After rushing out of the room, Dream Weaver darted around the Western-style mansion like a headless fly. Her unpleasant encounter with the head of the Mejiro family had left her so flustered that she even forgot the way she'd come in.
What made it worse was the uniform decor—every hallway looked exactly the same, making it impossible for her to tell whether she'd already passed through an area or not.
The entire Mejiro estate felt like a maze, firmly trapping her footsteps in its twists and turns.
Growing increasingly frustrated, Dream Weaver turned her gaze toward a corridor window and muttered under her breath,
"Why is the Mejiro house built like a demon king's castle? Do I have to defeat some Four Heavenly Kings just to get out of here?"
As she spoke, she strode quickly to the window and leaned out to check the height.
That's right—if she couldn't find her way, why not just jump out? It wasn't like this was some kind of real labyrinth. Once she got outside, finding the main gate would be easy enough.
After all, she was an Uma Musume—a little jump like this would be no trouble at all!
But just as Dream Weaver placed her hands on the windowsill, ready to make her escape, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly called out from the other end of the hallway.
"Miss Dreams…? So you've returned to the Mejiro family after all."
Caught red-handed, Dream Weaver awkwardly pulled her hands back, brushed them off against her clothes a couple of times for show, and finally turned to face the speaker.
"What… were you about to do just now?"
The middle-aged man she'd met once before stood there wearing a white lab coat, looking genuinely surprised.
In her mind, if no one saw you, it didn't matter how outrageous your actions were.
But now that she'd been spotted by an acquaintance, the embarrassment that had clouded her judgment quickly gave way to common sense. She cleared her throat lightly, glanced at his attire, and swiftly changed the subject.
"So you really are a doctor, huh? I thought you might be some kind of pharmaceutical researcher."
"As a retainer of the Mejiro family, one must be knowledgeable in many areas. It may sound a bit boastful, but I've actually earned dual doctorates—one in Biomedical Engineering, and another in Clinical Medicine!"
Rather than picking up on her attempt to dodge the question, the man stood up straight, adjusted his collar, and replied with complete seriousness.
His usually stiff, expressionless face even lit up with a hint of pride.
It was clear he took great pride in his double doctorate—no doubt he seized every opportunity to mention it, just like today.
"Dual medical doctorates… that's really impressive."
Dream Weaver was genuinely surprised. Before she'd entered the racing world, her biggest goal had been to get into a decent university and find a good job. The idea of a doctorate felt worlds away.
Her astonishment only seemed to boost the man's pride. Though his face remained stoic, inwardly he was cheering—after all, chances to show off like this in front of a young lady of the Mejiro household didn't come often.
"But… if you're that accomplished, why become a retainer for the Mejiro family?"
"Wouldn't you have better options? Whether it's working as a doctor at a university hospital or joining an international pharmaceutical firm as a researcher, those paths seem far more rewarding in both fame and fortune than staying here as a retainer."
Dream Weaver couldn't understand why he would give up so many promising opportunities to remain here in relative obscurity.
Even if he loved Uma Musume races, he could have applied to be a doctor for the Japan Racing Association.
The man seemed taken aback by her question, as though he hadn't expected a Mejiro daughter to ask something like that.
He paused thoughtfully before answering.
"For one, the Mejiro family has considerable influence in medical circles. Serving as a retainer here isn't just about treating the young ladies—it also allows me to make strides in the medical field."
"And secondly… it's also a matter of personal history with the Mejiro family."
"When I was about your age, a friend dragged me along to the racetrack. There, I witnessed a radiance unlike anything I'd ever seen. The Uma Musume who gave me that light… also carried the blood of the Mejiro family."
As he reminisced, his calm, still waters of a gaze gradually warmed. For him, that memory seemed to hold even greater importance than his two doctorates.
But Dream Weaver wasn't thinking that deeply. If she had to dig into everyone's secrets, life would be exhausting. Her reason for stopping to talk wasn't just to throw him off her trail—more importantly, she wanted to build rapport.
And then, find out what she needed from him.
That's right—though she'd been startled at first, the moment she calmed down, Dream Weaver recognized this man's value.
A high-caliber talent with dual doctorates would undoubtedly hold a significant position within the Mejiro family. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been the one sent to deliver the limiter to the Northern family that day.
So he must be familiar with the Mejiro estate—and might even know where her mother had stayed when she lived here.
Yes. If the head of the Mejiro family refused to tell her the truth, she'd just have to find out on her own.
Anything was better than slinking back to that office to ask Mejiro Ramonu for directions.
What's more, this man might even tell her what the family head was hiding—like where Mejiro Asama was now.
Having made up her mind, Dream Weaver nodded and asked as though it were nothing:
"That's quite a remarkable connection. Then you must know a lot about the Mejiro family's history."
Hearing that, the man immediately puffed out his chest and confidently replied, "Of course."
"Then… do you know of an Uma Musume named Mejiro Asama?"
After she spoke, the man froze for a moment. An unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes before he shook his head and said, "No, I'm not very familiar with that name."
"Is that so…"
Dream Weaver felt a pang of disappointment.
She hadn't expected someone like him to also have no information about Mejiro Asama. Could it be that her existence was some kind of secret within the Mejiro family? That would explain why the family head had refused to say anything earlier.
Before she could say anything else, the man spoke up first:
"By the way, is there something you needed here? This building is generally used for office work and family gatherings—most of the young ladies don't come here."
"Could it be…"
Under his suspicious gaze, Dream Weaver instinctively glanced back at the open window behind her, ready to leap out at any moment.
"Have you… gotten lost?"
--+--
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.