Early the next morning, thanks to the excellent sleep she'd had, Maruzensky woke up unusually early.
Opening her eyes, the room was still dark, and she felt oddly high up. Moving her hand slightly, she noticed her arm was pressing against something warm yet firm beneath her.
Looking down, Maruzensky realized she'd been lying on top of the sleeping Kagura, who surprisingly hadn't woken despite being pressed down all night. That captivating scent still radiated faintly from Kagura's body, tempting Maruzensky to hug her tightly and inhale deeply. Yet her rational mind managed to restrain her wandering hands. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself awake, carefully slipping out of bed to go drink some water outside.
"Morning, you're up already?"
Opening the door, Maruzensky nearly jumped back in shock upon seeing an unfamiliar chestnut-haired Uma Musume casually seated in the living room. Breaking into a cold sweat, she quickly calmed down enough to recognize the familiar face.
"What's with that expression, like you've seen a ghost? Didn't I say I was coming over?"
"Mom?! Why are you here so early…?"
"Oh, I was just missing my cute daughter terribly and arrived a bit early~"
The chestnut-haired Uma Musume, radiating a distinctly mature charm, stepped forward with a teasing smile and playfully poked Maruzensky's lips.
"You've grown quite a bit these past few years—your courage too~ So tell me, who's the little girl in your bed you spent all night pinning down?"
"!!!"
Maruzensky froze in place, eyes wide open, her mind completely blank.
Mom got here ages ago…? And she saw me… pinning down Kagura-chan… looking like such a mess…
The sheer volume of shocking information crashed her mental circuits instantly, leaving her speechless and frozen.
"Oh my… Why are you standing there frozen? Don't tell me it's exactly what Mommy thinks? That child looks so young… Hasn't even undergone honkaku yet, right? Maruzen, isn't this kind of… illegal?"
The chestnut-haired Uma Musume still wore a gentle smile, yet Maruzensky clearly sensed pressure—an intimidating presence unique to a Triple Crown winner bearing down on her. It was obvious: if she didn't quickly explain, her mother would genuinely lose her temper.
"N-no, no!! I-I didn't do anything to Kagura-chan, I just…"
Maruzensky was about to explain that she'd invited Kagura over to help clean yesterday, and it got too late, so Kagura just ended up staying over. But upon reflection, wasn't Kagura invited precisely to help avoid getting scolded for her messy apartment? If she revealed Kagura's role…
Why does this suddenly feel like a dead end no matter what I say?!
"You just…? You're trying to say you impulsively brought that child home and into your bed?"
The chestnut-haired Uma Musume's smile softened further, becoming even more terrifying. Maruzensky, unable to explain herself properly, began sweating bullets.
Just as the tense, heavy atmosphere filled the corridor, tiny footsteps sounded from inside the room. Then, wearing slippers and yawning, Kagura sleepily opened the door and stepped outside:
"Mornin'~ Maruzensky-senpai… You got up pretty early today…"
Stepping into the corridor, the half-asleep Kagura blinked in surprise upon seeing another chestnut-haired Uma Musume standing there.
...
"I see, so Maruzen invited you over, Kagura-chan, to play games until too late, and you ended up sleeping over. It's wonderful to meet you—I'm Maruzensky's mom, Nijinsky, just returned from England."
"Hello, Nijinsky-oneesan. It's an honor to meet you."
After speaking, Kagura politely bowed to Maruzensky's mother.
"Oh my~ Such a sweet and polite child, much better behaved than my Maruzen…"
Nijinsky smiled warmly, nodding in satisfaction. But suddenly noticing Kagura's left-ear accessory, she paused slightly and glanced toward Maruzensky, who stood nervously nearby, looking like she was sitting on pins and needles.
Seems they really haven't gone too far yet… Whew, thank goodness. For a moment, I really thought Maruzen was headed for an early life behind bars…
Feeling relieved, Nijinsky suddenly felt that this adorable child seemed oddly familiar. She was sure she'd seen this little Uma Musume somewhere before, yet this was impossible—Kagura was clearly from Japan, and Nijinsky herself had only ever been to Japan twice, counting this visit and the previous one dropping Maruzensky off. She was certain she hadn't encountered Kagura in Japan.
Wait a moment…
A sudden memory struck her: after Nijinsky's own Triple Crown win, she'd visited the palace to be honored personally by the Queen. During that visit, she'd seen a certain portrait displayed in the palace corridor. The Uma Musume depicted in the portrait had looked startlingly similar to this child before her.
Noticing Nijinsky's curiosity, the Queen had even kindly explained who the Uma Musume in the portrait was—an ancient British princess, a legendary Uma Musume from history, Eclipse.
The resemblance is extraordinary… truly miraculous.
Naturally, Nijinsky knew Kagura couldn't actually be that princess. Historical records stated clearly that the princess had died young, without descendants. Logically, no direct descendants should exist. Yet the child's extraordinary resemblance to that ancient princess genuinely shocked Nijinsky. If not for historical records, along with Maruzensky's explanation that Kagura was simply her schoolmate from Tracen Academy, she'd almost have believed this child was Eclipse reincarnated.
"What's wrong, Nijinsky-oneesan? You've been staring at me—is something the matter?"
Noticing Nijinsky's continuous gaze, Kagura tilted her head curiously, asking softly.
"Oh, it's nothing~ You just reminded me of someone from the past… Such a sweet little sister~! Come, give your onee-san a hug~"
Having seen plenty of remarkable things in her life, Nijinsky quickly recovered from her shock. After all, mere resemblance proved nothing. The world was vast—coincidences as astounding as Jay Chou and Pancake Lun weren't impossible either.
"Sure~"
Answering sweetly, Kagura took two steps forward and gently leaned into Nijinsky's arms, letting the elder Uma Musume happily stroke her hair.
While Nijinsky happily stroked her head, Kagura quietly turned, giving the frozen Maruzensky behind her a playful wink and subtly raising a thumbs-up:
"Muddled through it!"
Maruzensky naturally understood Kagura's mouthed words. Smiling with the exhausted relief of someone narrowly escaping execution, she weakly raised her own thumb in reply. After so many shocks, she was too drained to react any further.
"Thanks a million…"
...
...
...
——Child, be careful. She's British—there's a chance she might recognize me. Don't let yourself be discovered. As long as you don't reveal it yourself, you're merely someone who looks similar to me.
Understood… If Eclipse-san doesn't wish to be exposed, I promise I won't reveal your identity.
——It's not about whether I wish it or not… It's for your sake, child. If others learn of my existence, it will only bring trouble upon you.
I understand. Please rest assured; I'll keep your secret.
---
T/N: AND I THINK IM DONE WITH THE BONUS CHAPTERS YETREEWSWESE
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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Okay, real talk: I am extremely hungry for money, so I'm raising membership prices soon.
BUT.
If you're already subscribed before the change, your current price stays the same as long as you remain subscribed.
So for example:
Person A is already subscribed at $7/month
Price later goes up to $14/month
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Meanwhile:
Person B was not subscribed before the change
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If you want the cheaper price, join before the change. Otherwise, if you subscribe later, you'll be paying the new higher amount.
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