As quite some time had passed and Aris showed no sign of coming, Aion became anxious.

“Next, the strong candidate for winning the Magren Racecourse, player number 13!”

Along with the judge’s booming voice, jockey number 13 appeared on horseback. Immediately, the surroundings became noisy. Jockey number 13 who appeared was not the one everyone knew.

Brilliantly golden hair tied up high. Eyes like summer foliage in a face beneath a riding hat with raised head. A small build with slender arms and legs.

Although it wasn’t immediately recognizable due to the riding outfit, it was undoubtedly Aristena Eldeiz, the eldest daughter of the Eldeiz marquis family.

“Wh-what… Aion, why is that child there?”

Marquis Eldeiz, Bendere Eldeiz, spoke in a dumbfounded voice. No less surprised, Aions eyes widened as big as saucers.

‘Why is Sister there…’

She had clearly said she wasn’t feeling well. What on earth was going on?

Aion looked at her with bewildered eyes. There had been times recently when he found Aris’s behavior strange. But she had never done anything this bizarre, exceeding his expectations to this extent.

Why was she there, what was she thinking, mounting a horse with her weak body, and where had the original jockey gone?

Questions piled up one after another. Moreover, as if this wasn’t a pre-agreed situation, not only the judge but also Count Magren, the host, had their mouths wide open.

Aion surveyed them one by one, then stopped his gaze on the Crown Prince sitting elegantly one tier above the host.

Kalaian’s narrowed eyes held interest. Moreover, the way he was staring at Aris with his lips slightly raised made him look like someone with some scheme.

‘…No, surely that person couldn’t be involved.’

Aion looked back at Aris with an uneasy feeling. Beside him, Marquis Eldeiz let out an angry voice.

“After doing that unbelievable thing last time, what is she trying to do now…! There are too many people to drag her back up here! If I had known she would bring such shame to the family, I wouldn’t have brought her.”

“Please calm down, Father.”

The Marquis spoke as if Aris had already smeared his face with ink even before the race began.

Whether she knew or not that Bendere Eldeiz’s anger had risen to the top of his head, Aris was busy looking around the spectator seats.

‘It’s quite wide. Is that flimsy rope all that separates the audience seats from the track…’

Aris seriously considered what would happen if a horse deviated from its course.

In her past life, Aion, who was in the audience seats, was killed by the hooves of this number 13 horse. Although the seats were arranged in wide steps, they weren’t very high. Given how sparsely the seats were divided, such an accident was entirely possible.

While she was deep in thought, horse number 13 neighed and moved greatly. Aris was startled and swayed, barely regaining her balance. Her heart pounded.

‘Right, this horse was in an excited state now…’

Aris carefully stroked the horse’s mane to soothe it. Suddenly, she felt overwhelmed.

In fact, Aris hadn’t planned this. To become a jockey herself and participate in the horse race. Moreover, it wasn’t even a flat race, but a steeplechase¹steeplechase is more challenging than flat races. There are obstacles on the course, and the distance is longer than in flat races. But she had no choice.

When she first tried to make the number 13 player withdraw. Luckily, she learned that the jockey was also unwillingly following Count Magren’s orders.

‘Until then, I thought I could easily induce the withdrawal of the number 13 player and end this incident…’

But there was an absurd rule in this Magren Racecourse. One of the betting rules set by the greedy Count Magren. That under no circumstances could the bet amount be refunded.

Of course, that wasn’t an important issue for Aris. However, another rule created to correspond with that unfair rule was the problem.

That is, withdrawal was absolutely not allowed. In other words, if there was a problem with the jockey, they had to participate in the race even if it meant bringing in a substitute.

Aris judged coolly.

“There’s no choice then. How about you deviate from the course where it’s far from the spectator stands? If you go to where there are no people, at least the possibility of human casualties will disappear.”

That way, Aion wouldn’t get hurt, and there would be no other casualties. Aris spoke coldly with a hardened expression.

“If this comes to light, your career as a jockey will be over. There are no eternal secrets. I hope you make a wise decision, betting on your conscience.”

If the past accident was too sudden to prevent, this time they could prepare to prevent such a thing from happening.

Aris looked at the jockey with determination. Her hand trembled slightly from tension.

