When Gaston found himself in Belle's room, his wife was already standing in front of the open wardrobe, rummaging through a pile of her dresses. Gaston cautiously closed the door and, lowering his voice so the prince wouldn't hear, began to question her:

"Belle! Belle, what are you doing?!" She turned around:

"And what do you think? Getting out. I promised, didn't I, to take care of him, but I can't stay here for another minute!" Belle started digging more fiercely in the colorful heap of clothes, as if looking for something specific, muttering to herself. "I can't believe he hasn't changed at all! I thought he was starting to understand something... Became kind, gentle... No, some people never change. I told him several times to write a letter to the castle, to his servants. They did so much for him, went through so much with him... Endured his unbearable character... And now he's in Paris, and he's forgotten about them, treating them as something to leave behind... Write to Polette, ask if it's worth waiting or not. Then, then... But for Flor, he has time and for her friends. And this is the last straw. He wants to have us by his side, like toys or something else, and if we refuse, he immediately shows his true attitude towards us. He will treat us the same way as he did with Cogsworth and Polette when we become unnecessary. No, I can't take this anymore.

Gaston frowned, listening to this tirade:

"Belle, wait... Did you tell him what to do and what not to do? And what the hell are you looking for?"

He became nervous. Belle, Belle, his Belle... She was quite a handful indeed. Her fiery character. She wasn't one to mince words and was always rebellious. But the fact that she decided to defy the prince in his own home was a bit tense for Gaston. He didn't intend to anger Prince Adam; he wanted him to willingly let them leave, to know they were grateful and all that jazz, just to avoid any problems. And Gaston certainly didn't want to behave provocatively in a way that would irk Adam. He knew from experience that it's better not to provoke someone stronger than you.

He remembered his fury after he thought he'd make Belle happy by arranging a surprise wedding for her. But instead, he ended up humiliated. After all, he wanted to be sweet, spent on all the preparations and everything.

And Gaston understood that when Adam chose their home, dealing with all those bureaucratic issues, he expected enthusiastic exclamations, warm gratitude, and certainly not to be yelled at and slammed the door in his face. To put it bluntly, they would've demonstrated rejection if scrutinizing their actions. It would've been humiliation, and the prince most likely wouldn't have taken it lying down. Just like Gaston once did. Some people don't like hearing "no" as an answer, they don't take rejections well. And it's best not to offend such people. But Belle seemed determined to do just that because she felt offended herself.

Now Gaston understood Belle. Back then, when he unceremoniously put her on the spot about making her happy by marrying her. Who wouldn't want to marry Gaston? Similarly, it might have seemed to Prince Adam, who wouldn't want to live in Paris in a luxurious house? But a simple question "Do you want to marry me?" or "Do you want to live next to me in Paris?" would have spared the unsuspecting bestower of happiness from an unpleasant sudden refusal. Gaston understood Adam, perhaps they were similar, believing that what they want automatically aligns with what others desire.

Gaston also felt and realized that an angered prince could be as dangerous as Gaston himself. And the prince had far more power to do as he pleased than a village hunter.

Belle stood by a mound of clothes and took off her elaborate dress over her head.

"I'm looking for my clothes, my own clothes! Normal clothes in which I can move properly. The ones my husband bought me, damn it. Oh... How is it that we have nothing of our own right now? I can't leave in the things he bought me; how would that look?!"

She began with exaggerated caution to hang the dresses on hangers and place them in the closet.

"I won't take anything from him, on principle. It's unfair that he showers us with diamonds but forgets about the old servants. I told him a hundred times, but he's such an egotist. He only listens to himself and only sees those he wants to see at that moment."

"Wait, Belle, did you tell him what to do with his servants?" Gaston heard once again, how Belle was treating the prince like a teacher with an unruly student. "We're supposed to be his friends, but you should know your place."

Belle, still in her underwear, put her hands on her hips.

"And what is my place, Gaston? What's the matter with you?"

He took her by the shoulders and spoke, looking into her eyes:

"Belle! It's all your silly books! Where the main heroine stands up to powerful figures, and everyone listens to her! Reality is far from that! Yes, maybe the prince is treating us well now, too well even, perhaps, indulging whims, but you can't cross certain boundaries. Don't dictate to him what to do with his servants, whom to date, and so forth. And we won't slam the door as the main female character from your beloved books does; we'll wait until he cools down, thank him again, and ensure he doesn't mind our departure. We'll leave with his permission. We won't challenge him!"

The young woman blinked in surprise:

"What's the matter with you? Since when have you started acting like this? Don't you have any pride?"

"I have pride, but also brains to understand when to be proud and when not, " he tapped Belle's forehead with a finger. "He's a prince, not some nobody. We can't just brush him off and leave. He might get angry, who knows what he'll do then, given that we were brought here like criminals."

Belle freed herself from his grasp and shrugged, took off the diamond necklace from her neck, which the prince had given her:

"Don't think worse of people than they are, Gaston. He won't do anything to us," she carefully placed the necklace in a velvet-lined box and set it on the dressing table. "Give me the watch. Come on, quickly,"Belle extended her open hand to Gaston.

