"Honestly, this is such a pain."
Training was over, and Orfevre was making no effort to hide her displeasure.
"Why do I have to pay attention to what everyone else is doing? I only need to crush my opponents underfoot. Why should I care what faces they're making?"
"It's part of testing your technique," Shirayuki said, soothing her from the side. "You're already doing really well, Orfevre. You can pick up even the smallest movements now. Keep training like this, and you'll definitely master the art of reading your opponents."
"Damn it…"
Orfevre scratched at her hair.
Not only did she have to read other people's expressions, she also had to make room for those uma musume who kept slipping into gaps whenever they saw an opening.
How could the Tyrant of the Turf tolerate this kind of trampling?
By her nature, the moment those people came close, she should have flung them aside and left them with nothing but the sight of her back fading into the distance, forcing them to tremble in fear and despair behind her.
Yes.
That was the proper way for the Tyrant of the Turf to run.
But her trainer did not want her to run like that. He kept telling her to stay steady, stay steady, and every time training ended, Orfevre was left with a stomach full of frustration.
She needed someone to take it out on.
"How about I massage your shoulders for you?" Shirayuki offered. "Help you relax a little."
Orfevre looked at Shirayuki's face, then turned her head away.
Given her current relationship with Trainer, Shirayuki counted as her little sister now.
Turning the world-famous Empress into her little sister did feel pretty good.
But not good enough.
Orfevre wanted to conquer her on the racetrack. She wanted the whole world to know that as the Empress's older sister, she was even greater than the Empress herself.
Sure, racing Shirayuki was technically an internal family war, and no matter who won or lost, it would be awkward.
But thinking about the future, Orfevre had to establish her authority in front of Shirayuki.
What if she and Trainer really did get together one day?
Then people would gossip.
They would say she had once lost to her own sister-in-law.
There was no way Orfevre could accept that.
Defeating Shirayuki was not merely her duty as an uma musume.
It was also her obligation as Trainer's future partner!
For the sake of future family harmony, she had to become an even stronger uma musume than the Empress!
"You may be trying to curry favor with me now," Orfevre snorted, "but do not expect me to show you mercy on the racetrack."
"I wasn't thinking that." Shirayuki began kneading her shoulders. "A race is a race. Chasing victory is an uma musume's nature. But outside of racing, uma musume don't have to be enemies. At least, I really do want to get along with you, Orfevre."
Hearing that, Orfevre raised an eyebrow.
"Shirayuki… you didn't hear something from Trainer, did you?"
"Hm? Hear what?"
"You know. Things about me and Trainer… Did Trainer tell you?"
"Um, do you want Chiya to tell me?"
"I do not."
"Then he didn't tell me."
"So Trainer did tell you!"
Orfevre grabbed Shirayuki by the collar, her face burning red as she shouted.
He told Shirayuki about what happened between them?!
Was that the kind of thing he could just go around talking about?!
"No, he didn't! He didn't say anything!" Shirayuki insisted. "What exactly did you and Chiya do?"
"...You really don't know?"
Shirayuki swallowed.
"I don't know the specific details."
"I'm going to tear Trainer apart!"
Orfevre was so embarrassed she wanted to crawl into a hole.
Her most humiliating, most private, most absolutely-never-meant-to-be-seen side had been witnessed by her greatest rival!
It was over.
There was no saving this.
Even if she beat Shirayuki, Orfevre would never be able to hold her head high in front of her again.
"Listen well, Shirayuki. It was your brother. It was Trainer. He was bewitched by me. At night, he called me to his room and confessed his feelings with deep passion. He was obsessed with my body. Obsessed with my strength. He yearned to have me. Seeing how sincere Trainer was, I granted him permission."
Her shoulder was being squeezed so hard it hurt, and Shirayuki nodded again and again.
"Trainer confessed to me first. I originally had no special feelings for him. But as a man, I suppose Trainer barely met my standards, so I reluctantly accepted him. Do you understand?"
"I understand… Chiya couldn't resist your charm."
"Exactly! That is precisely it!"
Orfevre straightened her back.
"In truth, I cannot blame Trainer for being so fervent. After all, I am simply too captivating. As the Tyrant of the Turf, there is no one who would not fall at my feet and willingly become my subject. Trainer is merely one of them."
"R-Right…"
Shirayuki's eye twitched.
That was not what you were saying in bed.
"Trainer, you blockhead! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me?! Do you know how much I've done for you?!"
That night, Orfevre had shouted while biting Fujiwara Chiya's lips, tears streaming down her face.
By then, Orfevre had been so overwhelmed that she had not bothered hiding a thing.
Shirayuki was already used to Orfevre acting tough.
The real problem was how she was supposed to bring this up later.
If she told Orfevre about her own relationship with Chiya, would Orfevre be so mortified and furious that she chopped her to pieces?
And yet Orfevre still was not done. She continued to ramble on and on about her own greatness.
"In the end, Trainer pushed me down! He said he longed for me to bestow my favor upon him, and begged me to trample his—"
"I get it! I understand now! I completely understand!" Shirayuki cut her off by force.
If this went any further, she would never be able to open her mouth about anything ever again.
Leave yourself a way out, Orfevre!
Hearing Shirayuki's words, Orfevre finally snapped out of the lingering heat of that night. She patted her flushed cheeks.
Even though it had been Orfevre's first time, and her memories were hazy, that rush of exhilaration, equal to the thrill of victory itself, had been burned forever into her body.
Every time she remembered how Trainer had felt with her, Orfevre trembled all over from excitement.
How could something so wonderful exist?
Pleasant. Sweet. Scorching. Dangerous.
Ah, no.
Now she wanted to go find Trainer again…
The frustration that had been building inside her these past few days had to be poured out on Trainer!
After a few coughs, Orfevre said, "In short, that is how it is. Trainer has been completely conquered by me."
Shirayuki let out a dry laugh.
"Well then, if there is nothing else, I shall be leaving."
Orfevre could vaguely sense something was not quite right around her thighs, as though something had slipped out.
She needed to find an excuse and get back quickly.
"Wait, Orfevre."
"What? I am busy."
"Your race opponents have been fully investigated. Next, we'll be putting you through collision training. While I was investigating them, I found out that they were investigating you too."
"Investigating me?"
"That's right. You're Japan's two-crown uma musume, after all. They're definitely going to prepare countermeasures. During the race, they might use body checks against you. Chiya is planning collision training for you, so the next part of your training might hurt a little."
"Hurt?"
Orfevre folded her arms with disdain.
"I have already experienced things far more painful than that. What can a little body contact do?"
"That is a completely different kind of pain."
"So what?"
Orfevre looked utterly unconcerned.
Then, after a brief pause, she raised an eyebrow.
Wait.
What did Shirayuki just say?
How did she know about that kind of pain?