From that strange dream to today's investigation and stakeout, even the half-true words at the dinner table—all of it was just a prelude for Isami Mai to say this one sentence.
After accepting the dream, she had already come to see Celestial Weave as her own daughter. She could not accept her daughter living in such a shabby place, racing just to afford medical bills, and letting injuries affect her. Otherwise, the tragic ending of the dream might happen again.
She would absolutely not allow that ending. So, she would take care of her in her mother's place. In her eyes, she was still a child. No matter how capable she was, she shouldn't have to bear such a heavy future.
Holding her hands, Isami Mai could feel the sweat from her own nervousness. This world-class horse girl, who had seen the vastness of the world, was still anxious about her response. But there was nothing shameful about it. This was proof of her love for her. Because she loved her, she would look forward to her answer. Because she loved her, she would be anxious about the answer, and afraid of hurting her.
As if sensing this love, Celestial Weave, who had been led by her words, suddenly squeezed her hands back. "To be able to transfer the concern for a close friend to her daughter."
"Even though we've never met, to be able to make a vow to take on another person's life."
Having personally shouldered her mother's life, she naturally understood the weight of these words. She believed that Isami Mai, who had been in society for many years, would know it too. But she could still say it, which made her very happy.
On the one hand, her character made her feel that she hadn't misjudged her; she was still the excellent mother in her heart. On the other hand, to know that her mother had such a close friend who would even spend time, energy, and money to take care of her child, she was truly happy for her. Her mother had taught her what unconditional love was, but in her eyes, her mother was also lonely, besides herself. To hear that she had a close friend was the happiest thing for her today.
"I'm truly... very grateful to you," she said, looking directly into her eyes with a smile.
Seeing that smile, Isami Mai already knew what her answer would be. She really wanted to argue, to say that they weren't strangers, that they had an inseparable bond in another world. Taking care of her was not a burden, but a chance to write a happy ending herself, a possibility to change the tragic ending. But looking at that smile, the words stuck in her throat.
She felt as if she were back in that coffee shop, watching the girl who had made a vow to her, inviting her to witness her brilliance. She had had the same look in her eyes then.
Didn't I know it all along? What she has decided, I can't shake, no matter what.
For a moment, she subconsciously wanted to run away again, just like she had done in the dream world. To pretend she didn't see anything, and maybe things would turn out fine on their own.
But—she gritted her teeth. She remembered that tragic ending. Did she have to accept that cold tombstone? That stone was not her daughter. This firm, gentle, vibrant person before her was the real Celestial Weave. Did she have to see that tombstone swallow her daughter again?
Absolutely not!
"I understand," she said, closing her eyes. But her words didn't end there. "But I can't just watch my friend's daughter live like this!"
When she opened her eyes again, her crimson eyes were burning with a dazzling light. Having been polished by society after leaving the racetrack and having forgotten her past sharpness, she once again remembered that brilliance. Now, there was no need to add the prefix "world-class." The name Isami Mai was enough.
"I will pay for all her future medical bills! The hospital room will be upgraded to the best, the doctors will be the best, and the caregivers will naturally be the best!" she declared without leaving any room for argument. The string of words made Celestial Weave instinctively want to refuse, but she wouldn't give her the chance.
"This is what I am doing for my friend. As her daughter, you have no reason and no way to refuse!"
Hearing this, she was speechless. She really couldn't stop her from spending her money. She didn't even have a reason.
"And you! I will hire the best nutritionist to create the best training meals for you!"
"The gym at Tracen is too simple! They don't even have a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to speed up a horse girl's recovery. I will take you to a more professional training facility!"
"And trainers! How can the uneven lot at Tracen be worthy of training you?! I will hire the trainer who trained me back then. He will use the most professional knowledge to improve your abilities and arrange your race schedule, so you can go through your entire career without any illness or injury!"
The emotion in her voice grew more and more intense. Celestial Weave could even see the glint of tears in her eyes. "Don't refuse! Even if you don't go, these people will always be on standby for you!"
By the end, her words were even tinged with a sob. Faced with this sudden and irrefutable kindness, she really didn't know how to respond. She, who had always believed that there was no such thing as love without a source, began to doubt herself. Did one have to be so dedicated to a close friend's daughter? To the point of using her own connections to provide so much help? Even Saint-King Halo hadn't had it this luxurious back then.
What she didn't know was that this was no longer simple help. It was a mother's—struggle—to save her lost daughter.
For some reason, with no basis at all, she suddenly remembered what Narita Top Road's trainer had once said to her in the scenario world. "Who knows? I've never been a mother, after all—"
She was silent for a long time, so silent that it felt as if the world had lost its voice. Finally, she lowered her head, feeling the wet heat in her hand. It was the sweat from her mother's excitement. How could she refuse her like this? How could she?
She let out a slow sigh, looked directly into her crimson eyes, and said seriously, "Just one thing..."
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