Chapter 434: 546

Early the following morning.

Chasing Light Villa.

Sunlight streamed through a gap in the curtains, scattering mottled patches across the dim bedroom.

"Mmm..."

On the enormous bed, the mound beneath the blankets shifted slightly.

Kuroha had experienced a strange dream.

He had dreamed that an enormous mountain made from warm white jade and soft cotton descended upon him, enveloping his entire body.

It was not heavy enough to make breathing difficult, but the weight and softness felt distinctly peculiar.

He slowly opened his eyes.

Instead of the familiar ceiling, he found an exquisitely beautiful face that seemed both familiar and unfamiliar.

It was familiar was familiar because the woman was Rudolf.

It was unfamiliar because this was Kuroha's first time waking in his own bed with the defenseless sleeping face of the "Emperor" so close to his own.

Although her current sleeping posture could hardly be called dignified.

"No wonder I slept so deeply."

Kuroha lowered his gaze helplessly.

Rudolf was clinging tightly to his chest like an octopus.

Looking farther down, an expanse of pale softness was pressed directly against him, forming a breathtaking curve beneath the sheets.

He had no idea when she had climbed on top of him.

By contrast, Maruzensky was sleeping quite properly beside them.

The voluptuous brown-haired beauty hugged Kuroha's arm as she slept soundly. Even when he moved slightly, she showed no sign of waking.

Under normal circumstances, Chasing Light's Umamusume all understood that they could not defeat their trainer one-on-one.

After indulging themselves for a while, they would generally surrender and call it a night.

However, Maruzensky had forgotten that it was Rudolf's first time.

The pride of a legendary Umamusume would not allow Rudolf to accept being defeated without putting up a fight.

Thus, she stubbornly pulled Maruzensky into challenging Kuroha again and again.

The final result was obvious.

Both women had been completely exhausted and rendered unconscious.

Even now, neither showed any intention of waking.

Looking at the two lovely women pressed against him, Kuroha chuckled and abandoned the idea of getting out of bed immediately.

He wrapped his arms around their warm, soft bodies, emptied his mind, and began casually considering his future plans.

There was little need for concern during the remaining two months of the year.

McQueen had the Japan Cup and Arima Kinen.

Teio had the Kikuka Sho.

Bourbon and Rice would each make their first year-end G1 appearances of their rookie seasons.

Across all of Central Tracen Academy, there was not a single Umamusume qualified to stand in their way during those five races.

Thus, Kuroha was merely outlining next year's training plan out of habit, treating it as a morning exercise to wake his mind.

Time always passed quickly while lost in thought.

The sun was already high by the time the woman in his arms finally stirred.

As pale softness rubbed against him, Rudolf's entire body abruptly trembled as though she had been shocked.

Her long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes opened.

She instinctively looked toward Kuroha.

"Good morning."

Kuroha lowered his gaze and smiled.

"..."

The Emperor's mind froze for a moment before her confused thoughts finally reorganized themselves.

A scarlet blush flashed across her face.

She pulled her body deeper beneath the blankets before nodding.

"Good morning."

"Haha. I thought you would be too embarrassed to face anyone."

Kuroha teased her.

"I'm not that delicate..."

Rudolf rolled her eyes.

"I spent nearly half an hour on top of you last night. I'm capable of accepting what happened."

"You have the nerve to say that? Shameless."

Kuroha lightly tapped her on the head.

"All right. If you're awake, be good and go eat breakf... Uh..."

Before he could finish, Kuroha abruptly stiffened.

He lowered his gaze and gave Rudolf a peculiar look.

"What are you doing?"

A familiar sensation of tight pressure had suddenly closed around him.

"N-nothing."

The Emperor guiltily turned her head away, then cleared her throat as she attempted to recover her dignity.

"Um... Maruzensky still hasn't woken up. We should wait for her and eat together... Yes, that sounds right..."

As she spoke, she pressed herself closer.

The indescribable pressure intensified.

It was obvious that even the dignified Emperor, now that morning had arrived, had developed a taste for what she had discovered.

Kuroha fell silent.

Steelix was forced to Mega Evolve once again.

One Ultimate Dragonquake later, the invading challenger was thoroughly defeated.

...

No one knew how much time passed before Maruzensky finally stirred awake.

She rubbed her bleary eyes, yawned, and sat upright. Then she looked at Kuroha and her best friend, who were sitting side by side against the headboard.

"Mmm... You two woke up early."

"Yeah. We only just got up."

Rudolf was holding a tablet and browsing the day's racing news. She responded softly without raising her head.

Maruzensky stared at her composed expression for a moment before smiling brightly.

"As expected of Central Tracen's great Emperor. Your stamina is much better than mine was the first time!"

"What nonsense are you talking about...?"

Rudolf raised her head and stared at her speechlessly.

If her stamina had truly been better than Maruzensky's, that would have been one thing.

However, when she said that she had "only just gotten up," she had merely been stating a fact.

"It's almost ten already. Since you're awake, let's go downstairs and have breakfast."

"I think I'll pass."

Maruzensky smiled and shook her head. She wrapped herself in the blanket and lay back down.

"I'm planning to sleep for another two hours. I can just eat lunch when I wake up."

As she spoke, she gave Kuroha and Rudolf an understanding wink.

Rudolf fell silent.

After being friends for so many years, she naturally understood Maruzensky's intentions.

Maruzensky wanted to take advantage of the romantic atmosphere and deliberately leave Rudolf alone with Kuroha so that the two could "deepen their relationship" a little further.

However...

Beneath the blankets, the Emperor quietly rubbed her sore lower abdomen.

She could not summon the slightest trace of strength anywhere in her body.

Forget deepening their relationship again.

She suspected that she did not even possess enough strength to climb out of bed.

"All right, enough fooling around."

At that moment, Kuroha grabbed Maruzensky and hauled her upright, blanket and all.

"Going all morning without food is bad for your stomach. Since you're already awake, both of you are getting out of bed and eating breakfast."

"Oh, Kuro-kun, you're so strict."

After pouting playfully, Maruzensky winked at Rudolf to indicate that she had tried her best.

"Whew..."

Rudolf quietly released a relieved breath.

She was saved.

Otherwise, she might genuinely have spent the entire day paralyzed in this bed.

Kuroha noticed every silent exchange between them and shook his head in amusement.

He reached out and gently rubbed Rudolf's forehead.

A strange rainbow-colored glow flickered for an instant.

"All right, both of you. Clean yourselves up, get dressed, and we'll go downstairs together."

"..."

Rudolf looked up at Kuroha in surprise.

After he patted her head, she felt as though her entire body had been immersed in a warm spring.

All her soreness and exhaustion had completely vanished.

However, she needed only half a second to accept this new reality.

Kuroha was a miraculous trainer capable of temporarily restoring retired Umamusume to their former peaks, and he possessed deep connections to deities who had long since passed away.

No matter what astonishing feat he performed, it somehow seemed understandable.

After obediently acknowledging him, the two women swiftly dressed themselves.

Once they had tidied the room, all three left the bedroom together.

(End of Chapter)

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