The relationship between Tokai Natural and Maruzensky's group was much like that between a pet and its owner.
A kept creature like Tokai Natural had no ability to survive independently.
Thus, when it came to the issue of whether Tokai Natural should gain the skills to live independently—
Maruzensky had never told Mr. C.B. the truth.
Deep down, Maruzensky held a resistance to the idea of giving Tokai Natural the capability to survive alone.
Clearly, what had begun as a small act of kindness had now deeply affected Maruzensky herself.
Staring at the documents in her hand, Maruzensky was preoccupied with this thought.
"Maruzen-san? Maruzen-san?"
"Hm?"
Looking slightly distracted, Maruzensky was met by Symboli Rudolf's concerned frown. "Are you alright? Do you need to rest?"
Her voice carried a touch of genuine worry.
Yet Rudolf's concern didn't make Maruzensky feel any calmer. Instead, it made her expression even more complicated.
After all, at least a third of Tokai Natural's current condition was Rudolf's responsibility.
Even Symboli Rudolf herself couldn't deny that.
So, naturally, Maruzensky had mixed feelings about Rudolf's display of concern.
Noticing Maruzensky's subtle emotional turbulence, Mr. C.B. quickly spoke up: "Maruzen-san, maybe you should head home first."
Maruzensky glanced at Mr. C.B., who subtly winked back at her.
Seeing this signal from Mr. C.B., Maruzensky immediately understood. So, she stood up: "Sorry, I'll head home early today to rest."
Saying this, Maruzensky left the Student Council room.
Only after leaving did the relaxed mask she'd worn earlier vanish, replaced again by tightly knitted brows.
She was still hesitant about the question she'd been considering earlier.
She worried deeply about Tokai Natural's future choices.
Of course, for most things Tokai Natural might choose, Maruzensky wouldn't feel anxious.
But the real issue was...
Maruzensky feared that once Tokai Natural regained the ability to live independently, she might choose Rudolf again.
After all, didn't she name her daughter Mochizuki?
Thinking about this, Maruzensky quickened her pace.
She wanted to get home sooner—she was anxious about that scenario playing out.
She worried that Tokai Natural was still thinking about that person, the one currently sitting in the Student Council room, completely oblivious.
When Maruzensky finally reached home, she saw Tokai Natural sitting on the sofa, which made her already unsettled mood grow even more anxious.
But as she stepped forward, she heard faint, gentle breathing.
Quietly circling around to Tokai Natural's side, Maruzensky saw that Tokai Natural had fallen asleep sitting on the sofa.
It was typical for Tokai Natural to suffer from insufficient sleep.
After all, her daughter was not yet a year old, often fussing throughout the night. This naturally caused Tokai Natural's chronic fatigue. Observing her like this...
Maruzensky stayed silent for a few seconds.
The questions she'd wanted to ask could no longer leave her mouth.
After all, Maruzensky wasn't like Rudolf, who persisted in interrogating Tokai Natural even when she was unconscious. Maruzensky genuinely cared about Tokai Natural's condition. Therefore, she quietly sat down and waited for her to wake up.
About an hour later, Tokai Natural finally woke up.
Opening her eyes drowsily, the first thing she saw was Maruzensky. Noticing Maruzensky sitting right beside her, Tokai Natural's expression shifted slightly: "Maruzen-san? You're home already?"
Tokai Natural's voice carried an obvious hint of panic. Clearly, she was worried about something.
Hearing the nervousness in Tokai Natural's voice, Maruzensky just quietly looked at her.
Obviously, Tokai Natural's panic was too strong to hide. It only made her anxiety clearer to Maruzensky.
Hearing Tokai Natural speak like this, Maruzensky once again found herself unable to ask the question she originally intended.
After all, facing Tokai Natural's cautious attitude made it too difficult to press further.
Thus, Maruzensky paused briefly, then replied softly: "Yeah. There wasn't anything I needed to handle at the Student Council today, so C.B. stayed behind."
Tokai Natural slightly lowered her head upon hearing this.
Assuming a submissive posture toward Maruzensky, she replied gently, "Mm."
Observing Tokai Natural's behavior, Maruzensky hesitated a few seconds before finally asking a related but less direct question:
"Natural, if you ever ran into Rudolf again, what would you do?"
She hadn't directly asked whether Natural would seek Rudolf out again.
Given Tokai Natural's physical condition, Maruzensky couldn't possibly raise such an emotionally charged question directly.
Hence, she phrased it this way instead.
"Eh? Rudolf…?"
Maruzensky's question was sharply pointed.
It left Tokai Natural unsure how to respond, because she knew that if she gave the wrong answer, she might face the same troubles as before.
Though Tokai Natural now had a new identity, she clearly understood that with a daughter and no financial resources, surviving alone in Tokyo would be extremely difficult.
At least, that was how it felt to Tokai Natural herself.
Before her hospitalization due to her sickly constitution, Tokai Natural still had some confidence. But now, she no longer felt so assured. She worried greatly about what she would do if she became seriously ill again.
Thus, she carefully weighed her response—
After a few seconds, Tokai Natural answered quietly: "I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Mm. Because I feel like it's impossible for me to ever meet her again. No matter what the circumstances, it's just not likely." Saying this, Tokai Natural smiled softly at Maruzensky before continuing gently, "I'm just an ordinary Uma Musume now. I don't belong to the Tokai Family anymore, nor do I have their guanming. How could someone like me ever meet the Emperor again?"
By cutting off the possibility at the root, Tokai Natural gave her response.
But hearing this, Maruzensky pressed on: "What if you really did meet?"
"Maybe… probably… I wouldn't say anything at all. After all, she might not even remember me anymore, so…"
To Maruzensky, this answer sounded more like Tokai Natural was avoiding her real question.
Yet—
"Still, if she recognized me, I still probably wouldn't say anything. After all…"
Recalling Symboli Rudolf's attitude toward her back then, Tokai Natural let out a long sigh, "I don't think she would ever care about someone like me."
"What about your own feelings?"
Noticing the nostalgic look crossing Tokai Natural's face, Maruzensky pressed further.
"Maybe I'd want to slap her—but I couldn't actually do it. Because if I did…" Remembering her past experiences, Tokai Natural lowered her head even further, hiding her face from Maruzensky's view.
"I still have my daughter."
It took several minutes before Tokai Natural's quiet response finally reached Maruzensky's ears.
Clearly, Maruzensky understood that Tokai Natural no longer wanted any contact with Symboli Rudolf, no matter the reason—
She truly had no desire to see Rudolf again.