The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

Even someone like me, who had only met the Gold Master once, could tell that something was wrong with her. How could someone who spent every day with her not notice?

As expected, upon hearing Xiu Xingmeng's probing words, the middle-aged woman's eyes immediately sharpened, but she quickly lowered her gaze and responded in a flat tone.

“The Grand Master is the glory of the Golden Family. A retainer like me only needs to watch over her quietly.”

"A retainer? Is that why she calls herself a queen? After all, besides her family, the only people around her are her so-called retainers."

Xiu Xingmeng clearly saw her body stiffen slightly because of those words.

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Tyrant's Enemy (Third Update)

The middle-aged woman's hand, which was adjusting her glasses, trembled slightly. She deliberately lowered her eyes as if trying to hide her emotions, but this was just a futile effort. Her pretense, like the abnormality of the gold master, was clearly perceived by Xiu Xingmeng's intuition.

"The Gold Master hasn't brought anyone else here on his own initiative, has he? Don't you want to talk to someone like me?"

"I am merely a retainer of the master craftswoman, what can you possibly do for me..."

"Is this the kind of thing people who watched her grow up would say? No wonder the Gold Master turned out like this."

When Xiu Xingmeng saw the surprised and incredulous look in her eyes, she immediately knew that she had guessed correctly.

Her previous behavior showed that her relationship with the Gold Master was not just a simple employment. Xiu Xingmeng had only casually mentioned a possibility to observe her subsequent reaction, but she didn't expect to guess it right on the first try.

The middle-aged woman in front of her looked up at Xiu Xingmeng, then at the Golden Master sitting in the back, idly flipping through a fashion magazine. After a moment of silence, she seemed to have made up her mind and said something.

“Miss Master, I will now take this guest to the dressing room to look at the clothes.”

The goldsmith did not answer, but simply waved his hand casually.

She bowed slightly in the direction of the Gold Master and then led Xiu Xingmeng up to the second floor of the shop. Unlike a typical dressing room, this shop's dressing room actually occupied an entire floor.

Looking at the wardrobes filled to the brim on both sides, Xiu Xingmeng said with some surprise.

"Aren't you going to use this walk-in closet for other guests?"

"To ordinary customers, this is just a high-end custom shop. All measurements and handover work are done on the first floor. Now, this dressing room is exclusively for Miss Master."

"So she likes this?"

Xiu Xingmeng observed the dressing room and discovered that the clothes in the wardrobe were arranged in order from smallest to largest, indicating that the Gold Master had liked to stay here since childhood.

"Perhaps Miss Master inherited her parents' artistic talent, which is why she has such a fondness for matching clothes and accessories. Today, her original plan was to visit the nearby jewelry exhibition first before coming to the store."

Xiu Xingmeng nodded in agreement. It seemed that this was why she had encountered the goldsmith by the roadside; she must have been on her way to the jewelry exhibition at the time.

It's surprising that the master craftsman of gold, who has always been seen as a golden tyrant, would have such a hobby.

"He's quite different from the goldsmith I remember."

Xiu Xingmeng muttered to herself that she used to think that the Golden Masters and good opera were somewhat similar, and that people like them who considered themselves kings would like things that ordinary people wouldn't touch, like opera.

But the goldsmith's hobby is quite ordinary. Even ordinary girls would do things like matching clothes and jewelry, but you would have to reduce the value of her wardrobe and clothes by a hundred times.

Hearing Xiu Xingmeng's mutterings, the middle-aged woman gave a bitter laugh and responded.

“The master craftswoman of the past was certainly not like this now.”

Seeing the questioning look in Xiu Xingmeng's eyes, and since they had already come this far, she simply told her all about what the Golden Master looked like as a child and how he changed after his talent was discovered.

Her voice echoed in the spacious dressing room, allowing Xiu Xingmeng to observe the goldsmith from childhood to the present from an outsider's perspective.

After listening, Xiu Xingmeng stroked her chin and pondered in her heart.

Her account and Chizuru Haibara's vision of the Gold Master are like two completely different people. One is a Gold Master who is cold to outsiders but loves to act cute with those close to him, while the other is the Gold Master who crushed all of Uma Musume's dreams.

One is like a racehorse girl you might encounter anywhere, while the other is practically the protagonist of a legendary tale.

For some reason, Xiu Xingmeng suddenly remembered the words that Tamamo had said to her before.

"I never imagined that someone like her and me would be given such an impressive title as the Generation of Miracles."

Is this what everyone is looking forward to?

