"Welcome, everyone, to Longchamp Racecourse!"
The moment they stepped into the venue, the host's passionate voice came rolling over them like a wave.
With his uma musume in tow, Fujiwara Chiya entered the competitors' lounge.
Orfevre sat down on the sofa.
"What are you standing around for? Sit."
"I still need to go check on Gold Ship and the others in a bit."
Orfevre clicked her tongue.
So she couldn't monopolize her Trainer before the race after all.
She crooked a finger and called Fujiwara Chiya over. Then she grabbed his tie, pulled him down, and pressed her lips against his.
After one utterly shameless assault, the two finally separated. Orfevre wiped the corner of her mouth.
"Just replenishing my energy a little."
"How's your condition?"
"It was lacking a moment ago. Much better now." Orfevre flashed a proud, fearless smile.
"That's good. I'll go say a few things to Gold Ship and the others."
"Go."
Orfevre folded her arms.
Just before Fujiwara Chiya left, she suddenly asked, "By the way, Trainer. Who do you want to win this race the most?"
"Hm?"
"Me, Gold Ship, or Shirayuki? I want to know the answer in your heart."
Fujiwara Chiya thought about it for a moment.
"I want all three of you to give everything you have and win."
"That doesn't count as an answer at all."
"But it's what I honestly think."
Orfevre glanced aside.
"If you had said me, I would have been very pleased."
Fujiwara Chiya scratched his cheek.
"Fine. I won't make things difficult for you. Right now, you are the 'Trainer,' after all. But once I win, you had better serve me properly."
"Sure."
Fujiwara Chiya left the room and headed over to Gold Ship.
The second he stepped inside, Gold Ship slung an arm around his neck.
"Shh, Trainer. Listen…"
"Listen? To what?"
"To the breathing of the great Gold Ship-sama… hoo…"
Gold Ship blew into Fujiwara Chiya's ear.
"Gold Ship!"
"Hahaha! Trainer, your ears really are the most sensitive! What's going on? Did even your weak spots evolve to uma musume levels? Does that mean you've got a tail too? Ah… right. Trainer's tail has always been sensitive."
Gold Ship looked down at Fujiwara Chiya's pants, grinning like a menace.
"I thought you might be nervous before the race. Looks like I worried for nothing, huh?" Fujiwara Chiya said through clenched teeth.
"Well, I'm a teeny-tiny bit nervous, I guess. Mostly because I'm worried this garbage Arc track might mess with my moonwalk. If I don't slide into the gate properly, I'll embarrass myself so badly I might as well withdraw right then and there."
After saying that, Gold Ship wrapped her arm around Fujiwara Chiya's neck again.
"You came to check on little Gold Ship, right? No need to worry, Trainer. I'm steady as can be. Just sit back and watch me cook in this race."
She patted Fujiwara Chiya's chest and gave him a thumbs-up.
"No one will ever see it coming when the final victor turns out to be me, the great Gold Ship-sama! Please put 'Final Winner: Gold Ship' on the screen. Thank you, thank you, everyone—"
Gold Ship nodded toward thin air.
"Looks like you're fine. I'm leaving."
"Go on, go on. Trainer, just wait for me to carry you home."
With that, Gold Ship went right back to practicing her moonwalk.
This girl really did treat even an international G1 like a playground.
And yet, seeing Gold Ship like this somehow put Fujiwara Chiya at ease.
A Gold Ship who didn't cause trouble wasn't Gold Ship. Fujiwara Chiya had accepted that setting long ago.
He had been thoroughly brainwashed by her.
After checking on Orfevre and Gold Ship, Fujiwara Chiya finally arrived at Shirayuki's room.
The girl sat quietly in her seat.
He walked up to her.
With everyone else, Fujiwara Chiya still had a few words to say.
With Shirayuki, all those words had already been said in his heart.
But there was one thing he had to say out loud.
"Thank you."
Shirayuki's appearance had changed Fujiwara Chiya's entire life.
She had brought him into the world of uma musume. She had helped him understand them, become one of them, win countless races alongside him, and finally become a proper trainer.
Toward Shirayuki, Fujiwara Chiya felt more than love.
There was also a gratitude he could never fully put into words.
She was the irreplaceable girl in his life.
He dropped to one knee, removed Shirayuki's shoe, and cradled her small, delicate foot in his hands.
Then he lowered his head and kissed the top of her foot.
A faint, elegant fragrance drifted into his nose.
Fujiwara Chiya thanked her for granting him this miracle.
And in the same breath, he made up his mind to walk with her through the rest of his life.
That was Fujiwara Chiya's vow to himself.
Shirayuki lowered her head, her eyes burning as she watched Chiya tie her shoe back up.
In the past, people had always drawn energy from her.
Before a race, they would kiss her, hug her, cling to her, then step onto the track brimming with strength.
She never thought there would come a day when she drew energy too.
Not from someone else.
From herself.
Shirayuki's heart felt so happy it might melt.
She wanted to become her own wife.
She wanted to build a family with herself.
And at the same time, she wanted to become her own proudest uma musume.
After tying her shoelaces tight, Shirayuki stood. The man helped smooth the creases in her skirt.
Her condition had never been better.
She felt like she could run something different in this race.
Fujiwara Chiya stroked Shirayuki's head, then hugged her soft, almost boneless body before turning and leaving the room.
The host's voice thundered across the entire racecourse.
"And now, welcome to today's final race, our main event, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe! Competitors, please make your way to the track!"
"OOOOOOOOOOH!!"
Outside, the roar of the crowd crashed like a tidal wave.
Orfevre and Gold Ship were standing in the middle of the passage.
"What are you doing, Empress? It's our turn."
"It's time for the great Gold Ship-sama to show off!"
Looking at the two of them, both bursting with energy, Shirayuki smiled.
Then she glanced back at Chiya, turned around, and walked to their side.
"This is our first race against each other, Empress. You had better entertain me."
"Yeah. Don't worry. I'll make sure you're satisfied."
Shirayuki smiled.
The same track.
The same exchange.
But the people were different.
Her opponents were different.
And she was different too.
She was Chiya.
She was Shirayuki.
And at the same time, she was her own partner.
Standing here was one person.
And also two people.
Shirayuki took the hair tie from her pocket and tied up her hair, gathering it into a ponytail.
This was something Symboli Rudolf had given her before they left. Shirayuki had said she wanted Rudolf's blessing, so Rudolf had personally woven this hair tie for her.
Rudolf had always been such a serious person.
She was not good at weaving things, yet after ruining several attempts, she still stayed up late to make this for Shirayuki.
The President really was a wonderful person.
Shirayuki felt as if she had received the blessing of an undefeated Triple Crown.
When she reached the table for drawing gate numbers, Shirayuki stopped.
She had always carried a bit of trauma when it came to drawing gates.
Last time, a terrible gate number had cost her the race.
So what about this time?
Shirayuki reached out.
In this race…
Would the goddess smile upon her?
Holding that thought in her heart, Shirayuki opened the slip of paper.
"Gate 5."
This time, fortune favored her.