Chapter 41 Side Story: Vera's Golden Hear

"We'll find another table," He'd said, and left us alone. Sneaking out the way we came and thinking I wouldn't notice.

"It looks like he wanted to set us up." The young boy in front of me had his eyes on the Young Master's back the entire time as he navigated his way out.

I slowly recounted the information Mother had of the Broschart family. They were once a family of seers in ages past, gifted with foresight. In that time they had the ability to see through thousands of futures and guide others to prosperity. Yet after encountering a certain figure in the past they were struck down and left unable to recover their once glorious reputations.

Their gifts diminishing, or rather changing with each generation until it became what it was today.. They could not foresee the future anymore but instead held a particularly unique form of power close to but exceeding that of intuition. It may have been a kind of perception of fate, I suppose. One limited to themselves. Mother likened them to semi-transcendants. Those who could glimpse heaven.

It's what made them such good swordsmen. They could see a couple seconds into the future during battle and this made them difficult opponents to handle. And dangers we're often known well before hand.

But they weren't unbeatable. When Young Master had befriended the boy I had often snuck away and watched them duel.

The Young Master quickly noticed the strange ability and adapted accordingly. He understood the flaw. Which was, simply put, a problem of speed. No matter how fast the other saw the Young Master's next moves, the Young Master merely responded but pushing his own speed to levels where the other couldn't react.

What was the point of knowing what your enemy would do if they were too fast for you to keep up? Not that it meant a defeat every time. Jacob and his kin knew of the weakness for many years and it came of no surprise whenever a person figured it out.

The problem was that the Young Master is a despicable bastard and this meant he fought shamelessly. Jacob would often only be able to match Young Master Damien's blows. And panic when he realized the dirty tricks the young Dragon intended, leaving him to hurriedly protect himself. He would get flustered and hand over a win more often than not.

It was always funny seeing the Young Master fight, I'd decided. He was unconventional to say the least, simply frustrating his enemies to death.

... I felt a smile in me that, of course, could never show on my face.

"I knew something like this was going to occur." Jacob's calm and dignified appearance stared back at me. "But I didn't know it would be with you. Regardless, now that it's happening I just thought of a good idea I think is just perfect for the both of us. Say, isn't this a good opportunity?" He raised a glass to his mouth and hid a smile while he drank.

"Opportunity? Please. I hope you don't find this a good time to get in my good graces. I've more interest in the flies hovering around a dog's crap than being here with you." I replied, quite seriously.

HIs smile persisted. "They were right. You do have a pretty poisonous tongue."

" I find it common in lesser men to group and gossip like old married women.

"In any case," He went on without a care, "I meant an opportunity for you. Well, for me too."

"And whatever could that be?" This was the second "opportunity" I'd been presented with in as many days. Or day.I was highly suspicious.

"An alliance."

I was silent for a second. "Alliance?"

"Indeed." He waved over a waitress and ordered another drink. "I noticed a bit of bitterness when you saw the three of them leave. Am I wrong?"

"You imagination." I dismissed.

"Oh, no. I'm confident in my instincts, you see. I think you definitely have a crush on that guy. Don't worry, a lot of girls do. It's nothing to be ashamed about. He's pretty popular, after all. Somehow."

I shook my head once. "Even if what you believe is true, what of it?"

"I do realize it's none business, for starters." He began. "But I had to mention it. After all I'm in a predicament myself over that guy."

"...Gay?"

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The boy nearly choked. "Please don't joke like that. I don't mean it like that." He frowned. "Remember how I said he's popular? It's that. I'm sure you know his reputation. Most of the young male Nobles hate him. While most of the young Ladies have portraits of the guy in their rooms. Heck, even my own cousin fancies him. Not to mention, unfortunately, my fiance."

Ah, I thought. So that's why he wanted an "alliance."

"Though don't misunderstand. I don't resent him for that. He is a friend. And i don't know the girl well either. It just doesn't look good. Besides, she will be my wife in the future. Having her pining after another man would be quite miserable for everyone. There's nothing we can do about the engagement but I at least would like a happy marriage. So I do plan to court her properly." He nodded to himself. "It would just be so much easier if she wasn't so star-struck by Damien."

I felt a headache coming on. This was a common problem. And one of the reasons the Young Master is so disliked among his male peers.

