The aura radiating from Dream Weaver grew increasingly sharp, forcing Mejiro Ramonu to clench her jaw and tighten her grip.
She couldn't understand it—everything she had said was for Dream Weaver's own good, so why couldn't the younger girl treat her with the same openness she showed toward Ardan?
The true cause of Dream Weaver's mother's passing, the vow to conquer both the Spring and Autumn Tenno Sho—Ramonu had no mind to dwell on the hidden meanings in the girl's words now. All she wanted was to keep Dream Weaver here, within the Mejiro household.
Even if she had to force her.
As the future head of the Mejiro family, she could not stand by and watch a Uma Musume of Mejiro blood willingly walk into a desolate, icy winter.
Ramonu opened her mouth, ready to press down with a harsher tone, when the sound of soft footsteps came from behind.
A pair of warm, gentle hands settled over hers and Dream Weaver's, parting them with a soft but unyielding strength.
"Sister, must you be so stern? Is this how you act toward our other little sisters as well?"
Mejiro Ardan's voice caught Ramonu off guard, and the intense aura around her instantly faded.
"Dreams, she is your sister too. You mustn't say such hurtful things to family, alright?"
Dream Weaver gazed into a face nearly identical to her mother's in her youth. Even though she knew Ardan wasn't her, she couldn't help but soften her own aggressive aura.
"Good girl, good girl."
Ardan smiled and gently stroked Dream Weaver's hair. To Ramonu's astonishment, Dream Weaver didn't resist, staying perfectly still—a far cry from the tense standoff moments before.
Ramonu could only stare in disbelief. The same girl who had just been so defiant was now docile under Ardan's touch.
Seeing a chance to finally persuade Dream Weaver to stay, Ramonu narrowed her eyes, ready to speak—but Ardan caught her gaze and gave a slight, almost imperceptible shake of her head.
Once her sister had heeded the signal, Ardan gently took Dream Weaver's small hands and spoke in a soft, coaxing tone.
"Why are you so set on staying with the Northern family? Can you tell me?"
Dream Weaver tilted her head, a flicker of resistance in her eyes—but the moment she glimpsed Ardan's warm smile, it melted away.
"Because… Mother's portrait is there…"
"I want… to see her every day."
Hearing this, a pang of sorrow flashed in Ardan's eyes. She could feel the deep loneliness in those words. For Dream Weaver, gazing at that portrait might be the only way left to feel her mother's warmth.
Ardan's voice grew even gentler. She brushed Dream Weaver's hair and murmured, "What a good child you are."
"What if we brought the portrait here? Then you could see her every day too. And there are so many other things she left behind in this house."
When Dream Weaver's expression showed reluctance, Ardan paused in thought, then reached up and untied the red ribbon from her own hair, holding it out.
"Look, it's just like the one in your hair, isn't it?"
Dream Weaver pressed her lips together, then untied her own red ribbon and placed it beside Ardan's. They were indeed identical.
"So what…"
Noticing she had spoken up willingly, Ardan's smile grew even warmer.
"She bought these ribbons when she took me out to play, a long time ago. She bought two—one for herself, and one for me."
"Now, at last, they're together again."
Ardan couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion. Back when she used to follow Dream Weaver's mother around, her own memories were still hazy and young. Who would have thought she'd one day meet her old friend's daughter?
Bound by blood, connected by the past, and moved by pity for Dream Weaver's plight—Ardan's words grew ever more tender, like a soft rain soothing a heart that had hardened under pressure.
Dream Weaver stared silently at the two red ribbons now intertwined in her hand. She never imagined the ribbon her mother had given her would be linked to Ardan, too.
And from what Ardan said, she had spent a long time with Dream Weaver's mother. After her mother's passing, she had even lived in the same courtyard her mother once did. Through her, Dream Weaver might finally learn more about her mother's past.
She wouldn't have to cling only to lifeless objects anymore—here before her stood someone who had shared her mother's life.
Dream Weaver tightened her fingers around the ribbons and looked up at Ardan.
"You… also have Northern family blood, don't you?"
Though unsure why she asked, Ardan nodded with a soft smile.
Truth be told, she hadn't known about her Northern lineage until today. But it explained why Dream Weaver's mother had always been so kind to her, often taking her out to play.
Perhaps it was because they shared the blood of both Mejiro and Northern that she had felt so close.
"And… you've always lived here, right?"
"My mother lived here… and you, who also carry Northern blood, live here too."
Dream Weaver hesitated a moment, then spoke softly.
"So this place… is also a kind of Northern home…"
Ramonu's eyes lit up at her words, but before she could speak, Ardan stopped her with a look.
Ramonu was used to leading her younger sisters as the eldest. Though she cared deeply for them, when she felt a line had been crossed, she could be stern and unyielding.
But that approach didn't work with Dream Weaver. Unlike the other Mejiro Uma Musume who were accustomed to her authority, Dream Weaver had forged an unbreakable spirit in the heat of competition.
The stricter Ramonu was, the more fiercely Dream Weaver resisted—which was how they had reached their earlier impasse.
Their personalities were like fire and flame, bound to clash. So Ardan quieted her sister, allowing Dream Weaver to voice her choice herself.
"And… you have to bring Mother's portrait here."
Looking at the girl quietly yielding before her, Ardan's face bloomed into a tender smile. She stroked Dream Weaver's smooth dark hair and replied,
"Of course. I am your sister, after all."
"How could I ever refuse my little sister's wish?"
--+--
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.