This sentence was like a thread that connected everything, making Xiu Xingmeng unconsciously recall the things she had said during the interview filming these past few days.

During the interviews, she repeatedly spoke of reviving Kasamatsu and bringing local horse racing back to the world's attention.

Was I being led astray?

No, Xiu Xingmeng shook her head. What she said was also what she wanted to do. Having spent half a year in Kasamatsu Tressen, she naturally hoped that things would improve there, and that racehorse girls as desperate as Minamino Sumire would never appear again.

"I said those things to meet other people's expectations."

Lost in thought, Xiu Xingmeng blurted it out unconsciously.

It was this sentence that allowed her to understand the master of gold in that instant.

"I see. Although Oguri Hat and Tamamo Cross were later known as the Generation of Miracles, they were already mature by then. When they stepped onto the field, they already knew what they were fighting for."

"But the Golden Master is different. She has been expected to do so ever since her talent was discovered. She is the hope to break the curse, the future of the horse racing world, and the glory of the Golden family. She grew up carrying these expectations."

"For such a master of gold, the expectations of the masses are love, and as a racehorse girl, she must respond to everyone's expectations, bearing such heavy love."

"Everyone wants to see a golden tyrant who will rule the generation. Only such tyranny and majesty are worthy of the golden master who bears such expectations."

"So she made herself into such a golden tyrant."

"The Golden Master becomes the Golden Master when he can no longer distinguish himself from the Golden Tyrant."

The middle-aged woman standing nearby was dumbfounded; as part of the perspective, she couldn't observe the scene as many times as Xiu Xingmeng.

She's not a racehorse girl, so she can't understand what it's like on the racetrack. She's never carried such high expectations, so she doesn't know how to respond to them.

Even though she watched the Gold Master grow up, she, who considered herself a retainer, could not understand him.

But Embroidered Star Dream is different from other racehorse girls who yearn for, worship, anticipate, or fear the Golden Master.

Xiu Xingmeng is not a spectator, not a retainer, not a racehorse girl whose dream has been shattered; she is an enemy who can stand on the same field as the Golden Tyrant.

"Because I am her competitor, the only person besides my family who can be her equal."

That's why they treat me differently.

Beneath the golden tyrant's exterior, the Golden Master is merely a lonely child yearning for love.

Chapter Ninety-Seven: Conflict of Reason

All love stems from the expectation of victory, so after failing at the Satsuki Sho, the Golden Master lost everyone's love. Did she subconsciously seek to return to her past self after the expectations were lowered?

"Besides subjects, there's family, right? How did the Gold Master's family treat her?"

Xiu Xingmeng raised her head and asked the lady of the house who was already stunned.

"What...attitude?"

She was silent for a moment, as if considering how to describe it, but finally let out a long breath and said softly.

"Although as retainers one should not discuss the affairs of one's masters, ... the master craftswoman's family, especially her parents and older sister who are older than her, do indeed dote on her."

Having been convinced by Xiu Xingmeng's analysis, Lady Jiashen did not hide anything but told everyone she had seen.

Since there's no longer any expectation of her, there's no need for her to act as a golden tyrant anymore. In that case, why not simply go back to the people who love her?

That's why Xiuxingmeng felt that the Golden Master's strong performance today carried a touch of girlish capriciousness.

Even the Gold Master himself was unaware that the whisper hidden in the corner of his heart had been seen through by Xiu Xingmeng.

Unlike the unfounded confidence of good opera, the pride of the Golden Maestro is cultivated, because she has the brilliant achievements to become the Golden Tyrant, and therefore must possess such pride.

But how can a person maintain such a extreme state indefinitely? There will always be a taut string that will eventually snap under pressure.

Even if the Golden Masters manages to win the Triple Crown, when they face the even heavier Arc de Triomphe in the future, which weighs on the Japanese horse racing world like a mountain and makes everyone breathless, they will inevitably make mistakes because they cannot withstand the pressure.

That's right. Even without the defeat at the Satsuki Sho, if the Gold Master had truly won the Triple Crown with an invincible attitude, he would have subconsciously relaxed and taken a step back because of the victory.

This is a triple crown that only a handful of racehorse girls can achieve. Reaching this level, even without winning the Arc de Triomphe Prize, is enough to carry the glory of the Golden Family and meet the expectations of the audience.

The Gold Master would eventually be exhausted by the overwhelming pressure, and his victory merely brought that time forward a little.

