Even though the headline was terrifying, after Kitahara skimmed through the supposed "exposé," he quickly realized it was pure clickbait.
The "attacks" weren't even as sharp as articles he'd written himself for "GraspVictory." The logic was messy, and the content repetitive, mostly copied from his own dirt-posting days on Tracen's forum.
Judging by the article's low view count, this supposed scandal was confined to some third-rate site. It wasn't completely harmless, but it was hardly worth mentioning.
Just as Kitahara began to wonder why Sirius Symboli had bothered showing him such garbage, she pinched the screen with two fingers and zoomed out.
More than a dozen similar pages appeared—each headline clearly visible, all attacking him.
"These started popping up in large numbers about two or three days ago. They're low-quality, but there's an absurd quantity. Most are just second- or third-tier outlets, but combined, they're having some impact."
"I didn't find these myself. One of my younger family members was doomscrolling at home and stumbled onto them. She thought something was strange, so she started digging and organizing everything. She just finished compiling and sent it to me."
"What do you think?"
What did he think…?
Kitahara took the phone, quickly skimming through several articles, then lightly tapped his finger on the tabletop.
Sure, he might regularly mock himself—but he'd never do something this amateurish.
With such incoherent writing, it certainly wasn't something "GraspVictory" had produced under his instructions. He hadn't even heard anything about such a move recently.
The conclusion was obvious: if this wasn't coming from his side, someone else had seized the opportunity—someone trying to smear his reputation.
Honestly, Kitahara wouldn't have minded if someone was smearing his reputation for free.
The issue was that he didn't know their ultimate goal. Was he their real target, or was this like before, with him as the visible target while their actual aim was shaking up Tracen?
"Want help?" Rudolf quietly offered.
The three across the table also looked over simultaneously.
Kitahara tapped on the table for a bit longer, then shook his head.
"No. Let it be. I can handle it myself."
If the smear campaign stopped here, he could just pretend it never happened, and nothing would come of it.
But if they intended to go further, they'd inevitably have to communicate with those opposed to him—and at that point, he'd have plenty of room to maneuver.
After all, the leader of the "anti-Kitahara" faction was actually Kitahara himself. The small part he didn't personally oversee was handled by "GraspVictory." If these people really reached out, then…
Kitahara stopped tapping, pulling himself back into the present.
Soon afterward, he noticed a subtle change in the room's atmosphere.
How to describe it…?
Under normal circumstances, as Kitahara's reputation spread, various Umamusume families would gradually focus their attention on him, naturally placing him at the center.
But now, because of these sudden articles, each group paying attention to him did so with noticeable suspicion.
While Kitahara's name was certainly famous, he'd kept a careful distance from Umamusume families. Few people in these circles genuinely knew him. Hearing his name, many either asked around or simply searched him online.
And since many of Kitahara's past, more "outrageous" incidents involved Umamusume Hunting—classified to outsiders—smaller families didn't have clearance, and larger ones lacked the time to thoroughly investigate him right away.
Thus, except for Trainers and Umamusume directly connected to Tracen, everyone else learned about him online—seeing these recent articles and his self-released "dirt." Even if they didn't fully believe it, their perception of him was inevitably tainted.
Kitahara quickly grasped this situation. Noticing the additional suspicion in the gazes around him, he felt both amused and exasperated.
Where had this good-hearted person come from? Just as he'd resigned himself, they pulled the rug from under the whole situation, unintentionally reviving his hope in one move…
Still, although this unknown "good Samaritan" had diverted attention from him, some people who'd previously kept their distance after hearing about his "deeds" now began to stir again.
"Lady Rudolf, it's an honor. I'm from the… family. I've admired your accomplishments for a long time. Might you have time this afternoon—?"
Before Rudolf could respond, Kitahara spoke flatly.
"Sorry. She already has plans this afternoon."
"…I see. Then pardon the disturbance."
After the man left, the three Umamusume across from Kitahara stared at him, startled.
In their minds, Kitahara had always been mild-tempered—this behavior was completely new to them.
But there was a reason behind his shift in attitude.
As Tracen's "The Emperor," Symboli Rudolf was the standard-bearer among elite Umamusume. She consistently maintained a flawless public image, both inside and outside Tracen.
She did this not only for her own sake but from a sense of responsibility—to set an example for other Umamusume.
Unlike Kitahara, who could afford to be openly disruptive at matchmaking events, Rudolf always had to remain patient and polite—even toward unreasonable individuals—to avoid giving others ammunition to attack her reputation.
They hadn't explicitly discussed it, yet their uncanny rhythm allowed Kitahara to instinctively sense Rudolf's predicament. Naturally, he took on the role of "bad cop," purposely making himself appear a bit unpleasant.
If he accidentally went too far and upset someone, Rudolf could smoothly step in as the "good cop," preserving her image while still swiftly turning down any offers.
Their coordination was strangely seamless.
For Sirius Symboli, however, it was the opposite scenario.
Sirius's blunt nature meant she wasn't good at Rudolf's polite maneuvers. When guests approached her, Kitahara would soften his approach, gently deflecting attention.
The actual rebuffs came mainly from Sirius herself, while Kitahara politely intervened with gentle excuses, such as, "Sorry, we need to discuss work this afternoon."
"This is such a pain. This is why I didn't want to come to this hellhole…"
After sending away yet another group—people clearly forced into approaching by their family elders—Sirius openly showed her irritation.
She had never enjoyed empty formalities, and after several rounds of it, her patience was already wearing thin.
"Just bear with it for now. After lunch, we'll return to the room. You can lock the door and do whatever you like…"
"It's not that easy."
In response to Kitahara's attempted comfort, Sirius sighed again.
"Even after lunch, we can't just retreat immediately—that would violate etiquette. And afterward, during free interaction, things will actually get worse. Plus, there's tonight's ball. Just thinking about it gives me a headache…"
As she spoke, Sirius clicked her tongue twice.
"Isn't there some quick solution to end this all at once…?"
"There isn't. Just endure it a bit longer."
After responding, Kitahara turned to deal with a group that had approached, trying to recruit Satono Diamond.
While Kitahara handled them, Sirius—still irritated—glanced around, searching for a way to finally stop all these people from approaching her.
And as her gaze fell upon Rudolf, calm and composed, a recent memory suddenly flashed vividly into her mind.
"Sirius, you've seen how Teio's been performing…"
Sirius still lacked hard evidence that Symboli Rudolf liked Kitahara romantically.
Yet, after that conversation, Sirius had at least become certain of one thing: Rudolf's behavior around Kitahara was different from how she treated anyone else—even her closest friends.
Their everyday interactions. That inexplicable synchronicity. Rudolf's baffling attitude…
Looking at Rudolf's composed expression, recalling past scenes, and listening to the incessant chatter in the hall…
An audacious idea, inspired by those surging memories, slowly took shape in Sirius's mind.
Moments later, after Kitahara had successfully repelled yet another group, he sighed—only then noticing Sirius's odd expression.
"…What? Is something on my face?"
"No."
Sirius blinked once.
"I just thought of a way that might instantly solve our problem."
"Huh? What solution? Let's hear it."
"It's simple."
Under Kitahara's confused gaze, Sirius calmly extended her hand toward him.
"We just have to act a little more intimate."
---
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