Chapter 51: A Sharp Intuition

Zarak stepped out of the parlor with a dazed expression. His eyes were blank, and his face had turned pale.

"My grandfather is really going to kill me," he muttered, his voice trembling.

But there was no other choice—everything had already happened. If he didn’t go along with Nolan’s demands, things would only get worse.

And if that happened, he might go down in history as the fastest prince ever eliminated from the battle for the throne.

***

"You’re truly ruthless, Prince Nolan," Orlan said admiringly as he turned to him. "You squeezed Prince Zarak for a fantastic sum—ten million Sharn. That means he now owes you sixteen million Sharn, counting the incident in the square three days ago."

Sixteen million Sharn was an extraordinary sum—even by his standards. A typical baron-level noble family earned only about ten million Sharn every six months.

Viscount families typically made about one hundred million Sharn, whereas count families earned up to five hundred million Sharn in the same timeframe.

Marquis families, such as his own Caltheron household, could earn up to one billion Sharn every six months—a truly staggering sum.

Although impressive, that amount reflects a family’s income, not an individual’s. Nolan managing to earn sixteen million Sharn in just three days was nothing short of incredible.

"Pfft." Nolan let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Don’t flatter me too much, Marquis Orlan. What I did wasn’t anything special. Zarak is just stupid and easy to provoke—I merely took advantage of that. Otherwise..."

He shot Orlan a meaningful look and continued, "I should be the one thanking you for your help, Marquis Orlan."

"Oh?" Orlan raised an eyebrow, his expression curious. "And what do you mean by that?"

Realizing Orlan was only pretending not to understand, Nolan rolled his eyes and sat down on the sofa where Zarak had just been sitting.

He pushed aside Zarak’s used cup and said, "You noticed me the whole time but pretended not to. You even provoked Zarak on purpose, just to get him to keep insulting me—so I could record everything."

Picking up a grape and popping it into his mouth, he looked at Orlan with a playful expression.

"I’m right, aren’t I, Marquis Orlan?"

Orlan froze for a moment—then burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!" A tear escaped from the corner of his right eye. He wiped it away, then turned to Nolan with a look of genuine admiration.

"Prince Nolan, you’re truly remarkable. Honestly, you’ve completely changed my impression of you." He leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and took a leisurely sip of tea.

In his entire life, he had never laughed so freely. As the head of a marquis household, he was expected to uphold dignity and decorum at all times.

But just now, he couldn’t help himself. The laughter came naturally—because Nolan was genuinely fascinating and remarkably unique.

Most people saw Nolan as a foolish, uneducated prince—as Zarak had claimed earlier. But in truth, he was sharp, clever, and calculating.

Orlan even began to suspect that Nolan’s reputation—lazy, useless, and covered in disgrace—was nothing more than a carefully crafted mask designed to make others underestimate him.

It was only a hunch, but Orlan had a strong feeling that it was the truth all along.

Nolan’s expression remained calm and composed. In the past, he might have kept up the act of being foolish or useless—but not this time.

After all, he now stood as Elina’s supporter. If he continued with his old demeanor, the noble families wouldn’t take Elina seriously.

Some might even feel repulsed by her for being associated with someone like him.

That’s why, even though he was lazy by nature, he had to present himself properly in front of powerful nobles like Orlan.

"Alright, let’s drop that topic for now," he said casually, picking up another grape and popping it into his mouth. "So, why did you come to see me? Are you planning to express support for Elina through me?"

Orlan also took a grape from the table, ate it, and replied, "To be honest, I didn’t come to support Princess Elina. I came because I’m interested in you, Prince Nolan."

"Interested?" Nolan blinked in surprise and looked him up and down. "Please explain clearly. Don’t cut your sentences like that—I could easily get the wrong idea."

His expression twisted in disgust, and a slight shiver ran down his body.

Orlan: "..."

He let out a long sigh, shook his head, and clarified, "Please don’t misunderstand, Prince Nolan. I already have a wife—and I’m very much into women."

"Phew." Nolan exhaled in relief, visibly relaxing. "Alright then, please continue."

Orlan rolled his eyes before continuing, "I became interested in you after watching how you handled Prince Zarak in the square three days ago. The prince everyone called lazy and useless turned out to be sharp and calculating—you not only outwitted him but also walked away with six million Sharn."

"And I also noticed how even His Majesty seemed overwhelmed when dealing with you. Honestly, that was the first time I’ve ever seen him look so helpless."

Nolan raised an eyebrow at that. It reminded him of how domineering the old man had always been—his cold, stern face enough to make anyone hesitate.

Yet, somehow, only in his presence could that fearsome emperor be subdued.

Have I really been that disobedient of a son?

Nolan wondered, slightly stunned.

It was the first time he truly reflected on how wrong his attitude toward his father had been.

Still, he quickly composed himself and dismissed the thought. From the beginning, he had deliberately behaved that way to escape the burdens of duty and palace affairs.

Well, even if it meant being labeled a disobedient child... it was still better than being dragged into all that trouble.

"Is that all that drew your interest in me?" Nolan asked casually.

"There’s something else... but I’m not entirely sure if it’s true." Orlan replied.

"Go on," Nolan said nonchalantly.

Orlan straightened his posture and looked at Nolan intently.

"Prince Nolan, the reason the Singularity of Chaos is protecting Princess Elina... it likely has something to do with you, doesn’t it?"

At those words, Nolan’s hand paused mid-reach for the grape—but only briefly.

He then leaned back against the sofa, ate it slowly, and asked calmly, "What is your assumption based on, Marquis Orlan?"

Seeing that Nolan didn’t immediately deny it, a faint smile curved at the corners of Orlan’s lips.

"Believe it or not, Prince Nolan, I possess a rather unusual ability—I can see through people," he said with a casual tone. "Take my impression of you, for example. You’re one of a kind. Honestly, I suspect that the negative image around you is just a carefully constructed mask."

"And how did I arrive at the conclusion that the Singularity of Chaos supports Princess Elina because of you?" He tapped his temple, smiling meaningfully. "Truth be told, there’s no concrete evidence—just... a gut feeling."