Chapter 248 - The Company- Part 3

"You don't believe me?" asked Greed and Belle smiled, stepping into the room. 

"It is quite hard to believe what comes through that mouth of yours," not to forget how obsessed he behaved when it came to Lucas. This Grim reaper wanted to covet Lucas and never let anyone get close to him. 

"You weren't so mean before. What happened? Mommy and daddy didn't love you as you expected?" asked Greed. 

"You killed me," stated Belle while she realized that this grim reaper had been listening to every little thing that had been taking place in this mansion. The loud voices. 

"Still salty about it?" asked Greed, "How about we offer each other peace?" he asked her, raising his hand for her to take but Belle didn't take it. 

"Not as salty as you are feeling like I took your toy away," Belle answered, a smile coming on her own face and they both smiled, "Do you think I will be here when you're plotting to kill me?"

"I cannot help it. As you said, Guilt was with me. Do you know how it feels when the person you look up to is crumbling and falling down?" Greed put his leg down which he had placed upon the window sill, "Wait, now he's Lucas. Did he ever tell you that he killed a whole family? Just like a massacre because they found out about my people, about the land of the dead and do you know who is responsible?" he raised both his hands to point his fingers at her. 

"I did nothing," said Belle. 

"Of course, you wouldn't remember it. You couldn't keep your mouth shut like any other mortal here and blabbed it to one of the family. I later found out that Lucas had to wipe out the family and another one as word had started to spread about us. How do you think I found out?" asked Greed, chuckling to himself, "How does it feel to have blood on your hands?"

Belle stared at Greed, her eyes unwavering, "I am used to it. It isn't the first time Lucas killed a person for my sake." 

Greed looked slightly taken aback by her words. It seemed like the righteous girl didn't exist anymore and the soul had been modified. 

"Did you think I would feel guilty about it?" asked Belle, "You forget that I am part of the dead and I don't feel the remorse as I used to feel."

"What a horrible mistress the servants of this mansion have. You should be careful about what you speak. You wouldn't want your servants listening to that. Not especially when they decided to place trust in you." 

Belle didn't know what Greed was playing with. It was evident that the reaper disliked her and she was on the top name of the kill list of his.

Greed then said, "Let me out of here," he said, raising his head up to stretch his neck and looking at her. 

"The circle looks great on you," Belle stated, her eyes moving up to see the markings which were still there. 

"Do you think I cannot come out of this mark?" he asked her, the smile on his lips falling down and his eyes continuing to stare at her, "What do you think my ability is?" 

"Forcing your ideals on others?" asked Belle, taking a step back when he took a step forward. Though the mark was up there, she was still worried that this reaper would do something which he hadn't tried in the presence of Lucas, "Why don't you try attacking me," he tried to instigate her. 

"You think I don't know that a mortal needs to do something before a Grim reaper can do anything?"

Greed gritted his teeth, "So much of words. If you're brave, come here. Step into this circle."

"No, thank you," she said and heard a crash outside. Her head snapped to look at the door. That was definitely a crash and not from Barron. She took herself to walk out of the room, leaving Greed behind to see no one in the corridor but noticing the broken vase on the ground, she realised that there was someone who had tried to come here. 

The corridor was dark and the lanterns weren't present to let one show the path clearly. Belle didn't know who it was. She tried to take a peek at the window but there was no one outside. Lucas and Barron were yet to return. From the corner of her eyes, she caught sight of shadow that moved at the other end of the corridor. 

Someone was awake, thought Belle to herself. Her head-turning in the direction and she started to walk on the deserted corridor which was surrounded in silence. 

Belle walked until the end to find no one in the corridor. She then took the next corridor to walk, checking the servants quarters were everyone was fast asleep. When she reached the room where the councilman was left hostage, Belle noticed the ropes the was on the ground. 

"Oh no," she whispered to herself. Quickly running towards the door, she saw it was left wide open. Before she could take another step, she heard, 

"Let him go, Belle," Belle turned to look at George who stood in the dark, "What is wrong with you? The Belle I knew would never keep hostages."

Belle fell silent and pale that George knew and he had left the man free, "You were asleep," she said, "I can explain it."

But George shook his head, "You don't have to. I have known you for years, Belle. This is not you. Your parents would be so disappointed if they found you do something like this," when he walked forward and away from the darkness of the corridor that had no light, Belle gasped. 

George looked different, he wasn't the same person she had seen before leaving for her room. Her blood ran cold, "W-what happened to you?" she asked, taking a step back when she noticed his decayed face, a part of his jaw having only skeleton. 

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