After training ended, Orfevre gave Fujiwara Chiya a quick goodbye, then stalked off with her arms folded and a storm cloud over her head.
Utterly infuriating.
This was the first time since entering her Classic year that Orfevre had been forced to run in such a suffocating way. Shirayuki moved like she already knew exactly what Orfevre wanted to do. When Orfevre prepared to take a turn, Shirayuki cut off her position. When she prepared to accelerate, Shirayuki cut her off again. Even during the final sprint, Shirayuki forced her into an awkward angle before she could open up.
It felt like someone clapping a hand over her mouth every time she tried to speak.
All that power, nowhere to unleash it.
Orfevre was so furious she stamped her feet.
It reminded her of that time she raced Trainer. Her Zone had been interrupted, and against him, she had been left with no way to fight back.
Now Trainer was no longer her opponent, but Shirayuki had taken his place, relentlessly drilling lessons into her.
In terms of raw ability alone, Orfevre did not think Shirayuki was overwhelmingly strong. At least, everything Shirayuki had shown at this stage was something Orfevre could also do. What made Shirayuki terrifying was her experience and technique. She knew exactly how to bring out every advantage she had.
For the entire race, Orfevre had been dancing in the palm of Shirayuki's hand.
Played with from start to finish.
Aside from the gap in race experience, there was also Shirayuki's body.
Orfevre was certain of it. Shirayuki had mastered some kind of impact-absorbing technique. Her body's toughness was far beyond a normal uma musume's level. Even though an uma musume's muscles could become as hard as steel when tensed, Shirayuki had reached a degree that was simply absurd.
Orfevre could not deny it.
She had a strange fixation on Shirayuki.
As the first uma musume to achieve such dazzling results in an overseas campaign, Shirayuki had carried not only all of Japan's hopes, but Orfevre's hopes as well.
Orfevre cursed Shirayuki harsher than anyone because, more than anyone, she wanted Shirayuki to win.
In Orfevre's eyes, the Empress possessed a captivating strength. She had the power to win the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and become the best in the world.
And yet, fate had played a cruel joke on Shirayuki.
When Orfevre saw Shirayuki fall short by the slimmest of margins, her first reaction had been shock.
Then confusion.
And finally, rage.
She could not believe the Empress had lost in the final decisive battle.
So Orfevre decided she would take the stage herself and complete the feat Shirayuki had failed to achieve. She no longer wanted to place her hopes in someone else. She no longer wanted to taste disappointment.
The Empress's vengeance would be hers to claim.
And so, more than half a year passed.
After spending day and night with Shirayuki, Orfevre's impression of the Empress gradually changed. Shirayuki's strength had grown again as well. Today, Orfevre had personally experienced just how formidable she was.
Front. Back. Left. Right.
Defense from every angle, without a single blind spot.
No hesitation. Fast and precise judgment.
And finally, the merciless attitude she showed toward an enemy.
Yes.
This was the Empress Orfevre had always hoped for.
This was the Empress she longed for. The Empress she admired most.
Not that soft, fluffy girl everyone wanted to spoil in daily life!
Orfevre had run a frustrating race, but at the same time, she was satisfied.
At long last, she had seen the Empress she carried in her heart.
She lowered her head, shoulders trembling, then threw her face to the sky and burst into laughter.
"As expected of the one I admire! That's it! That's exactly how it should be! Empress, only like this do I feel the drive to defeat you! I will crush you beneath my feet and offer the greatest respect to your strength!"
"…Orfevre?"
The sudden voice nearly made Orfevre jump out of her skin.
She whipped around in a panic and saw Shirayuki standing behind her. Who knew when she had gotten there.
"Shirayuki! You bastard! Why are you following me?!"
"I came to put some medicine on you. You must've bumped into a lot of places during training earlier." Shirayuki waved the ointment in her hand, then scratched her cheek.
"The things I just said…" Orfevre stiffened. "You heard them?"
"I did."
"How much?"
"'As expected of the one I admire.' I heard bits and pieces before that too, but not very clearly." Shirayuki smiled. "So that's how Orfevre sees me, huh? Actually, I really like you too, Orfevre. Ah… I don't mean that kind of like. I mean I like you as a friend. I'm different from Chiya. I don't feel that way about girls. It's not like I have no feelings at all, I just can't really do heterosexuality."
Orfevre silently turned her back.
"Orfevre?"
"Shirayuki, you bastard! Why are you exactly as annoying as Trainer when it comes to this stuff?!"
With that shout, Orfevre bolted.
Shirayuki blinked blankly.
What happened?
Did I poke Orfevre's sore spot again?
Still holding the ointment, she chased after her.
"If you dare say anything that brain-dead again, don't even think about entering my room anymore."
Lying on the bed, Orfevre had taken off her top and allowed Shirayuki to apply ointment to the bruises on her back.
"I have always seen you as an opponent I must defeat. I have never had any unnecessary feelings for you. Do not misunderstand. When I said admiration, I meant admiration for the title of 'Empress,' not admiration for you. Stop getting carried away."
"Yes, yes…"
Shirayuki brushed her fingers over Orfevre's delicate skin. As her fingertips passed by Orfevre's underarm, Orfevre let out a soft little whimper.
Go on, keep being stubborn.
During the day, Orfevre had kissed Fujiwara Chiya in the office for a full ten minutes. Then, once the heat of the moment passed, she started calling him needy and complaining nonstop. Yet when she left, she still ran back to him and gave him another kiss.
If she was not stubborn, she would not be Orfevre.
Looking at the pale purple bruises scattered across the girl's fair skin, Shirayuki stroked them with a touch of pity.
"Are you okay?"
"This tiny injury would heal right away even if I left it alone." Orfevre snorted. "More importantly, what about you? You rammed into me that many times, and nothing happened to you?"
"Nope."
"Hah?"
Orfevre did not believe her.
"I trained in a dojo before, so I have a very high tolerance for impacts. Though my training back then was different from yours, Orfevre. I directly had people hit me."
"Hah??" Orfevre frowned. "You let other people punch your body?"
"More or less. Fists, elbows, knees, thighs. Back then, I got beaten so badly I couldn't even stand." Shirayuki recalled the martial techniques Yaeno Muteki had demonstrated on her body, and even now, phantom pain crawled up her skin. After all this time, that memory was still burned into her.
"They struck me over and over, then treated my injuries. Once I healed, they beat me again. That repeated until I adapted to the pain and gained the ability to block attacks."
As Orfevre listened to Shirayuki's description, her eyes wavered slightly.
"At least your efforts paid off. Now, who doesn't know the famous Snow Dancer?"
Orfevre sat up, using the blanket to cover her chest.
"Come here."
"Hm?"
"I'll massage you. Training isn't only training for me. You must be tired too. When the time comes and you lose to me, don't you dare say it was because you spent all your energy looking after me and failed to take care of yourself. This should've been Trainer's job in the first place. Who knows where he ran off to?"
"Chiya asked me to put medicine on you. He said… it wouldn't be appropriate for him, as a man, to apply ointment to a girl."
"Hah?" Orfevre's voice shot up. "Is he an idiot? At a time like this, he still cares about that? As if he hasn't seen my body before."
"Maybe… it's his pride as a man."
"You Fujiwaras, honestly. I'll never understand what goes on in your heads."
Orfevre kneaded Shirayuki's shoulders.
After thoroughly denouncing all the foolish things the Fujiwara siblings had done, Orfevre silently added one more sentence in her heart.
Though in the end, I'll be part of the Fujiwara family too.