Daiichi Ruby's home was truly massive—so very, very massive, even grander in scale than Mejiro Manor.
Of course, guided by Ruby, Gotham Song didn't do anything as embarrassing as getting lost. She gracefully stepped into the banquet hall alongside the girl by her side, calmly accepting the stares from all around.
"I'll gladly accept, Song—today's you, who belongs only to me."
Only then, and very softly, did Daiichi Ruby give this answer—responding positively to Gotham Song's earlier request.
Well…no matter how you looked at it, that phrasing was more than a little odd. Had this been before Gotham Song understood anything at all, she might've thought it was just a harmless, easily misunderstood phrase—but now?
How should I even describe my mood right now?
For Ruby to say something like that was just way too unfair and cunning, wasn't it? At this kind of moment, how could anyone possibly refuse?
"You've gotten sly, Ruby."
That was Gotham Song's verbal reply. But her real, bodily answer—something those around them couldn't hear but could see clearly—was how they held hands, walking to the very center of the dance floor. As everyone stopped, naturally accepting the role of mere side characters, the two girls began dancing gracefully together.
Actually, many guests at the event weren't exactly unfamiliar faces. At least, most had already been there the last time Gotham Song had visited Ruby's home. Yet what stunned them all at this moment was the fact that Gotham Song—who had danced horrifyingly poorly last time—could now barely, just barely, manage to keep pace with Daiichi Ruby's rhythm?!
Though it was also quite obvious that Daiichi Ruby, who was extremely skilled at dancing, was intentionally accommodating Gotham Song's steps—yet even so, if Gotham Song hadn't put in a significant amount of practice on her own, no matter how much Ruby tried to cooperate, it'd be impossible to achieve the current level of proficiency, right?
After all, Gotham Song was an incredibly famous Uma Musume and a rising Trainer who'd recently participated in—and won—the Dubai World Cup, earning permanent honorary protection rights. Considering she also had to train her own team of Uma Musume, nobody there dared to imagine how packed her daily schedule must be.
Every single second of her life probably had to be rigidly planned and managed, right?
And yet, under these circumstances, Gotham Song-san actually found time to specially practice ballroom dancing?!
For a legendary Uma Musume like her, dancing perfectly really wasn't something she needed to bother practicing… So no matter how one thought about it, there could only be a single reason for her to practice something like this—just for the sake of attending this ball.
It seemed that Gotham Song-san's relationship with their family's young lady was truly certain beyond all doubt in every sense…?
At this point, the guests present had all kinds of thoughts racing through their minds. Some people openly wore expressions of undisguised happiness—after all, this could only mean enormous prestige for the Daiichi family. Even if there weren't further concrete outcomes, even if their young lady and Gotham Song didn't become each other's legal "one and only," it hardly mattered.
For these prestigious Uma Musume families, how far the relationship actually went wasn't particularly important—the real priority was whether or not such a powerful bloodline could be introduced into their family. That was the true point.
Ah, wouldn't it be best if our young lady made her boldest move tonight? With someone like Gotham Song-san, it wouldn't even be reckless—it'd simply be a job well done!
Hehe, we'd love to see… rivers flowing, wouldn't we!
Naturally, the dance itself ended quickly. Especially given Gotham Song's skill level—after a brief smooth start, she quickly returned to that same stumbling awkwardness as before.
Fortunately, during her rushed special training, Gotham Song had indeed put in tremendous effort. Though her extremely limited free time had meant very little was spent practicing dance, she'd managed to establish a shaky foundation. The rest was purely relying on a legendary Uma Musume's exceptional balance and flexibility, literally forcing herself through each step.
Thus, at the very end, Gotham Song managed to finish this dance—which, to her, felt as excruciatingly long as an entire century—before breaking into a sweat.
Right as the final beat arrived, Gotham Song stepped forward, narrowly, oh-so-narrowly avoiding stomping on Daiichi Ruby's toes. Only once she stood firmly again did she gently embrace her dance partner, cheeks closely brushing as they exchanged a quick glance.
And finally, the last notes faded away—
"It's finally over. That was harder than running the Japan Cup…"
After temporarily fleeing from everyone's gaze alongside Daiichi Ruby, the dignified atmosphere Gotham Song had barely managed to sustain instantly vanished.
After all, she wasn't exactly some proper young lady by birth. At this moment, the complete aura of a salted fish fully emerged from within her.
Thinking back, it made sense. Social dancing was the kind of thing you desperately didn't want to mess up in front of everyone; pulling it off flawlessly required immense effort. Even though, overall, this kind of high-pressure environment was still way easier compared to actual races—
For an old hand on the racetrack like Gotham Song, the psychological pressure she faced was entirely different. On the track, Gotham Song wouldn't feel even the slightest emotional fluctuation. But dancing, this completely unfamiliar thing, was an entirely different story.
Psychology truly is a strange thing.
Compared to Gotham Song, who'd already plopped herself into a chair with beads of sweat clearly visible on her cheeks and neck under the chandelier's reflection, Daiichi Ruby was obviously much more at ease. Though on the racetrack Ruby would never have a chance of beating Gotham Song, outside the track—especially in this kind of social setting—this was clearly Ruby's home ground. She smiled warmly and indulgently at Gotham Song, who, despite her glamorous attire, had essentially slumped into her seat like she'd collapsed onto bare ground. After a moment of brief hesitation, Ruby moved closer, taking out her handkerchief.
"After all, on the racetrack there aren't usually so many people who'll approach you this closely just to watch without running their own race, right?"
"You've worked hard, Song."
Daiichi Ruby's touch was gentle. With a fingertip pressing lightly against a corner of the handkerchief, she carefully traced the curve of Gotham Song's cheek and neck, wiping away the beads of sweat. This gentle action naturally caused Gotham Song's eyes to narrow comfortably as she enjoyed the soothing sensation.
