Ever since that day, Symboli Rudolf had been thinking continuously about that incident.
For Symboli Rudolf, if that person really was Tokai Natural—then the baby stroller she was pushing would be…
Sitting alone in the Student Council room, Symboli Rudolf was troubled by this thought.
Of course she was troubled.
Anyone faced with such a shocking realization would naturally feel troubled.
But eventually, Symboli Rudolf adjusted her mindset slightly.
She still had work to do. Besides, she'd already sent someone else to investigate. The results would likely arrive today.
Only…
A few days ago, when Rudolf had searched for Tokai Natural's information on her computer, the result had been:
Deceased.
Seeing this result, Rudolf finally had a clear sense of reality toward Tokai Natural. A clarity that arose because it took her only a single second to grasp the key point behind this information.
Symboli Rudolf, after all, was called the Emperor among Uma Musume at the center stage, as well as the current head of the Symboli Family. Naturally, under these circumstances, she clearly understood why Tokai Natural had been marked deceased.
If the final available information was accurate...
Tokai Natural should have been expelled by the Tokai Family.
Without a doubt, the Tokai Family had marked her as deceased out of fear of retaliation from Rudolf herself.
However…
Thinking again of the figure she'd seen that day…
Symboli Rudolf frowned deeply.
Clearly, she'd thought of something—something unsettling.
Just then, there was a knock on the Student Council room door.
"Come in."
Entering the room was an Uma Musume not dressed in the Tracen uniform. Rudolf didn't know her personally, but at this hour, the only one expected was—
"The information gathering is complete. Is there anything else I need to do?"
The Uma Musume placed the relatively thin stack of files she'd been carrying onto Rudolf's desk.
Looking at that thin pile of information, Rudolf's frown tightened even further.
Slowly flipping through the printed pages, Rudolf took only around ten minutes to read through every bit of data related to Tokai Natural's life.
"A sickly constitution, specifically presented by the Tokai Family as a substitute for Tokai Roman, huh…"
After extracting a few useful bits of information, Rudolf closed her eyes.
Clearly, based on the details presented here, it was virtually certain Tokai Natural was dead.
Considering all the ailments listed, it was practically impossible for her to survive long after being cast out by her family.
Not to mention, according to records, Tokai Natural had been expelled in January.
Taking into account the winter temperatures and Tokai Natural's fragile body, Rudolf didn't believe she could've survived.
And yet…
Her gaze shifted from the papers to the ceiling above.
Tokai Natural was dead; there was no doubt about it. But if that was true—then who exactly had Rudolf seen that day?
At that thought, Rudolf's eyes shifted slightly.
Due to factors like hair color, ears, accessories, and tail coloration, it was exceedingly rare—essentially impossible—for two Uma Musume to look exactly alike. To have someone identical to Tokai Natural appear by coincidence would be nearly impossible.
Thinking along these lines, Rudolf found the key point:
"Did she register a new identity…?"
With this thought, Rudolf slightly shifted her gaze again.
Uma Musume identities were unique. Although there were cases where registering a new identity was possible—usually involving moving abroad or changes due to family circumstances—it wasn't common.
But registering a new identity still wasn't impossible.
There were cases where certain Uma Musume displayed special talents and were subsequently recognized by influential families, thus gaining a new identity.
Registering a new identity wasn't difficult, it's just…
Considering this, Rudolf stood up abruptly.
Chiyono O's debut race had been held in Tokyo. Given that the woman Rudolf saw had an infant with her, her residence likely had to be somewhere within Greater Tokyo.
If that was the case…
As mentioned before, Uma Musume generally needed notable talent to be recognized by powerful families and thus change their registration.
Under these circumstances, there was only one major place in Tokyo responsible for modifying Uma Musume identity registrations.
Standing up, Rudolf didn't hesitate. She immediately headed toward the archives room.
Clearly, Rudolf knew that if someone had changed their identity, it would absolutely require Tracen Academy's approval.
That's why she went straight to the archives. She had to confirm the facts herself.
...
"Here's dinner tonight~" Tokai Natural placed two plates separately in front of Mr. C.B. and Maruzensky.
Looking at the plate in front of her—just a piece of meat roasted to a nice golden-brown hue, paired with what looked suspiciously like blood-colored sauce—
Maruzensky tilted her head curiously.
Clearly, she had no idea what this dish was.
Compared to Maruzensky, Mr. C.B.'s approach was far more straightforward.
She sliced off a piece with her knife and tossed it directly into her mouth.
"Tastes good. But this flavor… It's not beef, is it?"
Using her extremely limited vocabulary, Mr. C.B. made this assessment.
"It's venison—deer thigh meat first roasted in the oven, then slow-fried in oil at low temperature. The sauce is made with red wine, pork blood, and venison broth. It was actually something I'd considered before, but…"
Speaking up to here, Tokai Natural sighed quietly. "After buying the ingredients, I realized the process was too complicated. So I never actually made it."
Hearing Tokai Natural's explanation, Maruzensky didn't comment further. She quietly took her knife and fork, cutting a small piece and tasting it herself.
A look of satisfaction spread across her face.
Seeing both of them enjoying the roasted venison paired with sauce, Tokai Natural simply smiled softly, not adding more. Then she opened her mouth again:
"We still have quite a few leftover ingredients from earlier. If we buy a bit more…"
"Hm?"
Mr. C.B. turned toward Tokai Natural, eyes filled with curiosity.
"Chiyono O's debut race was an impressive win. It'd feel wrong if we didn't celebrate a little, right?"
Hearing this, Mr. C.B. instantly raised her hand: "No objections here~"
Seeing Mr. C.B.'s immediate reaction, Maruzensky just sighed lightly:
"This is my house, C.B., so your opinion doesn't count."
After casually dismissing Mr. C.B., Maruzensky turned toward Tokai Natural and said, "But anyway, I don't have much opinion either way. Yayoi, you can decide."
"Mm. Thanks."
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T/N: NOOO SHES SNOOPING