The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 389: Leonard Thelberg

"Phew! This afternoon’s training was really exhausting."

In a spacious courtyard, a tall, well-built young man wiped his sweat with a towel.

He was strikingly handso, with neatly combed blond hair.

Wearing tight black training clothes, his muscular physique was clearly visible.

The man was Leonard Thelberg, head of the Thelberg family and ruler of Black Horn City.

As he was relaxing after the intense training session, he heard hurried footsteps behind him.

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

Leonard turned and saw a maid walking toward him with a slightly panicked expression.

"A letter for ?" Leonard was a little surprised.

The maid reached into her pocket and handed it to him carefully.

Leonard took it, looked at both sides, and then asked, "Where is it from?"

"It’s from the town of Virella, my lord."

"The town of Virella?" Leonard was stunned. He certainly knew that town.

After all, it was relatively close, only two hundred kiloters from here.

As far as he could rember, the town of Virella had a new leader—a princess whose na had been on the rise since the official battle for the throne began: Elina Lorian.

"Is this from the princess?" he asked as he slowly opened it.

"I don’t know, my lord." The maid shook her head in embarrassnt. "But it should be from Her Highness Princess Elina."

"All right, thank you for the letter. You may go. Oh, right, please prepare so juice and snacks in my study."

The maid nodded slightly, bowed her head, and walked away.

Leonard shifted his focus back to the letter in his hand.

"The princess sent a letter, huh? This must be important," he muttered.

He didn’t dare act rashly. The princess’s arrival in the town of Virella was an order from the emperor.

Frankly, he didn’t understand why His Majesty had given her such a remote area.

Still, since he had known about her arrival several days before she reached the city, he was prepared to accept her request for help.

Making a good impression on soone leading the battle for the throne was like receiving a free chunk of gold.

He slowly walked to the edge of the courtyard and sat down on the grass.

Then, he took the letter out of its envelope and began to read its contents.

A few minutes later, he finished reading and understood the aning of the letter.

"Asking for help, huh? Just as I thought," he muttered with a small chuckle.

However, he didn’t mind it at all. He was already prepared for that possibility.

To his surprise, the princess moved very quickly. It seed she was really serious about turning the town of Virella into a more lively place.

But actually, it was only natural. The Empire’s anniversary was about to begin.

Most likely, the princess didn’t want Virella’s problems weighing on her when that day arrived.

"But the surprising thing is, Princess Elina doesn’t want to ask for help for free. It seems she doesn’t want to be indebted to ." Leonard rubbed his chin.

The plan was to give assistance for free. By doing so, the princess would be indebted to him.

In the future, if he needed her help, he would only need to ask.

Leonard was sure the princess would grant his request. But since Elina used the word "pay" in her letter, his goal was not achieved.

"Well, it’s okay." Leonard got up with a slight smile. "I’m sure the princess still considers this a debt. So in the future, the Thelberg family can still ask for paynt."

Folding the letter and putting it in his pocket, he walked back to his mansion.

This issue needed to be resolved quickly so that Elina would be even more impressed with him.

***

Two days passed incredibly quickly. During that ti, Elina spent her days doing nothing but work.

She also took the ti to leave the mansion to check on the people who were struggling.

The lack of jobs and many other shortages had pushed everyone into extre poverty.

Fortunately, a few hours later, aid from the town of Black Horn finally arrived.

The aid included food, clothing, and other basic necessities.

It was sent by an envoy from the Thelberg family and was led directly by the head of the family, Leonard Thelberg.

His appearance surprised everyone. They had long heard of his reputation but had never seen him in person.

It was said that he had taken the leader’s seat at the age of fifteen, replacing his father, who had died suddenly.

Despite facing pressure from all sides, he had succeeded in making Black Horn one of the most prosperous towns in the eastern region.

"Welco, Baron Leonard," Elina greeted him politely.

Leonard smiled, placed his right hand on his left chest, and bowed his head toward her.

"Thank you, Your Highness. It is truly a blessing for to see you in person," he replied respectfully.

This was the second ti he had seen Elina, and now he could finally speak to her directly.

Admittedly, Elina was extraordinarily beautiful—even comparable to the most gorgeous woman in the Great Velmora Empire, Rafine Austin.

Leonard, who was still unmarried, was naturally very attracted to her.

But he knew he couldn’t act rashly. After all, her status as a princess was not sothing he could ignore.

"Please sit down," Elina said.

Leonard nodded and imdiately sat on the sofa. Elina also sat on the sofa opposite him.

The servants prepared tea and so snacks for both of them.

Once the living room was completely empty, the two of them began to talk.

"Your Highness, I heard that His Majesty the Emperor himself placed you in this town of Virella? It must be very difficult for you, isn’t it?" Leonard said attentively as he sipped his tea.

"Thank you for your concern, Baron Leonard. But it was a task given to by my father. Like it or not, I have to carry it out," Elina replied with a relaxed smile.

Her calm and graceful response made Leonard even more interested in her.

He had seen many beautiful won, but Elina seed different—as if she had stepped out of a painting.

The first ti he saw Elina in person was at the Emperor’s birthday celebration a few months ago.

But because Marquis Caltheron and several other high-ranking nobles were standing beside her at the ti, he didn’t dare approach her.

And now, the opportunity to be alone with her had finally arrived, and Leonard did not intend to go ho empty-handed.

"Oh, right, Baron Leonard." Elina straightened her posture and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you for the food you sent. How much is it? Please tell , and I will pay for it."

Leonard smiled as he placed his cup on the saucer.

"No need, Your Highness." He shook his head slowly. "I gave it to you for free. You—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Elina cut him off.

"No, Baron Leonard, I can’t accept your kindness for free. My brother once said that every kindness must be paid for directly. So, just tell the price. Don’t worry, I have the money."

Leonard fell silent, not expecting Elina to refuse his kindness so bluntly.

However, instead of upsetting him, this made him even more interested.

It seems... He smiled slightly. Winning her over will be quite a challenge...