Chapter 242: No Matter the Cost

"If you tell me the truth, I promise you your life shall be spared," said Alec to the two maids kneeling in front of him, his voice carrying the weight of authority.

The room in which they found themselves was one of the private chambers in the castle, where thick curtains covered the windows, allowing only a soft, muted glow from a few strategically placed candles.

Alec had told Matthias to bring the maids who were said to be friends with Noelle Davis as he aimed to know everything about the woman.

Isabel and Jenny, the two maids, kept their heads lowered, not daring to meet the King’s piercing gaze. Isabel nervously fumbled with her fingers, while Jenny’s entire body trembled with anxiety. They were deeply concerned for their friend, Noelle Davis, but were aware that their ability to influence her fate was limited.

Matthias stood in the corner of the room, a silent sentinel ready to execute Alec’s orders at a moment’s notice.

"Where did you meet her? The woman. Noelle Davis," Alec asked, his tone firm and unwavering.

"W-we met in Aviore three years ago, Your Majesty," Isabel replied truthfully, her voice quivering with nervousness.

Jenny nodded in agreement. "She was working for a noble family as a maid, in the house of Lord Henry Fisher. Isabel and I had come from the southern villages, seeking employment in town, and that’s when we applied to work in Lord Fisher’s household."

"It was only recently that we came to Evardin," Isabel continued, her words coming out in a hurried manner. "My aunt, who lives here, got married to a man of decent background. We initially came for her wedding and planned to stay for a couple of weeks, but we happened to hear that the castle was hiring new maids. We had never worked for the royals before, and the prospect of higher wages motivated us to try."

Alec continued to scrutinize them. "How about Noelle? Did she have family back in Aviore?"

"No, Your Majesty," Jenny replied, her voice gaining a shade of sadness. "She mentioned she used to have a sister, but her sister passed away due to an illness."

Alec’s eyes narrowed, and he pondered their words carefully. Years of experience in council meetings and his time as a warlord had honed his ability to read people. He could tell they were telling the truth.

Unless they were so good at lying that they could trick his eyes, which was done only by a few. And they were still caught by him not too long.

"How much do you want?" Alec tested them further.

If threats hadn’t worked, perhaps the allure of wealth might. Money often held the key to solving numerous problems.

The two women looked up briefly in shock at the question. Their eyes reddened as if they were on the verge of tears, their lips quivering.

"We don’t want money, Your Majesty," Jenny attempted to maintain a firm tone, though her voice cracked like shattered glass. "We have spent the last three years with Noelle, and we can vouch for her impeccable character. She has never told a lie or caused harm to anyone. She is a good person."

Alec absorbed their words and the raw emotion in their voices. His mind raced with the implications of what they had said.

"Are you saying that some other woman had the exact face of my wife?" There was nothing in Alec’s eyes but hollowness, the depths of despair.

Neither of the two maids could utter a word, their faces pale, their hands trembling, as they didn’t know themselves how such a thing could be possible.

Alec knew everything about Lauren. Five years ago, he conducted a thorough investigation into her roots, her family, and her past. He knew it was impossible for her to have a twin, especially not a human one.

Clenching his jaw, Alec turned to Matthias, "Lock them in the dungeon, and don’t set them free until I say so," he ordered. Then his gaze shifted to the two maids. "Until I am sure that you are telling the truth, you shall remain detained."

The horror on the maids’ faces was evident as their eyes widened in shock. Their protests were silenced as the guards, summoned by the King’s command, came rushing in from outside. Matthias accompanied them as they forcibly dragged the women out of the room, their pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.

Alec stormed out of the room shortly after, his footsteps echoing down the corridor. He went straight to his office and poured a glass of whiskey, its amber liquid swirling within the crystal tumbler.

He gulped it down in one go, the burning sensation in his throat a bitter reminder of the chaos that had just befallen his life. He then threw the glass against the wall, its shattering noise echoing through the castle, reverberating even outside its stone walls.

The maids who happened to be passing by and saw the King boiling in anger through the office’s open door quickly averted their gazes and hurried away.

It was this very temper, this unpredictable and explosive rage, that the servants had feared about their King. Alec’s bad temperament had made him a walking disaster in their eyes, an imposing figure whose emotions could tip the balance of their peaceful existence at any moment.

Inside the darkened office, Alec paced back and forth, his mind swirling with a maelstrom of thoughts and emotions.

His mind was telling him that she couldn’t be Lauren. She was a human, and she had a different scent. Yet, when he had held her in his arms, when she had spoken to him, the way she had looked into his eyes... It had shaken him to the core.

It made him think that what if something happened after Lauren’s death five years ago. What if there were forces at play beyond his comprehension, beyond the rules of this world? What if, by some miracle, Lauren had come back to life but some things had changed in her?

The unsettling resemblance between his beloved wife, Lauren, and the mysterious woman Alec had encountered had shattered his world, leaving him with more questions than answers. He needed to uncover the truth, no matter the cost, for his own sanity.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read