Before Fujiwara Chiya even opened his eyes that morning, he felt something soft and sweet-smelling press over his face.
"Bad man. Time to wake up."
A lively, mischievous voice tickled his ear.
Chiya slowly opened his eyes.
White cotton socks filled his vision. Between the spread toes, he could just barely glimpse the faint peach color beneath.
"Mmph?"
"Wake up."
The sock lifted.
Only then did Chiya see the person sitting on his stomach. A little filly with a red ribbon, a short low ponytail, and a wicked grin on her face.
Treve.
Then, with that same smug smile, she lowered her foot again and planted it over Chiya's face, sealing both his mouth and his sight.
The faint scent of soap and that soft, plush pressure wrapped around him.
"Mmph… Treve?"
"You were sleeping so deeply, Trainer Chiya. Since that's the case, I'll help you wake up properly."
As she spoke, Treve's foot began to move. Her nimble toes tugged at Chiya's cheeks while the man mumbled through the cotton.
"Why are you here…?"
"I came to wake you up. Were you and Shirayuki busy until late last night or something? You look completely dead."
As she said that, Treve pinched his nose between her toes.
Beside him, the white-haired girl stirred and struggled to open her eyes.
"This is all your fault, Trainer. You woke Shirayuki up too."
After playing with Chiya's face to her heart's content, Treve bent down, wriggled between Chiya and Shirayuki, and flopped onto the bed.
"I'm here to be your body pillow, Shirayuki."
Treve hugged Shirayuki in her arms. As for Fujiwara Chiya behind her, she wrapped her tail around his waist and kept flicking him with the tip.
"Why do I feel like you're angry first thing in the morning?" Chiya yawned and patted Treve on the head.
The girl turned around and glared at him, cheeks puffed out.
"You kept treating me like an idiot! Fine, you didn't tell me about Shirayuki, but you didn't even tell me about the wedding! Of course I'm mad! I'm super mad!"
Then Treve bit Shirayuki on the shoulder.
Both Shirayuki and Chiya jolted at the same time.
"This is your punishment, Trainer. From now on, every morning, you're getting foot torture from me. I'm going to step you to death."
How terrifying.
Was he really going to wake up every morning from now on to Treve's soft little feet stomping on him?
To be fair, Treve's anger was understandable. After she came to Japan, Fujiwara Chiya had told her the truth about himself and Shirayuki. Then he had told her about their marriage.
At first, Treve had not believed him.
Then she had been stunned.
Then confused.
And finally, shocked and furious.
What? Shirayuki is you? And you married yourself?!
Treve had stormed outside in a huff. It had taken Fujiwara Chiya a ridiculous amount of effort to coax her back.
Even after Treve accepted reality, she was still furious about how Chiya had handled it.
Am I really that unimportant to you?! Why did you tell me something this important so late?!
Of course, Fujiwara Chiya argued that he had not wanted to disturb her during her races. If Treve had heard about this back in Paris, her mental state absolutely would have exploded, and she would not have been able to race properly.
Judging by her reaction when she finally heard the truth, not telling her during the racing season had definitely been the right call.
When she left Paris, Treve had maintained a magnificent record of nine wins and one second place out of ten races. The only race she had lost was the Arc de Triomphe to Shirayuki. Other than that, Treve had remained in peak condition and won every single race.
Before each race, Shirayuki would call Treve to cheer her on.
Even when Treve was about to leave, the Director had practically begged her to stay and keep racing.
If he had told her back then, could Treve really have kept that record?
Fujiwara Chiya had his doubts.
Treve knew that too, deep down.
But she still could not let it go. She had refused the Director, left Paris, and entrusted herself to Shirayuki. And yet Shirayuki had hidden even the wedding from her.
Treve felt betrayed!
And the person who betrayed her was the person she liked most.
Shirayuki… and Chiya.
This person had seriously played her for a fool!
"I don't care about you anymore. From now on, Shirayuki is my wife!"
Treve clamped Shirayuki's leg between hers and nuzzled against her back.
"Strictly speaking, I'm Shirayuki too," Chiya said.
"Then you're my wife too. I'm the head of this household."
Treve rolled over and thumped Chiya's chest with her little fists.
Seeing how adorable she looked, Chiya could not help rubbing her ears.
Treve puffed up her cheeks. Then she opened her mouth and bit down on Chiya's arm.
"Ow…"
"Good. It should hurt. Trainer, you owe me way too much."
