Kissing Hellfire: Marry Me, Evil Lord
Chapter 208: Beneath the Mask

Chapter 208: Beneath the Mask

The main hall of the castle was filled with an air of tension as the royal guards encircled Lauren, Alec, and Vincent, awaiting the anticipated arrival of the mysterious visitor.

Despite being encompassed by a formidable presence of guards and soldiers, Lauren found her unease unyielding. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that the mystery woman had ulterior motives, brewing something sinister in the shadows.

Accompanied by Matthias and Edith, the woman was escorted into the castle, while Colton, Darius, and Julian maintained a vigilant watch outside, securing the perimeter to ensure no rebels could approach undetected. As thunder roared, the distinct sound of the woman’s heels resonated through the otherwise silent hall as she entered through the grand doors.

Lauren drew a deep breath, her anticipation mounting as her eyes finally fell upon the woman. Clad in a burgundy dress, her hair elegantly styled in an updo, and her face concealed behind a black and gold mask, she glided through the hall with grace, exuding an air of calmness that belied her position behind enemy lines.

Lauren’s gaze lowered to the woman’s hands. She immediately spotted the ruby and emerald rings on her one finger—the same rings she had seen before and also what Priestess Priscilla told them about.

The person who started the corruption of humans and most likely the one supporting the black mages.

Alec’s expression remained unreadable while Vincent was scrutinizing the woman’s physique as if he were trying to dig up his memory to know if he had seen her before. At the end, Vincent gave up. Without seeing the woman’s face, there was no way to know if she was someone familiar. After all, he had encountered many women and her physique was kind of generic.

"So the guest we are expecting turns out to be a lady in a mask. Might you want to show yourself to us? I believe you did not come here to attend a masquerade ball," said Alec, his voice full of authority.

The woman stopped a meter away, Matthias and the royal guards were surrounding her, their stance defensive and rigid as if the woman would attack if they got distracted for a fraction of a second.

"Pardon me if I am wearing a mask, King Alec," the woman said in a low voice, her voice incredibly soft and familiar to Lauren’s ears.

For some reason, it reminded her of the voice she heard in her dreams. A voice similar to that of her mother’s, yet at the same time, different.

"The thing is, I am afraid people will only get horrified at the sight of my face, so I got used to hiding it," the woman chortled, and Lauren’s forehead began to crease.

It wasn’t the first time she had heard someone with an ominous resemblance to her mother’s gentle voice, but this time it hit differently. Even though it wasn’t very similar to the voice she had in her childhood memory, it felt like it was the most similar of all those voices she had heard before. The one closest to the original.

"Fret not, dear King Alec. As I have mentioned earlier, I am here to visit a relative. If you insist on seeing my bare face, I dare not refuse."

Looking at the woman, Alec’s eyes squinted darkly. He couldn’t be the relative she was talking about because he knew her mother was an only child and her family was long dead. On her father’s side, the only remaining relatives he had were his uncle Hendricks and his cousin Samantha. Unless there was a relative he hadn’t met since he was born, but that didn’t sound plausible.

"A relative, you say?" Alec raised a brow, finding the term ridiculous. He could not tell if the woman was playing mind games, but he could smell something rotten about her. Which meant whatever her intention was, she could not be up to any good. "Is she your relative, Matthias?" he asked playfully.

"I’m afraid not, Your Majesty," came Matthias’ quick reply.

A questioning look passed across Alec’s face as he turned to the assembled royal guards. In unison, they replied, "We do not recognize the woman, Your Majesty."

Alec’s gaze drifted back to the masked woman.

Alec’s gaze returned to the masked woman. With a small, diplomatic smile that masked his sarcasm, he remarked, "It appears my people are unfamiliar with you, madame. Perhaps you have arrived at the wrong castle."

Vincent smirked, his voice dripping with mischief. "I’m quite sure she isn’t my relative either," he mused beside Alec.

"I’m sorry to disappoint you but I believe I am not in the wrong castle, Your Majesty," said the masked woman and Lauren’s breathing hitched when their gazes locked.

Lightning flashed across the hall, and in that brief moment, Lauren saw the woman’s brown eyes so clearly. They were big, round, and full of brilliance against the stark light.

"I suppose it is not wrong to visit my daughter?"

The thunder clapped.

Lauren’s heart skipped a beat.

The woman was directly looking at her, and at that moment she knew the woman was smiling beneath her mask. She could see it in her eyes. Her rich brown orbs that were so similar to her mother’s.

No, it was impossible.

As the woman’s mask slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, Lauren’s world froze. She ceased breathing, feeling as if time itself had stopped.

As the mask fell to the floor, revealing the woman’s countenance, Lauren’s breath caught in her throat. Half of the woman’s face bore the unmistakable marks of burns, marred by scars and disfigurement. Yet, the other half remained unchanged, bearing a striking resemblance to the face of the mother Lauren had known in her cherished memories.

A mixture of shock, disbelief, and sorrow washed over Lauren, rendering her speechless. The sight before her was both an unsettling contradiction and a poignant reminder of the past she held dear. The woman stood there, half of her visage consumed by the cruel imprint of fire, while the other half mirrored the mother Lauren had lost.

The loud thunder of the storm outside faded away, leaving Lauren stuck in a place where the past and present mixed, bringing both pain and confusion.