Kissing Hellfire: Marry Me, Evil Lord
Chapter 241: Two Unfamiliar Men

Chapter 241: Two Unfamiliar Men

As Alec stormed out of the dimly lit dungeon cell, his heavy footsteps echoed through the narrow, stone corridor. The air was thick with the musty scent of age, and tiny motes of dust danced in the faint beams of light that filtered through the narrow slits in the walls.

Noelle, left alone in her confinement, couldn’t help but let out a sigh, a whisper of despair that hung in the damp, oppressive atmosphere. The torches lining the corridor flickered ominously, casting elongated, shifting shadows that made the silence even more profound.

The events of the past hours had been nothing short of a nightmare. She had feared the king’s rage, but at least he had spared her from harm this time.

Still, his refusal to believe her, to accept the incredible resemblance between her and Evardin’s late queen, left her deeply disappointed. She could hardly see her own reflection in the dimly lit cell, and she yearned to know the truth about the woman she resembled.

A dim, cold light filtered through the small, barred window high above the cell, casting eerie shadows on the moss-covered stone walls. Noelle wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the chill seeping into her bones. The cold, damp conditions of her cell seemed to mirror the uncertainty that gripped her heart.

Did she really look like Evardin’s late queen?

Noelle couldn’t be sure if she wouldn’t see it herself. Perhaps there was a portrait of the queen somewhere in the palace, but how could she go there if she was locked in the dungeon? The questions swirled in her mind like the ever-present drafts in the castle.

Heading upstairs, Alec didn’t calm one bit. All these years, he had been seeking a way to resurrect Lauren, and that was because he knew she died. She died in front of him. He witnessed it with his own eyes as Lauren’s body turned into ashes because of the strong poison spell she had cast on herself.

Then all of a sudden, a woman emerged out of nowhere who looked exactly like Lauren except for the eye color. She even sounded like Lauren. The weight of a thousand unanswered questions pressed upon him as he strode through the dimly lit castle corridors, his heavy boots echoing, the castle itself echoing his internal turmoil.

He couldn’t feel any magic in the maid’s body, proof she wasn’t a mage. She also had a different scent, just a normal human scent. But with the way she spoke eloquently and held her ground despite the imposing power he showed, she seemed to be someone who wouldn’t submit easily. These traits reminded Alec of Lauren, and it sent shivers down his spine, mingling with a strange sense of hope.

That afternoon, Matthias spared time to tell Darius and Julian what happened when they came by. The room they sat in was adorned with rich tapestries and antique furniture, yet it felt cold and unwelcoming.

"You said what?" Julian couldn’t seem to understand what Matthias just said, his voice tinged with disbelief and awe.

Darius looked stern, his face unreadable, his fingers tapping restlessly on the polished wooden table.

"New maids arrived in the palace the other day. One of them looks exactly the same as Queen Lauren, except she had pitch black eyes."

Matthias then told them that the maid was currently imprisoned in the dungeon as ordered by the king.

Julian and Darius rushed to the dungeon, wanting to confirm what they heard with their own eyes. The castle’s torches cast ominous glimmers on the dark stone floors as they made their way through the labyrinthine corridors, echoing with centuries of history.

Noelle, who had fallen asleep with her head against the cold, moss-covered cell wall, was disturbed by the sound of heavy footsteps and the clinking of keys.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw two men with unfamiliar faces. Both were young men, but one seemed to be a ruthless warrior, while the other appeared to be gentler in terms of physical appearance.

The two looked shocked as they watched her, their expressions a mix of disbelief and astonishment. Noelle’s heart pounded in her chest as she realized that it must be because they were acquainted with the late queen and they also saw the woman in her.

Another man peeked from behind the two, and she recognized him as Matthias, the right-hand man of the king.

"She says she’s Noelle Davis. I heard from Isobel that she just came from Evardin a few days ago," said Matthias. Throwing Noelle a pitiful expression, he added, "King Alec believes she’s a copycat who is sent by someone. He is Queen Lauren’s husband, after all. He should know everything about her."

"B-but I am not sent by anyone! I only came here to work. I have no ill intentions," Noelle begged, pleading to be heard, her voice trembling with fear and desperation. Her eyes darted between the three men, hoping for a glimmer of understanding.

Julian’s jaw dropped upon hearing Noelle’s voice, and tears suddenly filled his eyes. Since what happened five years ago, he had always yearned to hear Lauren’s voice again, and he was certain that this woman’s voice was very similar to Lauren’s.

"What are the King’s instructions?" asked Darius, his usual composure shaken by the sight of this woman who looked no different from Lauren except for the color of her eyes.

"She will be detained until the spell of replication has worn off. He also instructed me to send a message to Anthony. He said nothing else," Matthias replied.

"Her scent certainly belongs to a human. If she was sent by someone, that person must be the one who cast the spell of replication on her, or whatever spell he used. No matter how strong the caster is, the spell needs to be reapplied within twelve to twenty-four hours, depending on how potent the spell is," said Darius, his mismatched eyes locked onto Noelle with an icy stare.

Despite the tears glistening in his eyes, Julian spoke with unwavering determination, "If you don’t want to face severe punishment, tell us the whole truth and cease these lies."

"Please, I am telling the truth!" Noelle implored, her voice trembling.

She found herself at a loss, unsure of what to do or say next. The room’s heavy silence pressed down on her shoulders, and she sensed that her pleas were falling on deaf ears.

Both men remained resolute in their skepticism, and she began to realize that no amount of explaining could save her. Noelle had no choice but to wait for the truth to reveal itself, hoping that they would eventually see her for who she truly was – a humble maid with no ulterior motives.

"Fine," she croaked, her voice frail but determined. "Let’s wait for a day, or even longer if needed. You will see that I won’t transform into another person because no one cast a spell on me. You will see that I’m not an impostor, that I am telling the truth."

With those words, the room’s tense atmosphere lingered, shrouding the mystery of Noelle’s true identity in uncertainty. Time would be the ultimate teller, unveiling the secrets concealed in her enigmatic presence within the castle walls.

The men didn’t say one more word and left Noelle locked in the cell again. She sighed and leaned on the wall, blinking back her tears. If only she knew this would happen to her in Evardin, she wouldn’t have left Aviore to come here.