On the way to the Mejiro residence, Mejiro Ramonu found herself glancing sideways at Dream Weaver from time to time. Honestly, she wasn't quite sure how to interact with the girl.
As the eldest daughter of the Mejiro family, she'd always been effortlessly adept at handling her younger sisters. Whether it was Mejiro Ardan or Mejiro Ryan, she knew exactly the right approach to guide them.
But facing Dream Weaver now, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
After losing her last remaining family and being crushed by public opinion, left utterly alone in that dilapidated western-style mansion in the freezing snow, gazing at a portrait of her deceased mother...
It was such a heartbreaking story that Mejiro Ramonu instinctively felt Dream Weaver must have frozen her heart. How else could a young girl like her endure all that?
Yet Mejiro Ramonu couldn't just let her remain closed off like this. Pressing her lips together, she finally spoke to Dream Weaver, who was watching the scenery pass by.
"It must have been really tough, living alone in that mansion."
"Especially in winter. It must have been hard to even get running water and electricity deep in the mountains."
After much thought, she'd decided to start by talking about daily life to bridge the distance between them.
The Northern family had, after all, been a distinguished household before, so their living standards couldn't have been too bad. Perhaps Dream Weaver had some complaints about her current difficult situation that she'd want to share.
And listening to someone's grievances had always been one of the best ways to build rapport.
Hearing this, Dream Weaver glanced at Mejiro Ramonu.
Considering her connection with Dream Weaver's mother, Dream Weaver didn't ignore her like she did with other Uma Musume.
"It was manageable. I'd chop firewood for heating."
"And with all the snow in winter, water wasn't a problem either."
She'd previously studied at Kasamatsu Tracen. Having been in such a rural environment, Dream Weaver was already accustomed to such tasks.
When the cafeteria's gas ran out, she'd go out with other Uma Musume to gather and chop firewood. Sometimes when the dorm's hot water stopped working, they'd all take turns heating water using the old-fashioned boiler themselves.
But what had become routine for Dream Weaver struck Mejiro Ramonu with the force of a thunderclap.
She had assumed that even for the fallen Northern family, at worst the utilities would be unreliable or occasionally cut off. She never imagined Dream Weaver actually chopped wood and heated water herself.
To Mejiro Ramonu, these were things that happened in another world. Though rigorously trained since childhood as the Mejiro family's heir apparent, she never had to bother with such mundane chores.
The thought of Dream Weaver not only living alone in that mansion, but also chopping wood and heating water daily in the mountains while bearing such inner turmoil, made Mejiro Ramonu's heart twist into knots.
'She's a descendant of the Mejiro family! How could she live such a harsh life?!'
Her pity for Dream Weaver grew even stronger. Before she could even earn Dream Weaver's trust, she was already sinking under the weight of sympathy.
Choosing her words carefully, she slowly asked, "What about food? The animals all hibernate in winter, right? Wouldn't you go hungry if you couldn't hunt?"
Dream Weaver gave her a strange look at this, as if puzzled by the question, but she answered honestly nonetheless.
"Why would I need to hunt? I can just run down to the town below to buy ingredients and cook for myself. Besides, in winter, storage isn't even a concern."
Hearing this, Mejiro Ramonu was taken aback. The environment she'd witnessed and Dream Weaver's earlier comments had subconsciously led her to imagine the girl's life as some sort of wilderness survival.
She'd completely forgotten there was a town nearby at the foot of the mountain for supplies.
Clearing her throat slightly in embarrassment, she said, "Then why not just buy everything from the town below? Wouldn't it be exhausting to chop wood and heat water every day?"
Dream Weaver's expression grew even more peculiar. She was starting to wonder if this seemingly mature Uma Musume was actually a bit of an airhead.
"Carrying bottled water up the mountain is one thing, but I can't very well haul entire logs up there too. It's much more convenient to just chop the wood on the mountain and then heat the water back at the mansion."
Mejiro Ramonu's mouth twitched upon hearing this, and she inwardly sighed at her own foolish question.
Dream Weaver's tragic circumstances had momentarily addled her brains, stripping away her usual composure.
Just as she was struggling for words, the driver sitting up front suddenly spoke.
"Young Mistress, we're almost there. Should I inform the family head first?"
Grateful for the interruption, Mejiro Ramonu breathed a sigh of relief. She caught the driver's eye in the rearview mirror with a look that promised a raise tomorrow before saying, "You're right. Please go over the procedures once more with the others."
"Understood."
The driver put in his Bluetooth earpiece and began speaking quietly with his colleagues on the other end.
Regaining her usual demeanor, Mejiro Ramonu turned back to Dream Weaver with a soft laugh.
"There's no need to be nervous. We are connected by blood, and the family head is simply your elder."
The name of the Mejiro family head had gained immense prestige after achieving three consecutive Tenno Sho spring and autumn wins. Thinking Dream Weaver might be nervous due to rumors she'd heard, Mejiro Ramonu sought to reassure her.
However, Dream Weaver didn't seem as apprehensive as Mejiro Ramonu expected. Instead, she tilted her head curiously and said, "I thought you were the family head."
"My, my…"
Her words pleased Mejiro Ramonu greatly.
As the eldest daughter, chosen and trained since childhood as the heir apparent, hearing this from Dream Weaver made her feel her efforts had borne fruit.
"Your big sister is still in school, you know? I still need to study hard to prepare for succeeding as family head in the future."
"But your words make your big sister very happy."
Hearing this, Dream Weaver frowned in confusion and asked, "School? You mean specialized training for inheriting the family head position?"
"That's part of it, but mostly it's just the regular curriculum at Tracen Academy."
Seeing Mejiro Ramonu's inexplicably beaming face, Dream Weaver grew even more puzzled. She tilted her head and asked, "Tra...cen? You're still in school?"
Mejiro Ramonu's smile froze for an instant upon hearing this. Suppressing the unease in her heart, she forced a smile and continued, "I understand. Children often imagine their upperclassmen as being very mature, after all."
Dream Weaver said nothing, but her gaze was like that of someone looking at a strange, shameless older sister trying desperately to act young.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.