Dream Weaver had initially planned to leave with Oguri Cap, but it seemed her appetite had returned midway through the meal, so she ended up staying at Tamamo Cross's place to eat a little more. By the time she finally said her goodbyes, Dream Weaver could've sworn she saw a cold sweat beading on Tamamo Cross's forehead.
'Wish her luck,' she thought.
Dream Weaver silently sent a prayer Tamamo Cross's way.
After stepping out of the restaurant and walking for a bit, Dream Weaver suddenly came to a halt. She glanced around, a little lost, taking in the bustling crowds around her. For a moment, she had no idea where to go.
Most of her recent interviews and ads were done, and she'd already bought her ticket back to Kasamatsu. There wasn't really anything left for her to do in Tokyo, but since she'd made the trip all the way out here, she didn't feel like just killing time back at the dorm.
So where should she go?
Dream Weaver rested her chin in her hand, thinking. Soon enough, she remembered how Nanno Sumire and the others always seemed fascinated by the latest city trends—sometimes on their days off, they'd even take the train out to Gifu just to explore.
Maybe she could pick up some Tokyo souvenirs for them—things like cosmetics or magazines that you couldn't find back in Kasamatsu.
Once she had a goal in mind, Dream Weaver felt a surge of motivation and was just about to set off when it hit her: she had absolutely no idea where to buy that kind of stuff.
In her real life, Dream Weaver never had the spare cash to pay attention to those things. Back in the first scripted world, King Halo and Dancing Brave would occasionally bring her what looked like expensive little gifts, but she'd never looked into them closely herself.
Now here she was, having lived in Tokyo for so long, yet still clueless about where to even buy makeup. She couldn't exactly admit that out loud.
Just as Dream Weaver was about to pull out her phone and search on the spot, a familiar voice sounded from behind her.
"What are you doing here?"
From the bossy tone alone, Dream Weaver knew who it was before even turning around. There was only one person in her circle who talked like that.
She turned, and sure enough, it was Orfevre.
Today, Orfevre was wearing an elegant red suit, though she hadn't put it on properly—instead, it was draped over her shoulders, revealing a light gray shirt underneath and a gold accessory pinned to the vest on her chest.
Before Dream Weaver could even respond, Orfevre looked her up and down and, for some reason, sounded annoyed as she said, "You went out dressed like that?!"
Hearing that, Dream Weaver instinctively looked down at herself. She was wearing the black-and-white tracksuit she'd brought from Kasamatsu. It looked a little worn, sure, but it wasn't stained or torn—it should be fine, right?
Without overthinking it, she replied naturally, "What's wrong with it?"
Seeing Dream Weaver's clueless expression, Orfevre looked like she'd heard something unbelievable. Frowning, she didn't say another word—just grabbed Dream Weaver's hand and started pulling her along.
Dream Weaver instinctively tried to shake her off.
After all, she'd been dragged around by others before, but those times it was either by King Halo or Oguri Cap—one was her big sister from the scripted world, the other a living legend she'd long admired. Though it startled her, she never really resisted.
But what right did Orfevre have to drag her around like this? They'd only met once, and that was as rivals, as opponents.
If not for this chance encounter, their next meeting would've been at the Japan Derby.
What reason did Dream Weaver have to let Orfevre pull her along to who-knows-where?
But just as Dream Weaver was about to firmly refuse, her intuition picked up on something off.
Orfevre's tone and actions seemed as domineering as always, but Dream Weaver couldn't shake the feeling that the emotions behind them were different this time.
If the old Orfevre had carried the arrogance of a monarch, her forceful tone like giving orders to a subject, then this Orfevre dragging her along now somehow reminded her more of Gold Ship—like a child prone to acting spoiled, unconsciously doing something willful toward someone she felt close to.
But why?
Why did Orfevre give off that vibe? Even if her mindset had regressed to that of her younger self these past few days, why would she see Dream Weaver as someone that close?
Puzzled, Dream Weaver didn't immediately pull her hand away. Instead, she tried speaking to Orfevre in a gentle tone, like she would to a child. "Not sure what you're up to, but I still need to pick up some Tokyo souvenirs for my friends. Whatever it is, make it quick, okay?"
Hearing that, Orfevre didn't look back but replied, "What are you getting them?"
"Huh? Cosmetics, Uma Musume gear magazines, maybe a couple of robot model kits?"
"Got it."
Got what?
Before Dream Weaver could ask, she realized Orfevre had already dragged her into what looked like a high-end boutique. A well-dressed middle-aged woman spotted them and hurried over respectfully. "Miss Orfevre?"
"Get this one an outfit that suits her level."
Before Dream Weaver could process what was happening, Orfevre had handed her off to the woman, who put on a pair of glasses hanging from her neck and looked Dream Weaver up and down.
"You must be Miss Dream Weaver."
Facing that piercing gaze that seemed to see right through her, Dream Weaver forced a smile and replied wearily, "Sometimes I wish I weren't. Like right now, for instance."
"You're quite humorous."
"You gotta have a sense of humor if you want to be popular with the kids. What about you? Doesn't acting all formal like this turn you into one of those boring adults?"
Orfevre's impeccably styled outfit showed she had an eye for fashion, and the fact that she'd brought Dream Weaver here made her suspect this woman wasn't just some employee of the Gold Family.
At the very least, given how familiar Orfevre seemed with the place, this woman must have known her for a long time.
If even someone like Dream Weaver, who'd only met Orfevre once, could tell something was off, how could someone who spent every day with her not notice?
Sure enough, at Dream Weaver's probing words, the woman's eyes sharpened instantly, but she quickly softened her gaze and replied flatly, "Miss Orfevre… is the pride of the Gold Family. A retainer like me need only watch over her quietly."
"A retainer, huh? No wonder she acts like she's royalty. Aside from family, everyone around her is just a subject, right?"
Dream Weaver clearly saw the woman's body stiffen unnaturally at those words.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, 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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If you guys wanna check it out.