After stepping out of the black sedan, jiro Ramonu pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling unwell. The mountain road, left unmaintained for who knew how many years, had been so bumpy that even a champion Uma Musu like her—who'd won the Triple Tiara—felt a little dizzy.
She took a deep breath, then turned to the driver up front.
"Remind to compensate the people who ca here before," she said.
The driver, a steady man from the jiro family who had just opened the car door for her, gave a calm nod. "Young mistress, would you like to accompany you? I've been here several tis with my colleagues before—it might be of so help."
"No need. Past failures have already proven that won't work."
"Let speak with her alone."
"After all… by blood, I am her elder sister."
With a wave of her hand, jiro Ramonu motioned for the driver to stay where he was, then lifted her gaze toward what lay ahead.
In the depths of the mountain in late winter, not a trace of life could be sensed. Once snow buried the world, even the air she breathed turned bitingly cold.
As her eyes fell upon the dilapidated Western-style mansion half-buried under a blanket of white, she couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.
She lives in a place like this?
Having grown up in the privileged environnt of the jiro family, jiro Ramonu simply couldn't comprehend how anyone could live here. What was the difference between living in a place like this and surviving in the wilderness?
"I really must bring that child away from here… even if it takes force," jiro Ramonu murmured under her breath, staring at the old, drafty mansion.
Over a month ago, her grandmother, jiro Asama, had begun sending people here, trying to bring back the jiro bloodline that had been left outside the family. But no matter how many tis they ca, the Uma Musu dwelling deep in the mountains stubbornly refused to leave.
As the most responsible of the younger generation and a candidate to succeed as family head, jiro Ramonu had been entrusted with this important task—to personally bring the Uma Musu nad Northern Dreams back to the jiro household.
Though once she returns, her na will probably beco jiro Dreams, she thought, trudging with difficulty through the deep snow.
Before being assigned this mission, even she—a candidate to lead the jiro family—had been completely unaware that Northern Dreams carried jiro blood.
Grandmother jiro Asama seed to have wanted to keep it hidden. It was only because no one else had succeeded in bringing Northern Dreams back that she finally entrusted the task to jiro Ramonu.
And Ramonu hadn't delayed. Using the resources at her disposal, she imdiately began investigating Northern Dreams.
"The Uma Musu who won the Kikuka-shō by a staggering five lengths, defeating the 'Shadow Roll Monster.' So powerful that she was selected to compete in the Arima Kinen."
"But just as everyone was eagerly awaiting her second showdown with Narita Brian, she suddenly broke her promise and vanished—just like after her debut race."
Recalling the information she'd gathered, jiro Ramonu pursed her lips.
Northern Dreams' victory in the Kikuka-shō had been controversial. Many of Narita Brian's staunch supporters refused to acknowledge the five-length margin, clinging instead to the argunts of a forr comntator—insisting Northern Dreams had rely caught Narita Brian off guard.
So even spun the comntator's demotion into a conspiracy, claiming on social dia that the established families were manipulating the horse racing world, forcibly propping up an Uma Musu from a noble house to snipe Narita Brian.
Their reasoning? The elite families didn't want a non-elite Uma Musu to win the Triple Crown.
The first ti she'd heard that absurd theory, jiro Ramonu had nearly laughed in anger. Since when did the great families wield that much power? And the idea that they could "lock down" the Triple Crown within their circles was even more ridiculous.
So far, there had only been four Triple Crown winners in total—since when did the families have the power to control who earned that honor?
But the tide of public opinion had already turned, and it was beyond jiro Ramonu's power to stop it.
Especially now that Narita Brian had just won the Arima Kinen by three lengths, triumphing over a field of powerful rivals. Unlike in her classic year, this ti her opponents included legendary Uma Musu who had already won G1 races.
Winning against such fierce competition had only boosted Narita Brian's popularity further—and in turn, the negative rumors surrounding Northern Dreams grew louder and more widespread.
The sa old argunt: if she could really defeat Narita Brian head-to-head, then why had she avoided a match during the classic races? And why skip the Arima Kinen?
To many spectators, this was clear proof that she lacked the confidence to beat Narita Brian.
But jiro Ramonu, a Triple Tiara winner herself, saw things differently. Even from race replays, she could clearly sense the gap between Northern Dreams and Narita Brian. And as a candidate to lead the jiro family, she knew far more than the average person.
There was only one reason Northern Dreams hadn't participated in the Arima Kinen: she was holding a funeral for her grandmother.
Here, in these remote mountains where no one ever visited, a promising Uma Musu had given up glory within her reach, choosing instead to shoulder the public's misunderstanding and scorn—all to lay to rest her last remaining family mber.
The thought made jiro Ramonu's hands clench into fists. That sa complex emotion she'd felt when first learning the truth welled up inside her once more.
How she wanted to stand before those reporters and rebuke the ignorant spectators—to condemn the sheer malice they'd poured out over a re war of words. Did they ever stop to think how much pressure their words could place on an Uma Musu?
Losing a loved one, missing out on glory… jiro Ramonu hardly dared imagine how much pain Dream Weaver must be carrying in her heart.
But as a scion of a great family, speaking out now would only make things worse.
So the only thing she could do was bring Dream Weaver back to the jiro family, hoping that the warmth of family and kin might comfort the young girl who had endured so much misfortune.
Firm in her resolve to bring Dream Weaver ho, jiro Ramonu finally reached the decrepit Western-style mansion. The snow-covered front door wasn't fully closed but stood slightly ajar.
Through the gap, she could see cobwebs and dust covering the main hall. Her sense of disbelief deepened.
For a mont, she wondered if the driver had taken a wrong turn. Could an Uma Musu really be living in a place like this?
But she quickly composed herself. Whether she was here or not, she had to go in and see. Frowning, jiro Ramonu pushed the door open and stepped inside.
-- --
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!
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