"Childhood sweethearts? A rescue? And Tokai Teio is the daughter you raised together?"
"Rudolf, if you're planning on writing a novel, I suggest you come up with something more creative. This plot won't get you good reviews."
Mejiro Ramonu never imagined the story would be so long. By the time she snapped back to reality, the clear noon sky had unknowingly given way to the amber hues of dusk. But Ramonu had no time to spare for such details. Her entire mind was consumed by the tale Rudolf had just told.
The gem of the Mejiro family, their unshakeable pride, found her expression twisting uncontrollably as the story unfolded. It began with a raised eyebrow, shifted to incredulity, and by the end, she didn't even notice the red tea spilling from her cup.
It was no wonder Ramonu lost her composure; everything Rudolf said was beyond her comprehension. As the first person to discover Kitano's secret, Ramonu was willing to believe in his "reincarnation." After all, Kitano was already a man whose lifespan could be extended; a little more mystery was understandable.
Mejiro Ramonu had already guessed that Rudolf had some connection to Kitano. Rudolf's actions, her concern for Kitano that surpassed even that for Tokai Teio, whom she had personally trained, were clear signs.
But even with all her mental preparation, Mejiro Ramonu had never anticipated this. A story that began with a beautiful childhood, descended into a youth of hatred born from misunderstanding, and ended in a final moment of reconciliation, far too late. It was all simply too much for Mejiro Ramonu to believe.
"Why would I lie to you, Ramonu? If you think this is a fabrication, you can come back in a month and see if I can't recount every single detail again."
"I can tell you, this is the past I shared with him. I relive our memories every single moment… My… my soul is branded with his mark."
As she spoke, under Mejiro Ramonu's slightly horrified gaze, Rudolf momentarily shed her tough facade. Like a young girl experiencing her first crush, she shyly hid a blush and a smile, murmuring in frustration, "Ah… saying it out loud is actually quite embarrassing… If only I could be this honest in front of Kitano."
"It's a shame, but now is not the right time… However, if Teio can remember everything, perhaps then I can properly tell Kitano how I feel."
Rudolf hadn't confessed everything to Kitano yet, mainly because she knew all too well how many mistakes she had made in their shared past. From beginning to end, Kitano had never forgotten her, nor had he ever truly betrayed her. Everything he did was out of necessity; without those actions, he would have had no future.
It was just that she had been too stubborn back then. As the pride of the Symboli family, her life had been too smooth. A version of herself who had never truly faced a setback had zero tolerance for "betrayal," which led to the tragedy.
Rudolf desperately wanted to convey her regret to Kitano, but not now. Right now, she had to focus on how to keep him alive. Therefore, she couldn't do anything that might provoke his current Tantou horse girls. Their entire focus had to be on winning races.
And… Rudolf hoped for a more dignified reconciliation with Kitano.
Regardless, Rudolf had a pride she couldn't forsake. This pride wasn't directed at Kitano, but as the next head of the Symboli family, she, like Mejiro Ramonu, could not show weakness to the outside world. It was a responsibility she had to bear.
If she rashly revealed everything to Kitano, Rudolf knew her emotions would erupt. She would likely end up in a pathetic state… and whether their relationship could be repaired would be secondary to the fact that their private affairs would be known to everyone by the next day.
Even if she were to cry, Rudolf could only do so alone, in secret. If there was one other person in the world who could witness that moment… Rudolf hoped it would be the one who had left the single, beautiful ray of light in her life.
"—So, you expect me to believe you were that foolish? That you never once thought of explaining or communicating, and instead turned into a running machine fueled by rage?"
However, Mejiro Ramonu, having regained her senses, narrowed her eyes. Her tone was laced with a strange, mocking quality as she interrogated her, word by word.
"And you permanently hurt him, the one who struggled to live until that day just to fulfill his promise to you. He gave you light, and you repaid him with a heart full of fury? You only repented at the very last moment of his life?"
"If that's the case… Rudolf, I must say, your past self was a true tyrant. A foolish tyrant."
At that moment, Ramonu's tone was not just sarcastic, but filled with contempt. It was clear that after seeing Rudolf's reaction, Ramonu had, to some extent, come to believe the story. But as belief settled in, she felt a flame ignite in her chest—a flame named "anger."
It had been a long time since such an emotion had surged within Mejiro Ramonu. But for some reason, despite having faced countless trials and priding herself on her elegant composure, the news that "Rudolf had hurt Kitano" sent an uncontrollable rage through her.
Especially when Ramonu heard that Kitano, who remembered everything but could not explain, had chosen to forgive Rudolf on the day he died… Her fingers, holding the teacup, trembled, nearly shattering the handle.
Such devotion, such perseverance… If it were her, she would have treated such a person as the most precious treasure, placing him in the cleanest glass case on a pedestal for all to admire, yet keeping him untouched by the dust of the world, a treasure for her alone.
And this person, Rudolf, had hurt this worldly treasure so grievously? The thought made the flames in Ramonu's heart leap higher, and her words grew sharper.
