Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel-Chapter 104: Evershade [6] The Price of the Choice

Cassian’s words, "I can cure you completely," echoed like a prophecy off the walls of the dimly lit, medicine-scented room.

The heavy, invisible burden on Marquis Aldren’s shoulders seemed to lift for a moment.

After years of healer visits, false hopes, and disappointments, the certainty in the voice of this mysterious young man before him had rekindled the dying ember in a father’s heart.

He exhaled deeply, his lungs filling with air to full capacity for the first time in a long while.

However, the situation was different for Caius lying in the bed.

Caius pushed Cassian’s hand on his forehead away with a sharp movement, as if his hand had been burned. His weak arms trembled, but the anger and distrust in his eyes were alive.

"You lie!" he growled, his voice rasping like a broken instrument. His purple eyes glistened with tears.

"Everyone says the same thing. ’I will save you,’ ’I will fix you’... Then they all run away. As soon as this curse in my body touches them, they all get scared and run! What are you? Are you a God? Or just another charlatan trying to trick me and take my father’s money?"

Cassian did not react to his hand being pushed away. There was neither anger nor offense on his face. He just looked at the boy with his composure.

"I am not a God," said Cassian in a calm voice. "But I am not a charlatan either. And Caius, what you carry is not a curse. If you had seen what a real curse is like, rest assured you would be grateful for your condition."

The Marquis stepped forward to calm his son, but Cassian raised his hand to stop him. He spoke without taking his eyes off the boy’s purple eyes.

"You will be cured, Caius. Have no doubt about that."

"But..." Cassian paused, weighing the air in the room. "First, there are some questions I need to ask you, especially you. Or rather, there is a choice you need to make."

The Marquis frowned. "A choice? What choice? Is there a price for the cure?"

"I am not talking about such a price, Marquis," said Cassian, turning his gaze to the father. "This is a choice about your son’s fate."

Cassian sat on the edge of the bed.

"Do not worry, at the end of both options I will offer you, your son will survive. The illness, that is, ’mana poisoning’, will be completely eliminated. But the results will be very different from each other."

Caius pulled the duvet up to his chest and began to listen carefully. For the first time, someone was not just telling him "you will be cured", but offering him a roadmap.

"Option One," said Cassian, raising his index finger. "I can turn you into a completely normal human. I will repair all damage to the mana core. I will rip out that aggressive, demonic mana invading your body to the last speck and purify you. Your horns will fall off, your eyes will return to their old color, that blackness in your veins will disappear."

Cassian paused and observed the effect.

"As a result; you will continue your life as an ordinary, healthy, perhaps a bit weakened but completely ’human’ noble. No one can call you a ’monster’ ever again. The illness will remain just a bad memory."

This option was like a dream for Marquis Aldren. This was the miracle he had prayed for years, for which he had poured his fortune. His son returning to his old self, getting rid of those damned horns and black and purple eyes, being able to mix into society, marry, live a normal life. This was the most perfect ending a father could wish for. The Marquis’s eyes shone with hope.

"This..." said the Marquis, his voice trembling. "This is wonderful. Exactly what we wanted."

Caius thought like his father too. To get rid of that stranger he saw every time he looked in the mirror... This was freedom.

"But," said Cassian, making his tone a bit more serious. "There is also Option Two. And this option might not be very pleasing to you from a human perspective."

The air in the room grew heavy again.

"In the second option," continued Cassian, looking directly into Caius’s eyes. "Instead of destroying that demonic mana, I will tame it. I can make your mana core and body capable of carrying both your natural mana and this chaotic demonic mana at the same time, working in harmony without fighting each other."

The Marquis interrupted in astonishment. "Is this possible? Two opposing energies..."

"It is possible for me," said Cassian confidently. Then he turned back to Caius.

"If I do this, Caius... Throughout your life, you will surpass limits that normal humans can never reach. That destructive power inside you will become fuel that strengthens you, not poison that kills you. You can be a warrior unprecedented in the history of your dynasty. Power, durability, potential... All will be yours."

Cassian fell silent for a moment, waiting for the weight of his words to settle.

"However... there is a price for this. Your physical appearance will not change much. Your horns will remain. Your eyes will stay purple... So from the outside, people will still see you as a ’half-demon’, a ’hybrid’."

Cassian turned his gaze to the Marquis.

"Especially as the heir of the demon hunter Stormvale dynasty, which has protected the border against the Demon Empire for hundreds of years... You can guess how your people would welcome a lord with a half-demon appearance."

Marquis Aldren froze at what he heard. His mind was stuck between two options.

On one side, a normal, healthy but ordinary son. A safe future accepted by society.

