Most gasp at the mention of the word Fiancé, but a certain group was furious. Their joints bend in an unnatural way, and their anger seeps through their physical body.
Fufufu~~ I underestimated you, McQueen. You win this round, but do not think I would retreat just because we are a family.
"Rudolf, would you be so kind as to teach McQueen how to be a cuck?"
"I beg your finest pardon?!?"
"It's okay, Rudolf. The Symboli Family will accept you regardless of what your kink is."
"Wait, Su!! You can't believe everything she said!!"
The rowdiness of the crowd grows with anticipation, only to be deafened the moment the young man steps into the limelight.
Igo Heita was a bastard of a man.
He had been blessed with a body that seemed sculpted for perfection, a physique that demanded almost no maintenance, yet somehow managed to disgrace it with a fashion sense bordering on criminal. Even with Gold City's relentless intervention, his wardrobe was only barely passable by modern standards.
His hair drew attention the moment he walked into a room. Its vivid red color and naturally sharp texture should have been his greatest feature. The keyword was should. In reality, he styled it with all the elegance of an angry porcupine.
His face was the greatest tragedy of all.
Every Umamusume kept a photo of his expressionless face as their phone wallpaper, if only to remind themselves what he could have looked like had he been normal. Such a sight was rarer than a miracle. More often than not, his mouth stretched into an ear-to-ear grin, his eyes curled into crescent moons, his tongue slithered between his teeth like a serpent, or he wore some other grotesque expression that felt like a war crime committed against his own handsome face.
If there was one wish shared by every Umamusume, it was to witness, just once in their lifetime, the version of Igo Heita who looked as though a prince had taken residence within his body.
And tonight, their wishes come true.
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
"Gasp…"
The young man stepped into the limelight.
A unified gasp rippled through the grand hall, followed by a solemn silence as every pair of eyes settled upon him.
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
He wore a crimson tailcoat over a pristine white shirt, paired with tailored black trousers. Golden buttons, delicate chains, and polished ornaments adorned the suit, elevating his presence from elegant to unmistakably regal.
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
His footsteps were crisp and unwavering. Every stride landed at the exact same interval, as though measured by a metronome. One could count to five between each step, the rhythm so perfectly consistent that it felt less like a man walking and more like the opening tempo of an opera.
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
His hair completed the ensemble. The red locks, once jutting out like a porcupine's quills, had been meticulously styled into neat, flowing layers. It blended seamlessly with the scarlet of his tailcoat, giving him the unmistakable air of a prince—or perhaps the protagonist of a grand Japanese fantasy.
*Tap* *Tap* *Tap*
Then his face entered the light.
Another wave of swallowed breaths swept through the room.
Despite the countless eyes fixed upon him, his expression remained perfectly calm. It was the very face every Umamusume kept as her wallpaper—the face that could have made him the unrivaled male lead of any shoujo romance. They all understood what it meant when Igo Heita wore that expression.
It meant his mind was working so furiously that not even a single thought remained to spare for the muscles of his face.
The girls want to help him, but they also would love it if he kept that calm expression for a little while longer. It's an expression that only comes once in a purple moon, after all.
"GAH!! I'm finally free!!" With Teio distracted by the prince, Sirius can finally pull the little twerp off of her face. "What did I miss?"
Sirius looked around her and noticed everyone was looking in one direction. She turned her head toward that same direction and immediately understood her peers' agape mouths.
"Homina homina homina homina homina homina homina homina…"
The prince and princess walk down the stairs with unbound regality. No one in their right mind would question whether they truly are made for each other, given how perfect they are in each other's hands.
"Close your mouths, brats. You might swallow a fly."
They were so captivated by his handsomeness that they didn't realize he was standing in front of them.
"Ahem!! Apologies for the poor sight, Mr Igo Heita.
I'm Speed Symboli. It's an honor to meet you."
"The honor is all mine, Miss Speed." The young man shook the hand of the Legendary umamusume. The young man started to smile as his eyes scanned Speed Symboli from the tip of her hair to the bottom of her feet. "I've heard of your feats, Miss Pioneer. I would love to follow in your footsteps."
"I heard of your unbound ambition, but this is something else, Mr. Igo Heita. I would be looking over you."
"Don't sell yourself short, Miss Speed. Perhaps you would be looking at me on the same level soon enough."