While Shuta An was deep in thought, in the next room, Oguri Cap and Berno Light sat quietly on the sofa, facing each other.
"Two days from now," Berno Light said first, her tone vague but meaningful.
Oguri Cap understood. That day wasn't really about sightseeing around Sacré-Coeur. Both of them knew the real purpose.
"Trainer needs time," Oguri said softly. "But we need it too, don't we?"
Even though she had already prepared herself mentally, actually saying the words out loud would be embarrassing—it required emotional build-up.
"Do we really need it?" Berno Light glanced at her. "Oguri, we both know how things are. Or have you changed your mind after today?"
Berno wasn't sure. Oguri Cap had just conquered a Classic Race—an achievement that placed her above nearly all Uma Musume in the world. For anything involving the future, Berno was confident that Oguri wouldn't abandon her. But for what was planned two days later, she felt a flicker of insecurity.
"If I were in her place—it'd be hard to keep thinking the same," Berno admitted inwardly. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but she could understand if Oguri felt that way.
"Most Uma Musume are extremely possessive—" she mumbled under her breath.
She failed to notice two things: Oguri Cap's increasingly puzzled look—and the fact that this wasn't something the two of them could decide alone.
"Berno, you're not thinking I'd regret it just because I won, are you?" Oguri spoke plainly. "That's impossible."
Berno's face flushed bright red. "S-sorry. I was overthinking."
She turned her head away in embarrassment, unable to meet Oguri's eyes.
"There's nothing to apologize for," Oguri said gently, leaning closer to take Berno's hand. "Today is different from yesterday. It's normal for you to wonder if my feelings changed for a moment."
"Senior Miesque taught me something," Oguri continued. "After winning a G1, when performance jumps, some Uma Musume lose themselves for a while. She wanted me to avoid her mistakes and avoid hurting people close to me."
"At the time, I didn't understand how that could happen," Oguri murmured. "But seeing you just now I realized that success can make an Uma unintentionally hurt those around her."
She squeezed Berno Light's hand firmly. "I won't change. And Berno shouldn't change either."
"Mm," Berno whispered, biting her lip and nodding hard. "Just like we promised—we won't be separated."
"Exactly." Oguri smiled warmly. "We face the Trainer together."
"Right!" Berno's mind, however, drifted to very different scenes, and her cheeks burned even hotter.
—
The day they checked out from Molitor Paris – MGallery, even though the official checkout time was in the afternoon, Shuta An and the two Uma Musume had packed the night before and left early.
Without notifying Miesque, the trio quietly departed.
Stepping out of the main entrance, Shuta An muttered, "If I get the chance to come again, I really want to watch a match at Parc des Princes someday."
"Then I'll challenge the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe next year," Oguri Cap said from behind him.
Shuta nearly tripped. "Absolutely not. The Arc is the crown jewel of middle- to long-distance turf races, but the Longchamp 2400 meters do not suit your style, Oguri."
At Longchamp's 1600 meters, Oguri's final sprint had already weakened near the end; she held the lead only because Blushing John's late charge was mediocre. So Shuta had no intention of having her attempt Longchamp's longer distances again.
"If we return to Europe for another campaign, a place like York fits her far better," he muttered to himself.
But that was a matter for the future.
The taxi from the hotel to Auberge du Jeu de Paume near Chantilly Racecourse took about an hour. The fare, when converted into yen, was nearly 7,000. But taking the subway would have been worse—
'French 2000 Guineas winner spotted riding the subway!'
A headline like that would give the media endless material. Shuta wasn't about to hand them such an opportunity. When they arrived at their new hotel, neither Uma Musume looked at the building itself.
"What's with that castle?" Oguri asked, poking Shuta's back.
"That's part of Chantilly Racecourse," Shuta replied. "When you run the Derby, you'll pass right by it. It's one of the most scenic courses in Europe. Even without races, it's a first-rate tourist spot."
"It feels very European," Berno Light remarked. Oguri nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Seeing their reactions, Shuta narrowed his eyes and made a quiet decision. Just as he had done at the previous hotel, after escorting the two girls to their rooms, he simply left his luggage by the door of his own and went downstairs.
He intended to extend their stay. After the French Derby—regardless of the result—he wanted to take Oguri Cap and Berno Light to explore Paris properly.
"In this past month and a half, they haven't gone out to play at all. The pressure must be suffocating. I need to let them relax."
Thinking of this, he remembered a certain stress-relief method used by many Uma Musume—a story he'd heard during his West Coast internship.
"…No. If they did that before the race, it'd definitely affect their condition," he muttered.
