The sports car tore down the highway, gradually drawing closer to the estate.
The evening breeze poured in through the car windows, carrying the ease of dusk with it.
Godolphin leaned back against the passenger seat, letting the wind wash over her. As if something had just occurred to her, she turned toward Kuroha, who was driving.
"Speaking of which, Kuroha-kun, aren't you going back to see Fumino this month?"
"Hm?" Kuroha froze for a second before realizing what she meant. "Oh, did I not tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Godolphin blinked, completely lost.
"Fumino and I decided, when I went back last time, to move our wedding to August."
"..."
The beauty fell silent. Godolphin just sat there in a daze for a while after hearing that.
Then her cheeks puffed up like an angry pufferfish, and she demanded indignantly, "Why? And why didn't you tell me?"
After all, she had personally handled the arrangements for these weddings from start to finish. Having one suddenly changed would naturally leave her frustrated.
Facing the goddess's questioning, Kuroha looked a little awkward and quickly tried to soothe her. Only after a good while did he explain softly, "Because this month's 2002 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes is being held too late."
"You know too. When we first estimated the race date, we thought it would be in mid-July. But now it's already the twenty-sixth."
"So I felt that if we rushed it, it would be unfair to Fumino. After talking it over with her, we decided to postpone it."
"...Then why didn't you tell me?" Godolphin crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.
Ever since they had made their relationship clear earlier, the blue goddess had actually become even more casual around him.
Kuroha fell silent for a moment, then coughed twice with a guilty look. "...I forgot."
Sure enough, a deeply resentful "hmph, hmph" immediately came from beside him.
"Kuroha-kun."
"..."
"Then in a few days, you'll have to work twice as hard to make it up to me."
There was a sly note in the blue goddess's voice.
"What are you planning this time?" Kuroha asked helplessly.
"Secret!"
...
By the time they returned to the estate, evening was nearly upon them.
The two of them opened the front door carrying shopping bags, and as soon as they entered the hall, three figures turned toward the sound.
Maruzensky was watching television while hugging a McQueen-style real-person body pillow. The two of them were wearing identical loose lace pajamas.
Their hair was a little messy, as if they had just woken up.
Meanwhile, Folkqueen walked out of the kitchen holding a bottle of fruit drink.
The silver-haired girl was currently wearing a figure-hugging cropped T-shirt that exposed her waist, along with tight pants. Her pale, slender waist was especially eye-catching.
Not only that, but there were also a few beads of sweat on her forehead. She was breathing lightly, as if she had just finished exercising.
"We're back!"
The moment she stepped into the hall, Godolphin smiled happily and said, "Maruzensky, McQueen, Queen, we bought the things you like to eat!"
After saying that, she went forward and passed out the snacks.
By the sofa in front of the television, Kuroha set down the shopping bags, sat beside Maruzensky, and asked, "What are you watching?"
Following their gaze, he saw that the huge television screen in front of them was broadcasting a live Umamusume race.
Before Maruzensky could answer, the commentator's cry rang out from the screen.
"Show Dancer! It's Show Dancer! She's finally made her move! What terrifying late speed!"
"Like black lightning! There's no one left ahead who can stop her now!"
At the sound of that name, Kuroha's brow shifted.
"Show Dancer's race?"
Seeing that Kuroha's attention had turned to the screen, Maruzensky spread her hands and said with a bright smile, "I don't really know the details of your expedition plans, Kuroha-kun. Little McQueen wanted to watch this."
As she spoke, she also stroked the head of the McQueen girl in her arms.
McQueen had long since gotten used to this great senior constantly treating her like a child and petting her.
In any case, when they were in front of their Trainer, everyone received the same treatment, so she did not care about little things like that at all.
"Yes. Trainer, didn't you specifically tell me before to keep an eye on her?"
Mejiro McQueen nodded and softly agreed.
At that moment, the race on the screen had already reached its final phase.
On the final straight, Show Dancer wore a dazzlingly confident smile as she flew down the track alone, leaving every opponent behind her far in the distance.
Just as the commentator had shouted, there truly was no one who could stop her.
Kuroha's gaze swept over the race information bar in the corner of the screen, and he shook his head slightly. "So it's a G2 race? No wonder it didn't even force out her Domain."
For a legendary Umamusume like Show Dancer, unless she just happened to run into other top-tier girls on the same level, a G2 race like this was basically only practice. It was hard to read much useful information from it.
"Yes. I only wanted to look at her racing habits. I never expected to see her trump cards from this race," McQueen said.
"It's good that you're aware of that."
Kuroha smiled and praised her. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "By the way, McQueen, there's something I need to tell you."
...
While Kuroha and McQueen were discussing serious matters, behind them, the silver-haired girl with heterochromatic eyes was leaning against the wall, drinking her fruit drink. Her gaze drifted toward Kuroha's direction from time to time.
Just as she was staring somewhat absently, a blue figure quietly sidled up beside her.
"Queen?"
Godolphin leaned close to her ear and called softly.
"Eek!"
Folkqueen instantly shot upright as if she had been electrocuted. When she turned and saw that it was her horse goddess, she slumped back down.
"Lady Godolphin... what is it?" There was a hint of grievance in the girl's voice.
Godolphin leaned closer with a smile and whispered, "Something good."
"Something good?"
A trace of confusion flashed through the gold-red eyes of the Umamusume.
Godolphin smiled. "I originally wanted to tell you this morning, but you ran off too fast."
As soon as the morning was mentioned, Folkqueen's face flushed bright red. She hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands in denial.
"I-I-I... This morning, I was really just sleepy!"
"I wasn't talking about that."
The blue goddess shook her head in amusement, then glanced at the sweat on Folkqueen's forehead with some curiosity.
"Speaking of which, did you just go running?"
Folkqueen scratched her cheek, her gaze drifting away.
"Yeah. After I woke up this afternoon, I somehow still felt like there was... ahem. I just suddenly felt like running, so I went to the training ground and ran a few laps."
"Oh..."
Godolphin looked at Folkqueen thoughtfully. In the end, she paid the little interlude no mind and instead lowered her voice mysteriously.
"Queen, come with me!"
The silver-haired girl was led a few steps by the wrist, bewildered. "Where are we going, Lady Godolphin?"
Godolphin turned back, winked, and smiled.
"Don't ask. It's definitely something good!"
(End of Chapter)
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