Belle had a wide smile as the carriage door closed. A sweeter smile because of the company. Not because of how her new change in emotion towards him but to Belle, after her parents Lucas was the most important person in the world. Having grown up looking up at him and listening to most of his words as she grew up, she enjoyed his company.

Where others were wary about him and his presence, Belle didn’t mind it. After all, it was Lucas, someone who had listened to her complaints, cries, seen her laugh, and throw tantrums while he taught her. He was her guardian and a dear friend. Maybe the only friend she had. Though she wasn’t an introverted girl since she was young, Belle didn’t go too far in associating herself with others.

She enjoyed going to the village where she could take a look at the bustling crowd, walk there freely where people didn’t judge her. When the carriage pulled over the village, she heard the butler warn her,

“Don’t go wandering around, Miss Belle. It is the time of the fair.”

“Already?” her head snapped around to look at him, her red eyes sparkling that reminded the butler red stones which only some of the rare elites possessed, “Let’s go there!” she said and he shook his head.

“I have work to do in the mansion and the maids don’t really do their work unless they are told and monitored,” said Lucas to her. She pressed her lips, turning a little sad about it, “Your parents wouldn’t approve of you coming here in the first place. It would be best you stick right next to me.”

Unwillingly, Belle gave him a nod as if she understood his words and he unlocked the door from his side of the carriage and the coachman opened the side door where Belle was seated so that she could step outside as she placed her hand and stepped down. The village looked gloomy and she wondered where the fair was put up even though Lucas had told her they weren’t going to attend it.

Her eyes looked at the dull brown houses that held a tinge of green on it because of the continuous rain that Bonelake was used to. The ground was wet and slightly slippery where one would have to look where they were going unless they didn’t mind slipping and falling down. The weather was already gloomy but along with it, she could tell the village that went by the name Grintch was very quiet.

She didn’t know why but this village gave an eerie feeling. With their carriage stopped outside the village to avoid too much attraction on them, they stood outside the village where they hadn’t stepped into the streets.

“Park it here. This one will bring the items first so don’t go anywhere,” Lucas said, giving the coachman who bowed at him. The coachman who used to work for Adams’ when he had arrived at the mansion for the very first time had passed away after three years outside the mansion because of his weak lungs as Lucas had predicted.

Seeing Belle looking at the village, Lucas asked, “Ready?” and she quickly nodded to follow him along with the servant boy into the village.

As Belle’s footsteps went further and further deeper into the village, she couldn’t stop feeling a strange atmosphere that she hadn’t felt before. She had visited several villages and towns but this must have been her first time since she had come here. The smell of rain was heavy in the air as if it had only finished raining. Her eyes caught sight of some of the patchy puddles on the ground which she avoided stepping on.

“Is this a human’s village?” Belle enquired in a low voice. She was aware of how there were some towns where only humans resided in it without letting another creature take shelter for more than one day.

“A vampire’s village but there has been news that the village has been infiltrated with black witches so be careful,” Belle’s eyes widened and she gave a quick look at Lucas and then back at the people who were walking by with bright red eyes. It was obvious that the people in here were all lower vampires who were either converted or were born into families that belonged to the lower vampires community which was lower than her very own.

Leaning towards him, she whispered, “I thought no one allowed a black witch to stay in the villages or towns. The council did nothing?”

“The council doesn’t know about it yet,” Lucas answered her as they took a left in the alley.

It didn’t? Then how did he find out about it? Belle couldn’t ask him any more questions as it appeared that the more they walked into the village the more the people were sighted in here and they all looked shady. This was no ordinary village she was used to but a place which made her feel she had to be on her toes along with her senses.

Were they really here for groceries? Without another word, Belle continued to walk beside Lucas to catch sight in time for two people to crash out from a small building and they used their fists to hit each other. She grimaced when the bulkier man punched the man below him, his fists going at the man over and over again until the other one fell unconscious.

“Don’t look at them if you don’t want to get involved. Today’s lesson is to ignore and avoid trouble, Miss Belle,” he said making their way to the store that looked like it was going to break at any point of time with one blow of wind.

The servant boy who had come with them couldn’t stop his eyes from darting left and right to make sure Miss Belle was alright. She was a vampiress but as far as he knew the lady wasn’t used to such a place. He didn’t know what the cold butler was on until he spoke about the lesson.

“Aye, Lucas,” a man appeared at the front of the door. The shopkeeper had an eye patch on one of his eyes and one of his legs from the knee was fixed with a wooden leg as it appeared that he had lost a limb. Belle had to avert her eyes subtly so that it wouldn’t be rude.

“Mr. Gallanhger,” the butler gave a polite bow, “How have you been doing?” he exchanged polite pleasantries.

“Healthy as a horse. Who is this you have here. Looks like a pretty flower in midst of a pond,” Belle heard the shopkeeper ask Lucas when his eyes fell on her.

Belle gave him a small bow, “Belle Adams.”

Lucas then said, “She is Mr. Adams daughter.”

The shopkeeper gave another look at Belle who had stood at the front of his shop, “The man who you work for.”

“Right.”

Mr. Gallanhger then shifted his gaze back at the butler to ask, “What is the list?” and Lucas started to iterate the items that needed to be restocked in the mansion. There was another helper hand in the shop who added the items in the bag before handing it over to the servant boy so that he would carry it back to the carriage.

Another bag was prepared and it took time going back and forth until the fourth bag which Lucas decided to take it with him after handing out the silver coins to the shopkeeper.

“People are getting beaten, Lucas,” Belle said looking at the front.

“It isn’t anything new. People enjoy beating each other,” he said and Belle didn’t understand what was there to enjoy with the blood spurting out.

“They have strange interests,” she muttered under her breath.

Both the men appeared to be drunk who were grumbling and groaning as they physically fought each other. One fist flew after another and just as they were passing by them, one of them always came flying towards them and Lucas caught the man in one hand and threw him in another direction.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen Lucas be strong. For a vampire, he was too strong.

They continued to pass the alley’s where Belle caught sight of shadows that stood in the dark. Some eyes fell on her and Lucas as they walked right past people on the street passing by the people in the gloomy village.

Belle was glad to have Lucas next to her as they made their way back to their carriage. The eyes that followed them and looked at them, she felt wary about it which was understandable as she was the only one who wore better clothes compared to the rest with her bright white with floral prints that had lilac and yellow-colored flowers on it.

The servant boy had gone to keep the gunny bag in the back of the carriage, going ahead of them. They had walked halfway back when Belle heard a scream coming from behind them. Turning around, her curious eyes searched for the person when it finally fell on a woman who was being dragged from her house.

“NO! GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!” the woman screamed loudly as two men dragged her across the street, “Let me go!” she kicked and thrashed but the men didn’t let her go and continued to drag her across the muddy path.

Belle’s eyebrows furrowed and she went to take a step to only be held back by Lucas who asked,

“Where do you think you are going, Miss Belle?” as if he had not seen the woman being dragged.