n

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nThe room that had people talking in suddenly turned quiet when Hana and Belle spoke to each other. Belle stood with only her face that had turned to look at the pureblooded vampiress who had spoken to her. She still had a pleasant smile on her face that irritated not just Hana right now but also her friend, Muriel as she was the vampire Belle had meant when Hana had spoken about not being able to afford.

nHana chuckled softly, her dainty body taking a few slow steps towards Belle that had the girl turn around,

"Muriel, has enough money to come here. What made you think I was talking about her?

"

nThe other young girls who were a mix of humans and vampires who hadn't stepped out of the room to leave, looked at the pureblooded vampiress who obviously was rich and stared down at the other girl as she crossed her arms. By her clothes, it was obvious that she came from a wealthy family.

n

"I was talking to you,

" said Hana with a small smirk on her face.

nBelle gave another perplexed expression,

"I am sorry do I know you?

" the two girls' eyes narrowed hearing Belle's words that she didn't know them.

nHana's lips twitched,

"Seems like your memory has lowered down. How did you even afford to come here? You can barely keep enough servants in the mansion.

"

nIf it was a few years ago, Belle would have pounced on the girl and would have broken some teeth and pulled out her hair after hitting her but she couldn't do that anymore. One of the past events when she was younger than one, Belle had gotten into a fight with another girl in the soiree creating a big scene that had embarrassed both the girl's families in front of everyone. The other girl was Hana Wilson, the same girl who stood in front of her.

nWhen it had happened her mother was extremely disappointed by her daughter's behavior in the public. She still remembered the day, it must have occurred four years ago.

n'We need to find a governess for her. She's turning to nothing but trouble,' her mother had told her father.

n'You know why we don't keep the governess. They aren't trusting. We don't know how human or vampire they are, some families end up having witches,' her father placed his arm on her mother and then said, 'We can have Lucas teach her. He has shown a lot of ability when it comes to handling her. He is strict, unlike the others.'

nAnd after that the butler, Lucas had turned to be her teacher.

nReturning back to the present, Belle asked,

"What does that have to do with you?

" it was a simple question that had caught Hana off guard.

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"I don't like the fact that you are using your parent's hard-earned money which is little on these classes which won't be of any use for you,

" Hana said with a smile and the other girl, Muriel smiled along with her who said,

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"It is sad that she doesn't understand her own family's financial problem,

" she was one to talk, thought Belle to herself,

"Don't you feel-

"

nBelle interrupted the vampire,

"I am happy that even though you don't know me you are concerned about my financial status but I would ask you to keep your noses out of what I do. I am not using someone's money to thrive up in society,

" she gave a look to Muriel who glowered at her,

"Okay?

"

n

"Who are you speaking about using money?

" Muriel asked with gritted teeth.

n

"I was speaking in general. Do you know someone like that?

" Belle asked suddenly her demeanour shifting to curiosity,

"You should always stay away from people like that. Shameless as they are, they leech on to people,

" she whispered softly as if not wanting people to hear what she said but everyone in the room heard it.

nHana who had been observing Belle said,

"It seems your parents finally got someone to beat some sense in you than behaving like an animal from the jungle. There's at least some progress,

" she smirked and it instantly fell when Belle replied back with,

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"I think you will need to change your governess. You are still the same without any progress in your attitude.

"

nBoth the girl's face fell and they glared at Belle. Before anyone else could tell anything, the door of the room opened to have Ms. Edith peek into the room,

"Everything alright?

" she asked, sensing the quiet atmosphere.

nBelle turned around and gave the woman a nod,

"Later ladies,

" she bowed at the two girls as if she weren't offended and started to walk towards the door. This time, she didn't place her hand on the doorknob as the last time she had touched it, she had felt an electric jolt and she would have brushed it away if she didn't feel momentary darkness.

nShe gave a bow to Ms. Edith who bowed back at her before she stepped out and walked out of the building. Finally, outside, she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. The smile that she had been holding fell and she turned to look behind at the double door where girls started to come out one after another.

nNot wanting to stand here idle while waiting for the carriage, Belle decided to walk further in the direction where her house resided.

nThe bell in the tower rang loud enough for everyone to know that another hour had passed from their lives. For a vampire and a pureblooded vampire, time didn't matter, and it was usually the humans who worried about time.

nTheir society was split into many levels and status, the top being pureblooded vampires who looked down at people below them. A lot of them considered them to be the absolute, where they didn't consider the creatures in the below hierarchy. Though her family did attend the elite society, their status as average vampires for not being on par with the pureblooded vampires, who were on the highest hierarchy in this world was something that was very evident because of their light-colored eyes. Belle didn't mind it because it was what she was born with.

nThere were some pureblooded vampires who were uptight and cruel while there were some who were good, therefore, it was hard to hold that a certain kind of a creature was contaminated by ill intentions.

nRepeating what she had learned Belle said to no one in particular as there was no one around her and she bowed,

"It is a pleasure to be dancing with you Mr. No one,

" she smiled at the random name and while doing it, her eyes fell on the ground, she caught the path to be patched and dark,

"Hmm,

" she hummed.

nHer eyes widened when she saw it wasn't a dark patch because the patch started to move towards her. Belle took a couple of steps back and in the same vigor, the shadow started to approach her that had Belle running back from where she had left to see the carriage standing at the front of the building.

nHer eyes looked at the ground to notice there was nothing following her now. Did she imagine it or was there a shadow following her? Getting into the carriage, she rode back home with her head looking through the little window to see if there was anything odd outside there.

n

"Welcome back, Miss Belle,

" the butler stood at the foot of the door to greet her.

n

"I am back,

" Belle was glad to be back home which felt warm and cozy, a place where no one was there to badmouth or jeer at her. She felt Lucas pull off her coat for her and she let him take it where he placed it on the stand.

n

"Did you enjoy your class?

" the butler asked her as she stepped inside the house.

nBelle replied,

"It was alright,

" she wondered if she should ask her butler about shadows,

"We learned how to greet each other on the dance floor,

" she turned around and greeted him as if to show what she had learned.

n

"That's excellent,

" came the pleasant voice of her butler,

"In no time you would have aced it,

" he said being the dutiful butler he was.

nSeeing it was just them, Belle asked,

"Do you think shadows can move?

"

n

"Shadows? It depends on which direction the sun is moving in. Why do you ask?

" he gave her a curious look.

n

"I keep feeling something is following me.

"

n

"Go wash your hands. I will get your snacks ready,

" he bowed at her and then left to go to the kitchen. She saw his back as he left and looked at her hand which looked fine.

nHearing her footsteps head to her room, Lucas turned to look in the direction he had come, a small frown on his forehead at what she just said. Shadows following her. It seemed that he had to keep a closer eye on her.

nThe snacks were brought directly to her room where Lucas placed it at her table. Belle took the biscuit that was freshly baked and she stepped out on her patio to look outside the room which faced the front side of the mansion. She could see smaller houses that surrounded them and she took a bite. Just as she was eating, she caught sight of a man who was walking down the road.

nHer eyebrows furrowed when she caught a black smoke behind his back that kept moving nonstop.

nHer first thought was that he was on fire but he appeared to be completely fine until he suddenly fell flat on the ground.

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