Gaston was awakened by a knock on the window and some noise.

He reached up and stretched his neck. His neck was terribly stiff from the uncomfortable posture of the night. The man stepped away from the door - Belle could be let in now - and looked out the window.

The townspeople were gathered there. All dressed up, as if for a feast.

"Gaston! Belle!" they shouted.

The man came out onto the porch, and his wife came out and stood beside him. They looked around the colorful crowd in amazement.

"We want to see you off!" said the baker, and gave the pies into Gaston's hands.

"Thank you, but you shouldn't have..."

"Yes, you should have do this!" Belle objected and took another bundle of pies and flowers from the florist.

"You're the best couple in town! You're just a prince and princess from a fairy tale!" there were exclamations. "Have a happy journey! Will you tell us later about the sea, what it is like"

"This is a blanket for you, I sewed it myself, you'll take shelter on the road!"

"Here are books about the sea and adventures!"

"And this, my daughter, is a compass! I made it myself!" That was Maurice.

"Don't worry, we'll water the vegetables in the best way!" and this is Lefou.

"Some apples!"

A horse was led to them, and Gaston, as if in a dream, sat down in the saddle and gave his hand to Belle. She sat very close and her fluffy hair, which fluttered in the breeze, tickled his cheeks.

"Now kiss!" shouted some fool, and while Gaston looked around in a frenzy for the shouter, the crowd whistled, and Belle suddenly pinched his arm:

"Well, don't disgrace me in public, do as they say," she said softly, smiling charmingly and at the same time somehow unkindly flashing her eyes.

- But I can't do that in front of everyone..." Gaston protested in a whisper, but Belle put her arms around him and kissed him hard. Everyone clapped.

Gaston spurred his horse, and they rode at full speed down the narrow road.

After some distance, the hunter let the horse walk and said with relief:

"Oh, at last we're off... Lord, I can't take a step without these townspeople, they're everywhere."

"What is it with you?" Belle asked in surprise. "Don't get it mixed up, I'm the loner here, and you're a normal guy."

"Oh, come on, Belle."

"I'm really grateful they came. It was really nice. Why did I despise everyone around me so much? Like I'm better than everyone else. And they saw us off, and they gave us pies."

"We could've done without the pies, just the two of us, quietly."

"Without pies?"

"Without pies."

"Who'd be yelling that there's no food for the road?"

"When did I ever yell?"

"You don't have to. There's always food in the house. Well, you better tell me, when are you gonna stop playing your stupid game?"

"What game?"

"You know," Belle turned around and looked carefully into the man's face, as if trying to read something there. "Am I supposed to understand something?" she questioned. "Am I supposed to what... Feel how unpleasant it is when someone values only his fantasies and not the living person next to him?"

"No, Belle, I'm not playing anything."

"What do you mean, you're not playing? If I didn't know you... Listen, you're not good at playing a modest young lady. Stop it, really. It's not funny anymore."

- I'm not playing," Gaston repeated, and frowned. - You're asking me, and I don't know what happened. I can't explain it. I've...I don't know...changed, or something, and I can't act the way I used to.

Belle turned around a few times to see if he was lying or not, and apparently she didn't like her inferences. She shook her head, and they rode on in silence.

When it began to get dark, the travelers got off the road. They went not far into the woods, and Gaston made a small camp. He built a fire and made a sort of sleeping place. The hunter did everything with his usual leisurely movements - so many times he had to spend the night in the forest! But he was surprised to notice that Belle was watching him, or maybe even... admiring him? No, it was unlikely.

Gaston had originally planned to shoot birds for dinner, but they had pies and other food that had been so fortunately passed on by fellow countrymen. So they simply unwrapped their supplies while sitting on a fallen tree. The evening was warm and the fire also warmed their hands pleasantly, snapping sparks.

Belle sat so close, yet seemed out of reach. It was so quiet, just the crackling of the fire and the evening sounds of the forest. Now, if Gaston had been someone from the book, some marquis, he would have known what to say... What to talk to Belle about.

But all he could do was keep quiet and eat pies. And for perhaps the first time in his life, Gaston felt sorry for who he was. Maybe he should have...

"Let's look at pictures of the sea," the man suggested, so as not to keep silent.

Belle became animated, apparently she also wanted to start a conversation, but she didn't know how:

"Come on, you'll only spoil your eyes," she objected. Let's talk about something more interesting.

"And about what?" Gaston asked, straining his brain in search of topics that could interest such a well-read girl as Belle.

She raised her radiant eyes and answered:

"About you."

"About me?"

"Yes. You know, I've been doing a lot of thinking, too. And you were right about me being too immersed in books. Behind the fictional worlds and people, I didn't notice the people around me. For example... I still don't know the name of the baker. "Baker" and that's it. Is that normal? Every person is a book. With its past, its dreams, its sorrows and its joys. I want to know about you."

"You already know everything about me, Belle."

"I don't know," the girl looked earnestly into Gaston's eyes. "I only know what everyone else knows."

"Well... I don't know, Belle..." Gaston was embarrassed for some reason, although he was always happy to talk only about himself. But he couldn't compete with fairy-tale heroes... "What can I tell you?"

"Tell me, for example, what is your favorite color? Time of year?"

"Color? Well, let's say red. Time of year? I like early fall when I can hunt well. Look, Belle, there's nothing interesting about this. I'm... After all, I'm just a regular guy," Gaston stirred a stick in the fire. "I'm just the best in our town, but... But I still can't talk like the people in those favorite stories of yours."

"And you don't have to talk like I don't know who. You're finally normal now. Real... " Belle was silent for a moment and then she said thoughtfully. "And I love the color blue. And yellow. And my favorite seasons are spring and summer. Though I love winter too," Belle was silent and lightly touched the hunter's hand and asked, "Why did you choose me? Why did you choose to marry me?"