The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne

"Your Highness, this is terrible! My daughter, Masha, has disappeared!"

Nolan and Aston were stunned by the sudden news.

"Masha… disappeared?" Nolan frowned. "How could that be? Please, explain."

Alvaron nodded frantically. "A few minutes ago, my wife sent a letter saying Masha vanished from the house. She searched every corner of the mansion but still couldn't find her."

"When did the little girl disappear? Did it happen recently?"

"No," Alvaron replied, biting his lower lip. "She disappeared four days ago. But my wife only informed me now."

His fists clenched tightly. He knew exactly why his wife had done that—she didn't want him to worry or lose focus over Masha's disappearance.

But on the other hand, it was a grave mistake. Had he known earlier, he could have mobilized troops to search for her.

Now, four days had already passed. The girl might have fled in an unknown direction, making her far harder to find.

Nolan stayed silent, his expression calm as ever.

"Alright, I understand. Leave this matter to me," he said in a soothing tone.

Alvaron hesitated at his words but chose to trust him. The trial was about to begin, and he had no choice but to attend.

"Very well, Your Highness. I'll leave it in your hands. Please… find Masha for me," he said sincerely, bowing deeply.

Nolan simply nodded, patting Alvaron's shoulder. After exchanging a few more words, Alvaron and Aston quickly left the living room.

The trial was to be held in Halveron City, ten kilometers away. The trip from Gardian City would take about an hour.

Once they were gone, Nolan reached into his pocket and pulled out a palm-sized red ribbon.

It was Masha's—the little girl had given it to him as a keepsake, asking that he always remember her and never forget.

Recalling her adorable demeanor, Nolan couldn't help but smile.

"Come," he called softly.

Whoosh!

Black smoke suddenly appeared before him. It swelled, then dispersed, revealing a two-meter-tall black dog.

At first glance it looked like a normal dog, except for its two heads lined with razor-sharp fangs.

Anyone else would have trembled in fear, yet the beast stood meekly before Nolan, like a loyal pet.

"Trace the owner of this ribbon," he commanded, holding it to one of the dog's noses.

The beast sniffed a few times, then gave a small nod, as though it had found the trail.

"Good," Nolan said with satisfaction, patting its head.

He climbed onto its back and ordered, "Now, let's go find her."

Obeying at once, the dog and Nolan's figure dissolved into black smoke and vanished from sight.

...

In a remote town on the southeastern edge of the eastern region, a little girl in a black hood wandered about, glancing curiously to her left and right.

Woah! What a bustling place! Do people really walk around like this every day? she murmured in awe.

The little girl was none other than Masha. Four days earlier, she had slipped away from her mansion with a single goal—to find Nolan.

From what she had heard, Nolan was in the Castellan family's territory. She had gathered information from a few servants and learned that the Castellans resided in Gardian City.

But after traveling for four long days, she still hadn't found Gardian. Instead, she had ended up here, in this unfamiliar town.

On both sides of the street, people bustled about, either shopping or simply passing through. Merchants stood in rows, shouting loudly to draw customers.

For Masha, who had never once set foot in town before, the lively sight was entirely new—and thrilling.

"Come, everyone! Freshly baked bread! Chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, and more! Get them quick before they go cold!"

The voice caught Masha's attention. She turned toward it and spotted a bakery on her left.

It was completely deserted, with not a single customer in sight—yet the old man selling bread looked full of energy, as if it didn't bother him at all.

Masha's eyes fell on the pile of bread on the counter, and hunger immediately hit her.

"I'm so hungry," she whispered, rubbing her small stomach.

Before leaving, she had packed plenty of food, but it was already gone. All she had left was money—and she wasn't sure if it would be enough to buy bread.

Driven by hunger, the little girl stepped timidly toward the stall.

"Hmm?" The old man was startled by her approach.

Still, he quickly put on a gentle smile and asked, "Would you like some bread, little girl? What flavor do you want?"

Her hood concealed her face, but judging from her small frame, he guessed she couldn't be older than seven.

Masha looked up, eyes fixed on the pile of bread. Swallowing hard, she pointed at the chocolate and strawberry loaves.

"Give me two of those… and that one," she said shyly.

The old man chuckled and prepared her order. He stepped out from behind the stall and handed her two brown paper wrappers filled with bread.

"That'll be two Sharn, little girl," he said.

But Masha had no idea how much that was. She had never handled money before.

Without thinking, she pulled out two gold coins—each worth five hundred Sharn.

"Here you go," she said, handing them over.

The old man froze. His face went pale as his eyes fell on the two gold coins.

"This…" His lips moved soundlessly, unable to form words.

The value of those coins could buy him thousands of loaves of bread—no, even his entire stall wasn't worth that much.

He didn't know whether to accept them. Seeing how casually the girl offered such wealth, he was certain she must be of very high status.

Could this little girl be from a noble family who ran away? He wondered silently.

"Uncle? Why are you quiet? Is my money not enough? If so, I still have more," Masha asked hesitantly.

She was about to reach into her pocket when the old man quickly stopped her.

"Wait, little girl! You've misunderstood! This is more than enough—far, far too much! I can't take it," the old man said frantically.

"Eh?" Masha blinked in surprise. She glanced at the coins in her hand, doubtful. "Is that so? But… Isn't this just a little bit of money? Is it really that much?"

The old man: "…"

If she hadn't been a little girl, he might have thought she was mocking him.

With a small sigh, the old man smiled and placed his hands on his waist.

"I'm telling you the truth. That money is far too much. So just take all the bread—I'll treat you," he said gently.

Masha's eyes sparkled. "Really?"

"Of course." The old man nodded reassuringly.

"Yay!" Masha cheered, her face lighting up with joy.

She hadn't expected to meet such a kind old man. In her heart, she promised to repay him someday.

"Thank—"

Before she could finish her words, a playful voice called out from behind her.

"Hahaha! Old man, we meet again. Have you prepared this month's tax money?"