"The next day, the heartless Margaret Nearl, accompanied by her friend Fujimasa March, mercilessly abandoned the helpless Mr. C.B., leaving the beautiful and delicate Uma Musume to fend for herself in the hostile heart of the city. How tragic!"
A melodious female voice was currently dripping with resentment.
"Hah… Could you please act normal early in the morning?"
Her left hand involuntarily clenched into a fist. Symboli Rudolf had just about enough of the clowning antics in front of her.
"C.B."
This was supposed to be the student council office, meant for work, with piles of documents waiting to be processed.
But how could anyone focus with someone wailing like a banshee right beside her?
Yet, the overwhelming pressure radiating from Symboli Rudolf had no effect on Mr. C.B. at all. She remained slumped in her chair like a lifeless fish.
"But Nearl-chan went back home! I really liked that kid—so polite and quiet. She'd listen patiently every time I complained, and she even helped tidy up my clothes. Now everything's gone back to how it was before."
"Will you cut it out already? You're just being a nuisance."
Symboli Rudolf snapped at her, though she had to admit Mr. C.B.'s words struck a chord.
"Speaking of which, Senpai, don't you think Nearl is a little too tolerant with us?"
"I mean, even with someone as rowdy as you, she was still willing to stick around."
Setting aside her work for a moment, Rudolf's tone turned thoughtful. She'd been keeping an eye on Nearl's behavior lately.
Honestly, most Uma Musume wouldn't go that far—not even her.
She knew she had her own shortcomings, like a quick temper, but from what she'd observed, Nearl's conduct and character were practically exemplary.
What's more, Rudolf had specifically looked into Nearl's background. Discovering that she grew up in an orphanage made Nearl's demeanor all the more astonishing.
"Huh? No way. Nearl-chan is just really kind, that's all."
Empty-headed Mr. C.B. pressed her face against the desk, flattening like a pancake, exuding an almost visible aura of boredom.
"Underclassman~ I wanna go watch Nearl-chan's race later…"
Mr. C.B.'s voice was pitifully soft and sticky, like honeyed syrup concentrated four times over.
It sent a shiver down Rudolf's spine.
"Fine, you can go."
She sighed in resignation. The Emperor granted Mr. C.B. leave for that day.
"Yay! Rudolf! My favorite underclassman!"
Hearing this, Mr. C.B. immediately perked up.
She quickly darted around the desk, wrapping her arms around Rudolf's fluffy mane from behind, nuzzling her vigorously.
"Senpai, you only call me 'Rudolf' when you want something."
Ignoring the soft sensation against her head, Symboli Rudolf mused silently to herself.
'Let me see how far you can go, Margaret Nearl. Though I worry about your spirit, I also want to witness the moment your ideals become reality.'
'I'll be there for your next race.'
The Emperor quietly decided to attend as well.
As for taking time off?
The student council president's authority is absolute!
--+--
On a hill not far from the city, there was a scenic overlook.
From here, most of the city was visible—even the renowned mansion of the Mejiro family.
Today, standing on that platform was a beautiful young lady. Her pale blue hair fluttered in the wind, accentuating her delicate grace.
"Good thing there aren't many people here today. Otherwise, it would've been troublesome."
The beauty leaned against the railing and let out a sigh of relief, grateful for the quiet.
And for good reason—even though she was still in recovery, her family name and elegant demeanor had earned her a sizable fanbase.
If there were more people around, she'd likely be surrounded by autograph seekers.
But though her words sounded relieved, her expression told a different story. She looked somewhat downcast.
"I didn't run into Miss Nearl."
Yes, that was the reason for Ardan's gloom.
When she returned home that day, as expected, her grandmother had summoned her for a lecture. Though the scolding wasn't too harsh, Ardan still felt ashamed.
But right after pointing out her mistakes, her grandmother's expression softened, and she began asking about how Ardan was doing.
According to her, the stress and melancholy that had weighed on Ardan lately had largely dissipated. She seemed much more lively now.
After subtly probing and eventually learning certain details, her grandmother fell into deep thought.
Ardan wasn't quite sure what came over her at the time, but she even asked her family not to actively provide her with any information or leads about Nearl.
She wanted to leave it to chance to meet the Uma Musume she'd spent only a few hours with.
Looking back, she couldn't quite decipher what her heart had been hoping for back then.
But now? She was filled with regret. Every day, she regretted it.
Why hadn't she tried to learn more about Miss Nearl?
Now she didn't even have an address, a school name, or a phone number.
These past few days, she'd come to this spot every day, hoping she might run into Miss Nearl again.
But so far, no luck.
"Still no sign of her today…"
Ardan sighed dejectedly, her hands tightening slightly on the railing.
"Time to head back."
As she turned to leave, an unfamiliar yet strangely friendly voice called out from behind.
"Hey there~ Mind if I ask you a few questions? In return, you can have this bottle of matcha I've got."
"Hm?"
Being who she was, Ardan wasn't one to refuse. She turned around with a soft smile, her voice gentle.
What greeted her was a young girl—or more precisely, a young Uma Musume.
She looked to be around fifteen, with a slender, almost fragile figure.
'So cute! Wait—no, she's beautiful.'
Ardan was inwardly astonished.
'And that hair color… white? Or silver?'
Indeed, the Uma Musume before her had smooth, silvery-white hair, pure and unblemished by any other shade—an exceptionally rare color.
The owner of that hair also possessed striking features. Though she hadn't yet reached the peak of her beauty, her extraordinary charm was already evident.
The only pity was the tired, languid look on her face, which slightly detracted from her presence.
"That's great. There aren't many people around, and you seem like the type who'd be too nice to say no."
"That's a rather rude way to put it…"
Ardan retracted all her earlier assessments of this Uma Musume.
She sighed, massaging her forehead as she looked at the young Uma Musume standing before her, yawning sleepily.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.