Draco and Cassiopeia stepped out of the entrance, while Elina, Rafine, Luvistar, Ruthark, and Nolan could only watch from behind.
Elina turned to Nolan with a confused expression and asked hesitantly, "Brother, do you know what happened to Draco? Why did his demeanor change so suddenly?"
Just moments ago, she had seen how stern and harsh Draco was toward her brother, as if ready to drag him straight to the palace. Yet only a short while later, his stance shifted completely, as if he had become a different person.
It was strange and unreasonable. Elina suspected that someone was behind it, but she had no idea who.
Nolan only smiled at her question. He shrugged casually and replied with ease, "I don’t know. I’m just as confused as you are. Maybe he was scared by my threat earlier, thought it over, and then gave in."
That reasonable answer made Elina fall silent, though the suspicions in her heart remained—and all of them pointed to one person: her brother.
If Nolan had known her thoughts, he would have sighed and said, "My dear sister, your sense of smell is truly terrifying!"
"Alright," Nolan said as he turned to Rafine, Luvistar, Ruthark, and Darel. "Thank you for looking for me, and I apologize for the trouble I caused. I hope you can forgive me."
He bowed his head toward them, which instantly startled everyone.
"Prince, what are you doing? Don’t bow your head like that!"
Luvistar hurried over and helped him stand upright.
Ruthark and Darel had wanted to step forward too, but fortunately, Luvistar had already done so.
Nolan gave a faint smile. "It’s alright, General. The old man often told me to be brave enough to admit my mistakes, even if I used to ignore his advice. But after seeing how much effort you all put into finding me, I feel deeply guilty and must take responsibility."
His words touched everyone’s hearts. The attitude he showed now was completely different from the rumors. This was especially true for Darel, who was meeting Nolan in person for the first time and had only known him through stories.
When he first saw Nolan at the mansion gate, Darel thought the prince would only be troublesome and reckless. But as time passed—up until the battle with the sea monster—Nolan never showed the behavior the rumors described.
On the contrary, Darel was impressed. The way Nolan spoke, acted, and carried himself truly reflected the dignity of a prince.
It made him wonder: were the rumors that had spread all this time wrong? And now, with Nolan openly admitting his mistake, the bad image of him completely vanished from Darel’s heart.
Rafine, on the other hand, was just as surprised, though only for a moment. Unlike Darel, she had interacted with Nolan many times and knew his real nature.
Admittedly, Nolan was nothing like the rumors, but he was still annoying and often managed to make her angry. Even so, beneath all that, he was sharp, mysterious, and unpredictable.
Ever since he saved her life on the ship—willing even to sacrifice himself—all of Rafine’s hatred had disappeared. Those feelings were replaced with gratitude... and, without her realizing it, love.
"It’s alright, Your Highness," Luvistar said, shaking his head. "To be honest, it’s my fault for not taking proper care of you. Fortunately, you survived. Otherwise, I would have blamed myself for the rest of my life."
His words carried genuine sincerity. Although he hadn’t liked Nolan at first, over time he came to realize that this young man was truly extraordinary.
Not only was Nolan intelligent, but his mind was sharp and unpredictable—a quality Luvistar had only ever seen in Cedric. Losing such a prince would have been a sin he could never forgive himself for.
Thankfully, that hadn’t happened, and relief washed over him.
Nolan only smiled and shook his head. Then, turning to Darel, he asked, "Do you have a check?"
The sudden question startled Darel. Still, he quickly nodded.
"I have one, Prince."
"Then, I’ll take it."
Without delay, Darel ran to his study on the second floor and soon returned with a silver-colored check.
Nolan accepted it, pulled a pen from his pocket, and began to write.
Under everyone’s puzzled gaze, he studied the contents once more before handing it to Luvistar.
"Disburse this money at the Silver Dragon Bank in the eastern region. Take it and distribute it to the soldiers who helped in my search. Make sure the Hermes family soldiers who assisted earlier also receive their share," he explained calmly.
Luvistar froze the moment he read the check. His eyes widened in shock at the amount.
"Three million... Sharn?" His mouth fell open.
Darel, Rafine, Ruthark, and Elina were just as stunned. They could only stare at Nolan in disbelief and confusion.
"Your Highness..." Luvistar frowned as he handed the check back. "I appreciate your concern, but three million Sharn is far too much. You should keep it for your own needs."
It was indeed an extraordinary amount. In all his years of service to the Empire, he had only managed to save a little over a million Sharn.
Meanwhile, Nolan was known as the poorest among the princes. This much money was likely his entire fortune, and Luvistar couldn’t bear the thought of it being spent solely on the soldiers.
But Nolan didn’t take the check. He simply waved his hand casually. "Like I said, it’s a gift for the soldiers. How could I possibly take it back?"
Luvistar still hesitated and was about to argue, but Elina quickly stopped him.
"Just accept it, General. If my brother gave it to you, then it means he intended it from the start."
Even she didn’t know where her brother had gotten so much money, but she wasn’t particularly surprised. To her, Nolan had always been mysterious.
Besides, he had already swindled sixteen million Sharn from Zarak, so three million was nothing in comparison.
Of course, if her brother ever needed money, Elina wouldn’t hesitate to return the sixteen million Sharn he had once given her.
Hearing that, Luvistar swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and gave a firm nod.
"Alright..." He exhaled softly. "Thank you, Your Highness."
Nolan nodded slowly, stifling a lazy yawn.
"Then we’ll be back tomorrow," he said, glancing at Elina and Rafine before turning to Darel. "I hope Viscount Hermes doesn’t mind."
"Hahaha! How could I, Your Highness? I’m truly glad for your presence. Not just a day—even a week or a month—you would still be welcome here," Darel replied with a hearty laugh.
Everyone exchanged looks before bursting into laughter. The once stiff atmosphere quickly melted into warmth.