Why would Orfevre like her?
Dream Weaver couldn't quite wrap her head around it.
In the real world, the two were merely friends, so the only possible reason for the other's affection must stem from memories of another world.
Yet Dream Weaver didn't believe she had done anything in that other world to stir Orfevre's heartstrings.
She had simply not wanted her rival to lose her way during a race, and having happened upon Orfevre, she decided to try and offer some guidance.
Sure, her approach had been a bit intense, but it shouldn't have been that big of a deal.
Could it be that her collapsing on the track in that other world had left too deep an impression on Orfevre? But that didn't seem right either.
Wasn't Orfevre's regret simply due to losing her one true rival?
In this real world, there were so many powerful Uma Musume. Even without Dream Weaver, surely Orfevre could find a worthy rival who met her standards.
Feelings truly were complicated things.
Dream Weaver sighed.
Just a moment ago, when it didn't concern her, she could play the part of an emotional advice expert. But the moment it turned personal, her brain felt like it was overheating.
As Dream Weaver was lost in these tangled thoughts, Orfevre, waiting on the other side of the curtain, was clearly growing impatient.
Her voice turned cold.
"As material for divining fate, this information should suffice."
"Oh fortune-teller, if you cannot give Us a satisfactory answer…"
She narrowed her eyes and let out a disdainful snort.
As a monarch, she had just shown an unbecoming side of herself in front of someone else, which greatly displeased her.
If it weren't for wanting to build a good relationship with Dream Weaver, she would never have endured this long.
But a ruler's patience has its limits.
If Orfevre discovered she was being deceived, she would immediately bare her fangs and turn this place upside down.
Upsetting Sakura Bakushin O's customer recruitment would be one thing; what Dream Weaver feared most was Orfevre flipping the table, only to discover the Uma Musume behind the curtain was herself.
The thought of that hellish scenario made a few more beads of cold sweat trickle down Dream Weaver's forehead.
To avoid that descent into hell, Dream Weaver once again mobilized her intelligence, which she boasted was never inferior to Sakura Bakushin O's.
"According to the guidance of the stars, the true reason Your Highness has failed to build a good relationship with the one you love lies not with external obstacles, but here, within this very curtain!"
"Your Highness yourself is the most insurmountable barrier in this relationship!"
Hearing this, Orfevre immediately furrowed her brow, a flicker of anger rising in her eyes.
If this were some baseless nonsense, she might have flipped the table right then. But the answer Dream Weaver had just given was so utterly baffling that even she wanted to hear the rest.
"Go on."
She growled, barely suppressing her anger.
Seeing she hadn't immediately crashed and burned, Dream Weaver let out a quiet sigh of relief. But greater danger lay ahead.
If she couldn't deliver an answer that satisfied Orfevre, her fortune-teller persona would likely be exposed in the next second.
Dream Weaver took a deep breath and spoke in as gently persuasive a tone as she could muster.
"Your Highness, think carefully. If not for your own suffocating pressure, why would she have felt the need to invite another Uma Musume along on the date to share the burden?"
"Pressure?"
Orfevre's frown deepened. Without a moment's hesitation, she shook her head in denial.
"Impossible. She is an Uma Musume capable of being my rival. Even on the racetrack, she shines with a brilliance that commands my attention. How could someone like her possibly fear the aura We project?"
"I'm not referring to pressure on the track, but emotional pressure. Your Highness, you're coming on too strong."
"But Our progress over these past few months has only reached the 'friends' stage. Is that still considered too rushed?"
Orfevre asked through gritted teeth.
It wasn't that she couldn't accept taking things slow; it was just that the thought of Dream Weaver remaining under the watchful eyes of so many rebellious subjects made her deeply uncomfortable.
"It's not about the pace of the relationship's progress, but that Your Highness's intentions are too obvious."
"The fact that you came to a fortune-teller today to inquire about fate suggests you probably seek her out frequently in daily life as well. Emotions are delicate matters. Through a person's daily actions and words, anomalies can be detected."
Leaving aside whether this logic actually supported the conclusion, Dream Weaver hadn't even noticed Orfevre's feelings for her before.
But so what? The other party didn't know who was behind the curtain.
To safely complete this reading, using her informational advantage was essential.
Sure enough, after hearing this, Orfevre's anger subsided somewhat. Hesitation clouded her eyes as she murmured to herself.
"We do seek her out every day. Could it be that Our feelings were already exposed in Our daily behavior?"
"Precisely."
"Good! If she already understands Our intentions, then there's no need to beat around the bush. Once the New Year's holiday ends, We shall confess my feelings to her face-to-face!"
Seeing Orfevre's morale inexplicably soar, Dream Weaver hurriedly interrupted in a panic.
"No, no, Your Highness! This is exactly where you're going wrong!"
"A confession should be the song of victory after a triumph, not the bugle call to charge into battle!"
"Right now, she might also be troubled, unsure how to respond to Your Highness's feelings. Charging in directly will only cast the future into chaos!"
Finding some sense in Dream Weaver's words, Orfevre completely cooled down.
Uncharacteristically, she lowered her posture to ask.
"Then what should We do?"
Hearing the softened tone, Dream Weaver knew she had convinced Orfevre and felt a slight relief.
"Hide your intentions. Such a direct pursuit will instinctively put the other party on guard."
"Start by solidifying the friendship. Don't deliberately show your heart. Instead, let the feelings warm gradually through day-to-day interaction."
"But didn't you say earlier to deliberately create an ambiguous atmosphere? Wouldn't doing it this way easily lead to becoming just close friends?"
Of course that's because I didn't know the person you liked was me when I said that!
Dream Weaver shouted inwardly, her face flushing.
Had she known Orfevre's crush was on her, she would never have proposed such an aggressive plan.
Watching drama from the sidelines was one thing, but it was disastrous when the drama landed on your own doorstep.
"In any case, that is the guidance of the stars! As a fortune-teller, that's all I can discern!"
In her agitation, Dream Weaver accidentally let her voice crack, revealing a hint of her true timbre. Fortunately, Orfevre was too immersed in her thoughts to notice.
"So in the end, it still hinges on human effort? Hmph, I understand."
With that, without another glance toward the curtain, she turned and left the classroom alone.
Listening to the fading footsteps, Dream Weaver finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and relaxed.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 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.