It was mid-March…
Oguri Cap and Belno Light stood before Symboli Rudolf.
Listening to their request, Symboli Rudolf's expression didn't shift much.
Her reaction made Oguri Cap feel something was off.
Rudolf had changed far too much.
Last year, Symboli Rudolf had been the unwavering enforcer of the rules—absolute authority personified. But now…
"In short, because you didn't register for the Classic races, you hope I can help."
Symboli Rudolf paused there.
Oguri Cap and Belno Light quietly watched her, awaiting her answer.
Several seconds passed before Symboli Rudolf spoke again: "The rules of the Classics are as their name implies—nearly impossible to bend, without exceptions. If it were any other Classic, there might be some room for negotiation, but…"
Her gaze returned to Oguri Cap.
Oguri Cap's strength was formidable. If she managed to enter the Japan Derby, this year's Derby might very well become hers.
But…
"The Japan Derby is different. Even for me, letting you join will be difficult."
"Isn't there some other way?"
Standing next to Oguri Cap, Belno Light anxiously jumped in before Oguri could speak.
Her interruption caused Symboli Rudolf's brow to furrow slightly.
But the spark of irritation faded almost immediately.
She began to consider possible alternatives.
After a good ten seconds, Rudolf finally responded:
"Oguri Cap."
"Yes?"
"In your next race—win."
She laid out her conditions clearly, then continued with what she herself would do: "If you accomplish that, I'll help you submit the request. But whether the JRA will approve…"
"I understand."
Oguri Cap understood Symboli Rudolf's unfinished sentence.
Then, she turned and left the Student Council room with Belno Light at her side.
After Oguri Cap's departure, silence once again filled the Student Council room.
Yet this silence didn't last long; soon, the door opened once more.
The one stepping through was none other than Symboli Sirius.
For months now, Symboli Sirius had barely participated in races, merely placing second in the Seikan Tunnel Opening Commemorative—a G3 event—before swiftly returning to family matters.
Only now was Symboli Rudolf finally seeing Sirius again.
"Is something the matter?"
Symboli Rudolf spoke first, not waiting for Sirius to open her mouth.
Seeing Rudolf like this, Symboli Sirius was slightly startled by just how much she'd changed—but she still hadn't forgotten what she'd come here to say.
"I forgot to tell you earlier," Sirius began. "Yayoi said if you want to apologize, you should do it face-to-face."
Symboli Rudolf fell silent at Sirius's words.
She didn't know how to react.
But Yayoi Natural's words were undeniably—
"Ah…"
Lowering her head, Rudolf stared at the smooth surface of her desk.
Conflict clouded Rudolf's face. She was still hesitating, still worrying about what reaction Yayoi Natural might have upon seeing her again—worrying that she might end up hurting Yayoi Natural even more deeply. But if she truly wanted to apologize, she had to face her directly.
Besides…
If she could meet Yayoi Natural again, maybe it would also be a good chance to return Tokai Teio to her…
"..."
Various thoughts flickered through Symboli Rudolf's mind, appearing and disappearing in seconds.
After a long minute of silence, Rudolf finally spoke.
"Could you… give me a little time to think about it?"
Looking at Rudolf, Sirius shifted her gaze slightly, settling finally on Rudolf's head.
The ear Rudolf had lost was slowly regrowing, exactly as she'd claimed earlier.
Sirius didn't fully understand the mechanism, but she supposed the Three Goddesses still had their uses.
Confirming that Rudolf's physical state wasn't too bad, Symboli Sirius simply turned away. "Take your time to think. Oh, also, Yayoi replied about Teio as well."
"…" Hearing this, Rudolf froze for a split second, immediately raising her head. "What did she say?"
"She said she can't raise Teio alone right now, so she wants to entrust her temporarily to the Symboli Family."
As she spoke, Sirius glanced briefly around the Student Council room, confirming Rudolf had indeed been working alone recently, before continuing:
"So, what should we do with Teio? Should she stay with Tokai Roman?"
"…Yeah."
Symboli Rudolf thought for a few moments before continuing:
"Leave her with Tokai Roman. And don't worry about expenses—I already left money with Roman."
Rudolf's words made Sirius turn back, looking closely at her.
Sirius knew that Rudolf had never taken even a single yen from the family, so the money she'd given Tokai Roman had to be prize money won from her races.
And Rudolf hadn't opened any new bank accounts recently, so…
Realizing this crucial detail, Sirius could only sigh quietly.
"Just… take care of yourself."
With that, Symboli Sirius turned and left the Student Council room.
After Sirius shut the door once more, silence again filled the empty room.
In the stillness, only the sound of the clock echoed softly.
"Yes, understood."
...
Several months after arriving in France, Yayoi Natural once again found herself standing in a kitchen.
Unfortunately, even though she was both an Uma Musume and a top-class chef, Yayoi Natural still couldn't immediately become head chef—or even join the official cooking staff.
That was to be expected: the kitchen was a place that valued seniority above almost everything else. No matter how skilled someone was, they still had to slowly work their way up.
Besides…
It was incredibly difficult for women in a professional kitchen. The job was extremely physically demanding, and so kitchens generally only hired Uma Musume rather than ordinary women. After all, Uma Musume possessed exceptional physical strength, easily comparable to grown men.
Yet, precisely because Uma Musume almost never worked kitchen jobs, Yayoi Natural found herself in a difficult spot.
But there was no other way around it. Since this wasn't Japan, Yayoi Natural had no choice but to start again from the bottom, working as a kitchen helper.
She needed to earn enough money to open her own shop eventually—and Mochizuki required support too.
So Yayoi Natural could only grit her teeth and keep pushing forward.