"Didn't I already apologize?"
"Give me another ten years. Once I calm down, I'll forgive you."
Treve looked at the teeth marks on Chiya's arm and licked them with the tip of her tongue.
"From now on, I'm sleeping in this room too. With you and Shirayuki. I don't want to sleep next door."
"That's…"
"Onii-sama, it's time to wake up. Miss Treve said she was coming to… Ah! Miss Treve, that's Rice's spot!"
Rice Shower, who had been waiting downstairs for Fujiwara Chiya and still had not seen him, came up to the second floor. Then she saw Chiya, Treve, and Shirayuki all lying on the bed together.
Treve was squeezed right between the two of them.
"That spot belongs to Rice! Only Rice gets to be with Onii-sama and Onee-sama at the same time!"
Rice took off her apron and dashed onto Fujiwara Chiya's bed, forcefully squeezing herself between the three of them.
"Hehe, Onii-sama…"
Rice rubbed her cheek against Fujiwara Chiya's chest.
"It's so cramped…" Treve muttered, pressed right up against Rice.
"You two little ones, stop forcing yourselves in here. I'm getting up already."
Shirayuki, whose legs were trapped by Treve, struggled to roll over.
"Let's lie down a little longer," Treve said. "There's nothing to do today anyway."
"Exactly, exactly. Let's stay like this a little longer, Onii-sama."
"You two…"
…
"Why are they still not coming down?"
In the kitchen, Orfevre looked up at the ceiling while chopping vegetables.
"Maybe they all ended up sleeping together," Seiun Sky said with a giggle from beside her.
Then she glanced at Orfevre's hands and shook her head.
"That's not right, Orfevre. You'll cut your fingers like that. Unlike racing, you really don't have much talent for cooking."
"S-Shut up. As long as it's edible, it's fine. Why be so picky?"
Orfevre's face turned red as she argued.
"That's true, but whether the food tastes good or not directly affects your score, you know? As a good wife and wise mother, how can you satisfy your husband if you can't cook properly?"
"When did I ever say I wanted to satisfy Trainer? I only wanted to… to reward him once in a while. What about you? You've been watching this whole time. Are you saying you're good at cooking?"
"Sei-chan is the type who hides her talents. I only bring out warm, delicious food when Trainer is feeling down. Back then, Trainer praised my grilled fish nonstop."
"Guh… You really know how to pick your timing. It's just grilled fish. I could surpass that without even trying."
Clack!
Orfevre finally forced the knife through the potato.
"How are things going with you two?" Tazuna Hayakawa walked into the kitchen.
"A mere potato is nothing before me."
"This piece is too big, Orfevre. If you want it to taste good, it needs to be smaller. Let me show you."
Tazuna picked up the kitchen knife.
In an instant, she and the blade seemed to become one. The knife danced between her fingers, rising and falling in a flash. The crisp rhythm of chopping rang out like music.
When she finished, Tazuna placed the spotless knife back on the cutting board. Not a single bit of vegetable scrap clung to it.
Then she smiled at Orfevre and Seiun Sky, who were staring in a daze.
"At the very least, you should aim for this level."
The two swallowed.
"Hmph… Hmph, a level like that? Give me one… no, two months. In two months, I should be able to…"
"Then good luck, Orfevre. I'll be looking forward to your cooking."
With that, Seiun Sky ran away.
"Hey, Sky! You little—!"
"Then I'll watch over you, Orfevre."
Under Tazuna's pressure-filled smile, Orfevre wiped the sweat from her forehead, picked up the knife, and brought it down hard on a fresh potato.
Crack!
"Oh my… You split the cutting board, Orfevre."
"…"
After lying in bed with Rice Shower and Treve for a while, Chiya and Shirayuki finally sat up.
"I'll brush your hair, Shirayuki."
Treve picked up a wooden comb.
"Then Rice will help Onii-sama…"
"I'm fine."
Girls needed time to dress up properly. Men could get away with being casual.
"Trainer, men need to pay attention to their appearance too. Since you're my wife, you have to be nice and pretty."
Treve put her hands on her hips and lectured Fujiwara Chiya.
"So I really did become the wife?"
"Of course. I already said I'm the head of the household."
Treve smiled, then began combing the still-drowsy Shirayuki's hair.
Rice helped straighten Chiya's messy clothes. Then she stood on tiptoe and kissed Fujiwara Chiya on the cheek.
"That's Rice's good morning kiss, Onii-sama."