In terms of hotel room service, the Auberge du Jeu de Paume beside Chantilly Racecourse was in no way inferior to Molitor Paris – MGallery near Longchamp. Shuta An had even checked beforehand: the training ground here was arranged to mimic the exact turf conditions of Chantilly Racecourse.
There was, however, one notable advantage. Unlike Molitor Paris – MGallery, the training ground here didn't require any rental fee—because it couldn't be rented in the first place. It was strictly shared-use among Uma Musume staying at the hotel. Fortunately, after asking around, the Young man confirmed that no other Uma Musume would be lodging here for at least a month. In practice, that meant exclusive access to a free training field. Hence the "advantage."
Even so, Shuta An had no intention of starting Oguri Cap's training early. The agreed rest period would be honored, even if the French Derby were suddenly moved to next week.
After making a circuit around the hotel and observing the edges of Chantilly Racecourse, he eventually returned inside. The moment he stepped into the restaurant, he spotted Oguri Cap and Berno Light at once—largely because the mountain of plates stacked in front of Oguri Cap was impossible to miss.
Ignoring the curious glances aimed at them, Shuta An selected what he wanted for breakfast and sat down across from the two Uma Musume.
Oguri Cap noticed him but didn't look up, fully engrossed in her food. Berno Light, however, paused and softly greeted him.
"Good morning, Trainer. Did you go for a run?"
"I went to inspect the hotel's training ground first, then took a look around Chantilly Racecourse." He casually summarized his morning. "Facilities seem good. And it looks like we're the only ones staying here—no other Uma Musume checked in."
Chantilly hosted very few G1 races; the French Derby and French Oaks were its only major ones. This year, aside from Oguri Cap, all registered entrants for the Derby were local French Uma Musume. Compared to the Epsom Derby, the French Derby rarely attracted competitors from other European countries due to time and travel issues. And even if foreign entrants did appear, they would rarely stay in such an expensive hotel.
Shuta An, who never ate much for breakfast, finished around the same time Berno Light cleared her plate. As expected, Oguri Cap added yet another dish to her impressive stack.
Seeing her slightly rounded belly, Shuta An suddenly had an idea.
"Once Oguri Cap's done digesting, how about we visit Parc Astérix? I think you two should be well-rested by now."
"That sounds nice." Neither Uma Musume knew what kind of park it was, but their trust in their Trainer was absolute. Both nodded immediately.
"Then, let's meet at the room door in two hours—so at 9:30," he said after checking his phone.
"No problem!" Oguri Cap, initially worried she wouldn't be in shape to go out, instantly relaxed after hearing she had two full hours to digest. Berno Light, who planned to take a short walk, was also pleased with the arrangement.
Parc Astérix had opened last April—a theme park modeled after The Adventures of Asterix, a French national treasure comic with a thirty-plus-year history. Still, despite the series' fame, neither Oguri Cap nor Berno Light had ever read it.
Even Shuta An, half French by blood, wasn't familiar with the comic; he grew up reading American superhero comics and biographical comics about legendary Uma Musume.
After getting out of the car, the three stood before the entrance, gazing up at the gate of Parc Astérix. Compared to Tokyo Disneyland, it felt simpler, more artistic. No extravagant decorations—just stylized illustrations of characters and motifs from Asterix.
"It's pretty cute," Berno Light remarked.
Shuta An spotted the ticket booth. "Let's buy tickets first."
"Uh-huh!" Oguri Cap, visiting a large theme park for the first time, looked around with bright curiosity.
Noticing her expression, Shuta An understood immediately. He gently took both Uma Musume by the hand.
"Come on. The park doesn't close until 6:30 PM, so we have the whole day."
"It's definitely going to be fun!" Oguri Cap allowed her small hand to be held, smiling so brightly she nearly bounced.
Berno Light, who had visited theme parks in Nagoya before, knew that nothing in the Tokai region could compare—not to Tokyo or Osaka's parks, and certainly not to France's largest one.
"I'm looking forward to it too," she said, shifting her hand slightly to draw some of the Trainer's attention.
"Actually, I'm just as excited," Shuta An laughed. "This is my first time here as well."
Tickets were pricey—about 11,000 yen each—but once inside, all rides were included. Food and drinks, naturally, were not.
"Looks like lunch will be today's biggest expense," he mused quietly after checking the instructions.
When they entered, he reminded them, "Neither of you can speak French, so stay with me. Don't wander off. And if we do get separated, call me right away."
He gently squeezed the hands he was holding.
"Mhm! We won't forget!"
Both Uma Musume answered without hesitation. No one wanted trouble to ruin their fun.