The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 354: Roswell’s Anger

"Granting custody to Concubine Isabella, you say?" Roswell’s voice was sharp with shock. "Why would you do that?"

His eyes fixed intently on his younger sister, who stood before him.

Feeling that gaze, Cassandra shivered slightly but quickly composed herself.

"It’s because my husband asked for it. I couldn’t just refuse him, could I?"

Roswell fell silent, though his normally calm and indifferent expression darkened.

"Did you ask His Majesty why he wanted that? Was it because Concubine Isabella herself requested it?" he asked coldly.

Cassandra didn’t understand why her brother seed so angry. Eliza was just an ordinary little girl—not particularly valuable.

When her husband asked Vanessa and Clarisse to take care of her, neither agreed.

In the end, only she was willing—though she had to be persuaded first. That’s why she saw herself as the girl’s savior.

"I don’t know. His Majesty only told he wanted Eliza’s custody transferred to Isabella," she replied frankly, then added, "To be honest, I’m tired of taking care of her. It’s a relief that His Majesty asked for her custody to be handed over to Isabella."

A thin, victorious smile appeared on her lips. Eliza was not her biological daughter, and she didn’t care.

Besides, in the Kleith family, boys were considered more valuable than girls.

Although she was a woman, she fully embraced that belief. That was why she was so proud of having given birth to Cedric.

Roswell took a deep breath, sipped his tea, and tried to hold back his anger.

Once he had cald, he sank into the back sofa and stared coldly at his sister.

"Have you forgotten who stands behind Eliza?"

The question made Cassandra freeze. Suddenly, she rembered Eliza’s mother’s family—the Marquis Montclair from the western region.

And on top of that, there was her grandfather’s status—the forr pri minister, Gustav Montclair.

Although he was no longer in power, he still wielded hidden influence over the governnt and across the Empire.

The Montclair family itself was formidable, especially considering Gustav’s authority during the previous emperor’s reign.

Cassandra’s face turned pale, fear clearly showing.

"Brother, I—"

Before she could finish, a sharp cracking sound ca from the cup in front of her.

Cassandra looked up to see Roswell clutching the cup so tightly that it had cracked. His expression seed calm, but the fury he was suppressing was unmistakable.

"I don’t care what your reasons are. Return the custody rights," Roswell ordered coldly. "If you don’t, don’t bla if Cedric struggles in the battle for the throne."

Cassandra had accepted Eliza and cared for her not only because of Ragan’s persuasion but also because of Roswell’s subtle interference.

He had guided his sister indirectly, and it was clear he had a purpose.

Roswell knew the battle for the throne would co sooner or later, and he wanted to lay a foundation for his nephew.

Eliza’s connection to the Montclair family was a crucial part of his plan.

He intended to use her ties to the Montclairs to win their support for Cedric.

Of course, that wasn’t easy. The forr pri minister, Gustav, seed opposed to him.

Well, that wasn’t surprising—Roswell had spent years gradually eroding Gustav’s influence in the Empire.

Still, Roswell wasn’t worried. Eliza was in his sister’s hands, and Gustav had little choice but to comply with his wishes.

What he hadn’t expected was that Cassandra would actually hand over custody of Eliza to Isabella.

The plan Roswell had spent years crafting was ruined in an instant. His anger flared.

If not for his sister’s high status, he would have resorted to the old thods he often used in the past.

Cassandra’s lips moved, opening and closing as if she wanted to speak, but no words ca out.

Finally, she swallowed hard and nodded heavily.

"I understand, brother. I will ask my husband to return Eliza’s custody to ," she said weakly.

Roswell said nothing, rely waving a hand.

Cassandra understood, nodded slightly, and walked away in a daze.

Once she had disappeared, Roswell closed his eyes and called out, "Agent 002, Agent 003, and Agent 004!"

Whoosh!

Three people—two n and one woman—appeared before him, cloaked in black and wearing animal masks: a lion, a bear, and a rabbit.

They knelt quickly, one knee touching the ground, and said in unison, "What are your orders, Pri Minister?"

Roswell’s eyes scanned them one by one before he commanded, "Agent 002, investigate the Malvain family’s activities over the past month. Agent 003, keep an eye on linda Horven—I have a feeling she’s planning sothing big."

"Although she’s lost the support of the Red Obsidian Trading House, I don’t want any unexpected events. And finally, Agent 004..."

His gaze lingered on the woman wearing the rabbit mask. "Gather as much information as possible on the White Lotus Trading House. Everything must be ready within a day. And before that, find out why Princess Eliza’s custody was transferred. Understood?"

"Understood, Pri Minister!" they replied in unison.

"Good. Now, move!"

Whoosh!

In an instant, the three of them vanished like a gust of wind.

Roswell took in the silent room, then his gaze fixed on the chessboard before him.

He moved a pawn forward and whispered, "Just a few more steps, and everything will unfold according to my plan..."

...

Four days passed swiftly. During that ti, Eliza was well cared for by Isabella.

Coincidentally, Isabella had been bored, so looking after Eliza turned out to be quite enjoyable.

The girl was clever, and Isabella grew to love her as if she were her own child.

Eliza, in turn, was happy. Under Cassandra’s strict care, she had always been treated harshly.

Although she was taught many things, Eliza often struggled to understand the lessons, which frequently led to her being scolded.

However, with Isabella, Eliza finally felt a mother’s love. Things that had once been difficult—reading, writing, poetry—she could now learn with ease.

Of course, in addition to studying with Isabella, Nolan also took Eliza to Shion’s office at the Blue Moon Trading House headquarters.

Having been fully briefed on Nolan’s plan, Shion certainly didn’t dare slack off on his tasks.

Nolan and Shion also brought Eliza to the Tears of the Dragon restaurant to test dishes prepared by Evander, Godric, and Lucien.

Though she had done this before, many of their dishes still drew complaints.

Eliza’s task remained the sa—to help them identify flaws in their cooking.

As a result, her relationship with Roland and the three chefs grew stronger.

Nolan’s plan to build the little girl’s confidence was gradually succeeding.

But, as the old saying goes, "ti truly flies."

The day had finally co for Nolan and Sharon to depart for the northern continent.