A Belphegor Oneshot: Maybe

He loved her.

Or at least, he thought he did.

At least, the night they had spent together was real.

At least, he knew that her feelings for him were real.

And at least, he thought as he looked down at the bloody body by his feet without a hint of his usual wide and sadistic - almost insane - grin, she could never love anyone else again; she was his, and will always be.

Fran entered the bedroom quietly, the stench of blood hitting him squarely in the face as he did so. Bel had his back to him, his head lowered, and the younger boy thought he saw his senior's bony shoulders tremble as he approached.

He stopped unwittingly, tilting his head slightly as he tried to see past the dark figure. The walls and carpet were stained in red, and several of Bel's silver knives were scattered across the room. It didn't take Fran long to realize what had happened.

"Bel-senpai, are you crying?"

The boy asked, more curious rather than concerned, when Bel did not acknowledge his presence. The prince chose not to reply, but the illusionist understood that silence, a silence reeking of unspoken pain. He needed to be left alone for a while.

As he turned to leave, Fran caught sight of the lifeless young woman lying by Bel's feet, her scarred body gently protected by a white sheet stained with her own blood. She really did love Bel, and even the stoic Mist guardian knew that. With a slight shake of his head, Fran tore his eyes from the ugly sight, and made to leave the room.

Before he closed the door behind him, though, he said, very quietly,

"It's not a lie, senpai."

The door clicked shut, and Bel was thrown into darkness.

He considered his junior's words.

And then, he bent over, slowly and deliberately, lips cracking into a grin as he picked up one of his glinting weapons from the floor.

Maybe he really did love her, after all.


END

A/N: As to whether Bel was crying or not, it's up to you to decide.

And what's not a lie? Perhaps Fran was referring to Bel's feelings... At least, it felt that way to me.

What is your interpretation of Fran's remark?