The next day, Symboli Sirius went to find Rudolf.
And Rudolf went to find Sirius.
This wasn't a linguistic error—they really had been looking for each other simultaneously.
Sirius sought Rudolf to return the bank card Tokai Roman had given back.
Rudolf sought Sirius to stop the document from passing.
Since she'd handed her personal stamp over to Sirius, Rudolf needed to confirm if Sirius had used it on that particular race proposal.
Because, unlike a simple signature, Rudolf clearly understood that a personal stamp would immediately validate the document.
If Sirius had already approved it, then things would get troublesome...
Eventually, they encountered each other at the Symboli Family estate.
They stared at each other.
After a long silence, Sirius spoke first: "How long has it been since you last returned home?"
"That's irrelevant."
Taking a quiet breath to steady herself, Rudolf continued, "Did you sign off on the new race proposal?"
"That one? It seemed beneficial for Uma Musume, so I stamped it."
As she spoke, Sirius's expression filled with genuine confusion. To her, the proposal appeared genuinely beneficial.
Hearing this, Rudolf's expression shifted dramatically.
A flash of familiar intensity crossed Rudolf's face, momentarily convincing Sirius that the old Rudolf had returned.
But that intensity quickly faded.
Seeing Sirius's confused expression, Rudolf Symboli paused for several seconds, then quietly asked: "You used my personal stamp for approval, didn't you?"
"Yes. It was the only stamp that could approve the document, after all."
"I see. Thank you."
Her brief, simple reply signaled Rudolf had already resigned herself to the outcome.
Seeing Rudolf's reaction, Sirius felt slightly puzzled.
Still, she kept her thoughts to herself, and instead shifted the conversation:
"Tokai Roman said to return this to you."
Taking out the bank card, Sirius presented it to Rudolf.
Rudolf stared at the card silently for several moments before speaking softly, "Natural has returned, hasn't she?"
She understood clearly that Roman wouldn't have returned the card by herself. With Roman's financial struggles, she'd surely have kept the money as an emergency reserve.
But returning it meant someone else had helped her decide.
And right now, only two people could help Roman make such a decision:
Yayoi Natural and Tokai Teio.
Therefore…
Watching Rudolf realize only now that Yayoi Natural had returned, Sirius said nothing more. After Rudolf relinquished authority within the Symboli Family, she stopped using her information network. Since Rudolf rarely went near the shopping district, it made sense that she hadn't noticed Natural's return.
Gazing at the bank card, Rudolf Symboli fell silent again for several seconds, then finally accepted it. "Sirius, I'll leave the rest to you."
With these words, Rudolf turned around and left Sirius behind.
Sirius still couldn't quite understand why Rudolf had said that.
But…
Now that Yayoi Natural's name had come up, Sirius knew she needed to visit Natural to see how she was doing.
After all, Natural's wellbeing had always concerned Sirius.
...
Like usual, after finishing her duties within the Symboli Family, Sirius once again arrived at Yayoi Natural's restaurant.
She rarely arrived early.
Family affairs usually kept her occupied.
And sometimes, Rudolf's past harm to Natural delayed her further…
Today was no exception.
Standing in the shadows, Sirius gazed quietly at the brightly lit restaurant.
After a few silent seconds, she finally pushed open the door.
"Welcome~"
Hearing that familiar greeting, Symboli Sirius smiled slightly and glanced around the interior.
There weren't many customers—after all, it was already quite late.
Scanning the restaurant, her gaze eventually rested upon Mochizuki, seated at a corner table.
Without calling out to Mochizuki, Sirius quietly sat at the counter. "Do you have a menu?"
"Just a moment~"
As she spoke, Yayoi Natural finally raised her head.
Only then did she notice Sirius sitting at the counter.
Holding a finger to her lips, Sirius silently indicated Natural not to disturb Mochizuki.
Seeing this, Yayoi Natural glanced toward Mochizuki, who was still locked in battle with her homework, and nodded gently.
Moments later, Natural placed a menu before Sirius.
Without further comment, Sirius flipped through the pages briefly, then made her choice:
"This one—the oyakodon, please."
"Alright."
Natural turned around to prepare the meal Sirius had ordered.
As Natural began cooking the oyakodon, Sirius glanced curiously at the large simmering pot Natural had been tending earlier.
A rich broth bubbled gently inside.
Sirius didn't know exactly what ingredients Natural had used, but judging from the enticing aroma alone, she could tell it was a high-quality broth. The precise components, however, remained a mystery.
Though curious, Sirius decided not to inquire. Instead, she waited patiently for Natural to finish preparing the oyakodon.
Before long, Natural placed a bowl of oyakodon in front of Sirius.
Gone was the elaborate presentation and confusing designs from years ago.
The dish before Sirius appeared to be a completely ordinary bowl of oyakodon.
Looking down at this simple meal, Sirius didn't comment. It wasn't a fancy restaurant, after all—the simpler, the better.
Thinking this, she reached for a pair of chopsticks.
As she picked them up, a bowl of soup was gently placed beside her.
"If you don't mind, give this a taste too." After softly making this offer, Natural turned back again to carefully attend to the simmering broth.
Looking silently at the bowl of clear soup, Sirius hesitated briefly, then began to eat.
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