The Hidden Extra: The Lazy Prince Refuses to Ascend The Throne Chapter 73: An Accusation (2)

"Will you confess now, or... do I have to make you?"

lissa froze at those words, her eyes widening in shock as she stared at the sword tip hovering just centiters from her face.

"Y-Your Highness? W-What are you saying? There’s no way I could be behind this! Wasn’t it Nina? W-Why ? This must be a misunderstanding!" She stamred, her voice shaking with fear.

Her entire body shook, and her breathing grew quick and ragged from panic.

But lissa wasn’t the only one left stunned—Orlan, Jisha, Alicia, the soldiers, and even the surrounding servants were all frozen in disbelief.

Confused, they exchanged glances, unable to process what they were seeing.

"Prince Nolan? You... What are you doing?" Orlan exclaid, quickly stepping between Nolan and lissa.

At the sa ti, he pulled lissa away from the threatening tip of the blade.

"What am I doing?" Nolan shot Orlan a faint smile. "I’m arresting the perpetrator, Marquis Orlan. Or did you think I was playing around?"

"Arresting the perpetrator?" Orlan echoed in disbelief, turning toward lissa with a horrified expression.

"M-lissa, you—" But before he could finish, lissa’s eyes welled with tears. She shook her head in despair.

"No, Lord Orlan... I’m not the one behind this," she said through sobs. "I... I could never do sothing so cruel. You know I’ve always been loyal to you. I’ve worked by your side for years—how could I ever betray you?"

She turned to Nolan, bit her lower lip, then continued in a hoarse voice, "Perhaps... perhaps Prince Nolan misunderstood. Maybe he thinks I’m the one responsible."

She wiped her tears, trying to appear as pitiful as possible. The soldiers and servants watching her could only look on with sympathy.

To them, lissa was far more trustworthy than Nolan. After all, she had worked with them in this mansion for years.

It was hard for them to believe that lissa could be the true mastermind behind everything.

And that doubt wasn’t limited to the servants—it was shared by Orlan, Jisha, and Alicia as well.

"Prince Nolan," Orlan said, turning with a conflicted expression. "Couldn’t this be a misunderstanding? I don’t believe lissa is the one behind this, and I’m willing to vouch for her."

He had to admit he was still reeling from the revelation that Nina was the one who had brought suffering to him and his family. It shook his confidence in the servants of the mansion.

But when it ca to lissa, he trusted her completely—just as he did with Alex.

After all, lissa had served him faithfully for years. The idea that she could be the true culprit felt unthinkable.

"What Lord Orlan said makes sense, Nolan," Jisha added as she stepped forward, stopping at his side.

Her expression was conflicted as she continued, "Maybe you’re just misunderstanding. I’ve worked in this mansion for a year, and I can say with confidence that lissa isn’t the main perpetrator. So... let’s just end this here, okay?"

Nolan turned to her with an indifferent gaze and asked flatly, "If you’ve been working here for a year, then why didn’t you realize Nina was one of the culprits?"

Jisha froze, unable to respond.

As a mage from the Tower of Silence—and a once-in-a-millennium genius—she was far from ordinary.

At just sixteen, she had already reached the level of a High-Level Mage, while most others her age were still at the Novice level—Interdiate at best.

And yet, despite her power and reputation, she had failed to recognize Nina’s guilt. That failure left her deeply ashad.

"I know it is my fault, but..." she said, clenching her fists tightly. "You can’t just accuse lissa without proof. So please—show us the evidence."

Orlan gave a small nod of agreent and added, "Jisha has a point, Prince Nolan. It’s not that I doubt you, but if you do have evidence, then please show it. Whatever it reveals, I’ll accept it."

He cast a glance at lissa, who looked utterly miserable, his expression a mix of doubt and concern.

His trust in her ran deep—he was fully convinced that lissa wasn’t the real culprit.

However, Orlan was a realist. He always tried to view things from a broader perspective—not just through the lens of personal feelings.

If lissa were proven innocent, he would apologize on Nolan’s behalf and reward her generously as compensation.

But if Nolan was right... then he wouldn’t hesitate to carry out punishnt, even if it wasn’t the outco he had hoped for.

"Evidence, huh?" Nolan let out a soft chuckle, crossing his arms. "What if I really have it? Will you keep your word, Marquis Orlan?"

Orlan’s heart skipped a beat when he t Nolan’s indifferent gaze.

It was as if that gaze pierced straight into his soul, freezing him with its sheer pressure.

Still, he quickly regained his composure and gave a firm nod.

"I give you my word, Prince Nolan," Orlan said solemnly.

A faint smile returned to Nolan’s lips as he nodded, looking satisfied.

"Good," he said calmly. "I hope you truly stand by that promise."

Those around them didn’t quite understand what Nolan ant—but Orlan did. And that realization left a trace of unease on his face.

Then, Nolan turned toward the door and called out, "Alex, co in."

The mont the words left his mouth, Orlan, Jisha, lissa, and everyone else in the room froze, their eyes widening in disbelief.

Before anyone could react, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed from outside.

The nearby soldiers quickly stepped aside, making way for Alex, who entered with slow, deliberate steps.

His expression was calm and composed—but the mont his eyes t lissa’s, a flicker of murderous intent flashed within them.

lissa flinched and quickly lowered her head, as if afraid to et that gaze.

"Forgive for being late, Your Highness," Alex said respectfully.

Nolan gave a small nod. "Did you bring the evidence?"

"I did, Your Highness." Alex reached into his inner pocket and took out a black pouch along with a set of neatly filed docunts.

Without another word, he handed them over to Nolan with care.

Nolan accepted them with a satisfied nod, then turned to Orlan with a faint smile.

"Here it is, Marquis Orlan. Would you like to see it?" He asked in a slightly playful tone.

Orlan remained silent for a mont, his face clouded with a mix of emotions. He looked toward Alex and asked, "Since when have you been collecting this?"

He then took the pouch and docunts from Nolan’s hand and examined them closely.

"I’ve been collecting it since this afternoon, my lord," Alex said with a slight bow. "Sorry for not reporting sooner."

Orlan let out a long sigh and waved his hand. "It’s fine. I’m not angry."

He turned back to Nolan, brows furrowed. "If you had Alex collect this evidence earlier today... then did you suspect lissa from the beginning? But how? You’ve never even t her before, have you?"

Nolan chuckled softly and shrugged. "I have my ways. What matters now is that you read the docunt and open the pouch. Once you’ve done that, the decision is yours."

Orlan took a deep breath, nodded slowly, and glanced at lissa with a conflicted expression before beginning to read the docunts.

anwhile, Nolan stepped back and stood beside Jisha.

In a low voice, he instructed, "Once Marquis Orlan finishes reading, escort Alicia out of here. Understood?"