And then, something quite terrifying—and absurd—happened.
Hmm…
How exactly does someone who’s already had a good night’s sleep, then dozed off again for most of the day, actually fall asleep at bedtime?
Gotham Song let out a helpless sigh, feeling utterly lost.
It wasn’t as though anything particularly unusual had occurred today. While Silic had stopped by Dancing Brave’s home as usual, she hadn’t questioned Gotham Song’s absence. That was perfectly fine.
But right now, Gotham Song’s predicament was of a completely different nature…
The reason she was feeling so utterly lost was simply this:
Well…
Neo Universe, attempting to sneak into her room at night, had collided head-on with Mejiro Ardan.
So now, two mares—each brimming with resolve—stood face-to-face, neither willing to give an inch.
Why was this worth emphasizing?
Because right now, Gotham Song was entirely alone in her room, in every sense of the word.
She had to sleep alone!
Looking back on it, since her rebirth roughly a year ago, Gotham Song had grown accustomed to falling asleep in Neo Universe’s embrace. On those few rare occasions she hadn’t, she’d usually succumbed to Dancing Brave’s sly schemes instead.
Even the night she’d stormed Mejiro Manor, she had Old Lady No.1 there to keep her company.
So now, completely alone for once, Gotham Song found herself struggling to adjust, her imagination running wild.
Suppose, for instance, that Ardan-neesan and Neo Universe had both stubbornly refused to yield, leaving Gotham to sleep alone, and instead, someone else… Ruby? Yes, suppose Ruby came into her room and slept with her instead. What sort of expressions would Neo Universe and her dear sister wear the next morning?
Let it be clear—Gotham Song didn’t actually wish for such an outcome. But still, she couldn’t help entertaining that scenario, pondering curiously over the possibilities.
So, she lay on her bed, clutching the blanket’s edge, staring up at the ceiling and waiting.
Yet, obviously, something so ridiculous could never happen, right?
Indeed, Gotham waited quite a while, but the anticipated knock on her door never came. Sighing in resignation, she finally did what was most sensible:
She swallowed Agnes Tachyon’s medicine, closed her eyes, and relaxed.
At least Tachyon-san’s pills had a soothing effect, otherwise Gotham was certain she’d spend the entire night wide awake.
Oh right, with nearly two months left until the Irish Champion Stakes, would she even have enough medicine? She’d better remember to contact Agnes Tachyon and have more sent over…
Before she could finish that thought, Gotham Song sank deeply into sleep.
When she next opened her eyes, she saw someone completely unexpected standing over her.
Dancing Brave was looking down at Gotham Song from above, a faint, mischievous smile tugging at her lips.
“You awake?”
“Ah…y-yes. What’s wrong? Why did you come into my room?”
Dancing Brave’s smile grew even more enigmatic as she glanced briefly toward the doorway, then delivered a statement that left Gotham Song utterly bewildered.
“Nothing much. I just thought I should let you know—Treve’s here again.”
“And…?”
Was Treve’s arrival something significant enough to warrant such a fuss? It wasn’t particularly surprising or troubling, right…?
Gotham Song was puzzled, staring blankly, awaiting further explanation.
But Dancing Brave seemed to be holding back laughter, her usually composed face now openly displaying delight. From Gotham’s perspective, this meant either something amusing had happened involving Treve, or this old fox No.3 had stumbled upon something genuinely enjoyable herself.
In any case, under Gotham Song’s expectant gaze, Dancing Brave explained:
“In short, for some reason, Treve took an instant dislike to Mejiro Ardan-san, and was swiftly… subdued.”
“W-wait, seriously?”
Gotham Song’s brain short-circuited briefly at the revelation. However, she quickly regained composure, thanking Dancing Brave as she scrambled off the bed. Without even taking time to tidy her hair or straighten her clothes, she hurriedly made for the stairs.
Although she trusted Ardan-neesan wouldn’t do anything too extreme, Gotham couldn’t shake the feeling that Treve might very well develop lasting psychological trauma if she didn’t rush to intervene.
Run faster, Song!
Behind her, Dancing Brave maintained a gentle smile, her breathing steady, recalling what had actually transpired.
Indeed, such a scenario had unfolded, but that had very little to do with why she’d entered Gotham Song’s room.
In reality, it was just a convenient excuse.
A perfect reason to explain her presence if Gotham happened to wake up unexpectedly. That was the true cause of Dancing Brave’s barely-contained amusement.
But why exactly was entering Gotham Song’s room so amusing?
Simple—she’d only been confirming something she couldn’t verify from Mejiro Ardan alone.
And as for the results…
Dancing Brave glanced subtly toward the trash can, where something familiar lay crumpled inside—a small, discarded medicine pouch, reminiscent of something she’d definitely seen before.
