"So then why did you suddenly decide you want to live in Central long-term?" Kuroha asked, genuinely curious.
"It's nothing…"
Folkqueen glanced at Ailerslie beside her first. Then she lifted her chin, those gold-and-crimson eyes narrowing as she stared straight at Kuroha.
She kept at it until he was practically wearing question marks on his face. Only then did she look away, speaking slowly in a tone that carried a hint of stubborn pride.
"I just don't really like going back to live in Ireland, that's all."
"At most, I'll go back occasionally to see Ailerslie. As for everything else… don't pry."
As if she needed to make it sound more convincing, she added, "That Horse Girl who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, Toni Bianca, didn't she apply for long-term residency too because she liked Tokyo's scenery? Just treat me the same way."
"…Alright. Enjoy the food," Kuroha said.
Seeing the clear look of "don't ask, and even if you ask I'm not telling," Kuroha wisely chose not to push.
He chuckled, said goodbye, then took Fujimasa March's hand again and moved on to the next table.
…
Time flowed on, and the night deepened.
The wedding, loud from morning to night, finally came to a perfect close.
In the spacious, cozy bedroom, warm yellow light spilled across the soft bed.
Right now, the silver-white ash-gray girl once crowned "the strongest at Longchamp" sat in her pajamas, fidgeting restlessly on the mattress.
She was squeezing a throw pillow so hard it was starting to lose its shape.
Kuroha stepped out of the bathroom after washing up, toweling his hair dry. Seeing his Horse Girl looking like she was bracing for battle, he couldn't help laughing.
"March, this isn't the first time. Why are you more nervous tonight of all nights?"
He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, amused.
It's different when it's the first time as husband and wife. It's not the same as usual.
March opened her mouth, clearly wanting to argue exactly that.
But when she looked up at him, his body carrying the faint scent of soap, his eyes warm and steady, she froze like something had caught her off guard.
She took a deep breath. Then she obediently lay down on the bed, burying her face in the pillow, voice muffled.
"…Trainer, can you… do Sacred Path for me?"
Kuroha blinked, then immediately understood. A smile flickered in his eyes, and he nodded without hesitation.
"Sure."
…
In the quiet room, March hugged the pillow and lay there, finally relaxing.
On her back, Kuroha worked with practiced, careful hands, giving her a deep, thorough Sacred Path massage.
"Mmm…"
As his broad, warm palms slid down along her spine, his fingertips pressing precisely into the tight muscles, then pausing at her slim, pale waist to knead gently, March squeezed her eyes shut and let out soft, helpless sounds of comfort.
After finishing one set, Kuroha leaned down close to her ear and asked with a light laugh, "What's on your mind? You've seemed distracted since earlier."
March didn't answer right away.
She basked in the lingering warmth along her back. After a long silence, she turned her head slightly.
"Trainer…"
Her voice was quiet, but serious.
"I know it myself. Before I met you, I was just another local Horse Girl you could find anywhere, nothing special at all…"
She gave a self-mocking smile.
"I entered Kasamatsu Tracen Academy with the label of a 'special prospect,' but in the end I lost more than I won."
"Then later, people started praising me, saying I was the only Horse Girl who ever beat Oguri."
"But I know the truth…"
"That race… I only won because something went wrong with Oguri's shoe. It was a lucky win I didn't really deserve."
Kuroha's hands paused.
He didn't rush to contradict her. Instead, he lay down beside her and gently pulled her into his arms, listening quietly as she let it all out.
"After Oguri left, I trained hard too, but it barely changed anything."
"That's when I really felt it. That wall of talent between me and Oguri."
"Forget catching up to her. Maybe… I didn't even have the right to keep watching her back as she ran."
"Back then, I really thought I was ordinary…"
March had already reached the third step of her Domain, standing among the very best in the world.
That gave her a crystal-clear understanding of herself.
She wasn't the type to get carried away by praise, and she'd long since stepped out of that old shadow of self-doubt.
So now, the happiness in her voice was unmistakable.
"But now I know. I was an incredibly lucky Horse Girl."
"Because I met you, Trainer, I could go from that lost, small Horse Girl who could only stare at other people's backs forever…"
"…to walking step by step to where I am today, seeing scenery that beautiful."
"Meeting you, becoming yours, Trainer… I'm really, truly happy."
"March…"
Kuroha fell silent, his chest tightening like something soft had struck him squarely.
Then he held her tighter, resting his chin lightly against her silver-white hair, voice low and sincere.
"March, you've always been the Horse Girl I'm most proud of."
The girl in his arms jolted.
She trembled, then slowly burrowed closer into his embrace.
"Trainer…"
"Hm? March…" Kuroha teased, smiling into her hair. "At a time like this… are you still going to call me 'Trainer' tonight?"
"Huh?"
March froze.
Then a visible blush climbed up from her neck, flooding her clear, pretty face until she looked like a ripe apple.
She held it in for several seconds. Then, after struggling hard to squeeze the word out, she finally managed, small and shy,
"H-Honey…"
Hearing that heavenly correction, Kuroha chuckled softly and rolled, pinning that pure-white figure beneath him.
Outside, the night was deep.
Inside, the match between Mega Steelix and Mega Florges was not about to settle down so easily.
(End of Chapter)
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