Chapter 376: Compete with Claire Yeats, Do You Dare

Chapter 376: Chapter 376: Compete with Claire Yeats, Do You Dare

How could Estelle Lockwood have the nerve to mock her? Someone who couldn’t even ride a horse dared to mock her?!

Claire Yeats forced a stiff smile. "Perhaps... it’s because I haven’t ridden in so long. I’m a bit out of practice..."

"Huh?" Estelle played dumb. "But didn’t Miss Yeats say you could tame any horse? And this one..."

Estelle lowered her head, then looked at the equestrian coach beside her. "Is it very wild? Has no one ever been able to tame it?"

As if grabbing a lifeline to save face, Claire sighed helplessly. "Yes, I didn’t expect this horse to be so temperamental."

Her fawning admirers immediately jumped in to vent their goddess’s frustration. "It’s all the horse’s fault!"

"What’s wrong with your equestrian club? Bringing an untrained horse to a guest—who takes responsibility if someone gets hurt?"

"Exactly! You can’t blame Claire. She has professional equestrian certifications!"

Estelle gave them a meaningful look. "Then... should we ask the club owner for an explanation?"

The coach looked thoroughly embarrassed. "To ensure our guests’ safety, all the horses used at our club are fully trained and extremely gentle. We guarantee they won’t hurt anyone. Haha, this situation is... well, a bit unique."

The club owner hurried over, wiping cold sweat from his brow, and produced the horse’s training certificate. "Look, see here. We have guarantees for every horse on our grounds. We’d never joke about our guests’ safety! It’s just that this particular horse really isn’t suitable for beginners. Miss Yeats, if you’re a novice, you might want to choose one of the smaller ponies."

The awkwardness thickened.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Oh man, is this what they call an epic fail after showing off?" Liam Sloan laughed without any restraint.

"Five minutes ago, someone claimed Estelle Lockwood didn’t know how to ride, so she demanded Estelle give up the horse because she was an ’expert’ rider.

"Five minutes later: ’This horse isn’t suitable for beginners. Miss Yeats, since you’re a novice, you can choose a smaller pony.’

"Hahahaha, I’m dying of laughter! Don’t worry, Miss Yeats. Life is short—just close your eyes and open them again, and this embarrassing moment will be history, hahahaha!"

Claire was speechless.

She squeezed her eyes shut tightly and thought, "Estelle Lockwood!"

"Second Young Mr. Sloan, don’t go too far! Claire just had an off moment!" Evan Yeats fumed. Seeing Claire’s red-rimmed eyes, he suddenly sneered. "Since you all look down on Claire so much, why not have Estelle and Claire compete in a race!"

The young heirs immediately echoed his sentiment. "Exactly, don’t cross the line! What’s wrong with Claire making a tiny mistake? Is there really a need to mock her? If you’re so good, you do it!"

"It’s hilarious. Estelle can’t even ride, yet she’s mocking Claire. She’s got some nerve!"

"It’s clearly your fault for picking such a terrible horse. At the end of the day, you’re the one to blame!"

Clearly, these young men were so eager to play the knight in shining armor that they blurted out things that were incredibly easy to use against them.

Nathaniel Sloan let out a sudden, cold laugh. "Are you saying... Claire Yeats steals my wife’s horse, and you’re blaming my wife for having bad taste?"

Liam scoffed as well. "Oh ho, it’s the first time I’ve heard of a robber complaining that their victim was too poor after a mugging. Truly cut from the same cloth."

Silence fell over the crowd once more.

Not far away, other guests couldn’t hold back their laughter.

"He makes a good point. Mrs. Sloan picked the horse first. If Miss Yeats liked it, she could have just chosen another one, but she insisted on making Mrs. Sloan give it up."

"And don’t even try to say it was for Mrs. Sloan’s own good. None of us are idiots."

"She just wanted to show off that she’s a better rider and make Mrs. Sloan look incompetent. Who is she trying to fool?"

"Stealing someone else’s horse and then blaming them for it... How shameless can you be?"

"And now they want a race? Forcing a competition when they know perfectly well Mrs. Sloan doesn’t ride—if that isn’t bullying, what is?"

Claire’s face turned ashen, her body swaying as if she might collapse. "Estelle, no, Evan didn’t mean it like that..."

Evan choked on his words for a moment before explaining, "Right, I didn’t mean it that way. I just thought that since Estelle doesn’t know how, she should take the opportunity to learn. You always have to take that first step. Since it’s just family here today, there’s no harm in a friendly match."

Estelle smiled. "But everyone here makes a valid point. No matter what Miss Yeats says... she is an equestrian expert, whereas I know absolutely nothing. If the two of us were to compete, I’d definitely lose, wouldn’t I? Is Mr. Yeats in that much of a hurry to see me embarrass myself? And why should I compete with her anyway? Could it be that Miss Yeats feels humiliated from what just happened and is trying to drag me into a match to make herself feel better? Does beating a beginner bring you peace of mind?"

"Estelle Lockwood!" Evan roared furiously.

But then he noticed the strange looks the people around them were giving him.

No... that wasn’t what he meant at all! What was wrong with these people?

"I genuinely just wanted you to learn and experience the atmosphere of a competition. Besides, it wouldn’t be for nothing. I’m your brother; I’d naturally give you a reward for participating."

Claire bit her lip. "Yes... I was just worried. Since Estelle just returned to the Yeats family, what if people start gossiping, saying she can’t even ride a horse and is an embarrassment to the family? What would we do then?

"But if she competes with me, regardless of the outcome, others won’t have anything left to say..."

The young heirs were instantly won over by their goddess again. "Claire, you’re so kind-hearted!"

"Yeah, Claire. It’s just a shame that a certain ungrateful wretch doesn’t appreciate your good intentions. She doesn’t know a thing, yet she still has the nerve to mock you."

"If you ask me, Miss Lockwood is just incredibly petty. She can’t stand seeing anyone better than her."

"Haha, Miss Lockwood just said Claire couldn’t tame the horse, but I already pointed out it was the club’s fault! You and Claire are sisters, yet you actually stood by and laughed at her expense. What kind of sister acts like that?"

Claire let out a single tear at precisely the right moment.

One of the wealthy heirs, dying to show off his prowess in front of his goddess, spoke up. "Miss Lockwood, how about this? As long as you can get on that horse and tame it, win or lose, I’ll gift you a villa in Crestwater Bay. Deal?"

Estelle raised an eyebrow.

Claire’s devoted admirers... really were completely brainless.

Did these young masters—who had grown up in Capital City, lived off their families, and measured their pocket money in the tens of millions—truly have no idea how sinister the real world could be?

Fine. She’d be more than happy to teach them a lesson.

Estelle feigned hesitation. "But..."

In the eyes of the fawning admirers, her hesitation meant she was scared.

Another man’s eyes darted around before he chimed in. "Tell you what, Miss Lockwood, I’ll raise the stakes. My family owns a storefront in Crestfall. If you can ride the horse for just a hundred meters, it’s yours!"

"Alright, alright, then I’ll chip in for Claire too. Miss Lockwood, how about this? You race Claire, and as long as you cross the finish line within five minutes after her, I’ll give you a necklace worth twenty million!"

"Haha, Mr. Rhodes is so generous!"

The young men laughed and joked among themselves. Clearly, not a single one of them believed Estelle could win the race. In fact, they didn’t even think it was possible for her to get on the horse in the first place.