Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel-Chapter 111: Evershade [13] A Warrior’s Confession

As evening descended upon the grand dining hall of Evershade Castle, the atmosphere at the table was as volatile as the weather outside.

The candles in the candelabras flickered, casting shadows on the faces of those seated at the table.

Cassian and Caius had entered the hall together. Caius was walking on his own two feet, with an upright posture, without a wheelchair or the help of a maid for the first time in years.

The healthy color on his face and the purple glint in his eyes overwhelmed those at the table especially his mother, Marchioness Calyra with happiness anew each time.

However, at the other end of the table, the mood wasn’t so festive.

Liora was playing with the meat on her plate, cutting it into pieces with her fork but not bringing it to her mouth. Her eyes were locked on Cassian, whom Cordelia was constantly trying to feed across the table.

In that gaze, rather than pure anger, there was an undigested defeat, curiosity, and a restlessness she couldn’t name.

Cassian, on the other hand, was completely ignoring these looks, enjoying the food on his plate. The tension between them was so intense that it would almost create electricity in the air and blow out the candles.

Marchioness Calyra coughed gently, as if wanting to disperse this suffocating silence.

"Does the food suit your palate, Lord Cassian?" she asked, her voice soft. "Although our cook didn’t know what kind of dishes you liked, he did his best."

Cassian wiped his mouth with a napkin and turned to the Marchioness. "It is quite delicious, Marchioness Calyra."

"Caius," said Marquis Aldren, looking at his son with pride. "After finishing your meal, I want you to attend the council meeting tomorrow morning. It is time for you to return to your duties as an heir."

Caius’s eyes lit up. "Of course, father. I would even like to join the morning training with sister Liora."

Upon these words, Liora’s fork hit the plate hard. "You are not ready yet, Caius," she said in a sharp voice. Then she turned her gaze back to Cassian. "Although some people gain power through fraudulent means, the foundation of a true warrior is discipline. You cannot gain this immediately."

This was clearly a dig thrown at Cassian. Cassian took a sip of his fruit juice and slowly placed the glass on the table. He fixed his eyes on Liora.

"Miss Ice Queen," said Cassian, staring at her, "In this life, there is no power gained without paying a price. It would be best for everyone if you didn’t speak casually without knowing what some have been through."

Liora said nothing; before dinner, her father had warned her not to cause unpleasant incidents in front of the guests.

The evening progressed as the dinner continued tensely. Towards the end of the dinner, Eric intervened by clearing his throat. There was professional seriousness on his face.

"Marquis Aldren," Eric said. "We are grateful for your hospitality and this alliance. However, I must sadly state that we need to set off at dawn tomorrow. There is much work to be done in Veythral, armies to be gathered, and strategies to be planned."

The Marquis raised his eyebrows. "So early? If you could stay a few more days and rest? Evershade’s hunting grounds are plentiful, I wanted to show you the beauties of these lands."

"Your offer is very kind," said Rose. "But as Eric said, there are many things we need to go back and do."

Seeing that urgency and determination in Rose’s eyes, the Marquis didn’t insist. He just nodded slowly. "You are right. In that case, enjoy the comfort of Evershade to the fullest tonight."

When dinner was over and everyone retreated to their rooms, the castle fell into a deep silence. Torches in the corridors flickered, creating long shadows on the stone walls.

However, Cassian had not gone to his room. He had no intention of sleeping tonight. There was a full moon in the sky, one that could only be seen once a month.

He was sitting on the sloping tiles on the roof of the castle’s highest tower. The wind was blowing his gentle clothes and his black hair mingling with the night.

It was cold here, but Cassian liked this cold. It reminded him that he was alive, that he felt.

His black eyes were locked on the moon. He was watching the craters on the moon, the way that pale light filtered through the clouds.

Right now, there was only him and the moon. His true friend who had always been by his side without expecting anything from Cassian.

He continued to spend a peaceful night under the moon.

However, this peace was broken by a slight creak of a tile he heard behind him.

Cassian didn’t flinch. He had already sensed someone coming. He waited without turning his head, without taking his eyes off the moon.

It was Liora.

She didn’t have that hard armor or her formal clothes on. She had put a thick, woolen cloak over a simple white nightgown.

The wind was blowing her raven-black hair onto her face. She stood, silently looking at Cassian’s back. In her gaze, there was neither anger nor a threat; rather, a complex curiosity and hesitation could be read.

Cassian didn’t let this silence prolong. He reflected the discomfort he felt from her presence disturbing this special moment in his voice.

"If you came to pick a fight, go back, Liora," he said, his voice mingling with the howl of the wind. "I have neither the time nor the energy to spare for you."

He raised his head slightly and pointed to the moon. "Right now, I am living a precious moment I can encounter once a month."

Liora didn’t answer. She neither insulted nor did anything else. She just approached Cassian with slow steps, maintaining her balance on the tiles.

She left a distance of about a meter between them, enough not to touch each other. Carefully adjusting her cloak and the skirt of her nightgown, she sat next to Cassian on the cold tiles. She pulled her knees to herself and wrapped her arms around her legs.

And she fell silent.

Just like Cassian, she raised her head and began to look at that silvery sphere, the full moon.

Cassian tensed even more at this unexpected move. He frowned.

What was this woman trying to do? Why did she suddenly start sitting next to Cassian? He couldn’t figure out what kind of plan lay beneath Liora’s "Ice Queen" mask.

Liora didn’t speak. She just sat and watched. There was no sound other than the sound of the wind and their breathing.

Minutes passed. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, half an hour...

