Mr. C.B.'s mind was full of questions.
To be honest, she didn't have any real relationship with Orfevre—if they ran into each other on the road, they were no more than the "nod in passing" kind of acquaintances.
So why was Orfevre looking so aggressively confrontational right now?
And… why did it feel kind of familiar?
Like yesterday, someone had shown up with a similar kind of pressure… ah.
Symboli Rudolf!
Mr. C.B. realized immediately—
This definitely had something to do with Wuyou!
"Ah…" Mr. C.B. let out a soft sigh.
She wasn't exactly angry, but was she complaining a little? Yeah—just a bit.
Mr. C.B. knew very well that Wuyou had this inexplicable charm to him.
Someday, his popularity among Umamusume would probably be even higher than hers.
But he hadn't even fully "started trying" yet—so how was it that every Umamusume he attracted was harder to deal with than the last?
Wuyou… tone down your charm a little, will you…? Don't tell me you really are a carrot spirit…
Annoyed as she was, as Wuyou's current partner Umamusume, Mr. C.B. naturally refused to back down.
She stepped forward without fear and met Orfevre's gaze head-on.
Both were tall, striking "handsome beauties." The moment their eyes locked, every gaze in the area snapped to them.
"Waaah! Lady Mr. C.B. is actually squaring off with Lady Orfi! This is so intense!"
"Getting to see this kind of showdown—worth the ticket price even if you don't watch the race!"
"Why are they fighting?"
The fans' whispering didn't affect the two in the center.
Mr. C.B. kept her smile and spoke first.
"Orfevre, may I ask what this is about?"
Orfevre revealed a razor-cold smile.
"Nothing much. I'm simply taking a look—what kind of Umamusume my little kitty chose."
Then she looked Mr. C.B. up and down, and—somewhat unwillingly—gave a small nod.
Orfevre had the pride to look down on everything… but that didn't mean she was blind to reality.
A strong opponent like Mr. C.B. still earned her respect.
It was just that, in a "stealing someone" situation, that respect made her feel especially uncomfortable.
Like recognizing your romantic rival… while being forced to admit they're impressive.
"'Little kitty'? Wuyou doesn't have a nickname like that."
Mr. C.B. reacted sharply to the words "little kitty," her horse ears subtly folding back.
What kind of joke was that?!
How could she call Wuyou something like that?
She hadn't even used that name for him herself…
(Cold trivia: when Mr. C.B. worked in the Butler Café, she did sometimes call fans "little kitties." But calling Wuyou that… mm… yeah.)
Orfevre caught her reaction perfectly and chuckled softly.
"This is the name I bestowed upon him. And your trainer did not object."
Mr. C.B.'s heart clenched.
It had to be said—Orfevre's sentence hit her right where it hurt.
And she'd even put emphasis on "your," making Mr. C.B.'s blood rise.
It practically sounded like:
Your trainer's pretty easy~
But after a few breaths, Mr. C.B. forced herself to calm down.
Crossing her arms, she said, "Well then, I suppose Wuyou really is kind, isn't he?"
"…What?"
"Wuyou didn't reject your nickname simply because trainers are tolerant toward Umamusume. It was just basic courtesy."
After speaking, Mr. C.B. stepped forward again.
The two of them were almost pressed together, soft fullness compressing against soft fullness.
When a massive star exhausts its nuclear fuel, its core collapses under gravity, eventually forming a black hole.
And right now, the gravity in front of their chests was practically birthing a black hole that could swallow the universe.
"But since Wuyou is my trainer," Mr. C.B. continued, "I'll allow him a little occasional willfulness."
Orfevre narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint flashing in them.
To anyone else, Mr. C.B.'s words might have sounded normal.
But to Orfevre, they weren't.
Because Mr. C.B. had placed herself on equal footing with Orfevre—speaking from the perspective of a "king."
There was even a faint air of superiority—doubling down on the fact that Wuyou was her trainer, as a direct counterstrike to Orfevre's earlier provocation.
As the saying goes: a king does not tolerate another king.
The collision of their auras spiked again.
This time, even the people who'd been excited to watch their idols clash went pale and fell silent.
…
And meanwhile, at a corridor corner no one was paying attention to—
Wuyou quietly swallowed.
Oh no… this is bad. This is really bad…
Originally, he'd planned to find Mr. C.B. early and get the two of them out of the teaching building ASAP.
But he hadn't expected Orfevre to move so quickly—running into Mr. C.B. before he did.
And now she'd learned the truth about his relationship with Mr. C.B., turning things into… this.
Man… what is this mess…
Should he rush out and break them up?
No. No. Absolutely not.
Even if he couldn't explain exactly what kind of atmosphere Mr. C.B. and Orfevre were giving off, his fairy instincts screamed that if he showed his face right now, he'd suffer terribly.
Maybe… ask Luna for help?
Wuyou shook his head and abandoned the idea.
Dragging Symboli Rudolf into this felt like it would turn into a full "Three Kingdoms" chaos scenario…
He held his breath and shrank deeper into the shadow of the corner.
Mr. C.B. and Orfevre's standoff continued.
Their silent pressure condensed into something almost physical, and even the noisy spectators in the distance gradually quieted.
"Oh? 'Your' trainer?"
Orfevre suddenly let out a light laugh, casually sweeping back her golden bangs.
"I've heard that between a trainer and an Umamusume, it's never a matter of 'ownership.'"
She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice so only Mr. C.B. could hear:
"—It's choice."
Mr. C.B.'s horse ears snapped upright.
She understood the implication perfectly.
Orfevre was hinting that Wuyou might not belong to her alone in the future.
The moment the words fell, Mr. C.B. suddenly paused, her nose catching a familiar sweetness.
She tilted her head, her eyes flicking—almost imperceptibly—toward where Wuyou was hiding.
A chill ran down Wuyou's spine.
—Was he found?
No… Mr. C.B. was probably just warning him with her peripheral vision: Don't you dare come out.
Orfevre also followed Mr. C.B.'s glance and looked toward the corner.
There was no one there.
But that sweet scent still betrayed someone's presence.
Orfevre's lips curved into an amused smile.
"Looks like my 'little kitty' is nearby too."
And she deliberately raised her volume.
"Won't you come out and greet me, Wu—You?"
Wuyou's scalp went numb.
…If he runs now—is it still in time?
....
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