"Wonderful, Rice. Much better than someone's good morning foot."
"Trainer, tomorrow I'm going to run ten laps first, then come wake you up."
"I'm sorry. I really am. Please don't bring sweaty feet into this."
"Hmph."
Treve gave a bright, satisfied little snort.
After leaving the room, Fujiwara Chiya suddenly smelled something strange.
He looked toward the room at the very end of the hallway and walked over.
The moment he opened the door, a burnt smell rushed straight at his face.
"W-What is this…?"
"Uya? Guinea pig-kun, you're already awake?"
Agnes Tachyon, wearing a mask and goggles, turned around.
"Tachyon, what kind of biochemical experiment are you running inside our house?!"
Fujiwara Chiya covered his nose and mouth, then opened the window for ventilation.
Agnes Tachyon set down the scorched reagent.
"I failed to control the heat. The nutrients were damaged."
"What?"
"I'm making a nutritional supplement, guinea pig-kun."
"What kind of nutritional supplement?"
"For the future child."
"Huh?"
"Your future child, guinea pig-kun. You could also call the child mine. There were cats yowling next door all night yesterday. As expected of a guinea pig-kun with an uma musume's stamina. Six hours straight without rest. At this rate, it should be soon."
"Wait, these walls… aren't they soundproof?"
"Soundproofing cannot block Shirayuki when she cries out that loudly. It even made me restless. I believe it is time to let Shirayuki rest for a day and allow me to help relieve your urges instead."
Fujiwara Chiya scratched his head and coughed a few times.
"So, because of that, you started making nutritional supplements? Can't we just buy that kind of thing outside?"
"An uma musume's development must be cultivated from infancy, guinea pig-kun. Once the child is born, she must consume food that is absolutely healthy. Only then can we guarantee proper growth. For the sake of my experimental data, the little guinea pig must grow up healthy. I cannot trust store-bought food full of additives."
"Wouldn't the expensive stuff be fine?"
"It has nothing to do with price. Some harmful substances are mixed in regardless of how expensive the food is. From now on, the child's diet must be my responsibility. This is my first batch. It is slightly burnt, but its nutritional value is definitely high. Come and taste it, guinea pig-kun."
Fujiwara Chiya looked at the yellow-brown, paste-like slime on the table and took half a step back.
"Have you tasted it yourself, Tachyon?"
"No. Since I have you, there is no need for me to taste it. Come along, guinea pig-kun. It is time for you to fulfill your purpose."
"That smell obviously means it's not edible! If I force myself to eat that, someone's going to die!"
"Oh my, do you not trust me, guinea pig-kun? No matter what, I would never commit husband-murder. Everything inside has high nutritional value. It will have no adverse effect on your body. Come. Open your mouth. I'll feed you."
"T-Tachyon?! No!"
"Guh…"
"Shirayuki?! What happened? Trainer? Is something wrong over there?"
Seeing Shirayuki suddenly clutch her stomach and collapse to the floor, twitching, Treve's eyes went wide.
…
"Uya? Trainer, you're finally up."
Seiun Sky waved at Fujiwara Chiya as he came downstairs.
"Morning… Sky."
"What's with you? You look totally drained. Did Shirayuki suck all the yang energy out of you? As expected of the Squeeze Princess. She really doesn't go easy, even on herself."
"That's not it. It has nothing to do with that."
Fujiwara Chiya's stomach was still churning.
Agnes Tachyon had recorded his suffering and said she would improve the formula next time.
Did that mean he would have to keep eating that vomit-like stuff in the future?
That was way too terrifying!
"Chiya, you're awake."
Yayoi Akikawa sat on the sofa, hugging her legs. Faint dark circles shadowed her eyes.
"Yeah. Good morning, Yayoi… Did you not sleep well last night?"
"I was watching television here. Strange, isn't it, Chiya? No matter how much I watch, this awful show never ends. And yet, somehow, it has this magical power that makes me keep watching. How strange…"
"Yayoi, don't tell me you watched it all night?"
Fujiwara Chiya pulled up the program guide.
"Six thousand episodes?! The actors went from twenty years old to middle-aged while filming?! Who told you to watch this thing?"
"It was Gold Ship. She recommended it to me last night."
"Did someone call me?"
A head popped in from the doorway.
Gold Ship grinned shamelessly.
"What's up, Trainer?"
"You little… What kind of nonsense did you make my sister watch? No, more importantly, what kind of nonsense are you doing now?!"