He complied, but still argued:

"Returning gifts isn't the best solution, Belle. It'll enrage him to no end."

"Let him rage. Can't you see he's buying us? I didn't realize it right away, but now I feel that we either do what he wants, and then everything will be fine, or act on our own, but then he'll get mad. He doesn't let us live our lives. I only now understand that this has dragged on for too long. He's comfortable here - great, but we have our own life!" She began packing up the baby belongings in a travel bag. "We've stayed here too long. We need to arrange the house for the baby's birth. I need peace eventually, and I'm just not ready. You need to go hunting. We need to make a crib for the baby. I need to visit my father. Adam doesn't think about any of this at all. He moves everyone... He doesn't even ask! Did he ask my father where he wants to live? And LeFou? And so on. He certainly doesn't ask his servants. No, we definitely need to go home as soon as possible. I don't want to be jostling in a carriage right before giving birth. Leaving now is the perfect time. Where the hell is my own clothing?"

"Belle, you came here in a pink dress, which is also from the prince's wardrobe."

"My goodness! I can't stand when you act all smarty-pants! Damn..." Belle pulled out the pink dress from the pile of clothes and hesitated, wondering whether to wear yet another gift from the prince or end up completely undressed. In the end, the dress won over because it was the most modest of all, and its skirt resembled her ordinary everyday dresses.

Belle began putting on the dress, getting irritated and hurrying, and the silk fabric tore on her already prominent stomach when she sharply pulled the hem down.

"Damn!"

A repulsive face of Marie Ernestyna squeezed through the door frame - apparently she had been eavesdropping, eager to pass on the prince's quarrels with his favorites to tomorrow's newspapers. Belle was already on the edge, but this woman apparently felt no shame at all.

"May I help you with something, madam?"

"No, thank you."

"I see you're upset. What happened?"

"None of your business!"

"Oh! You're not as polite as usual. Your rural origins are showing. Parisians will have something to talk about."

Belle turned to the maid, red-faced with anger.

"Off you go, you know where?"

"Well, where?"

Belle opened her pretty little mouth and said - where. Gaston even blushed. Marie Ernestyna gasped in outrage:

"There! There's your true face, you vulgar upstart! Pretending to be someone sophisticated with your manners, quiet voice - but underneath you're just as vulgar as your idiot husband!"

"What did you say about my husband?" Belle moved towards the maid, and Gaston had to grab her hand. "Come on, repeat it!"

Marie Ernestyna squealed and darted out the door and most likely ran off to the newspapers. Tomorrow, there would probably be a sensation about the prince.

Gaston released Belle's wrist and both sat on the sofa.

"See, what people here? They hate us, I don't even know why," sighed Belle."I didn't imagine Paris and the rich houses like this. My heart hurt that they considered me peculiar in our village, but everyone loved me! Everyone treated me well. I miss home and friends so much."

"You're right. Everyone admired me at home, and here even the servants consider me some sort of weirdo."

"Maybe we're just not in the right place. Or, I don't know... maybe bad people are taking advantage of Adam. Anyway, if he wants to stay here - that's his business. We - will leave."

"Belle, we don't have money. How can we ask him for it if we behave willfully?"

There was a strong knock on the door - apparently it was Adam.

"I'm not dressed!" Belle shouted, and the prince didn't enter.

"Will you join me for dinner tonight, we'll discuss everything there," came Adam's voice from behind the door. It was evident he was frustrated, but trying to sound calm. "Flor won't be there."

Before Gaston could reply, Belle started explaining:

"We won't go to dinner; we're going home."

"What? This isn't a request."

"Oh, is it - an order?" Belle scowled.

- Listen, Adam, if you want..." Gaston intervened, trying to calm everyone down, but apparently the prince didn't want to listen to him. Or perhaps he never intended to listen from the start.

"Belle, he can go if he wants, and you stay," in the prince's voice one could hear authoritative notes on one hand, and seemingly pleading on the other. "I think you should choose the best for yourself, not just do what he says. You weren't made for a poor village, and he's the best there, the strongest, most handsome, the best hunter, and so on. He doesn't want to start over, but you shouldn't sacrifice your dreams and future for him. Especially since he himself confessed to me that you married him under duress."

Well, bastard! Of all things, Gaston didn't expect this. Adam struck at the most vulnerable point of their pair with Belle, that same ugliest and darkest thing that Gaston blurted out back then, during the first meeting with the prince, driven by remorse and a sense of unworthiness of his wife... Apparently, the prince, though meticulously concealed it, had designs on his wife. Gaston clenched his fists, but nervously glanced at his wife's pale face.

Belle bit her lip and said in a chilling tone.

"Don't meddle in our relationship, Adam. Whatever he may have told you - lovers quarrel just playtime. I love him, whether someone likes it or not. Thank you once again, but our family is going home. Thank you for the dinner invitation."

Adam, apparently in irritation, banged his fist against the door with all his might and presumably knocked over a vase in the corridor - a ringing sound echoed. Then there came the sounds of him running down the stairs. Belle and Gaston approached the window, watching as the prince got into the carriage and drove away.

"What am I going to wear?" Belle sighed.