Mr. C.B. hadn't initially planned to be open with Symboli Rudolf about this. Based on Rudolf's various reactions, she had already guessed that Rudolf had awakened to her past-life memories much earlier than she had. Otherwise, with the "Emperor's" proud personality, she would never have had so much interaction with an unknown trainer.
Mr. C.B. was also well aware that the "misunderstandings" between Rudolf and her trainer had been resolved before Kitano's death. And judging by the wails and cries she had heard from outside the room, the pendant Kitano had clutched tightly in his hand had undoubtedly been discovered by Rudolf.
If all these memories were to awaken, the "Emperor's" long-suppressed emotions from her past life would surely erupt all at once, fueled by regret and pain. One could only imagine the overwhelming weight of such feelings...
More importantly, Rudolf's surging emotions weren't just for Kitano; they were also directed at her. Mr. C.B. knew perfectly well that in the time after she and Kitano had broken up, she had effectively ignored him.
She still remembered the smile on her own face back then, so relaxed it felt disgusting, and her own heart, so calm it surprised even her. Combined with the fact that she had become Kitano's charge before Rudolf and had fulfilled the "undefeated Triple Crown" promise first, she knew Rudolf must despise her.
That was why Mr. C.B. had been so reluctant to tear down that final barrier. She believed that with Rudolf's personality—one that seeks retribution but doesn't fabricate blame—as long as she pretended to have no past memories, Rudolf wouldn't hold the past against her present self. And if Rudolf didn't hate her so much, there would still be room for discussion.
But now, it was too late. Mr. C.B. knew she had panicked, and she was genuinely angry. Rudolf had seen right through her.
Yet, when Mr. C.B. realized she had been exposed and heard the anger and loathing in Rudolf's voice—even stronger than in their past life—she didn't feel guilty. On the contrary, it was as if a heavy stone had been lifted from her heart, instantly freeing her of the psychological burden.
She knew that she and Rudolf could no longer find common ground. All that remained between them was their final relationship: rivals, and mutually resentful "enemies."
And when it came to being opponents, Mr. C.B. wasn't afraid of Symboli Rudolf in the slightest.
"...I once thought this gift was a mercy from the Three Goddesses. I never imagined they would bestow it upon you."
Now that Rudolf had confirmed Mr. C.B. possessed memories of the past, her tone became as icy as it had been in their previous life. She stared at Mr. C.B., recalling the moment Kitano passed away, and said through gritted teeth:
"You heartless woman. You actually remember it all too."
"...I have no intention of explaining the past, Rudolf. I know that even if I did, you wouldn't believe me."
Hearing Rudolf's predictable assessment of her, Mr. C.B. still felt a sharp pang in her heart. In the end, however, she didn't argue. She chose to continue their previous topic.
"Rudolf, I know you hate me, and I won't force you to understand. But what I need to talk to you about now concerns the man we both love most. I hope you can temporarily set aside your prejudice against me."
At the mention of Kitano, Rudolf's body visibly trembled. Her fiery eyes met Mr. C.B.'s solemn gaze. After a long moment, she bit out a single word:
"—Speak."
"Rudolf, I don't want Kitano to die again, and I'm sure you don't either. Whatever conflicts we have, we must first do everything we can to keep him alive." Seeing Rudolf's willingness to listen, Mr. C.B. breathed a sigh of relief and seized the opportunity to share everything she knew.
She was well aware that with the support of Rudolf, the student council president—with her authority, prestige, and the face of the Symboli family in the horse racing world—Kitano's chances of survival would be greatly increased. Gaining Rudolf's help was a crucial step.
To that end, Mr. C.B. prepared to unleash all her "trump cards" at once, but before she could speak, Rudolf held up a hand.
"I know what you're going to say, Chigiri. You want to say that Kitano's lifespan is linked to his charges' victories. The more races his charges win, the longer his life can be extended. Am I wrong?"
"How did you know?" Rudolf had stated, without error, the very conclusion she and Suzuka had spent half an hour discussing just yesterday. It took her by surprise. But seeing her shock, Rudolf gave a mocking smile.
"Don't think that just because you spent more time with him, you know him better than I do, Chigiri. I understand him better than you."
"..."
At Rudolf's words, the surprise on Mr. C.B.'s face vanished, replaced by a cold, blank expression. For someone who almost always wore a smile, this was a clear sign of anger.
But she held it in. She, and Kitano, still needed Rudolf's help. She had to control her emotions.
As Suzuka had said, now was not the time for jealousy or one-upmanship. Everything had to wait until Kitano's condition was stable.
"However, even so, Chigiri, my answer remains the same. I will not introduce more horse girls to Kitano's team."