Fujiwara Chiya glared at Gold Ship, who was dressed like a gardener. She wore leather gloves, held a shovel, and was covered in dirt.
"I'm fixing up the garden, Trainer."
"Fixing up the garden?"
Fujiwara Chiya walked outside.
Then he saw that Gold Ship had dug up an entire row of soil and planted it full of tomatoes.
"Tachyon said we should grow more of these, and I thought that sounded great. Tomatoes aren't just for eating. In emergencies, you can squeeze them out and use them as health potions."
Gold Ship patted an enormous tomato.
"Don't you think this shape kind of looks like a butt? I want to plant a Whomping Willow next to it, so it can smack this butt every day."
Fujiwara Chiya covered his face.
Please stop telling people you're part of my family.
"Oh my. Are we renovating our vegetable garden, Husband?"
Grass Wonder's voice drifted over.
"Grass."
Fujiwara Chiya went over and opened the door for her.
"Did you go out?"
"Yes. Yesterday, I saw that Yuki-chan's favorite café had a limited-edition cake, so I thought I would go early and buy some for her."
Grass Wonder gently lifted the bag in her hand.
"Would you like some too, Husband?"
"I'm fine. Give it to Shirayuki. Her tongue likes sweets more than mine does."
"Of course."
"What? Dessert? I want some!"
Gold Ship leaned over.
"I bought some for everyone."
Grass Wonder smiled and took out a piece.
Gold Ship immediately bit it between her teeth.
"Say thank you to Grass, Ship."
"Mmph mmph. Arigatou three-kyuu…"
"No sincerity at all."
"Hehe."
Grass Wonder covered her mouth and laughed.
"Then I'll head inside first."
"Yeah. Thanks for going out."
"Nothing matters more than satisfying you, Husband."
After Grass Wonder entered the house, Gold Ship looked up.
"Trainer."
"What are you—mmph…"
His mouth was suddenly blocked by cake.
Fujiwara Chiya's eyes widened as he stared at Gold Ship's face right in front of him. She was biting the other end of the cake, and their lips touched.
"This cake's huge. I can't finish it by myself."
Fujiwara Chiya swallowed the half of the cake left in his mouth and licked his lips.
"How was that, Trainer? Playing the pocky game with the great Gold Ship-sama?"
"Mm… Pretty choking, actually."
"Next time, the great Gold Ship-sama will chew it up first and feed it to you!"
"Absolutely unnecessary."
"Chiya, breakfast is ready!"
Tazuna's voice called from inside the house.
"Come on, Ship."
Fujiwara Chiya licked the lingering sweetness from his lips.
Gold Ship set down her shovel.
Back inside, Orfevre carried a dish to the dining table.
"Be grateful and enjoy it, Trainer. I burned through three cutting boards to make this."
"Is that so? That's really… Wait. Cutting boards?"
"It smells so good. Breakfast seems especially fragrant today."
"Hmph. Treve, you will never reach my level in your lifetime. Compared to me, you still have a long way to go."
Orfevre folded her arms and, as usual, started picking at Treve.
Behind Treve, Shirayuki, Tachyon, and Rice Shower came downstairs.
"Our lady of the house is as beautiful as ever today."
Tazuna clapped softly.
"Lady of the house…"
Shirayuki scratched her cheek.
It felt like Tazuna had been teasing her more and more often lately.
"Trainer is the master of the house, so Shirayuki is naturally the lady of the house, right?"
Seiun Sky sat at the dining table and smiled.
"Foolish. The lady of the house should be me. Trainer and Shirayuki are both my possessions, so this is my seat."
Orfevre sat down beside Fujiwara Chiya.
"Then Rice will sit here!"
Rice Shower instantly claimed the other seat.
"Trainer, both seats beside you got stolen. Can Shirayuki even still be the lady of the house like this?" Gold Ship heckled from the side.
"You girls…"
Fujiwara Chiya looked at these uma musume, who still kept causing trouble for him even after the wedding.
But things were different now.
Every single one of them was his family.
"Of course I can. I'm not giving up this spot."
Shirayuki sat on Fujiwara Chiya's lap and leaned against him.
"Ohhh… So there's that move too."
Gold Ship rubbed her chin.
"Got it. Next time, I'll steal the lap first."
"Enough, enough. Everyone, eat."
Chiya and Shirayuki clapped their hands together.
And with all these uma musume around them—
""Thank you for the food!""