When the dance ended, Rudolf led Kagura off the floor and over to a nearby table, all under the envious, curious gazes of the young Umamusume in the ballroom.
Dancing was nothing especially taxing for an Umamusume—honestly, it barely even counted as a warm-up. And yet after that dance with Rudolf just now, Kagura felt as if she had burned through enough stamina for a 3200-meter race. A strange weariness had settled over her.
"To be honest, I'd seen the photos Grandmother shared before, but seeing you in person today still makes me think... well, you really are beautiful, Kagura."
"As long as ojou-sama thinks so... I was worried I wouldn't be able to make myself presentable and would end up embarrassing you."
Seeing Kagura slumped over the table as if she were tired, Rudolf smiled. She leaned in from behind where Kagura sat, pressing lightly against her back. One arm circled her waist, while with the other she speared a piece of fruit on a fork and brought it to Kagura's lips, tapping them twice.
Kagura froze for a moment before finally parting her lips and taking the fruit Rudolf offered.
"That would never happen. You're exceptional, Kagura. You'd never do anything embarrassing or unbecoming. And no matter what happens, I would never think less of you for it."
As she spoke, Rudolf's hand at Kagura's waist slid a little higher. She leaned in closer too, until she was right beside one of the ears atop Kagura's head, and blew on it softly.
Kagura, who had still been a little sluggish a moment ago, jolted upright at once. She hurriedly shoved Rudolf's face away, then clapped both hands over her head to shield her ears.
"Ah!? Ojou-sama!! Don't blow on my ears!"
Puffing out her cheeks in displeasure, Kagura couldn't help feeling that Rudolf had done quite a few intimate things tonight that she normally never would. She could understand it, of course—banquets like this were very Western-style, and Western etiquette had always been more open. But understanding was one thing; for someone as conservative as Kagura, it was still hard to accept so easily.
"Sorry, sorry. You just looked a little low on energy. Hang in there a little longer, and when the banquet's over, I'll take you home to rest, alright?"
"There's no need to go home! With the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes this close, this isn't the time for me to relax."
The moment Rudolf mentioned taking her back to the Symboli Household, Kagura shook her head at once. She knew that once she went back, several whole days would disappear just like that. If she stayed there, Speed-sama definitely wouldn't let her go off and busy herself with anything else. With the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes drawing near, Kagura had no intention of taking it easy now.
"That's true. Still, I don't have any more races in the second half of the year, so things should be a little easier for you too."
As she said that, Rudolf reached up and rubbed Kagura's cheek. The soft feel of it made her want to do it again.
"Probably... hm?"
Kagura suddenly noticed Director Akikawa approaching with the Umamusume she had seen earlier—the one with the streak of white hair at the front of her bangs. She reached up and tapped Rudolf, who was leaning against her shoulder, to let her know someone had come up behind them. Maybe it was just her imagination, but when Rudolf let go, Kagura thought she heard her sigh in faint regret.
"Pardon us! We're not interrupting, are we?"
Akikawa's singsong way of speaking was as friendly as ever. But Kagura noticed something else too: the Umamusume with her had gone stiff with shock the instant she saw her. She hadn't made a sound, but it was written all over her face.
"No... ojou-sama was just discussing my race schedule with me. Is something the matter? Director, the young lady with you is...?"
"Our guest! Fine Motion is an exchange student from Ireland! She's a princess over there! And tonight, Princess Fine Motion specifically asked to meet Kagura in person!"
Fine Motion, huh. That really is the kind of name only an Umamusume would have... wait, a princess!?
Kagura had already guessed this Umamusume wasn't ordinary, but she hadn't expected her to be a princess. No wonder so many people had been protecting her at Tokyo Racecourse the other day.
Putting the name aside for the moment, Kagura also took note of where Fine Motion had come from. She had no idea what Ireland was like in this world to still have princesses, but its place on the map probably hadn't changed. Which meant this was an Umamusume from Europe.
"Hello, Princess Fine Motion?"
Since Fine Motion had specifically asked to see her, Kagura decided to ask what she wanted. But even after Kagura greeted her, Fine Motion didn't answer right away. She still looked stunned, and Kagura had no idea what exactly had shocked her so badly.
"She looks... she really looks too much like..."
As a member of the royal family, Fine Motion was naturally well-versed in European history. She wouldn't dare claim to know every royal figure in history, but the royal houses of modern Europe were all things she had studied and memorized from history books. That was exactly why seeing Kagura had left her so shaken.
This was no longer a matter of vaguely resembling some famous figure from history. This black-haired Umamusume girl looked almost exactly like Princess Eclipse of Great Britain, that legendary Umamusume. The only reason Fine Motion still qualified it with "almost" was because there were a few tiny differences.
According to the records, Princess Eclipse had red eyes, and her black hair had been tinged with red as well. But the girl before her had blue eyes—a stark contrast—and blue-black hair. And there was none of the proud, untamable streak described in the accounts of Princess Eclipse. You could even say this girl was almost the complete opposite of her, and that was why Fine Motion still didn't dare draw a firm conclusion.
"What is it, Princess Fine Motion?"
"Ah... oh! You're Kagura, right? You don't have to call me 'Princess.' I'm just an exchange student here, so Fine Motion is fine."
Kagura's voice finally snapped Fine Motion back to herself, and she hurriedly answered. Fine Motion had never liked being called "Princess" in the first place, and with this girl wearing the face of a princess from generations past, she felt even less comfortable letting her use such a formal title.
"You seemed a little perplexed just now. I heard from the Director that you came specifically to see me. Is there anything I can help you with, Miss Fine Motion?"
As she spoke, Kagura smiled gently at Fine Motion and held out a hand, asking whether there was anything she needed help with.
Fine Motion had only wanted to come and see the person who had caught her attention; she hadn't thought any further than that. She hurriedly shook her head and waved both hands.
"No, no. It's just... Kagura, you look very much like a famous person I know... I... got a little stunned."
"Really? So there's actually some famous person out there who looks a lot like me..."
Kagura's expression didn't change. She still wore the same gentle smile as before. But the moment Fine Motion said she resembled some famous person, Kagura had already guessed who she meant. After all, in this world, the only one who looked that much like her was Eclipse.
But Eclipse had told her to keep her existence hidden as much as possible, so for now, Kagura could only pretend she knew nothing.
"By the way, what was it you wanted to see me for today, Miss Fine Motion?"
"It's... not anything major. I'd heard about Rudolf's recent brilliant achievements, and I came to watch today's race as well. I also heard that you've been the one supporting Rudolf all this time, Kagura, and I was curious what kind of person could provide support on that level, so I wanted to meet you."
"Ohh~"
"I've always longed for racing, and I was curious about what the world outside my own country looked like too, which is why I came to Tracen on exchange. And today I was lucky enough to witness such an important, glorious victory. On a day this important... I'd like to take a photo with you and Rudolf to remember it by. Would that be alright?"
Ah, so this princess is one of Rudolf's fans too?
Kagura suddenly felt like she understood the situation. Since Fine Motion only wanted a photo, she didn't mind much. She turned to look at Rudolf beside her.
Rudolf didn't mind either. Taking a picture with a fan was hardly a big deal, so she quickly nodded.
Director Akikawa had no intention of hovering around the younger girls, so she very naturally took on the role of photographer. She took Fine Motion's phone and trotted off a short distance. Once all three of them were ready, she raised the phone and called out—
"Happy faces! Smile~!"
...
[Fine Motion]:Mom! I met someone incredible today!]
[Fine Motion]:[Image]
[Fine Motion]:She really looks so much like her! It felt like Princess Eclipse had stepped right out of the history books and appeared in front of me!
---
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