Cassian slowly lowered his guard. Liora’s presence had ceased to have a threatening aura and had become a part of the night. It was as if there was another soul sitting there next to him, taking refuge in loneliness just like him.

An hour passed.

As the moon continued its journey in the sky, Cassian had stopped thinking about Liora’s purpose.

He was just enjoying that silent companionship and the beauty of the moon. Strangely, this silence was comforting.

Finally, it was Liora who broke the silence. Her voice was far from that harsh, commanding tone of the daytime. It was soft, nostalgic, and a bit fragile.

"When I was little," she began, without taking her eyes off the moon. "My mother and father would always tell tales about our ancestors before putting me to sleep."

Cassian looked at her out of the corner of his eye but didn’t speak. He listened.

"Storm Lord Baxia, Shield Lady Siana... They would tell how they fought against demon kings, those massive demon armies, and their invincible generals. How they protected these lands, Evershade, not just with their swords but with their wills..."

Liora took a deep breath, as if filling her lungs with that cold air gave her strength. "I admired those heroes. How strong they were, how they achieved what was called impossible..."

She continued speaking without turning her gaze from the moon. The reflection of the moonlight shone in her eyes.

"I wanted to be like them too. I wanted to be not just strong, but legendary."

A bitter smile spread on her lips. "People... soldiers, my father, even my teachers at the academy... They say I am a genius, a rare talent that comes once a century. They give me ridiculous, exaggerated nicknames like ’Ice Queen’, ’Daughter of Frost’."

Liora raised her right hand and looked at her palm.

This was not a princess’s hand. This was a worker’s hand. Her palm was hardened, covered with calluses from holding a sword, from her skin peeling and healing again.

Her knuckles had slightly changed shape due to countless blows. Under her elegant appearance, there was a map of ruthless work.

"But I am not like that," she said in a whisper. "I am not a genius. I am not someone born with superior talents, with the grace of the gods."

Her eyes filled up, but she didn’t let the tears flow.

"When Caius got sick... When my father collapsed... I got up every day before the sun rose. I swung a sword until my hands bled. I studied magic while everyone slept. When my mana ran out, I pushed my body until I fainted. Do you know why? Because I had to be one of the heroes in those stories. I had to play the ’genius’ role to protect my brother, my family, this damned Marquisate."

Her voice trembled, a lump formed in her throat.

"And in the end... I understood that no matter how hard I try, I am just an ordinary person pushing her limits. I am not like in those tales. I know I can never cross certain boundaries. While fighting with you today, I saw that moment. I saw the world of those who are truly ’special’, like you. And that I can never belong there..."

Cassian was astonished at what he heard. The "game knowledge" in his mind and the current reality were intertwined.

In the game’s scenario, Liora Stormvale was always introduced as that cold, unreachable, talented genius.

She would never show her weak side even to the main character, always appearing perfect. This human, fragile side of her wasn’t anywhere in the scenario.

Is she acting? Cassian thought involuntarily. Is it a game to soften me up?

But when he looked at Liora’s face, at her sincere sadness shining in that moonlight, he understood she wasn’t acting. This confession came from the deepest parts of her soul.

"Why..." said Cassian, his voice slightly softer. "Why are you telling me these things, Liora?"

Liora smiled slightly. At that moment, all that noble mask fell from her face, and only a tired girl remained.

"I don’t know," she said, shrugging. "I just felt like I had to do it. You are different, Cassian. You don’t act like others. Palace etiquette, noble lies... you don’t care about any of them. You say and act what goes through your mind. You are my exact opposite. Rules are unimportant to you."

She turned her head to the other side, to the dark courtyard of the castle. As if she wanted to hide her face from Cassian.

"Even though you are our guest... And most importantly, even though you are the person who saved my little brother’s life... I was too rude to you today. My pride got ahead of my gratitude."

Her voice came out so low it would get lost in the wind.

"I’m sorry."

Cassian felt something break inside him at that moment. That unjustified prejudice and anger he harbored against Liora because she was a "game character"... all vanished into smoke in an instant.

It was replaced by a strange feeling of guilt and deep respect.

Nothing was as told in the story behind that damned monitor.

The real world, real people were much more complex than pixels and dialogue boxes.

Liora was not just a "harem member candidate". She was an honorable warrior carrying the burden of her family on her shoulders, fighting with feelings of inadequacy, and trying to stay standing despite it all.

Cassian took a deep breath. He made his decision.

Against this woman who had lowered all her masks and shown her most vulnerable self to him, he refused to carry his own mask.

He closed his eyes. He canceled the Doppelgänger ability, the appearance of the "black-haired, black-eyed, ordinary young man" began to change.

His mana fluctuated. The color of his black hair lightened, a pure whiteness spreading from roots to tips. The blackness in his eyes disappeared, and the blood-red iris with vertical pupils underneath was revealed.

His facial features sharpened, his skin became pale and smooth enough to compete with the moonlight.

The real Cassian was now revealed.

Liora flinched at this sudden change beside her and turned her head quickly.

Her breath caught at the sight she saw.

The person standing before her was not that ordinary young man from a moment ago.

With his snow-white hair blown by the wind, those red, mystical eyes piercing the night, and his superhuman beauty... He resembled a mythological creature straight out of stories, a fallen angel, or an ancient spirit.

Liora’s lips parted but she couldn’t speak. She just stared at this fascinating and dangerous being.

Cassian turned his crimson eyes to Liora. There was no longer cynicism in his gaze, but a soft and genuine sincerity. A silent acceptance was hidden in those looks.

After a while, he turned his eyes back to the moon and continued to watch the moon, taking refuge only in the peace of the night without speaking. Throughout the night, time passed in silence without a single word being spoken between them.