Late November…
"Mochizuki's about to turn one, isn't she?"
Sitting in a corner of the restaurant sipping her tea, Maruzensky asked Tokai Natural, her eyes filled with concern.
Hearing this, Tokai Natural froze momentarily.
To tell the truth, if Maruzensky hadn't mentioned it, Tokai Natural might have completely forgotten.
"…Natural?"
Without replying, Tokai Natural glanced toward the calendar hanging on the wall.
Today was November 30th—the final day of November.
It was also the day she'd first arrived at Maruzensky's Tokyo house.
As for any earlier dates…
Tokai Natural wasn't so sure.
During that time, she'd been completely confined by the Tokai Family. Never mind tracking the exact dates—back then, she sometimes had trouble figuring out whether it was day or night, guided only by the faint glow through her window.
Thus, she honestly couldn't be certain about Mochizuki's real birthday.
But now, reminded by Maruzensky, Tokai Natural finally began recalling that period.
As she tried to think back, her expression gradually turned solemn.
And understandably so.
Because she suddenly realized—she couldn't clearly remember when exactly it had happened.
Seeing Tokai Natural's expression turning increasingly serious, Mr. C.B. gently interrupted, "Is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing, just…"
Still searching her memories, Tokai Natural quietly responded, "I…can't recall exactly when it was."
She lowered her gaze slightly as she spoke.
Hearing this, Mr. C.B. paused momentarily before replying, "…I see."
Knowing a little about what had happened to Natural, Mr. C.B. understood exactly what Tokai Natural meant by "can't recall."
Wisely choosing not to push the issue further, Mr. C.B. instead offered a quick suggestion:
"Well, then just pick a random date. Anyway, your daughter's birthdate can still be adjusted, right~?"
"That's no good, you know."
Maruzensky immediately shot down that idea. "Don't waste your freedom on something trivial like this."
"It was just a suggestion~ Just a suggestion, you know~"
Ignoring Mr. C.B.'s complaints, Maruzensky pondered for a moment before speaking again:
"How about April 20th?"
"April 20th?"
Confused, Tokai Natural tilted her head slightly. She had no idea what that date signified.
"It's the date your other daughter was named—the date registered as her birthday."
Maruzensky's voice was quiet, deliberately avoiding mentioning who "she" was. But Tokai Natural instantly understood who Maruzensky meant:
Her other daughter—Tokai Teio.
This was a suggestion Mr. C.B. wouldn't dare to make.
Only Maruzensky could say it aloud.
After thinking silently for a few moments, Tokai Natural finally responded:
"Mm, thank you. Then…let's go with April 20th."
As she said that, Tokai Natural glanced briefly toward the second floor. "Although it feels strange to make her half a year younger…since they're twins…"
"It shouldn't be an issue."
Tokai Natural sighed lightly, then continued softly, "I wonder how Teio is doing over there…"
...
"So, this is Tokai Teio?"
Looking at the infant cradled carefully by the caretaker—a child with a meteor-like streak on her forehead, much like Symboli Rudolf's—Symboli Sirius quietly asked this question.
The nursemaid nodded respectfully. "Yes, that's correct."
"I see…"
Without attempting to touch the infant, Symboli Sirius simply turned around and left directly.
Exiting Tokai Teio's nursery, she immediately ran into Tokai Roman waiting in the hallway.
Seeing her standing there, Symboli Sirius paused for just a moment before walking directly toward her.
"Still attending Tracen Academy?"
"Yes," Tokai Roman replied with a slight nod, "Why do you ask?"
"There's a newly opened restaurant in the shopping street. The food is excellent, and it closes around 10:30 at night. If you want a quiet meal by yourself, going around 10 p.m. would be best."
After dropping that cryptic comment, Symboli Sirius swiftly passed Tokai Roman without further explanation.
Hearing Symboli Sirius's vague suggestion, Tokai Roman at first couldn't grasp why she'd said that.
It sounded just like someone casually recommending a favorite place, nothing more.
But then—
As if suddenly realizing something, Tokai Roman's expression shifted subtly.
She quickly turned around to look back at Symboli Sirius, but the other woman had already vanished around the corner.
Standing alone in the empty hallway, Tokai Roman's expression gradually changed as she pieced together Symboli Sirius's meaning.
She understood exactly what Symboli Sirius was hinting at.
Despite this realization, Tokai Roman swiftly controlled her emotions, forcing herself to maintain a neutral expression as she headed to her original destination.
She couldn't risk exposing the secret message Symboli Sirius had just quietly passed on to her—at least not within the walls of the Tokai Family.
Thus, she concealed her reaction completely and left quietly.
Meanwhile, after her brief encounter with Tokai Roman, Symboli Sirius didn't linger. Instead, she swiftly returned to the guest room the Tokai Family had prepared for her.
Returning to her room, Symboli Sirius did nothing further.
She knew very well she shouldn't take any other actions right now. Her mere presence had already put the Tokai Family on high alert, and today's visit to see Tokai Teio would only heighten their suspicion further.
Under such circumstances, she couldn't risk anything else.
She'd simply chosen that cryptic manner to remind Tokai Roman of something important.
And of course, Symboli Sirius had kept her promise to Tokai Natural—she hadn't directly told Roman that her sister was alive.
All she'd done was casually mention when that restaurant on the shopping street had fewer Uma Musume customers, and when it closed.
Nothing more.
She hadn't explicitly mentioned Tokai Natural at all, had she?
...
After closing the restaurant that evening, Tokai Natural sat upstairs on her makeshift bed, scrolling through the phone she'd recently purchased.
Suddenly, a chill shot down her spine.
Instinctively, she tightened her grip on the bedding.
That's strange…it shouldn't be this cold.