Staring into Dream Weaver's expressive, almost speaking eyes, Mejiro Ramonu's smile grew increasingly stiff; she could even feel her own face flushing slightly.
"Do I need to show you my student ID?"
Mejiro Ramonu spoke through gritted teeth. She'd always known her aura was different from the other students, and there was plenty of gossip at Tracen Academy about it—though most didn't dare say it to her face.
Dream Weaver was the first to point it out so bluntly, and what's more, Ramonu couldn't even retaliate harshly. In her eyes, Dream Weaver was like some kind of natural counter.
"No need."
But Dream Weaver didn't press further. She hadn't meant to provoke Mejiro Ramonu intentionally—it's just that, given her mature presence, the idea of her still being a student felt a little unbelievable.
Then again, she recalled another mature Uma Musume at Tracen—Symboli Rudolf. Maybe some Uma Musume are just born more grown-up than others.
Just like how some are naturally more childish. Who would've guessed that Tokai Teio and Dream Weaver were in the same year, if nobody pointed it out?
Watching Dream Weaver's distant gaze, clearly not taking her seriously, Mejiro Ramonu could only take a deep breath and repeat inwardly, She just doesn't know any better, she just doesn't know any better.
After living so long in that kind of environment, it's only natural she'd be a bit out of touch with people's feelings, Ramonu told herself.
What she didn't realize, though, was that Dream Weaver wasn't ignorant of human emotions—she simply didn't care. Since she never intended to build close relationships this time, she saw no reason not to speak her mind freely.
Winning races was her real goal, not getting along with everyone else.
After hearing her grandmother's final whispers and learning how her mother had pushed herself to the limit for the glory of the Tenno Sho spring and autumn double and the Northern family's honor, Dream Weaver had resolved to restore her family's prestige in this scripted world.
As for what others thought of her—she truly didn't mind.
Silence fell once more inside the car. Mejiro Ramonu was unsure how to interact with Dream Weaver, and Dream Weaver herself simply remained quiet since no one addressed her.
Amid the quiet, the driver soon brought the black sedan into a lavish, sprawling estate. A luxurious red carpet had been laid out from the gate all the way to the Western-style mansion at the center, where an elderly butler in formal attire stood with a row of servants lined up on either side, respectfully watching as the car slowly entered the Mejiro residence.
Mejiro Ramonu expected Dream Weaver to show at least some surprise at such a display, but to her astonishment, Dream Weaver stepped out of the car without a flicker of emotion, meeting everyone's gaze head-on.
Watching her back, Mejiro Ramonu narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing. She too got out and led Dream Weaver past the bowing staff toward the mansion.
Still, no words passed between them along the way. Ramonu kept observing Dream Weaver, hoping to catch a hint of astonishment in her eyes, but even as they reached the family head's office, her expression hadn't changed in the slightest.
"You're far stronger than I imagined."
Mejiro Ramonu paused with her hand on the doorknob, speaking ambiguously to Dream Weaver. Without waiting for a reply, she pushed the door open.
Inside, a figure who had been gazing out the window with her back to the door turned at the sound. An elderly woman with a crisp white bob and a green beret studied Dream Weaver's impassive face, her eyes lingering thoughtfully for a long moment.
"So much like her… especially those stubborn eyes."
Dream Weaver didn't catch her soft murmur. Instead, she took a step forward and spoke.
"There's something I want to ask you. About my mother."
Her reason for coming here with Mejiro Ramonu was to learn more about her mother's past. Rather than gleaning clues from inanimate objects, asking someone who had witnessed her mother's growth—an elder of the Mejiro family—would be far more illuminating.
"And… about an Uma Musume named Mejiro Asama."
From her grandmother's tone, she could infer that this Mejiro Asama seemed to still be alive. Dream Weaver wanted to confront her directly and demand why she had said those things to her mother back then.
Hearing her words, the woman in the green beret instinctively adjusted her brim and replied softly,
"Dream Weaver, there's no need to rush."
"Haven't you already equipped the limiter? There's still time. Everything you wish to know will become clear one day."
Though Dream Weaver didn't understand why the head of the Mejiro family wasn't an Uma Musume herself, her goal remained unchanged.
She took another step forward, unwavering.
"Is it that I, as her daughter, have no right to know about my mother's past? Or is that Uma Musume, Mejiro Asama, deliberately avoiding me?!"
The family head sighed deeply. She looked at Dream Weaver with an expression the younger girl couldn't decipher but offered no further reply. Instead, she waved a hand toward Mejiro Ramonu.
"Ramonu, Dream Weaver must be tired after returning from that rough mountain road. Let her rest first in the room her mother used to live in."
"I just want the truth!"
Seeing she was being ignored, Dream Weaver took another step forward. The information her grandmother left behind was too sparse—she wanted to know more about her mother.
But just as she moved closer to the family head, Mejiro Ramonu, who had been standing beside her, suddenly held her back. Her slightly narrowed eyes held a rare sternness as she looked at Dream Weaver.
"Dream Weaver, show respect to the family head."
Seeing that neither of them was willing to talk, Dream Weaver gritted her teeth, shook off Mejiro Ramonu's grip, turned, and pushed through the door on her own.
As Dream Weaver rushed off, the family head sighed and said to Mejiro Ramonu,
"It seems I've earned her dislike. My apologies, Ramonu—I've dragged you into this."
Only then did Mejiro Ramonu turn her gaze from where Dream Weaver had left. She looked at the head of the family, whom she had always admired, but the severity in her eyes didn't fade—instead, it intensified.
"Just what have you been hiding from me?"
"Her behavior isn't as simple as you made it out to be, is it?!"
The family head across from her remained silent for a long while before finally replying in a low, resigned voice,
"It's just some old matters left behind by the older generation."
"Then why didn't you just say so earlier?"
Mejiro Ramonu stared fixedly at the other's green beret, her tone icy.
"Mejiro… Grandmother Asama."
--+--
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.