Chapter 38
The next day, after a hearty breakfast, Serena headed to the racetrack with Sophia.
As Sophia had said, once Serena proved she was 16, just past her birthday, they were immediately allowed entry.
Sophia, visiting the racetrack for the first time, wandered around in awe.
“It’s so much bigger than it looked from the outside,” she said.
Serena felt the same. Clutching Sophia’s hand tightly so she wouldn’t get separated in the crowd, she took in the packed racetrack, leaving no room to step.
“Right? There are enough people to fill all this space.”
She had thought that only her father was obsessed enough with horse racing to throw money away.
But middle-aged men, their beards untrimmed and faces flushed, were wandering the racetrack from early afternoon.
Their haggard expressions and dull eyes showed that they had likely lost a lot of money.
“Then I shouldn’t even think of setting foot here,” Serena thought.
Despite their losses, they clutched their race tickets as if holding onto their last hope. Seeing their faces made Serena uncomfortable because they reminded her of her father.
As she glanced around while passing through the gamblers, hundreds of eyes followed her.
The dark, unsettling gazes inspected the two girls, out of place in the racetrack setting. A child in such fancy clothes was practically a target for crime.
Of course, it was obvious to anyone that they were nobility, and numerous guards patrolled the area with hawk-like attention, so no one acted on their impulses—but the unease didn’t vanish.
Serena, alert to her surroundings, approached a nearby guard.
“Excuse me, where do we buy race tickets?”
The guard, who had been scanning the area sharply, softened into a perfectly gentle expression and replied kindly.
“It’s a bit of a walk. I’ll guide you to the ticket booth.”
A few guards followed, likely worried that something might happen.
The security wasn’t as good as she expected. But since restricting herself to safe areas would limit her actions, she decided it would be better to find another method.
“Sophia, when the lady you served went out, did she go alone?”
“No, she hired guards. She also brought several maids, including me,” Sophia replied, glancing around. Serena nodded in understanding.
For now, the guards were by her side, but once the guidance ended, she would be exposed to danger again.
Since she couldn’t hire guards immediately, Serena spoke to the guard.
“Could you stay with me until we leave here? I came secretly because I was curious… I never imagined a place like this.”
She glanced around with anxious eyes.
The guard chuckled at the childish remark, as if indulging a spoiled noble child.
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
Other guards following silently wore expressions that said, trust us until you leave here.
“Thank you.”
Thanks to the kind guards, Serena was able to safely buy her race ticket.
“How much will you bet on which horse?”
“I’ll bet 50,000 gold on Starlight.”
“……Excuse me?”
The clerk’s voice came out stunned rather than replying properly.
Sophia looked just as shocked. Having looked up yesterday that Starlight had been losing consecutively, she glanced at Serena in disbelief.
“Um, miss… Starlight barely moves from the starting line. Maybe you should choose another horse,” the guard warned.
Betting 50,000 gold, not just a trivial sum, was extreme. Even for a naïve noble girl, this was reckless. He had to try to stop her.
“But the name is pretty, so I like it. I’ll just go with Starlight,” Serena said with an innocent expression, giving a ridiculous reason. Those around her could not hide their astonishment.
When persuasion fails, there’s no need to respond logically. Like Daisy, people lose words and refrain from interfering.
“Are you serious…?”
“Yes.”
Sophia tried to reason with her, but it was useless.
In the end, Serena placed 50,000 gold on Starlight and secured a VIP seat with a perfect view of the track.
Several guards surrounded her, maintaining vigilance. Their stern expressions made it clear they wouldn’t tolerate anyone approaching with ill intent, though they seemed slightly exasperated at the reckless young noble.
Sophia couldn’t hide her concern either.
‘She said she inherited 100,000 gold, but she’s betting 50,000 on such a ridiculous horse… Why is she being so reckless?’
Serena, seemingly unconcerned, tapped the seat beside her lightly.
“Sit here. Your legs must be tired.”
“…Ah, thank you,” Sophia said.
No sooner had Sophia sat down than the race began.
While the other horses tensed for the start, Starlight seemed completely indifferent.
Yet there were no jeers or complaints. The audience, having seen its repeated antics, had stopped betting on Starlight and paid no attention.
‘…I’m not remembering wrong, right?’
Seeing the horse so calmly ignore the race, Serena clenched her fist slightly, a tinge of worry creeping in.
‘What if it doesn’t run in this race either…?’
Just then, the noisy starting signal sounded, and all the horses bolted.
The crowd cheered passionately for their bets.
Serena closed her eyes tightly, thinking she might have the date wrong. But suddenly, the cheering stopped.
“Uh…?”
“What… what’s happening?!”
Starlight, who had been completely aloof, suddenly surged ahead among the ten horses.
Despite a late start, Starlight quickly left the second-place horse behind, silver mane gleaming, sprinting powerfully toward the finish line.
What on earth was happening?
Silence fell over the track. No one could do anything but watch Starlight dash forward in disbelief.
“…S-Starlight has crossed the finish line! The winner of today’s race is Starlight!”
The commentator, previously dazed, finally regained composure and announced the end of the race.
A few who had placed small bets on Starlight jumped from their seats in joyous celebration, while others just blinked, unable to accept the situation.
Starlight, seemingly enjoying the breeze, trotted lightly around the track.
The jockey tried to stop her, but it was useless; she twisted in every direction, teasing him.
‘I thought my heart was going to fall out. At least pretend to take a proper stance…’
Truly, she was an unusually free-spirited horse.
Despite causing tears for many, Serena couldn’t help but feel a little envious of her. She stood up and dusted herself off.
“Can we exchange this at the booth now?”
Shaking her race ticket at the guard, he nodded stiffly, like a broken toy.
“Let’s go, Sophia.”
Serena extended her hand, and Sophia, startled, took it.
Like the guards, the still-dazed Sophia managed to follow Serena.
Afterward, the guards, amid the chaos, continued their duties, escorting Serena to the racetrack exit and even calling a carriage for her.
Though she could have walked to the bank instead of home, she was holding an enormous check.
Accepting the help, Serena got into the carriage and immediately checked the amount on the check.
‘One million gold…!’
Originally, she would have profited 30 times, but because she had bet such a large sum, it was reduced to 20 times.
Still, it was ten times the inheritance left by her great-grandmother—a staggering amount.
With this, as long as she avoided extravagant spending, she would never need to worry about money.
“Miss, did you know?”
Sophia cautiously asked, seeing Serena’s satisfaction with the check. Her face was full of confusion.
The question itself was strange, but she had no choice. Serena had bet over half her wealth on an unlikely horse, yet earned twentyfold.
After a brief pause, Serena smiled and replied.
“No way. I saw it in a dream.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. Even now, the events felt dreamlike, so calling it a prophetic dream wasn’t too far off.
Sophia’s expression showed she didn’t understand, and Serena had no way to explain further.
Seeing that they were nearing their destination, Serena hesitated briefly, then asked Sophia:
“If you ever need a break, just say so. Actually, in my dream, Starlight won twice in a row.”
Hinting subtly that Sophia should invest her next paycheck in the next race, Sophia, momentarily confused, suddenly widened her eyes in realization.