As the son of a half-Succubus Dragon and a man with Angel in his blood, it's understandable that the Young Master is on a level all his own when it comes to entrancing simple-minded human girls.

Despite having no interest in anything but mature women there's still a lot of girls who idolize him to a fanatical degree. Many of whom already have their own fiancees.

Needless to say there's many who find that hateful.

"This matters to me how, exactly?"

"I just thought that I'd help you get together with him."

"And I'd help you with her, I'm guessing."

To my surprise he only laughed. "No, I can handle that myself. I only want you to be with him so that she can face reality. They might still long after him, but if he got himself a girlfriend then they'd have no choice but to back down and stop their pursuits. I happen to know many girls still send him gifts and invitations he ignores on the principle of finding it annoying to deal with "little kids." Which will stop once he has a girlfriend at his side, I'm sure. Really me helping you helps him too." The way he presented his offer was so casual and light it was as if he were talking about the weather.

This Jacob person is definitely worthy of being the Young Master's friend. He came up with a plan like that within seconds.

I was honestly mad. This "alliance" may have been much milder than Llyr's offer but it was still a form of manipulation to get what they want.

And then there's the Young Master….

I understood at this point what must've happened. The first clue was how he treated me when we escaped Llyr. He would've never been so kind and enthusiastic with me before. He'd been awake back then, hadn't he? And instead of rejecting me again he felt "sorry" for me and decided to set up a blind date.

It's...frustrating. I knew very well I wasn't exactly his type. And that was fine. People had a right to have standards. But he sets me up with someone I barely know and then goes off to have fun with that Minerva woman and her little succubus girl?

It was hate-worthy, wasn't it? But I couldn't resent him. I knew him better than anyone, I felt. I knew he only did what he believed was right.

But I wish he wasn't so thoughtful. I wish he had just ignored everything he'd heard. I would've been fine with that.

I would've been fine with watching him pursue someone else so long as they made him happy.

It just hurt that he thought just anyone could take his place.

...Maybe it was me. I understood my face wasn't the warmest out there. It was hard for dryads to show expressions, after all. Human forms aren't natural to us. We have many flaws when using them.

I couldn't blame him if he thought I'd be fine with any guy with a pretty appearance. A lot of the girls who like him only do for his looks. Why not me too, right?

There's no way he'd be able to tell anything about how I felt. If anything, that's what I resented. I was everything he didn't want. My mind was considerably older than others because of Mother sharing her experiences with me. But my body? A child's. My face? A cold, unfeeling mask that was as far from cute as you could get.

He wanted someone bright and cheerful with a mature figure, preferably a single mother with cat-ears and an adorable little girl whom he can both spoil rotten.

In this, Minerva's literally perfect.

I might have a chance if I had my Mother's body, granted. But that won't happen for many, many years and by then he'd never be able to think of me as a woman. I'd firmly be cast as another little sister in his mind. Hell, he might even be married by then.

...And if he ever found out what I really looked like….

It's one of my worst nightmares.

I experienced that particular memory through Mother. It didn't end well.

Which is why I'm perfectly fine where I am. That insufferable Yesmina was right. I didn't have any chances myself. But that's why I said it wasn't about me. I want the person I like to be happy. So what if it's not with me? At the very least I can help him find someone who actually likes him.

If I'm honest, that's why I sort of hate the Minerva girl. She actually is everything he wants. That's not why I dislike her, though. It's because she's one of his fanatics. She reminds me of every other girl who's feelings for him are only skin-deep. The girl's a groupie. She follows him based solely on some notion he's this holy being--though that's technically not far from the truth--and even if she does have any other feelings for him it's only attraction based on his appearance.

The latter is forgivable, but I can't accept the former. He could never be happy chasing a woman who only thinks of him as an idol for worship. Or married to someone who feels religiously obligated to give herself to him.

"Fine. I'll take you up on this deal you're blathering about. But we're changing conditions."

Jacob raised a brow in interest. "And what are these new conditions? You don't want me to help bring you two together?"

"Don't concern yourself with something so ridiculous."

I don't wish to do anything that makes the Young Master sad. So of course I won't try breaking them up. My love isn't so petty.

No.

What I want to break are the illusions that Minerva has of him so that she can accept the Young Master for who he is.After that she'll be his ideal woman. One who can really love him. I want him to have that, his ideal person. I want to be the person who gives that to him.

Then he can be happy.

And I can enjoy watching him be.