"What about the Mejiro family? Ardan is their Uma Musume, isn't she?! How can they just stand by and do nothing when one of their own is going through this?!"
Hearing Zaizen Shuuji's words, Dream Weaver clenched her teeth and growled under her breath.
But Zaizen Shuuji just shook his head again, a look of helplessness on his face.
"For the Northern family, the limiter represents hope to break the bloodline's curse, so naturally, they invested a huge amount of funds. But for the Mejiro family, it's different. They don't expect Miss Ardan to achieve dazzling results on the track. They just want her to live a safe and healthy life."
"And besides, glass legs aren't as fatal as a curse. With proper rest and avoiding running, she'd be fine."
"When it comes down to it, life is more important than dreams."
Dream Weaver's fingernails nearly pierced her skin. Her mind raced frantically through all possibilities as she asked another question.
"Then when the limiter was being developed before, wasn't Ardan considered?!"
"Because the vast majority of the funding was provided by the Northern family, we had to respect the family head's wishes, making your limiter, Miss Dreams, the primary objective."
"By the time it was finally completed, Miss Ardan had long since retired from racing. Everyone assumed she no longer needed a limiter by then."
Hearing this, Dream Weaver finally let her hands fall limply.
What could she say? Her grandmother had exhausted her entire life trying to sever the Northern family's curse, so of course, developing Dream Weaver's limiter had to be the top priority.
And back then, Mejiro Asama was still drowning in past regrets, single-mindedly intent on leaving all assets to Dream Weaver. How could she have had the energy to consider what Mejiro Ardan, who had already left the track, might have wanted?
In the end, because of the death of Dream Weaver's mother, while the current Mejiro family still valued the Tenno Sho highly, the lives of their own Uma Musume had become even more important.
If glass legs could be managed with proper care without major issues, what reason was there to let Mejiro Ardan set foot on the track again? What if something went wrong with the limiter?
And the ever-dutiful Mejiro Ardan naturally couldn't refuse this kindness from her family elders. Yes, it was kindness, after all; everyone was concerned for her safety.
Once locked away in that estate, Mejiro Ardan would be safe from harm.
This shackle, named 'love', firmly bound both her body and her dreams of the racetrack, leaving no room for struggle.
"...Ardan is in the room up ahead, right?"
Zaizen Shuuji watched Dream Weaver, who had suddenly become very calm, silently adjusted his glasses, and nodded.
Dream Weaver said nothing more. She walked around the doctor and quickly headed towards Mejiro Ardan's hospital room.
In the silent hallway, only the sound of her hurried footsteps remained. When Dream Weaver entered the room, Mejiro Ardan, who had already heard the footsteps, looked over in surprise.
"Dreams?! How did you know I was here?!"
She flusteredly tried to tidy her messy hair a bit, then hid her plaster-casted right leg further under the blankets before offering an embarrassed smile.
"I did a little extra training at home after practice a couple of days ago, so I ended up with a minor injury."
"But it's nothing! This kind of injury heals really quickly."
"Once I'm better, let's train together again! For my Dream Cup, and for your Autumn Tenno Sho!"
As she spoke, she raised an arm, flexing playfully as if showing off her muscles to prove she was perfectly fine.
Dream Weaver walked silently to Mejiro Ardan's bedside. She looked intently into Ardan's purple eyes and asked seriously, "...Ardan, why do you love running?"
Unaware that Dream Weaver now knew the whole truth about her glass legs, Mejiro Ardan noticed nothing unusual. She tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then answered.
"Probably because... it feels so free when the wind hits you?"
"Free?"
Mejiro Ardan smiled and nodded. Gazing at the white ceiling, she reminisced.
"Your mother told me something like that when I was little."
"I think she really yearned for the feeling of running freely. When I asked her what freedom was, she just picked me up, put me on her back, and started running."
Recalling the wind that had tousled her hair in her youth, Ardan's expression unconsciously softened. She reached out her right hand as if trying to catch that wisp of breeze from the past.
"The wind messes up your hair completely. When the strands brush against your cheeks, it feels slightly... how should I put it... a strange, ticklish sensation."
"It's different from the annoying itch of a mosquito bite. The tickle from the wind feels like it's teasing your heart, carrying a scent of happiness."
For Mejiro Ardan, who had been diagnosed with glass legs since childhood and was carefully guarded by the Mejiro family, afraid of any mishap, that childhood run was her first taste of true freedom.
"Everyone in the Mejiro family is so kind. They often come to play with me and tell me interesting stories. When they learned I wanted to return to the track, they shared their own racing experiences with me."
As she spoke, Mejiro Ardan's eyes were soft. She could genuinely feel her family's love for her. But her gaze remained lowered, always fixed on her legs buried beneath the blankets.
"But... compared to sitting and waiting, waiting for everyone to bring back their stories, I'd rather create my own. I still want to feel that wind flowing through my hair myself."
"The racetrack... it makes me feel like I've truly become myself. Not Mejiro's Ardan, just... Ardan."
At this, Mejiro Ardan gave a somewhat embarrassed laugh.
She twisted a strand of her hair, a little shy, and said to Dream Weaver, "I've said a lot of strange, hard-to-understand things, haven't I? You must be completely confused by my rambling."
"Just treat it as me being selfi—"
Before she could finish, Dream Weaver grasped her hand.
"I think this version of Ardan is just fine. I really like this Ardan."
The more Mejiro Ardan yearned for the feel of the wind while running, the more profound her desolation must have been when she was forced to leave the track. After hearing her words, Dream Weaver completely understood why she was so fixated on running.
There are just some things in this world you have to pursue, even if it means risking your life.
Dream Weaver wholeheartedly agreed with Mejiro Ardan's feelings. And so, right then, a resolution quietly took root in her heart.
She would make it so Ardan could set foot on the track without having to risk her life. She wanted to let her hear the sound of the wind on the racetrack once more.
--+--
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.