To His Hell and Back
Chapter 235: Was I Mistaken?-II

Chapter 235: Was I Mistaken?-II

Arabella found Cassius’s study room to be empty and when they found Karnala, she explained how Cassius was called to the Northern border as the barbarians had once again came to attack the border.

The timing couldn’t get even worse as when Arabella turned her way to find Princess Marissa, she had left to visit the grave of their mother. By the time Princess Marissa had arrived back to the castle, Arabella found her hand in hand with Hans.

A wide smile stretched on Princess Marissa’s face as Hans whispered gentle words to her.

Standing from afar, Arabella wondered if she had mistaken what she thought.

How could Hans be dangerous? And if he was, she would have known about this, thought Bella in her head.

Regardless, she walked up to Princess Marissa, greeting her gently, "Good evening Princess Marissa."

"Ah Bella," Marissa answered to her with a smile. She seemed to be less tense, perhaps because the hour of her elope was coming closer and the thought of leaving the crown on her head left her with relief. "It must be the first time for you to meet Hans."

"Actually we met earlier morning in the dungeon," Hans answered her, "Miss Arabella had came to visited the dungeon to meet her friend."

"I see," Marissa held her hand and walked a few steps away from Hans, whispering to Arabella, "Did you come here because you were worried about Hans?"

Arabella peeked over her shoulder, seeing Hans who had walked away as the servants moved the shattered mirror.

"Don’t worry," Marissa said again which took her attention, "He is a good man and brother had made sure to test him. He even looked through Hans’s pasts and life throughout and you know that no one could ever hid their true self from my brother."

Arabella sighed and finally she answered, "I have a friend, your highness, and she has the ability to... well perceive someone better than others, I suppose. He said that Hans smells like the graveyard and how scary he is."

Marissa who received her words didn’t seem offended and instead thoughtfully nodded at it, "That must be because Hans just visited the grave of his parents yesterday. He went to meet his brother you see, and then they stopped at the graveyard and shared drinks. He came home wet with mud, even I was so surprised! He looked as if he had just dug his way out of being buried so it did scared me as well. But that’s nothing for you to worry about. Also if Hans is scary... I suppose it is because of his title. Despite his harmless look, Hans is well known to be a strong soldier."

Arabella looked back at Hans who had picked one of the broken shard and passed it to the servant’s hands, receiving a thank you and he returned with a warm gesture of smile.

"I suppose..." Arabella knew she had been on edge these days, considering Morpheus and his men, she was being a little too paranoid.

The hour of their elope was already around the corner, everything had been checked out for this to be the perfect day, so how could there be a mistake?

"Thank you for coming this far just to warn me," Marissa said sincerely before grasping her hand in a tight grip, "I won’t be home here anymore, I won’t call this place my house either. I’ll make a new home, a place where I won’t ever feel the weight of the crown. That’s why... take care Bella."

Arabella could feel the lady’s sincereness in her words. Not as a princess, not as the sister of the man she loves, rather as a friend.

Arabella smiled, her green eyes softening at the princess’s delightful smile as she had never looked so happy before.

"Please take care as well, Your Highness- No, Marissa."

"Thank you, Bella."

Princess Marissa crinkled in uttermost happiness. Seeing her walking away make Arabella’s heart to melt in happiness as well.

She might not be able to see the princess as she leaves now but this was enough, this was enough of goodbye.

Seeing Marissa from afar, Arabella prayed sincerely in her heart. She wished that Princess Marissa would always be happy, and never had to come back to this castle with sadness. Instead she wished once Marissa was ready to come back to the castle that she would have a smile on her lips and be at the peak of her happiness.

Turning away, Arabella moved from the place.

When night arrives, Bella stared at the window over Cassius’s chamber. He hadn’t came back home and due to the battle, Arabella was worried about his safety.

Renard had told her in the evening that Cassius was far stronger than anyone and the battle against barbarians occur every other week which wasn’t too difficult to take care. The problem was that the barbarian’s leader had said that he was willing to stop the attack on the Northern border only if they agree to an agreement.

Arabella sighed.

Honestly she wasn’t too worried about the battle. Worried about his safety yes, but she was far more worried that Marissa would leave and he wouldn’t be able to see it.

Just then, Arabella heard something similar to a bell ringing that took her attention.

She slowly walked toward the door, opening it and peeking her head out to see that there was no one.

The bell ringing sounded again for a while and though Arabella could ignore it, something in her guts said that she shouldn’t ignore it.

Following that ringing bell, she stepped out from the room slightly only to face a wall in front of her.

There was... nothing but a wall.

Then why could she hear the bell ringing from here?

Confused, Arabella pushed her hand to the walls, then she pressed her ears to the wall.

She tried to focus, closing her eyes while doing so. Sure enough the bell sounded even louder when she pressed her ears, making her to believe that there’s a room behind this wall.

But how could she open this wall apart?

Knocking it down wouldn’t be right and she had heard somewhere that there’s always an escape door for royals in castle.

So perhaps there’s a mechanic to open this door?

Somewhere she hadn’t noticed yet?

Taking three steps back, her green eyes studied the walls, noticing the pattern of the wall that was all so neat except one. Curiously, she threaded her fingers over the wall only to hear a sharp click.

A sudden movement occurred from behind the door and startled, Arabella saw as the wall split apart in the middle before each side began to slide away into an open hall made up from stone bricks.

Her green eyes widened, startled beyond means as cold wind then greeted her from the inside of the hall.

But where does this lead to? And what was this bell that had been ringing?

Arabella didn’t feel good seeing this hall but she saw the door that had started to close and absentmindedly jumped inside before the door close for good.

Then the sharp ringing of the bell echoed again, but this time even more fiercely than before as if someone had rang the bell to request someone’s presence, like a cry for help!