After being lost in thought for a moment, the jockey finally nodded. Aris brightened up at seeing hope.

But the problem lay in a completely different direction.

Whether its due to the ‘black drug’ or not, the horse refused to let jockey number 13 mount and kept approaching Aris instead.

In the end, for that ridiculous reason, Aris mounted the horse instead. Because of the absurd rules of the Magren Racecourse.

‘When this is over, I never want to come to a racecourse again…’

Recalling the earlier events, Aris squeezed her eyes shut. Her hands gripped the reins tightly.

Before she knew it, all the players and horses were at the starting line. Other jockeys glanced at Aris. She felt like she might go crazy from nervousness.

Although she had tried horseback riding a few times, she had never done horse racing. Moreover, she had never jumped over or avoided obstacles while on horseback!

She knew best that she had a weak constitution. It would be fortunate if she didn’t faint or vomit during the race…

Cruelly, the sound of fireworks signaling the start was heard. Before she could gather her wits, the horse bolted. Aris almost screamed. It was a terrifying speed, as if the horse had been holding back its desire to run all along.

‘I can barely keep my eyes open…!’

Aris had no choice but to lower her body against the wind. She knew she should lift her lower body off the horse, but she simply couldn’t manage it.

Even in this messy and painful situation, Aris and horse number 13 were leading the pack.

‘The effect of the drug is too strong!’

It felt like she could be thrown off the horse at any moment. She tried to control the horse by moving her hands on the reins as best she could.

At this rate, Aris might be thrown off the horse and collide with Aion in the stands, leading them to depart this world together. Imagining that scene, Aris turned pale. That was quite terrifying.

‘Get a grip, Aristena!’

Her dizzy head and blurred vision from hyperventilation had changed in the moment she lost focus.

Before she knew it, the area around the track was no longer spectator stands, but a wide open field. She had to change course here to get as far away from people as possible.

Aris put strength into the reins and pulled desperately. She also whipped towards the altered direction. However, instead of changing direction, the horse corrected its course and began to sprint down the track at an even faster speed.

My goodness, it was indeed a well-trained horse. She could understand why the Count had been so ambitious.

‘Gasp, at this rate…!’

The wide open surroundings were once again blocked by spectator stands on both sides. Aris’s heart raced violently.

Due to the horse’s abnormally fast speed, they were gradually getting closer to where Aion was. Eventually, the horse began to try to leave the track.

No.

No…

She came here to prevent this from happening.

‘Please, listen…’

At that moment, when Aris pulled the reins with all her might, the horse hesitated. Its speed decreased significantly.

But it hadn’t completely stopped yet. Aris gritted her teeth and pulled the reins again with all her strength.

Then, as if by miracle, an incredible force turned the horse’s direction. An auditory hallucination echoed in Aris’s mind.

—I’ll help you.

Before she could be surprised, the horse began to run in a different direction. Aris almost fell off the horse.

They had moved away from Aion’s direction. However, at this rate, it was clear that someone else would get hurt. Aris urgently prepared to pull the reins again.

At that moment, someone entered her field of vision. His words automatically replayed in her mind.

“Well, it’s not like we’ll lose anything if a few people get hurt. They’ll just think it was a simple accident. Such things happen often.”

“……”

Aris stopped trying to pull the horse’s reins.

Count Magren, who had turned pale at the sight of the horse approaching at a fierce speed, shouted as if gasping.

“St-stop! Stop! Hey, stop that horse right now!”

The knights standing guard near the Count hesitantly raised their spears, but it was impossible to stop a horse charging at such a terrifying speed.

Moreover, the one riding the horse was a woman who might become the Crown Prince’s fiancée. If they recklessly attacked the horse to stop it, she would get hurt.

As the horse charged right up to him, the Count reflexively raised both arms to protect himself.

“Eek!”

Suddenly, Aris pulled the reins to stop the horse. With the force of the pull, the horse raised its two front legs high in front of the Count’s face before settling down with a neigh.

The horse stopped. Right in front of him.

The Count, his chest heaving as he exhaled, fell backward with a thud. Aris, catching her breath rapidly, looked down at the Count from atop the horse with cold eyes.