Where exactly had she seen it?
Surely not at that inn near Satsuki Sho, right?
She didn’t reach into the bin to examine it closely. Partly because her memory of that night was hazy, and partly because…
If a coincidence happens repeatedly, can it really remain a mere coincidence?
She already had enough clues, merely needing a final confirmation. Her task had always been limited to confirming suspicions, not indulging greedily in proof.
Besides, there was even more compelling evidence, wasn’t there?
Although Gotham’s hair had always appeared black…
Fine, silvery strands lay quietly on the pillow as well.
Uma Musume rarely lost hair, but rarely didn’t mean never. Dancing Brave delicately lifted a strand she’d found hidden between sheets, quietly examining it.
Such things weren’t unprecedented—hadn’t she spotted similar silver hairs at that inn as well? Why hadn’t she suspected anything then?
Perhaps they’d fallen when she helped groom Gotham’s eyebrows?
Ultimately, whether true or not didn’t really matter. Brave already possessed enough evidence. If she chose, she could confront Gotham right now, easily forcing her into admitting the truth.
But…
Dancing Brave did nothing more than quietly close the door behind her.
What would be the fun in immediately tearing away Gotham Song’s carefully maintained disguise?
If her adorably foolish rival wanted to continue playing at being someone entirely new, Dancing Brave wouldn’t spoil her fun.
However…
While she had no intention of openly exposing Gotham’s identity, Dancing Brave had no qualms about teasing her with cleverly disguised questions.
Quite the opposite, she relished it!
Consider this my compensation for helping hide your identity, my dear rival. Honestly, your attempts at disguise compared to your racing prowess are utterly laughable. Is it because you’re just a runaway fool?
Dancing Brave shook her head, chuckling quietly to herself as she slipped back through the hallway.
Yet another entry in the “Gotham Song Observation Diary,” coming up soon~
Gotham Song remained blissfully unaware of Dancing Brave’s sinister thoughts, still frantically clattering downstairs, hair flying, slippers smacking noisily against the floor.
Such commotion naturally attracted everyone’s attention. Gotham was slightly startled to see Treve alone, unaccompanied by another legendary noblewoman.
But before she could even fully process this, Ardan swiftly took her arm, gently guiding her onto the sofa. Before Gotham could protest, she felt a comb gently running through her tangled hair, accompanied by Ardan’s lightly chiding—yet infinitely affectionate—voice.
“No need to rush like that, Song.”
“Oh…um, alright.”
Fortunately, Neo Universe and Daiichi Ruby weren’t present, leaving Gotham alone with only Ardan and Treve.
Though this small mercy was welcome, it also meant things turned awkward quickly.
Ardan carefully combed Gotham’s hair on her left, while on her right, Treve firmly hugged Gotham’s arm, softly rubbing her cheek against her.
So…how exactly did things escalate to this point?
Gotham fell into silence, desperately seeking a suitable explanation. Before she could speak, Ardan set down the comb, gently pinching Gotham’s cheek with an exasperated sigh.
“Aren’t you going to explain that child’s situation to me?”
Truthfully, Ardan herself was equally puzzled by the whole affair. She’d simply been waiting downstairs, planning to greet Gotham as usual after breakfast. Yet when the little Uma Musume called Treve had arrived, she’d immediately radiated hostility for reasons completely unknown to Ardan.
Faced with such inexplicable hostility, Ardan had done the most responsible thing she could—calmly subduing the clearly mischievous child until Gotham arrived.
Now, awaiting Ardan’s question, Gotham Song felt as if the world might implode at any moment.
How exactly should she explain her relationship with Treve? Should she just blurt out that this kid once openly declared, “I like you!”?
Even if she convinced Ardan it was just youthful admiration, wouldn’t Treve inevitably suffer from Ardan’s subtle retaliation?
No, no—that’d be cruel. Find another explanation…
“She’s just a junior who admires me…?”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Ardan’s eyes narrowed subtly, but she pressed no further—though Gotham clearly felt suspicious. Just then, Treve raised her head, finally breaking her silence:
“Song? Who exactly is she?”
Her grip tightened possessively, hinting at genuine fear that Ardan would steal Gotham away.
Sighing gently, Gotham rubbed Treve’s head reassuringly, soothingly murmuring:
“It’s okay, Treve. Ardan is my big sister, and a very kind person. Nothing bad will happen.”
As the tension eased, Gotham finally relaxed slightly, sharing a helpless look with Ardan.
“By the way, Song—you’re going to Britain soon?”
“Yes, I promised a dear little fan.”
“Then let me come with you,” Ardan smiled softly, adding firmly:
“Astronomer left Mejiro Manor yesterday—I must accompany you.”
—
This is a fan translation of 只能活一年了才更要成为传奇赛马娘! by 大渚教 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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