Thinking of this, Xiu Xingmeng couldn't help but marvel at her own analysis. How could she have figured all this out by only seeing the Gold Master a few times and observing her through just a few people?

Is it because he was once the king's nemesis, and can now stand on the same level as the gold master?

Or was it because of the Intuition skill, which was upgraded to purple, that allowed him to perceive the mind of the Gold Master through some special ability?

or……

Xiu Xingmeng frowned and muttered to herself.

I also felt the pressure that comes with this expectation?

As a racehorse that rose from the local to the central region, winning the Kyodo Communications Cup and the Satsuki Sho, even dethroning the highly anticipated Golden Master, what kind of expectations will the audience have for her?

Subconsciously, Xiu Xingmeng silently recited the system in her mind.

As Xiu Xingmeng's mind stirred, a semi-transparent blue panel appeared in her eyes.

[Main objective: To gain audience approval.]

Current approval rating: (80/100)

[Evaluation: A legendary racehorse girl who came from the local area to the central government, and is even considered by many to be a king with the ability to dominate generations, just like the Golden Master.]

She will surely be able to wipe the shadow of her prestigious lineage from the sky of horse racing, and let the once-silent place shine again.

Many people thought this way, watched her with this mindset, and waited and anticipated the next match.

Looking at the increasingly lengthy review, Xiu Xingmeng let out a deep breath. The review was only about a hundred words long, but Xiu Xingmeng could feel endless anticipation in it.

The existence of Uma Musume (Horse Girl) brings hope.

Xiu Xingmeng has personally experienced the weight of this statement. Whether it's Xiao Lou, who has a terminal illness in the real world, or the people in Li Song's world in this script, she has brought hope to many people.

But now, Xiu Xingmeng suddenly realizes that she not only has to give hope to people she knows, but also pass that hope on to one person after another who is a complete stranger to her.

They entrust their hopes to themselves, hoping to rekindle their passion for life through their victory.

Therefore, I must win; only by winning the game can I live up to their expectations.

The goldsmith must have thought the same thing.

The so-called king not only enjoys the worship and admiration of the masses, but also bears the hopes of everyone and single-handedly shoulders all the negative emotions and gloom in their hearts.

"He who bears the nation's disgrace is called the master of the state; he who bears the nation's misfortune is called the king of the world."

Xiu Xingmeng said softly, only now realizing how much luck it took for a good opera to have that inexplicable confidence.

You can leave once you complete the main quest, but what about the Golden Master?

How much longer does she need to hold on?

In this state, no matter how hard the Golden Master trains or how amazingly his physical abilities improve, it will be difficult for him to defeat Xiu Xingmeng, who has the main quest to complete and whose hope of victory is within reach.

Xiu Xingmeng realized this, and then unconsciously pursed her lips.

If we ignore the abnormal state of the Gold Master, then we will have a greater chance of winning the upcoming Japanese derby.

Winning the Japanese derby and gaining the audience's approval would allow me to complete the main quest and gracefully exit the script world.

After him, the people of Kasamatsu Tressen will also move towards a better tomorrow because of the achievements and hopes he left behind.

Isn't that enough? They are my best friends in this scripted world, and I've done enough to give them a bright future.

The Golden Master is merely an enemy in the competition; what excuse or reason do I have to help her out of her gloom?

Xiu Xing tried to convince herself with reason to make the so-called right choice, but her feet unconsciously walked towards the stairs.

Upon reflection, I realized that I hadn't made any rational choices since the first day I entered this script world.

As a freshman, one should rationally avoid getting involved in the relationships between the upperclassmen at Kasamatsu Tressen.

As a racehorse girl, she should also rationally head to the central area based on her own abilities after discovering that Kasamatsu Tressen is unreliable.

As someone who needs to complete her mission, Xiu Xingmeng should heed Haibara Chizuru's advice and postpone her duel with the Gold Master to the Japanese Derby.

But she seems to make the wrong choices every time, choices that go against reason.

Chapter Ninety-Eight: Like a Blade

With a series of thumping footsteps, Xiu Xingmeng walked directly down from the luxurious dressing room. Hearing the noise, the Gold Master put down the magazine in his hand, frowned, and glanced at Xiu Xingmeng before speaking.

"Why don't you change into clothes that match your identity?"

"I remember that there were many styles and sizes of clothes in the dressing room, and even if there were any unsuitable parts, my servants would make alterations on the spot."

"Why does this outfit just not match?"

Xiu Xingmeng didn't make any excuses for taking a roundabout approach; she simply stood opposite the Gold Master and spoke to her.