The hunter was almost catching up to the boy when suddenly a gray-haired woman in a violet dress and white apron emerged from the gazebo.
"What's going on here?" she asked, surprised.
"Mom! Mom!" the boy ran to her.
Gaston quickly stopped and flashed one of his most charming smiles.
"Oh, madam, we were just playing tag. You have a wonderful son."
"Why did you call my son a 'little bastard'?"
"Oh... He just asked me to teach him swear words, and I didn't think," the hunter stared at the boy, who had hidden behind his mother and was peeking out from behind her skirt, maintaining that same smile but with a heavy gaze.
"Chip, is that true?" the woman turned to her son in outrage. "You asked him to teach you to swear?"
While she wasn't looking, Gaston made a threatening gesture with the edge of his hand across his throat, looking at the boy. He understood the threat and replied, "Yes, mom. I was just curiou..."
"What?! Swear words? Oh! Chip, we've just become human... We've been through so much for this, it's our second chance. And the first thing you do when becoming a real boy is to learn curse words? How could you! And you?" she turned to the hunter. "Okay, he's a foolish child, but you, as an adult!" She shook her head.
"I really didn't think," Gaston raised his eyebrows, pretending to be innocent. "I remembered myself as a child and..."
"Okay, never mind," the woman sighed, apparently struck by his charm. "I haven't seen you before, are you from the town as well?"
"Mom, this..." Chip began, but Gaston cut him off.
"I'm a hunter, as the boy wanted to say, right little one?" the man reached out and playfully patted Chip's cheek, silencing him immediately. Gaston understood that Chip had wanted to say he was Belle's husband, but for some reason he knew that this woman shouldn't know this.
"I came to ask for the position of royal hunter. The best game will be on your table," he added proudly, beaming.
"Oh, thank you, thank you," the woman, who introduced herself as Mrs. Potts, thanked him. "We're worried about provisions right now. We've become human, so we need food and clothing... But still, it's so good to be human."
"It's not easy to be human," Gaston suddenly added thoughtfully.
"Oh, you're right," Mrs. Potts laughed. "And even harder to be a good human."
"I have to go," the hunter said, looking at the darkening sky. "Can I hug your boy? Honestly, I want one just like him someday!" He winked and Mrs. Potts smiled.
"Go on, Chip!" Mrs. Potts pushed her son into Gaston's open arms. He hugged the boy tightly and whispered in his ear, "Keep messing around, and you'll regret it."
Gaston released the hug, waved to the castle servants, and then quickly headed towards the village down the forest road.
He picked up a knife and bow and with difficulty killed two ducks. His hands were trembling.
Then he leaned against a tree and clenched his fists by his temples. Thinking was a dangerous thing, but sometimes it was useful.
If he thought carefully... How did the boy from the castle know the circumstances of his wedding? Monsieur D'arque wouldn't tell anyone anything. He rarely left the boundaries of the asylum, and of course, he wasn't talkative at all. Belle couldn't say, she was afraid for her father.
That leaves Lefou. Lefou, of course, sometimes pretended to be a fool, but he was not a fool at all. Gaston noticed that Lefou often talked bad about him, as if accidentally, but when it came to serious matters, his friend remained silent as a tomb. Lefou knew when and where to speak.
Moreover, Lefou's involvement in this whole story was too significant for him to come off as an innocent sheep coerced into doing something by a more muscular buddy. Lefou found Monsieur D'Arc, persuaded him to come, watched over Belle's house, gathered the crowd, and ultimately skillfully riled up the crowd to make everyone think Maurice was crazy. In general, one could say that Lefou orchestrated it all, while Gaston simply stood on the sidelines and then made another proposal to Belle. Why would Lefou sabotage himself like this? But even if he did... Lefou would definitely be gossiping not in the castle but in the tavern. Rumors would have spread through the town first, rather than suddenly appearing with the little prince's servant. And for heaven's sake, why did that little bastard call his wife just by her name? Why not "the most beautiful girl" or something like that? He couldn't possibly have known her! Gaston tightened his grip on his temples. It made no sense at all. Unless... If only Belle hadn't been in the castle before.
The man watched as a butterfly fluttered from flower to flower, his thoughts swirling around. Everything leaves its traces. Even a field mouse leaves a trace. Belle had been at the Marquis' for half a day, and she had a dress and a bracelet. If Belle had been in the castle and it meant something to her, something must have remained. A ring, a handkerchief, a clever book from the vast castle library. A vial of perfume or a dried rose from the garden. A note inviting her to dinner. Anything. The hunter had to see these traces. If they were there, they could be found. And then decisions could be made. Gaston returned home, contemplating how to escort Belle under some pretext. The talk about the Prince now seemed like a minor issue. His wife had already put away the vegetables from the garden and turned at the sound of his steps, holding ducks. - Gaston, I wanted to visit my father. I'll be quick. - Of course, Belle. Shall I accompany you? It's getting dark. - No, I won't be long. Just check on him and hurry back, - she hugged him, as usual, but Gaston was already looking at everything suspiciously. There was a strange excitement about Belle. And she was somehow peering into his eyes strangely, as if trying to guess his thoughts. When the door closed behind the girl, Gaston slid the bolt. If Belle were to return earlier than he finished, she would have to knock. The man entered the bedroom, rummaging through books, then began to pull out the drawers of his wife's bedside table. Not that he enjoyed doing it, but sometimes life forces you to get your hands dirty. He carefully pulled out trousers and shirts, rearranging them on the bed so that he could put them back in the same order later. He found a thin book with naked men and women hidden. Something like "anatomy" was written on it. Gaston sighed. If there wasn't a dire need, he wouldn't have rummaged through her things. Next, he reached into the corner of the drawer and retrieved a bundle. Unwrapping it revealed exquisite lingerie with lace, embroidered roses, and so on. The man felt his heart beat faster as he imagined Belle in this combination. It seemed like his wife had gone to that seamstress who, for an extra fee, would sew something more interesting for dates. Yeah, Belle probably wanted to surprise him, and he, you could say, ruined the surprise for himself. But now was not the time for regrets. There had to be something! In the bottom drawer, Gaston finally stumbled upon something wrapped in a towel. It was some strange mirror. The hunter removed the towel and began to examine the find closely. If these were Belle's mother's things, why weren't they in the box with her belongings? Gaston had already searched that box. The mirror looked old and expensive, nothing like the wooden handheld mirror Belle used every day. Chip's words and the mirror separately meant nothing. Coincidence. But together, these two coincidences provided an answer, well, maybe not a complete answer, but a conjecture. Belle had been in the castle before. Gaston stared at his handsome face in the intricate mirror without seeing, and his blue eyes burned with a strange fire.