Inari Kagura, who had left earlier, quickly returned to the Symboli Family. Her timing calculation was indeed correct; she managed to put away the large pile of new items she had acquired and still made it back in time to prepare lunch.
However, today, Speed Symbol wasn't the only one at home. After Inari Kagura returned, she learned from the other Head Maid that there were guests at home today, and she would need to prepare extra food.
"The Head of the Family said her good friend came, but I wonder who it is."
The Head Maids who were assisting Kagura in the kitchen seemed very curious. Inari Kagura was also curious about which of Speed Symbol's friends had come. If only she could find the Head Maid, she would have been able to ask who this 'friend' was.
However, for Inari Kagura, she didn't need to know that much. All she had to do now was focus on preparing lunch and then delivering it to Speed Symbol.
Inari Kagura's work efficiency continued to baffle the other Head Maids in the kitchen. As a child, she was a bit too capable, and her techniques were remarkably skilled. Some of the newly arrived Head Maids were dazzled, giving them the illusion that Inari Kagura was actually the senior.
It didn't take too long. Inari Kagura quickly finished preparing lunch, loaded the dishes onto the dining cart as usual, and then pushed the cart towards the Living room.
"…Children should be happy and joyful. Don't let them get involved in our affairs too early."
"I understand… sigh…"
After knocking and receiving permission to enter, as soon as she pushed open the door, Inari Kagura heard the voices of two elderly women chatting inside. One was naturally Speed Symbol, and the other was an unfamiliar voice. As for the content of their conversation, Inari Kagura didn't hear it very clearly.
"Head of the Family, lunch is ready."
"Kagura, don't rush off. Come, let's eat together."
"This… isn't quite appropriate, is it?"
Kagura, who was still setting the tableware, paused her movements and looked at Speed Symbol with some confusion. She had been thinking of leaving quickly to avoid disturbing Speed Symbol and her friend's conversation, but she didn't expect Speed Symbol to ask her to stay.
Although a little uneasy, Kagura still complied with the request and sat down in the seat next to Speed Symbol.
She also took the opportunity to observe Speed Symbol's friend. She was also an elderly Uma Musume, but she looked as energetic as Speed Symbol. The person's hair was white, and this was the first time Inari Kagura had seen such pure white hair since coming to this world.
"…She's that child, isn't she?"
Kagura noticed that the Old Uma Musume was looking at her, as if studying something.
"Old Mejiro, stop with that look. This child is rather shy. Be careful not to scare her."
Saying this, Speed Symbol placed her hand on Kagura's head and gently ruffled her hair.
'I'm probably not as shy as you think, Head of the Family…'
Kagura was indeed nervous, but not because the gaze put any pressure on her. She wasn't nervous because of that; she knew the other person was just curious. The issue now wasn't the gaze, but Speed Symbol's address to the other person just now.
—Old Mejiro.
Unless there were other Mejiro, it was most likely the Mejiro Family that the Trainer mentioned this morning. Moreover, seeing that the other person had a good relationship with Old Symboli, this Old Mejiro was probably… 'I should have known… the Head of the Family's good friend is the Head of the Mejiro Family!'
This was the real reason for Kagura's current nervousness. She instinctively stared at the other person, and Old Mejiro also stared back at her. After a long while, the other person finally showed a kind smile:
"I apologize, dear child. I only heard Old Symboli mention you and was curious, so I looked a few extra times. I didn't scare you, did I?"
"It's fine… it's okay…"
If one were to find an explanation for the phrase "on pins and needles," Kagura felt that a photo of her current state pasted directly into a dictionary would be the best explanation. Fortunately, Speed Symbol spoke up in time to adjust the overall atmosphere, and the Living room returned to a leisurely atmosphere of casual conversation.
After the atmosphere normalized, Kagura cautiously began to eat. Thankfully, in Japan, meals are usually served in individual portions, so there was no need to reach for dishes in the middle of the table. If she had to reach for dishes in this situation, Kagura wouldn't know where to start.
Fortunately, Old Mejiro did not bring up any topics that would make Kagura uncomfortable, only asking some questions related to her current living situation, which also gave Kagura the opportunity to interject a few words from time to time.
"Your cooking is really good… Little Kagura, I once visited my granddaughter in the neighboring country, and she also treated me to a meal like this. It's truly a nostalgic taste."
"Thank you for the compliment. Does your granddaughter live in Huaguo?"
"Yes... but that child has always been very weak, and recently her physical condition has worsened. I was afraid something would happen to her, so I brought her back home first."
As she spoke, the white-haired Old Uma Musume sighed, and her ears drooped slightly.
"Al Dan's condition has worsened again? How is she now?"
Speed Symbol immediately pressed for more information upon hearing Old Mejiro's sigh.
