Gaston stepped forward, listening:

"She came, and... What happened next?"

"She offered herself in her father's place," Chip said quietly. "She stayed in the dungeon in place of the old man."

"The prince kept her in the dungeon like that?" Gaston was horrified. He remembered Maurice's screams in the tavern about some monster grabbing Belle and locking her in the castle.

"No, no," the boy shook his head. "The master took Belle to her room at once. The room was nice, and Mommy and I brought tea there."

"And then?"

Chip was silent, and then he began to speak, but, not answering the question, but more somehow to himself. He frowned and clenched his fists, as if coaxing someone or maybe complaining about something:

"When she appeared in the castle everything became different. There was light in the castle, fun. The other children and I began to laugh. The dark old curtains were pulled open or removed, the maids took up cleaning, there were fresh flowers, I don't know where from. The castle was transformed, different. Cheerful... I wanted to live there, even in the form we were in. And everyone changed too... Instead of silence in the corridors, you could hear conversations and jokes. Lumiere was always cheerful, but he joked even more, my mother smiled more often, all the other servants did too. We had hope. We all grew very fond of Be-fond of Madame Gaston.

"And he loved her too, didn't he? Your master?" The hunter asked quietly. "What did they do together? Did they... do nasty girl stuff like kissing?" He took a step closer, and almost hovered over the boy.

Chip was silent for a moment, and then he raised his head and looked Gaston straight in the eye with a hardness that was unexpected for such a boy:

"It's none of your business. If she didn't tell you, I don't have to tell you."

"Yes, you will!" Gaston slammed his belt on the table with force, showing his determination. "You will!"

"You can hit me if you like," the boy said quietly but stubbornly. "I won't tell you anything."

Gaston clenched his fists so that his knuckles turned white. While he was trying to hold back his anger, Chip suddenly cried, covering his face with his hands.

"Why are you crying, you idiot? I haven't laid a finger on you yet!" surprised the hunter. "You pretend to be a brave boy, but you cry like a girl. When I was your age, I was beaten by five boys, and they couldn't get a tear out of me.

"That's not why I'm crying," Chip sniffled. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Why?" The man was puzzled.

The boy looked at his face with defiance and hatred:

"Because you're Belle's husband! You're horrible! Evil! You're just a monster!"

Gaston backed away and Chip, taking advantage of his confusion, jumped from his chair and skulked to the door. Unlocked the bolt and ran out. Gaston stared after him. The monster? Him?

Somehow those words hurt him.

He put his belt back on as he heard Chip's voice again:

"Belle! Belle!"

Gaston leaned against the wall so he couldn't be seen. Maybe he could hear what they were talking about.

"Belle! It's me, Chip!" the boy laughed happily.

"Chip!" Belle's voice was so warm and gentle. "What a boy you've become! How glad I am to see you!"

They were silent for a while, and the hunter strained his hearing.

"Belle," Chip asked sadly. "Why don't you come to us? Don't you love us anymore?"

"Oh, Chip..."the girl sighed. "I love you very much... It's just... You know, I have to go."

She suddenly quickly appeared on the threshold, stepping silently with her feet. Gaston recoiled from the wall, but Belle realized he was eavesdropping.

"You went to the castle, didn't you?" She asked.

"No," he raised his hand to his face, and Belle saw a bloody mark on the edge of his palm.

She splayed her hands:

"Asking Chip about me? Why are you doing this? Why are you doing something behind my back instead of just asking me? God! You're so complicated. You think and decide things on your own instead of just talking. I'm right here, I'm right here. If there's anything you want to know about me, ask me."

Gaston looked into her beautiful eyes, but inside he was burning with fire.

"I don't ask you because I'm afraid to hear the answer," he finally answered and walked quickly out of the house.

Belle yelled something after him, ran, but he easily broke away from her and lost himself in the woods.

He followed that path to the castle, then turned to a small path to the left, there was a forest lake not far away, where he could sit quietly.

Belle... She'd always been too classy for him. She was the only one who didn't fall for his charm, didn't laugh at his jokes, didn't touch his muscles. He always fell short of her, always was not her level. He didn't understand some of the words she said, he could marry her, he could hold her in his arms, but he still felt - she wasn't for him.

If there was anything good between them, it was because she was forced to be with him. Their wedding... Neither of them swore eternal love to each other like the other lovers. She didn't wait for him on date night, holding her breath... He didn't walk her home, kissing her tenderly in the pre-dawn haze.

None of that had happened.

It hadn't seemed unimportant to him at first, but now that it turned out there was another man who had won her favor, things were becoming very different.

What were they doing together? Had interesting conversations? Read books? Dined in an elaborate parlor?

Belle had told the castle boy so fondly that she loved them. Since she loved this prince's servants, there must have been a place in her heart for him.

Just how big was that place?

Belle would never tell, though she said, "Ask".

Worst of all, she might feel sorry for him, for Gaston. Now everything he'd said to Prince Adam was seen from a different angle.

Too gorgeous. Too beautiful and ethereal for their provincial town. Too airy for his hunting lodge.

But it was all too easy to imagine her in new silk dresses in the midst of the castle's exquisite furnishings. And more books in the castle. Maybe even a whole library, several times larger than their measly bookstore. And there could also be dancing, walks in the manicured park with the fountain, and no muddy boots. No laundry, no cooking, no cleaning.

And most importantly, this handsome guy who took a liking to her even when he was enchanted into something horrible.

There was a man sitting next to the lake, and as Gaston got closer, he realized it was Prince Adam. He was the one he least wanted to see.