On the other side, a son with enormous potential, who could perhaps become one of the strongest warriors of the Empire but would be ostracized by society, branded a "monster". And this could be a stain on the Stormvale family’s honorable history.

When the Marquis thought as a ruler, the second option was a huge risk. Would the people obey someone carrying demon blood? How would the Holy Church react to this?

But when he thought as a father... The idea that his son’s years of suffering would not be in vain, that those sufferings would turn into power... This was also an undeniable allure.

The Marquis did not know what to answer. The decision he would make would determine not only his son’s health but his entire fate, his identity.

Right now, making a choice for him would not be granting him life, but dictating his life. This was unfair.

He looked at his son lying in bed, weak and sickly.

Caius was deep in thought under the weight of Cassian’s words. On his pale face, in the depths of his purple eyes, for the first time in a long time, a real sign of life, an ambition, a light of hope was shining. He was no longer just a victim suffering; he had a right to choose.

The Marquis took a deep breath. He had made his decision.

"Caius," said the Marquis, his voice fatherly and soft. He approached the edge of the bed.

Caius raised his head and looked at his father.

"It would not be right for me to make a decision on your behalf here, son," said the Marquis. "This is your life. Your body. Your future. You are the only person who must make the choice."

He put his hand on his son’s black-veined, cold hand.

"As the future Lord of our dynasty... This is the first and perhaps the most difficult choice you will make. I, as your father, will respect any decision you make."

"Father..." Caius’s voice trembled. His eyes filled up. He had clenched his fists so tightly that his black nails were digging into his palms.

His mind was like a stormy sea.

One part of him... Wanted to return to normal completely. Wanted to get rid of that disgusting creature he saw when he looked in the mirror.

Wanted people not to look at him with fear but with respect when walking on the street.

Wanted his father to be proud of him, to be a "normal" son. The first option was peace. The first option was salvation.

But the other part... That "power" Cassian promised.

Caius had been weak since the day he was born. Sick. In need of protection. He had grown up looking at the portraits of his ancestors, those supreme demon hunters, in the corridors of the Stormvale castle.

He had wanted to be strong like them, swing swords, cast spells, protect his people.

But life had stolen his dreams by giving him this illness. He had always been the child "pitied", "felt sorry for".

Now... The opportunity that would carry him to his dream, even beyond his ancestors, was only a word away. He could feel that power. The poison inside him could turn into a weapon.

But if he made this decision... Wouldn’t he be betraying his family, his dynasty, especially his father who never left him alone for a single day of his life, who did not hesitate to spend his fortune and reputation for him? Wouldn’t he embarrass them?

The room was buried in silence. Cassian waited patiently. The Marquis held his breath.

After a long, painful silence, Caius slowly turned his gaze to his father.

His eyes trembled with hesitation, with fear. He was having difficulty looking into his father’s loving, expectant eyes.

His lips parted, but no sound came out. He swallowed. Then, he spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

"Father..."

Caius paused, gathered his courage.

"I... want to choose the second option."

As soon as these words spilled from his lips, Caius quickly bowed his head. He fixed his gaze on the duvet. His eyes were full of unshed tears. His shoulders began to shake.

He was ashamed to look at his father’s face. He felt as if he had betrayed him, as if he had chosen to stain his honorable name.

He thought his father would get angry, be disappointed, perhaps reject him.

But the expected anger did not come.

Instead, strong arms wrapped around him.

Marquis Aldren had leaned over the bed and hugged his son tightly. He pressed Caius’s horned head against his chest. That tough, warrior man’s hand stroked his son’s hair affectionately.

"Foolish boy," said the Marquis, his voice hoarse but devoid of anger.

"There is no need for you to be ashamed or feel regret," said the Marquis, hugging his son even tighter.

"You are my son. Horned or not, strong or weak... Your father will always be behind you, no matter what. I am proud of your courage."

Caius began to sob on his father’s chest. The burden, fear, and guilt of years were emptying at that moment.

The Marquis gently pushed his son away from himself, put his hands on his shoulders, and looked into his eyes. A half-joking, half-challenging smile appeared on his face, contrasting his moist eyes.

"But since you chose this path," said the Marquis, winking. "Then stop feeling so bad about yourself. If you made this decision... you had better be strong enough to leave everyone’s mouths open. So that you can beat anyone who dares to look down on you with a single finger. Deal?"

Caius smiled through his tears.

Watching this emotional scene from the side, a slight, pleased smile appeared on Cassian’s face.

"Good," said Cassian, breaking the silence and returning to business mode. He took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. "Since the decision is made... Then let’s get to work. This is going to hurt a bit, kid. Be ready."

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