Chapter 494: Chapter 494: Meeting Margaretta for the First Time (1)

Blue veins bulged on Ragan’s forehead as the urge to hit his son surged within him.

Frankly, he had missed his son very much. Since his departure, the palace had felt quiet and bland.

But now that he thought about it, wasn’t that loneliness better than having to listen to such insolent words?

Ragan suppressed his anger and gave a weak nod.

"I understand. Thank you for your efforts, and thank you all."

Sharon let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, her father wasn’t angry. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to save Nolan.

Still, she needed to warn Nolan to be more polite toward him.

But suddenly—

"Father, are you kidding?" Nolan retorted in dissatisfaction. He folded his arms across his chest and complained, "We spent months on that freezing northern continent. Every night, I had trouble sleeping because of the harsh weather. Did you know that on my fifth day there, I got sick?"

He pressed a hand to his chest, his expression sad and dejected. "But what did I get? Just a thank you? Father, this is really unfair!"

Ragan: "..."

Sharon: "..."

Cassiopeia & Draco: "..."

The three exchanged glances, and Ragan felt his chest tighten with each quickening breath.

He kept reminding himself not to get angry and forced a smile onto his face.

"So, what do you want?"

Hearing that, Nolan was greatly satisfied and immediately broke into a smile.

"I don’t want much—just ten million Sharn and a few other rewards. That’s all," he replied casually. "Oh, right."

He turned to Sharon, Cassiopeia, and Draco, then added, "Please give them proper rewards as well. We worked hard on the northern continent and brought back significant profits, so don’t be stingy, okay?"

Cassiopeia panicked and was about to speak, but Sharon stopped her.

"Don’t interfere. Just let Nolan say what he wants."

Cassiopeia hesitated and glanced at Ragan, whose face had turned red. She knew His Majesty was on the verge of exploding and needed to be stopped immediately.

However, she couldn’t go against Sharon’s order. In the end, she swallowed the words already rising to her throat.

Draco remained calm, without the slightest hint of panic. He was curious whether the emperor would lose his temper or not.

It was quite an interesting spectacle.

Under everyone’s gaze, the redness on Ragan’s face suddenly faded.

He gave a small nod and said, "All right. I’ll give you what you want. You deserve it."

At that, Cassiopeia let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, she looked at Nolan with admiration.

’Orion was right—only Prince Nolan can render His Majesty powerless,’ she whispered in awe.

Come to think of it, Nolan had always been insolent toward the emperor, yet he was rarely punished.

Even when he was, the punishment was never too severe. At first, Cassiopeia hadn’t thought much of it, but now she realized it was because the emperor favored Nolan more than his other children.

"Get up, all of you," Ragan ordered.

Sharon, Cassiopeia, and Draco immediately rose to their feet.

"What Nolan said is true—you have rendered great service to the empire. Don’t worry, I will keep my promise."

The three bowed and replied in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Ragan nodded slightly, then continued, "I know you must be very tired since you returned only a few hours ago. Rest in your rooms first. After that, Sharon, I want to speak with you."

Sharon nodded. "Yes, Father."

Soon after, the three of them and Nolan dispersed, but Ragan suddenly stopped him.

"Wait, kid. I want to tell you something."

Nolan halted and turned around, his expression clearly dissatisfied.

"What is it?"

The corners of Ragan’s mouth twitched at the boy’s rude attitude. He took a deep breath and said, "Your mother is very worried about you. Go see her now."

Nolan was slightly surprised, but he didn’t refuse.

"I understand. Is that all?"

"Yes, that’s all," Ragan replied with a nod.

Nolan said nothing further and walked away, still carrying that annoyingly casual attitude.

Ragan sat in silence for a moment, then let out a deep sigh.

"Orion, do you think I spoil him too much?"

Orion appeared beside him with a gentle smile.

"I don’t think so, Your Majesty. Prince Nolan has been rebellious since childhood. If you pressure him, it will only make things worse."

Hearing his reasonable words, Ragan gradually regained his composure.

It wasn’t that he was being too soft—it was simply that Nolan was stubborn and difficult to rein in.

He didn’t understand where this attitude came from. As far as he could remember, Nolan had been an obedient child.

Could it have come from his wife, Isabella?

But in his view, that was also impossible. Isabella was elegant, intelligent, and quiet.

It felt strange that such a trait would come from her.

"By the way, Your Majesty, I have something to report."

Orion’s serious voice pulled Ragan out of his reverie.

Ragan glanced at him and asked, "Is it related to the negotiations?"

Orion nodded slightly. "Yes. Prime Minister Roswell succeeded in his task, but the conditions proposed by the leaders of each power are very heavy and difficult to accept."

At those words, Ragan’s expression darkened.

"Tell me what they want."

...

Nolan yawned lazily as he walked out of the main palace.

Along the way, servants and guards greeted him respectfully, and he returned their greetings with polite nods.

In the past, he might have ignored them. But now, he was beginning to think about changing how others saw him.

After all, he was his younger sister’s main supporter, and in the eyes of others, whatever he did would inevitably be associated with her.

As he strolled along, enjoying the cool breeze, Nolan noticed a man and a woman talking in the palace garden.

"Hm? Who are they?" His eyebrows rose slightly.

He focused his gaze and recognized the man as Cedric, the four-eyed one.

The woman beside him, however, looked unfamiliar. He didn’t recognize her at all.

"Who is that woman?"

He looked her over from head to toe but still couldn’t place her.

"Could she be from a marquis family in the west or north?"

Nolan was quite familiar with the noble children of marquis and count families in the south and east, so he was certain she wasn’t from any of them.

How did he know? It was simple—he had detailed information on all those families and remembered it well.

He paid no attention to families below the rank of viscount. In any case, they held little power or influence in the struggle for the throne.

Moreover, the woman’s style of dress clearly didn’t match either region.

"They seem deeply engaged in their conversation. Should I go over?"

With that thought, Nolan slipped both hands into his trouser pockets and walked toward them, wearing his usual lazy smile.