"As for Teio... I can only say I will do my best. But if Teio is truly unwilling, I cannot force her."
"Why?" The next moment, Rudolf's sudden reversal shocked Mr. C.B. again. This time, her concern for Kitano overriding everything else, she could no longer restrain her anxiety.
Mr. C.B. slammed her hands on the student council desk. The horse girl who had always been so composed erupted with such force that it seemed to silence the thunder outside. She roared at Rudolf, her voice shaking with rage:
"Don't you know he's about to die?! Don't you know he needs victories now more than any of us?! His classic year is his only chance to live!"
"Didn't you call me heartless?! Didn't you call me cold-blooded?! So why aren't you worried at all?! Didn't you say you love him?! Don't you want to save him?!"
"—You think I don't?! I do! I want to save him more than any of you!"
Mr. C.B.'s roar ignited the fire in Rudolf's own heart. The president shot to her feet, scattering a neat pile of documents across the floor. She had no time to care about them now. Pointing at Mr. C.B., she yelled back:
"But saving Kitano isn't as simple as just stuffing people onto his team! If I could do that, forget Teio, I would put every single horse girl from the Symboli family on his team! So what?!"
"But have you forgotten? Kitano is managing a team! Not a single horse girl! And on that team, besides you, there are many people who are very important to him in this life!"
Furious, Rudolf strode forward and grabbed Mr. C.B.'s sleeve. For a moment, it was as if they were back in their past life, standing before Kitano's deathbed. Rudolf once again held the moral high ground, while Mr. C.B., despite being full of unspoken grievances and reasons, was berated by Rudolf's fury.
"Putting Teio's feelings aside for a moment, if I, as the president, were to rashly force a genius you want onto his team, what about his two current charges?! Gold Ship and Nakayama Festa were entrusted to him by Orfevre! They've lived with him for years! What do you want them to do?!"
"Have you forgotten that they are his only two pillars of support right now? Don't you know how important they are to him?! They are the key to saving him! Do you want me to do something that would provoke the already sensitive nerves of the Orfevre family's horse girls?!"
"Do you think Kitano would accept that? And if he did, what do you think they would feel? Just having Seiun Sky join already made them incredibly unstable. You want to throw another genius in there? Do you think that's helping him?"
"And what about Teio's feelings? Yes, I treated her like a daughter, and Kitano treated her like one too! But that was in our last life!"
"The Teio of this life doesn't remember! She doesn't remember having a father who cherished her so much! If she joins, putting aside whether she'd slack off, do you want Nakayama Festa and Gold Ship to slack off too?!"
"Don't you know that Nakayama Festa and Gold Ship love Kitano, just like we did?!"
Having let out a torrent of words, the enraged Rudolf finally managed to calm herself slightly. As if exhausted from shouting, she collapsed back into her chair, gasping for air, a look of despair on her face.
Rudolf knew that everything she had said pointed to one thing—they and Kitano were facing a dilemma that was already too late to intervene in. From the moment he stepped into the Orfevre household in this life, his fate was set on a difficult, unchangeable path.
They had all woken up too late. The die was cast. The best course of action now was to let things continue as they were... Avoiding any new variables was now Kitano's best hope for survival.
Dazed, Mr. C.B. slowly came back to her senses from a state of shock. But the first words out of her mouth were filled with disbelief.
"You're saying... Nakayama-san and Gold Ship-san love Kitano, just like we do?"
"Don't think it's impossible, Chigiri. Before you met him back then, did you ever imagine you would fall in love with him?"
Rudolf's question silenced Mr. C.B. immediately. Rudolf gave a scornful smile, which quickly morphed into a subtle, despairing expression as she murmured:
"That man... he just has that charm. Anyone who becomes his charge, no matter how strange their temper or how unpredictable their personality, will eventually be moved by his desperate will to live. They all willingly become burners, willing to sacrifice everything for him."
"So, the best thing for us to do now is not to interfere with the board Kitano has already set."
"As for Teio..." The thought of Tokai Teio's talent gave Rudolf a headache. Having witnessed Teio become an undefeated Triple Crown horse girl in their past life, no one was more troubled by this than her.
Teio's talent was so immense that none of them—not Chigiri, not Suzuka, not Rudolf herself—believed Gold Ship and Nakayama Festa could compete with her. But if they didn't win races, Kitano would die. The tragedy would repeat itself.
The very talent that had made both Rudolf and Kitano so proud of Teio had now become the greatest obstacle to Kitano's survival. After a long silence, Rudolf finally made her decision.
"I will do my best to persuade her. But... it's best not to expect too much. Teio doesn't have her past memories. The person she is now... is no longer Kitano's daughter."
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