To her, Lucas was the most important person after her parents and it might have been because she was an extrovert mostly inside the mansion where she was comfortable while not trying to mingle with others except for a few handful ones. 

The man was deadly quiet and polite to people that were somewhere unnerving even though his words were always gentle and sweet to one"s ears. 

She didn"t know what the pain he was talking about but she was ready to take it in and as if to test and prove his point to her, she felt the pain on her wrist which was earlier held by Mr. Robinson. The red lines were getting darker and slightly discoloring with the amount of pressure that was placed on her skin. 

Belle looked into Lucas" eyes that were looking back at her. His eyes were crystal and clean black that she could see herself in his eyes. His finger dug deeper on her skin and she could feel the rising pain. 

Lucas gave her a smile that confused her,

"You are too young, Miss Belle," he said to her, "How about you give it some more days and see if you"re mistaking infatuation to be love?"

Belle pursed her lips, "I know what I am feeling."

"It is a good and bad thing that we have here. You lack experience when it comes to love and the matters of the heart. I don"t mean to offend you," he a.s.sured her, his voice gently speaking to her, "As brave as your heart is to take upon the adventure that is inviting you, there is a possibility you might break your heart at the end of it."

"Is it because you don"t plan to stay beside me forever?" she asked him and slowly pulled her hand away from him. 

"I will stay as long as I can but the future always hangs with uncertainty," Lucas was only being practical with his thoughts and the way the world ran. Belle was naive because she didn"t know who he was or what he was. Where he came from. They belong to two different worlds. Years ago he wouldn"t have imagined being sitting here because his job was to reap souls, "You don"t know me. I am not who you think I am."

"Then tell me," Belle tried to sway him. She had put out her heart in front of him, telling him what her heart wanted.

Lucas stared at Belle, the non-existent heart in his chest softening over the words she spoke. Bringing her close was equal to putting her on the same equation as him and Barron who were on the rogue list. The mortals from the realm of the living were never spared when they were involved with the reapers, attachments was a word that was not supposed to exist. The last reaper he knew had fallen in love with a mortal human who had ceased from existence. A realm that went beyond the land of the dead. 

His was the twelfth card of the Grims whose name was Guilt. 

Lucas didn"t remember the exact years that had pa.s.sed since the Grim Reaper had been sealed and closed such that the number now didn"t exist. Lucas knew him, he knew him because he was the number next to him and he might have been the only reaper who showed much interest in the creatures that belonged to the land of the living. Lucas had sensed his emotions but he hadn"t bothered with it unlike some who had caught the reaper meeting a woman, a human who belonged to the lower part of the society. 

One of the lower reapers had caught him and words were delivered about his disobedience to the Hawerts. The story was known by many and it had people mock at the reaper. The reapers were not allowed to have attachments because their very purpose was to deliver souls and not emotions that would hinder their work. The reaper was killed and so was the girl who he shared his feelings with. 

And here this girl was professing her feelings for him. Belle was the woman who knew what she wanted and someone who was brave. 

Undoubtedly, she was a beautiful girl. A girl he had vowed to protect when she was still growing. Her pink lips were parted, antic.i.p.ating his reply, her eyes darting left and right.

"What if I am a psychotic murderer who kills people when everyone goes to sleep?" he asked her. He looked serious as he spoke those words. 

Belle blinked back at him and then said, "I will accept you however you are," there was no way a person like Lucas would ever do it. The thought was absurd.

Though he was the one to end her father"s life, Belle had not once looked at him as if he was accountable for her dear father"s death. She looked at him anxiously. He removed the cloth that he had been pressing on her wrist and stood up to have her stand too. She was grateful that he had supported her, unlike her relatives. 

Lucas leaned forward towards her that had Belle"s eyes widen and he placed his lips on her forehead. The little gesture had her heart beating quickly and loudly. It came and went so quickly, Belle looked at him with speechless. Her cheeks had turned red. 

"You barely touched your food. I will ask the maids to prepare something for you," he said with a gentle smile on his lips and he left her shocked.