The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 388: Refusal to Provide Help

Morning...

A man sat working in his study.

He looked relatively young, in his early thirties.

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.

He was Gareth Redwyre, head of the Baron Redwyre family—the rulers of the town of Torosvia.

As one of the easternmost towns in the region, Torosvia faced countless daily challenges.

Without careful managent, life for its people would be difficult.

Still, its fate was better than that of Virella, a town on the far edge of the region near the Calvorn Forest.

Gareth opened report after report, reading their contents carefully.

As the head of a baronial family, his responsibilities were not as weighty as those of a viscount, count, marquis, or duke.

Even so, Torosvia had its own problems, so of which could give him quite a headache.

Just as he was imrsing himself in his work, footsteps echoed outside his office door.

Knock!

"My lord, there is an important letter for you."

Gareth paused and looked toward the door.

"Co in."

Clack!

The door opened slowly, and a man in a formal robe stepped inside. He approached Gareth and handed him a blue letter.

"This letter arrived last night, my lord. Since you were asleep, I kept it safe for you."

Gareth took the letter, studying it curiously from both sides.

"Who is this letter from?" he asked, slowly opening the envelope.

"It’s from the new leader of Virella," the man replied.

"The new leader of Virella?" Gareth froze. "Wait a minute..."

His eyes narrowed. "Since when does Virella have a new leader? And why wasn’t I inford?"

The man smiled faintly. "It’s been several days, my lord. Do you rember the information I gave you back then? It concerned Virella’s new leader. Have you forgotten?"

Gareth paused, lost in thought. Suddenly, their previous conversation ca back to him, and his expression relaxed.

"You’re right. I rember now. Is the new leader Her Highness, Princess Elina?"

"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."

Gareth’s expression darkened. He knew Elina well—the Sixth Princess of the Great Velmora Empire.

He was also aware of her role in the battle for the throne, news that had caused a sensation just a few months ago.

The problem was clear: the Redwyre Baron family had already pledged their support to Prince Cedric.

It was impossible for him to reach out to the prince’s enemy.

Yet he knew that refusing outright would be like insulting Elina herself.

Given her higher status, such a move would be extrely dangerous.

He had no choice but to read the letter first and carefully consider his next steps.

Gareth withdrew the letter from its envelope and began reading.

After a while, he finally understood Elina’s intentions and muttered, "So it really is a request for help."

The letter asked the Redwyre family to supply food to the town of Virella.

Elina had also made it clear that this was not charity—she intended to pay for the supplies in cash.

The Redwyres had nothing to worry about; they would not be giving aid for free.

"What should we do, my lord?" The man asked.

Gareth remained silent for a mont, leaning back in his chair.

"We will not help them," he said, his tone indifferent.

The man’s expression grew serious. "Are you sure? Doesn’t that risk declaring hostility toward Her Highness the Princess?"

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.

"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."

"But we can only refuse her politely, without offending her. That is the limit of what we can do."

The support he gave Cedric, in any case, was not without its rewards.

With the Pri Minister’s influence, the town of Torosvia could grow more prosperous and develop rapidly. That was why he couldn’t act rashly.

Otherwise, the prosperity he had worked so hard to achieve could be undone—and he couldn’t allow that to happen.

The man had nothing more to say. Since Gareth had made his decision, there was no room for protest.

"All right, I’ll convey Princess Elina’s ssage," he said.

With that, he turned and left Gareth’s study.

"Hah..." Gareth sighed softly. "I hope my decision is justified."

It would be a lie to say he wasn’t afraid of offending Elina. As his subordinate had ntioned, she was supported by the Singularity of Chaos.

Making an enemy of soone like her was practically suicide. Yet he had no other choice.

Losing the support of his allies and being labeled a traitor was far more dangerous than crossing Elina.

...

Elina was at work in her study. Many plans had been prepared; all that remained was to put them into action.

She knew it wouldn’t be easy. Achieving her goals required outside assistance—from the city of Torosvia.

She had no choice but to wait for their response.

Just then, the door opened, and Rick entered, his face pale.

"Your Highness, I brought a reply from Torosvia."

"Oh?" Elina looked surprised. "That fast?"

Rick just nodded, his face gloomy and depressed.

Seeing this, Elina straightened, rested her elbows on the desk, and laced her fingers together.

"What is it? Why do you look so pale? Is it bad news?"

Rick let out a small sigh. Instead of answering, he handed her the letter.

"You’ll understand when you read it," he said.

Elina’s curiosity spiked. She took the letter imdiately and began reading.

A few monts later, she finished, her expression calm as ever.

"So, the Baron Redwyre family supports Cedric, huh? How foolish of to ask them for help," she muttered, a hint of helplessness in her voice.

Had she known, she wouldn’t have sought their aid.

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.

They didn’t wield the influence of Viscounts, Counts, Marquises, or Dukes.

"Alright, no matter. By the way, who leads Black Horn town? And do they support any of the throne candidates?"

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."

"Good!" Elina nodded in satisfaction. "In that case, send them a ssage like the one I sent to Torosvia."

Rick bowed deeply. "Yes, Your Highness. As you command!"