"…I know I was foolish, Ramonu. I admit it."
Faced with such disdain, Rudolf fell silent for a moment before quietly accepting the rebuke. She knew she had done many things to hurt Kitano and could not excuse her past actions… they were a part of her.
"But that's why, this time, I must do everything in my power to save him, Ramonu. I am willing to pay any price."
"Oh? Then why don't you just tell that child, Teio, to give up her races?" Mejiro Ramonu suggested, surprisingly unhurried and leisurely.
"Or, you could trick Teio into signing a Tantou contract with Trainer Kitano. Perhaps that would solve his crisis as well."
"…I can't do that, Ramonu. Teio was raised by both Kitano and me. We both see her as our own daughter."
Hearing the latter half of Ramonu's suggestion, Rudolf's heart wavered for a moment, but she quickly rejected the proposal with stern righteousness. "Kitano and I would never, ever deceive Teio. Absolutely not."
"Oh? Didn't you say you'd do anything for him? Rudolf, do you have the resolve to abandon everything for his sake?"
The next moment, Mejiro Ramonu's words intensified as she shot Rudolf a look of utter contempt. Having been scorned several times, even Rudolf's legendary patience began to fray. But just as she was about to react, Mejiro Ramonu spoke first, her voice cool.
"I've heard your story, Rudolf. Now, I have only one question for you."
"Do you—truly believe you love him?"
As Mejiro Ramonu's words fell, the gem of the Mejiro family fixed Rudolf with an intensely scrutinizing, icy gaze for the first time. Those demonic eyes of hers, capable of piercing one's soul, made Rudolf's heart clench. She subconsciously began to speak:
"I…"
"Think carefully before you answer, Rudolf. Do you love him, or… are you merely obsessed with the memory of the man he used to be?"
However, Ramonu pressed on, her gaze boring into Rudolf's very soul. She was applying pressure, almost forcing Rudolf to confront her own heart. The effect was immediate—Rudolf fell silent.
And Rudolf's brief silence brought a slight curve to Mejiro Ramonu's lips—a smile of triumph, mixed with a relief she couldn't quite understand. She spoke each word with precision.
"You hesitated, Rudolf. You think you love him, but you are actually in love with a version of Kitano that exists only in your perception."
"It's not your fault, Rudolf. After all, the only time you and Kitano were truly open with each other was during that distant, beautiful childhood. After that, you never truly tried to understand him—or rather, you were afraid to."
"Because that was the time you hurt him. To touch it again would only be to touch your own wounds. No one wants to reopen their own scars, because you know the answer hidden behind them might not be what you want to find."
At that moment, staring into Rudolf's trembling eyes, which were on the verge of erupting, Mejiro Ramonu delivered her killing blow with a sneer—
"You're afraid that if you learn the truth, you'll discover that the most important person in his heart is not you."
"MEJIRO RAMONU!!!"
Finally, under Ramonu's relentless provocations, the thread of Rudolf's sanity snapped once more. A powerful aura erupted from her, but Mejiro Ramonu, who had been prepared, met it with an aura of her own, no less formidable!
For an instant, the temperature in the student council office polarized. On one side, a scorching fire of rage that seemed capable of burning everything; on the other, a bone-chilling ice that could freeze all things. The auras of the two horse girls standing at the pinnacle of Japan clashed once more, neither willing to yield!
But the collision lasted only a moment. After witnessing Rudolf's outburst, Mejiro Ramonu, having vented some of her own anger, nonchalantly waved her hand, resuming her usual elegance. She teased Rudolf, "Alright, now I can believe that everything you said is true."
"After all, if even that anger was fake, then you wouldn't be the Symboli Rudolf I know. I'll help you as much as I can."
Feeling the fiery gaze of Rudolf burning into her back, Mejiro Ramonu had no desire to linger with the president who refused to face her own heart. But as she left, whether out of pity for her childhood friend or some other reason, she offered a sincere piece of advice.
"However, I hope you'll take my earlier warning to heart. One who doesn't face their past has no right to embrace the future, Rudolf."
"Consider it a reminder from me. There are many who covet this worldly treasure now. While I can resist the temptation, I can't persuade others to do the same… I have no reason to stop even my own sister, you know."
With that, Mejiro Ramonu finally left the student council office. She had no time to worry about Rudolf's condition. If she had, she might have been surprised to see that Rudolf, instead of raging alone, had slumped back into her chair, utterly exhausted, without even the energy to be mad.
Right now, Mejiro Ramonu's mind was filled with what Rudolf had said about a "past life." It brought up a question, one concerning the recent strange events in her family and the Mejiro connection to Kitano.
If Rudolf was so close to Kitano because of the influence of a past life… could her own sister be in a similar situation? Is that why she gets along so well with Trainer Kitano?
And—that child named Invincible, who has Mejiro blood flowing through her veins, what is her story?
All of this… Mejiro Ramonu felt a pressing need to uncover the truth. Her sister, and that child named Invincible… what kind of relationship did they have with Kitano in a past life?