful glint in his eyes, he delivered a precise counter.

“True, I have no evidence.

After all, I’m the only one who knows I was watching Princess Elina.

But tell me-how can you be certain that I wasn’t?

Do you have any proof?” Cassian faltered, caught off guard by Mikazura’s swift and clever rebuttal.

He had relied on Mikazura’s supposed lack of evidence to support his claim-but he had overlooked one thing: his own accusation was equally unproven.

Their arguments reached an impasse.

Still, Mikazura’s position as a neutral witness gave him a distinct edge.

He had no stake in the throne, no hidden ties to Elina-his words carried an authenticity that needed no validation.

“Forgive the interruption,” Cedric said coolly, “but I must point out that Prime Minister Mikazura… You are not fit to serve as a neutral witness.” “Oh?” Mikazura smiled, glancing at Cedric with a knowing look.

“And what do you mean by that, Prince Cedric?” “In this case, we don’t know why you suddenly defended Elina,” Cedric explained with a faint smile.

“So I can’t help but suspect you may have some connection to her or secretly support her in this battle for the throne.

After all, we all saw how polite you were to her earlier, didn’t we?” His words instantly reminded the nobles of Mikazura’s sudden change in demeanor toward Elina.

At the party, he had first arrived with an intimidating presence, even demanding Elina’s Shinketsu Dagger.

Then, in the next moment, he had been incredibly courteous-going so far as to give Elina a gift: a permanent entry permit to the Eastern Empire of Izanagi.

Though no one knew exactly what had transpired, that sudden shift was enough to make Cedric’s accusation seem plausible.

Everyone, including Ragan, fixed their gaze on Mikazura, waiting for his response.

But instead of showing fear or hesitation, Mikazura simply chuckled and shook his head.

“Prince Cedric, I once praised you for your intelligence.

You achieved the remarkable feat of being the only person to score the highest at the Imperial Academy.

Truly, I was impressed,” he said lightly.

“However…” His eyes flashed with a trace of contempt as he continued, “It seems I overestimated you.” His words felt like a knife to Cedric’s heart.

His face flushed, and his breathing grew ragged.

Just as he was about to snarl in anger, Mikazura cut him off.

“Your argument is baseless… nonsense.

Connected to and supporting Princess Elina?

If that were true, could you prove it?

Remember, suspicions must be backed by evidence, Prince Cedric.

You don’t even understand something so simple.” Cedric froze, never imagining he would be humiliated like this.

Mikazura’s words didn’t just wound his pride-they struck at his very self-esteem.

Worse, he couldn’t refute them.

Everything Mikazura said was undeniable truth.

“And remember,” Mikazura continued casually, a faint smile on his lips, “I do admire Princess Elina.

She’s the only princess to participate in the battle for the throne, a contest usually reserved for princes.

What’s more impressive is how she challenged you, the princes, to the point where defeating her was no easy feat.

Isn’t it only natural that I respect her?” This time, it wasn’t just Cedric-Aldric, Adalen, and Cassian felt the weight of his words as well.

Their chests tightened, breaths grew shallow, and their faces drained of color-as if blood had been ripped from their veins.

Mikazura had struck at their most vulnerable spot-and done so in front of everyone.

No wonder the man with glasses was called the Devil of the Eastern Continent.

He had truly earned that fearsome nickname.

“Pfft!” Elina couldn’t hold back her laughter.

‘What an admirable man.

If my brother were here, I’m sure he’d consider Prime Minister Mikazura his equal.’ Indeed, the two were a perfect match-both cunning, both as slippery as eels.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot to mention something,” Mikazura said calmly, turning his gaze to Ragan.

“As we all know, Princess Elina is supported by the Singularity of Chaos, isn’t she?

Yet there are two crucial points you seem to be overlooking.

First-what possible purpose would the princess have in resorting to such cunning and cruel methods?

To win the throne?

Isn’t that utterly foolish and unreasonable?” At the same time, he cast a mocking glance at Cassian.

Feeling that gaze, Cassian shivered.

Whether by intuition or coincidence, he felt as if Mikazura had seen through everything.

“Don’t worry.

He didn’t notice.

Don’t let your weakness show in a situation like this,” Zerathos’ cold voice snapped him back to composure.

Cassian nodded, forcing himself to calm down.

“And the second point-where did Princess Elina get the potion to turn people into demons?

Could it have come from the Singularity of Chaos?” The moment the name Singularity of Chaos was mentioned, everyone froze.

No one expected Mikazura to be bold enough to link the demon-transforming potion to such a terrifying figure.

Wasn’t he afraid for his life?

Only the sharpest minds grasped his intention-those words were a veiled threat, wielded through the sheer weight of the name.

“Your argument is indeed compelling, Prime Minister Mikazura.” Cassian could no longer sit idly by and let it go unchallenged.

“However, the video in this recording stone is already strong evidence.

If you intend to deny it, you’ll need proof even stronger than that.” Mikazura chuckled softly.

“Regarding that, I see no need to explain.

Let the maker of the recording stone do the talking.

Isn’t that right, Miss Shion?”