The celebration was much smaller than Twilight Song had anticipated.
But honestly, this was more of a relief than a disappointment. After her initial surprise, Twilight Song found herself feeling grateful.
If they had thrown a party resembling an extravagant noble banquet, that would've been an absolute nightmare.
At least, it would've been unbearable for Twilight Song.
In reality, there were just a few people present: Twilight Song herself, Mejiro Ardan—who, for some reason, stayed close by her side—Mejiro Ramonu, who'd brought her downstairs, and the elderly head of the household, Old Mejiro.
And then there was…
A young filly with soft lavender hair, who kept curiously peeking at Twilight Song.
Indeed, she was the type Twilight Song herself could comfortably call a "little filly."
Specifically, she was slightly shorter even than Twilight Song's own modest height.
Given the current timeline, there weren't many possibilities as to who this little filly from the Mejiro household might be.
As for this one…
I think, perhaps, probably… this might be Mejiro McQueen.
Oh, little girl, your appetite is truly endless.
Twilight Song shut her eyes, silently remaining in her seat, providing only the bare minimum of social presence.
It was true that she was the main star of the debut celebration; that's precisely why she'd obediently come downstairs.
The Mejiro household had specifically prepared this gathering for her, so naturally she had to appear, no matter what.
As for the other social interactions afterward…
She'd avoid them entirely.
Sorry, Mejiro family. Your kindness is wonderful, but right now Twilight Song has no idea how to respond.
Thus, under everyone's tacit understanding and gentle care, Twilight Song managed to get through the entire meal without uttering a single word.
Once she had eaten her fill and waited the minimum acceptable time, the white-haired Uma Musume stood up, visibly relieved, and excused herself.
Of course, no one voiced objections or made any remarks she didn't want to hear.
And so, the newly debuted filly quickly vanished like a white breeze at the top of the staircase.
Unexpectedly, the strongest reaction—or rather, the one who triggered the biggest follow-up—came from Mejiro Ramonu, who seemed entirely indifferent at first glance.
"And here I was worried that I'd scared that girl into silence. She didn't speak a single word today either."
Mejiro Ardan put down her teacup, looking thoughtfully at her older sister.
"I heard her speak, actually."
"Hm? Really?"
"At the racetrack earlier today, she did say something."
Mejiro Ramonu withdrew her gaze, watching her younger sister with intrigued eyes, clearly waiting for elaboration.
"There's nothing much to say, really. She just seemed startled… or perhaps uncomfortable with having someone stand too close."
Mejiro Ramonu casually picked up her cup again, gently sliding a slice of cake over toward McQueen, whose eyes immediately lit up in delight.
"So, you're saying you got close to her? How close, exactly?"
Instead of answering directly, Ardan looked thoughtfully at Old Mejiro, who had quietly risen to leave the table for some reason.
"Not especially close—just holding hands."
"Ah, holding hands already this afternoon, hmm? How surprising."
Ardan had the strange sense her sister's words carried some odd implication, but she simply nodded, acknowledging the question.
After all, it was true, and there was no reason to deny it.
Besides, Twilight Song had even spoken—though only a single sentence.
This was another fact neither sister brought up directly.
Mejiro Ramonu lowered her eyes thoughtfully, then leaned closer to whisper something softly into McQueen's ear.
"McQueen, could you go check on your big sister Ruka? Don't worry—just tell her this…"
Ardan watched curiously as Ramonu quietly whispered to McQueen.
Did her sister really care that deeply about Twilight Song?
Probably not—not yet, at least.
Ardan understood Ramonu quite well. More than concern for Twilight herself, Ramonu's interest seemed more rooted in something else…
When will Twilight Song acknowledge her openly?
In reality, Ramonu's true interest lay more in getting validation from that quiet girl.
It was only a guess, without solid evidence or logic, but Ardan felt quite certain.
Little McQueen dashed away, her footsteps quickly fading upstairs. With the child gone, it was now a moment between adults.
Mejiro Ramonu rose, moved to McQueen's vacated seat, and turned her attention fully onto Ardan.
There was no tension or hostility between the two—only Ramonu calmly organizing her thoughts, as if preparing to exchange valuable information.
"Little Ruka's room was extremely clean. Honestly, too clean—almost like no one lives there."
Ardan had noticed this as well. Frankly, it was impossible not to notice.
"And it's not as if she's uncomfortable at home. In fact, given how long she spends locked inside her room, shouldn't there be clear signs of someone living there?"
"Locked inside" hardly described Twilight Song's behavior adequately.
Since moving into Mejiro Manor a week ago, aside from morning jogs and afternoon basic training, she'd remained sealed inside her room without exception, not engaging in any other activities.
Yet despite that, her room was impeccably clean, with absolutely no signs of habitation, which was undeniably abnormal.
"I also took a quick look through the books in her room. None had any indication of frequent use."
Marks, notes, or casual scribbles?
Forget those—there weren't even the usual minor creases or tiny signs of handling that naturally occur from regular reading.
Those books had simply been resting untouched on the shelves all week.
"She's hiding something. Or rather, she's got a major secret she's keeping from us—but why?"
Could she simply not bring herself to speak about it?
That was plausible. Twilight Song truly seemed like a quiet, reserved child. At least, Ramonu felt that way.
But Ardan gently shook her head, denying her sister's interpretation.
"No, it's not like that."
"Then why?"
"That child… I think she's silently calling for help? Well, I don't quite know how to describe it. But she's deliberately avoiding communicating with us."
"So, you're saying it's something she can't say aloud."
Mejiro Ramonu felt perplexed. What kind of secret couldn't Twilight Song share with them?
If it involved outsiders, the Mejiro family could handle practically anything. That meant it was something involving Twilight herself—something deeply personal?
"I'll keep an eye on her," Ardan said gently. "You must be quite busy every day, Sister."
It was a subtle suggestion. As a future family leader, Ramonu wasn't exactly swimming in free time.
Yet the playful, mysterious dark-coated Uma Musume shook her head.
"I'm not letting you have all the fun uncovering Little Ruka's secret on your own. And besides, we have a secret weapon."
"A secret weapon?"
"Yes. A secret weapon that's about to deliver results any minute now."