Nearl paid no heed to Ines Fujin's plea—this time, she was determined to teach Ines a lesson.
So even when the doctor arrived and forcibly carried Ines Fujin away on a stretcher, Ines's resentful gaze remained fixed on Nearl until she vanished from sight.
"Aren't you worried Ines might resent you? Using something like tattling—it's almost a childish trick."
Mejiro Ryan, forcing a smile, slowly approached from behind. The shadow of defeat hadn't yet lifted, but wallowing in self-pity wasn't her style.
Of course, the pain in her heart was truly immense, so much so that she urgently needed to confide in someone right now.
But family was out of the question—she had always been the strong, sunny one who encouraged her younger sisters. She simply couldn't face them to complain now.
So she instinctively drew closer to Nearl. Perhaps she told herself she just wanted to chat with this year's Derby champion, but in truth, she was seeking an outlet for her pent-up stress.
"No. Ines had already braced herself for this. Even without me, her trainer wouldn't have let it slide. She probably won't be able to avoid it at the hospital."
"Is that so…"
Ryan's voice suddenly trailed off. She racked her brain for something to say, but unexpectedly, Nearl spoke first.
"Does it hurt? This race?"
"Others might think so, but honestly, I have no complaints about this Derby. Both Ines and you, Nearl, won fair and square. All I feel is respect."
That was the truth. Though losing stung deeply, she felt no regret.
"I see. I understand now. The pain you feel, Ryan, probably isn't about others—it's disappointment in yourself. Do you feel you've let down the family's honor? Or that you didn't work hard enough?"
"…"
Mejiro Ryan fell silent. Nearl's words were blunt, almost brutally so, yet they perfectly captured what was in her heart.
In this Japanese Derby, she had only placed fourth—a relatively good result.
Many Uma Musume who competed struggled to even rank, let alone contend with Nearl, whose presence was like a force of nature.
The gap in ability was so vast that no one would consider fourth place weak.
But she couldn't think that way herself. To settle for such a mindset would be the end.
Right now, she was the hope of the entire Mejiro main family.
Ardan was frail; Bright and Dober still had a while before fully maturing; McQueen had already begun competing, but her results remained uncertain.
For now, the reputation and glory of the Mejiro family rested on her shoulders alone. Whether she could uphold—or even just maintain—the Mejiro name on the track was an arduous task.
"Ever since I started training, my trainer, my sisters, everyone praised my strong talent. My debut went smoothly, my progress felt natural, so naturally, they all believed I'd win when I officially stepped onto the track. That's what my trainer and the others thought."
Here, Ryan slumped down, seating herself on the very track where she had poured out her sweat.
"But it seems I couldn't do it. My performance today… I can't convince myself."
Watching the dejected Ryan, Nearl loosened her skirt and half-cape, then sat down beside her. Her pristine white racing silks spread over the grass like a soft white cloud.
"Because I won again?"
"Nearl, you're cracking jokes now too."
Ryan shook her head.
"Losing to you isn't a blow. When the gap in ability is too wide, there's no room for jealousy. I'm sorry, but I never even saw you as a rival. Ah, I don't mean to look down on—"
"I understand what you mean."
"Thank you."
Her throat tightened, complex thoughts turning into words, but Nearl's understanding gaze melted them all away. Ryan knew this was the other's way of caring.
"Ines Fujin. She's the rival in my heart. I don't know how she sees it, but that's how I feel. In our previous three races, our results were always close—we traded wins and losses."
"Losing to her was always possible; I don't doubt that. And I truly admire her. Her life has been difficult, yet she could match me, who received elite training from the Mejiro family since childhood."
"But this time was different. She became so strong, incredibly strong—far stronger than me. And I don't know why. It's like a thick wall has risen between us now."
"The reason, huh…" Nearl's voice drew out, as if carrying a different meaning. "Ryan, have you been training particularly hard lately?"
"A bit stricter than usual, yes. After all, the Japanese Derby is a major race—I couldn't afford to slack off."
"Then can you recall what drives you to train?"
"?"
Puzzled, Ryan turned her head. She didn't see the point of such a question.
"Of course it's to win! Everyone is watching me, and I want to live up to their expectations."
"That's it."
Nearl had found what she wanted to know. She rose from the ground, pulling Ryan up with her.
"That's the difference between you and Ines."
"You mean she's carefree while I'm under too much pressure? That could certainly be a reason."
Ryan mistakenly thought she had figured it out, nodding solemnly, but her assumption was quickly dismissed.
"No. The pressures Ines and you bear may differ, but one isn't lighter or heavier than the other. As for the answer to that question, I believe Ardan would understand. You can ask her when you go back."
With that, Nearl turned to leave. She still had many things to attend to; being able to chat with Ryan for this long had already cut into her schedule.
"Ardan knows the answer?"
Holding onto this puzzle, Ryan headed back. The upcoming Winner's Stage would be Nearl's solo performance, and she wasn't in the mood to be part of the audience.
As for Nearl, she found herself ambushed at the resting room.
"Nearl! Come out, you have to come out now!"
Tachyon frantically knocked on the door, her urgency so palpable it made those nearby step back. Even Symboli Rudolf couldn't stand by and moved to stop her.
"Calm down, Agnes Tachyon. This will cause a scene."
"Who cares! What Nearl showed is what matters most!"
With that, Tachyon continued pounding on the door until Nearl appeared from the side corridor.
"Were you all waiting for me?"
"Nearl!"
Seeing Nearl, both Tachyon and the Emperor wore identical expressions—a burning desire to know something. But neither was quicker than a certain little figure.
Tokai Teio dashed forward, her small frame throwing itself into Nearl's arms.
Lifted up in the embrace, the little one raised her adorable head, eyes shining like stars.
"So amazing, truly amazing! As expected of Teio-sama's friend!"
As she spoke, her small hands reached out to touch Nearl's racing silks, especially the half-cape, which Teio couldn't get enough of.
In that moment, the design of the racing silks Teio had long dreamed of in her heart underwent a subtle change.
For instance, the small cape she originally wanted—modeled after the Emperor's—was quickly being replaced in her mind by Nearl's version: broad, reaching between the knees, and full of grandeur.
--+--
T/N: 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.