"If anyone dared to get that close to me during a race, it'd be great—I'd just activate my Zone and send those idiots flying—!"
Gotham Song shook her fist dramatically, then smiled lightly as she leaned back closer, once again enjoying Ruby's careful attention to her face.
It wasn't that she was particularly weak or easily lost herself in this kind of gentleness—rather, Ruby's wiping just felt really, really good. It gave her an almost tingling sensation, one she couldn't resist sinking into completely. Especially since the handkerchief carried a faint, refreshing rose scent, mingling gently with Ruby's own subtle sweetness, making it all the more irresistible.
Both the handkerchief and Ruby herself had a clear, refreshing fragrance—not strong, but distinctive enough to be clearly noticeable, naturally inviting affection. Gotham Song liked it quite a lot: just strong enough to be noticeable, not faint enough to disappear.
It really smells nice.
Sniff sniff...
"…Hm? Is there some kind of scent on me, Song?"
Daiichi Ruby put down the handkerchief, smoothing her dress as she sat down on Gotham Song's other side. However, this time was completely different from any previous moment—especially compared to the careful distance they usually maintained at Mejiro Manor.
Right now, Daiichi Ruby and Gotham Song were practically pressed tightly together, leaving almost no space for air to pass through between them.
"Mm. You smell really good—a fresh rose scent. I like it very much."
"Really…? Actually, I also like the scent on you very much, Song."
Eh? The scent on Song… on me? Wait, what kind of scent could I possibly have?
Gotham Song was deeply puzzled. She tilted her head in confusion, looking at Daiichi Ruby, who simply smiled faintly back at her, offering no further explanation.
What… exactly did she mean by that?
"I'm being completely honest, Song. You probably can't smell it yourself—just like how I can't smell the scent you mentioned on me."
Daiichi Ruby blinked lightly, then took Gotham Song's hand gently with her own, gloved in long, elegant black lace, lifting it up before softly placing a kiss on the back of Song's hand.
"I suppose it's only natural, isn't it? After all, if we really do have a scent, we must simply live in it all the time… But still, what kind of scent do I have?"
"The scent on you, Song, is sweet, yet carries a sunlit, dry kind of warmth. Or perhaps it's better described as refreshing—the kind of scent someone could easily fall for."
This only made things even more confusing…!
Gotham Song's expression grew increasingly perplexed, utterly unable to figure this out. After some twisted hesitation, she finally pinched the edge of her puff sleeve and took a deep sniff.
Naturally, she smelled absolutely nothing at all—but the sight of her twitching ears made Daiichi Ruby giggle softly.
"Song, you always end up suddenly doing such adorable things… Even though you're supposed to be that terrifying Demon Lord everyone fears on the racetrack."
"Hey now, that's only on the track! You guys know exactly how I am in private, Ruby. Don't worry—off-track, I'm just a funny little idiot, right?"
Indeed, that was true…
Looking at Gotham Song before her, Daiichi Ruby took a deep breath, then leaned forward quietly and without any hesitation, gently wrapped her arms around the similarly petite figure before her.
At this moment, they openly embraced each other right there in a quiet corner of the banquet hall.
"You truly put me at ease, Song. I originally thought I would have to accept anything for the sake of the family—but now it feels like rather than 'accepting' anything, I'm genuinely happy that someone as dependable as you appeared in front of me…"
"Could you perhaps be a blessing from the Three Goddesses, given specifically to me?"
A blessing from the Three Goddesses given specifically to Ruby…? How exactly am I supposed to respond to that?
Actually, Gotham Song genuinely didn't know how to answer this question. After all, she herself had no idea why she'd come to this world. Yet, considering her current circumstances… was there really any other choice she could make?
"I'm not sure about that myself—but if Ruby sees it that way, then surely having you appear in my life must also be a blessing the Three Goddesses gave to me, right?"
Being able to leave behind a dull world where she'd idly wasted away, arriving instead in a completely new place to gallop freely, becoming someone welcomed and adored everywhere she went—no matter how she looked at it, it could only be considered an improvement, right?
Gotham Song felt her previous world drifting further and further away. Everything there had come to feel like an incredibly vivid, long dream—one she remembered clearly even after waking, yet ultimately only a dream.
Clearly, in terms of self-identity, even a single second as a legendary Uma Musume feared on racetracks throughout Japan vastly outstripped a lifetime spent as a lonely, waiting-for-death corporate drone.
In this completely new world, Gotham Song was finally living as her true, unrestricted self.
So if Ruby thought Gotham Song's arrival was the Three Goddesses' gift, couldn't Gotham Song also consider everything she'd encountered here—the people she'd met—to be the Goddesses' blessing to her?
She loved this world, her current life, the person right in front of her, and… all those who loved her. She loved every part of it.
A kind of love she could never bear to part from, not even from one single piece…
"To say meeting me is also a blessing Song is grateful for… that's truly unfair, you know."
Daiichi Ruby's cheeks had reddened slightly. Gotham Song could clearly see the bashful expression on Ruby's face at this very moment. Yet, upon realizing how deeply ambiguous her own words had sounded, Gotham Song fell completely silent on the spot.
Crap. She had absolutely no experience, no clue at all how to continue a conversation like this…
She couldn't see her own face, but based on her self-understanding, her face was definitely burning right now.
But the silence lasted only an instant. Whether it was thanks to Daiichi Ruby's incredible willpower to calm herself or her decisiveness to seize the moment immediately, the situation soon evolved into an even more complex stage.
Daiichi Ruby gently wrapped both arms around Gotham Song, leaning close to whisper softly into her sensitive ear:
"So, Song… do you want to know how I usually manage to have this refreshing rose scent?"
"Stay with me tonight—don't go back, okay?"