Interlude: Hair Accessories for Her
ERNEST made his way to the Watoh Company headquarters, at the heart of the city’s business district.
Though he hadn’t told Yuuri, this was actually his third visit to the company without her knowledge.
The first time had been when he was trying to order books from the East. The second time, he had come to ask Yuuri’s father about her. The third time, this time, he was there in response to a summons he had received following his recent antics.
Sitting in that conference room again, adorned with vases of striking colors, reminded him of that second time, when he’d come to ask Joh Watoh about his daughter.
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“MR. WATOH, what exactly do you know about your daughter’s condition?” Ernest asked, beating around the bush. He wanted to see just how much the man knew about her life as a descendant of vampires, since the trait skipped his generation.
“Condition…? My Lord, you can’t mean…” With just those words, Joh’s face drained of color.
“Yes, she told me herself.”
“Yuuri did? Really…?”
Joh didn’t ask him to spell out exactly what Yuuri had told him. Nor did he launch into the topic himself. It was as if the men were competing to see who would use the words “vampire” or “blood” first.
“I suppose ‘told’ is inaccurate. ‘Demonstrated’ is probably more like it. Hahaha, it was quite the shock.”
“Are you telling me she drank your blood?! I thought you just went to her to borrow books! How could this have happened? Could my daughter really…?”
Joh was clearly upset and unable to hide his anger at Ernest, who was of a higher status as nobility.
“I beg your pardon, m’lord,” he apologized after rethinking his outburst. “…You are the victim here, after all. Please do not trouble yourself over my daughter. Please just leave her be.”
Ernest could only speculate over what it was that had awakened Yuuri’s vampiric instincts. But the fact still remained that she would, from now on, need to periodically drink blood. He knew enough about the vampires of yore to piece together that much.
With her antisocial nature, she was unlikely to easily find another to feed off of. So telling Ernest to “leave her be” seemed especially cruel, something a real parent wouldn’t say. He furrowed his brow at Joh.
Ernest expected the man to try and do something for Yuuri amidst her mother’s hatred, but he was discouraged to find that Yuuri’s father was equally content to avoid her. What should he have expected of a man who had his daughter live in isolation? On the opposite hand, learning this about Joh helped free Ernest of any restraint about taking Yuuri from him.
“Mr. Watoh, would it surprise you to learn that I desire Miss Yuuri?”
“Inconceivable! My daughter is no ordinary human!” Joh shouted. Even from where he sat, Ernest could see sweat glistening on the merchant’s brow.
“Haha, I suppose it is rather astonishing. But I am serious. That’s why I’ve come today. To seek your permission.”
“So you can keep her as a mistress?! A toy?! Some sort of exotic pet? My daughter isn’t suited for such a life!”
“Hardly! If that was my intention, do you think I would even play at asking your permission? Please do not worry. I’ve already obtained His Majesty’s blessing as well.”
“You mustn’t bring my daughter into your bloodline. What if your children inherit her condition?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem as long as those closest to us understand and support us. Isn’t that what love is?”
Yuuri’s condition meant she could see exceptionally well in the dark, but not bear bright sunlight, and she had to begin drinking blood once she reached adulthood. Naturally, Ernest understood that any child inheriting those characteristics would have their share of challenges. But he wouldn’t let those challenges scare him away.
Joh’s mistake had been in not predicting the possibility of Yuuri inheriting those vampiric traits. If he had, he and his wife could have prepared for this circumstance. Yuuri’s ancestors, her grandmother included, had intermingled with humans and married for love, blending into human society. There was no reason Yuuri should not have the same opportunity.
“But…”
“I will put her happiness first. What right do you have to hide her away and interfere in that happiness?” Those words silenced Joh. “I can promise you one thing: I will not hurt your daughter.”
“My Lord…it is probably an inherited trait, but it is important you understand that we Watohs are a stubborn, awkward sort. I’ve kept Yuuri hidden away to protect her. I have no right to ask this, but, please…take care of my daughter.” Joh bowed his head.
Ernest had been wrong. He assumed Joh had kept Yuuri at arm’s length because he didn’t care, but his words were sincere.
Ernest was finally beginning to understand some things about Yuuri. About her being a vampire and about the family she came from.
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“COUNT SELDEN!”
The bang of the door and a loud voice jerked Ernest from his reverie about the day he came here so many months ago.
The short, chestnut-haired youth with a baby face and grey-blue eyes was mad before he even had a chance to say hello.
His looks, which he inherited from his mother, were no different from most Hylantians. It was his clothes that set him apart. He wore hakama as part of his everyday outfit. This was fitting for a self-proclaimed “Hinomoto fanatic” such as himself.
Yet remaining attached to his Hinomoto heritage also made him feel closer to his sister.
Ernest rather liked Simon’s rustic simplicity, but Yuuri’s brother did not care for him.
“Hi, Simon. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”
“Count Selden, what is this I hear about you showing my sister off at some dinner party and pretending she’s your lover?!”
To think he was this angry that his sister had gotten so close with another man. These siblings who were supposed to be polar opposites had more in common than they cared to admit. Yuuri was like an aloof cat; Simon was like a dog fuming with jealousy.
Ernest smiled when he realized how both of them tended to get angry when he teased them, and just as quickly too. “Heh heh, ‘pretending she’s my lover’?”
“Don’t deny it, you shameless cad!”
“Why Lord Simon, there should be no ‘pretending’ to it. I have your father’s blessing. There’s nothing for me to feel ashamed of, is there, Big Brother?”
Simon was gnashing his teeth, but he did not object any further.
Joh Watoh finally made his entrance shortly thereafter. Ernest expected Joh to blame him as well for bringing Yuuri to the dinner party with him even though they weren’t an official item, but he didn’t.
Her parents had been at the dinner party, making it a most anxiety-inducing experience for Yuuri indeed. They had managed to avoid her mother’s notice, though he should have expected it. The Watoh family was among the Five Great Merchant Families of Hylant; it was only natural that they would make an appearance. But this wouldn’t be the last time they might run across each other.
Mother and daughter would need to come to some sort of resolution. But Ernest wanted to give Yuuri a little more time for that.
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“COUNT SELDEN!” Just as Ernest was leaving, Simon charged after him in a panic. “…Uhm, I know I should give this to her directly, but please do it instead. It’s a hair accessory, from me.”
Simon handed Ernest a long wooden box with something engraved on it. It must have been intended as a gift.
“For Miss Yuuri? I don’t mind, but are you sure you don’t want to give it to her yourself?”
“Yes. I can’t give it to her in the manner I normally would. It’s a little embarrassing to talk about.”
Ernest really did like him. So, without thinking about what he was doing, he patted the younger man’s head.
“…What are you doing? I may not look it, but I am in fact twenty-four years old, sir!”
“Ah, my apologies, I hadn’t meant to treat you like a child. I was just thinking, you and Yuuri really are perfectly alike.”
“So you do the same thing to my sister?” Simon’s eyes narrowed.
It was in that expression that Ernest could, finally, see the resemblance between the siblings.