"It's not life-threatening yet, but that child wants to run... Sigh, I'm afraid it will be difficult. Even the doctors are at a loss."
"Life is full of uncertainties…"
Although Kagura didn't interject much, she listened carefully to the conversation between the two family heads. She felt a pang of sympathy for the child named Al Dan, who dreamed of stepping onto the racetrack to bring glory to her family, but fate had given her a body as fragile as glass.
Seemingly unwilling to discuss such a heavy topic with her friend, Old Mejiro changed the subject after a while. It was clear that Speed Symbol and Old Mejiro had a very good relationship, and Speed Symbol was also very concerned about the other family's granddaughter.
After that, it was mostly casual chatter about everyday topics. Kagura noticed that Old Mejiro would occasionally look at her during their conversation, but the other party never mentioned the adoption, making it feel as if they had given up on that idea.
Although the other party never brought it up, to avoid staying too long and causing more trouble, Kagura quickly pushed the dining cart away after a while, once the meal was finished... By night, the Mejiro Family head had left, and she still hadn't mentioned anything about adoption. This made Kagura breathe a sigh of relief, though she didn't know what Speed Symbol's attitude was towards it.
If Speed Symbol still didn't know, that would be for the best. But Kagura knew that Speed Symbol was most likely aware of the matter. Since it was the Mejiro Family's decision, Old Mejiro must have mentioned it to Speed Symbol when she came. It was just that she couldn't discern anything from Speed Symbol, and Speed Symbol showed no intention of bringing it up. She wondered if Speed Symbol had somehow persuaded Old Mejiro to give up on the idea.
'It seems the Family Head has no intention of discussing this matter, sigh… If that Trainer comes again, I'll just refuse him.'
The Mejiro Family matter could only be put aside for now. Putting that aside, today was still very memorable for Kagura. She finally had a formal identity in this world, and also her own mobile phone and savings. There was even her first month's salary in that bank account.
After Old Mejiro left that evening, Kagura specifically went to Speed Symbol's room to thank her. Speed Symbol just smiled lightly, telling Kagura not to worry too much about these things, and that living freely and happily was her greatest reward. That night, Speed Symbol also confirmed their itinerary for the day after tomorrow—the destination was Niigata, and they would be there for one or two days. Kagura was to accompany her and take care of her.
"Why are we going to Niigata…"
Before bed, Kagura, who was curled up in her duvet looking at her phone after showering, muttered to herself with some confusion.
Although she knew almost nothing about the geography of Japan, thanks to the phone she received today, Kagura roughly knew how far Niigata was from Tokyo. The distance was not short; they would have to take the Shinkansen.
—Don't panic, just go. Maybe you'll see something interesting.
A line of text appeared on the phone screen and quickly disappeared. It was clearly Eclipse's doing. From the message Eclipse left, she seemed quite optimistic, and Kagura wondered where her optimism came from.
After getting the phone, Kagura's first order of business was naturally to browse the internet. The internet in this world was similar to what she remembered, except that people here seemed to be less aggressive. At least during her time surfing, she hadn't encountered any overly aggressive netizens.
Out of curiosity, Inari Kagura also searched for the term "Eclipse," but aside from finding the entry for the natural phenomenon, she found nothing else.
—Don't bother searching. I've been dormant for who knows how many centuries. The people who still know me now can be counted on one hand. But, for your own good, it's best not to tell anyone that you're connected to me. After all, if someone really does remember me, it might cause you a little bit of trouble.
Eclipse didn't explicitly state the specific reason, but Kagura didn't intend to press for details. She believed Eclipse wouldn't harm her.
"Is that so… What kind of person was Miss Eclipse before?"
—In my era, everyone considered defeating me to be the highest honor. Unfortunately, no such opponent appeared until the very end. For me, it was quite a regret.
"It feels profound, yet I don't quite understand…"
Eclipse didn't write any more words, but Kagura felt a chill wrap around her waist and then rub against her head.
This ghostly embrace wasn't the first time Kagura had felt it recently. Every night before bed, Eclipse would entwine herself around her like this. It was a peculiar experience, a bit cool, but very gentle.
—Go to bed early. Don't keep looking at your phone. You have to get up early for work tomorrow.
Only after Eclipse hugged her did Kagura see the next line of text appear on the screen.
"I know… Why do I always feel like Miss Eclipse is like a nagging mother…"
—I'm not young anymore! Isn't this perfectly reasonable!
Eclipse's reply was full of righteous indignation. Kagura could only smile helplessly. She indeed didn't have a need to stay online all the time, and besides, her child's body really couldn't handle staying up late. It was only half past ten, and she was already feeling sleepy.
"Good night… Miss Eclipse."