It took Kagura quite a while to finish all the food in front of her. She had to admit—Yayoi-san's cooking, hand-selected and personally prepared, was definitely top-tier, even by her standards.
The ingredients for this Hamburg steak seem straightforward…but the key lies in perfect heat control and properly preparing the carrots… Figuring out the sauce should be easy enough. Mm! Next time, I'll try making it for Nature and Ojou-sama!
Since it wasn't a particularly complicated dish, Kagura quickly analyzed its composition while eating. She made a mental note to replicate it for Nice Nature and Rudolf Ojou-sama later at the cafeteria. Of course, the high-quality ingredients used by Yayoi-san certainly played a part, but Kagura could tell cooking skill contributed most heavily, reaffirming that Yayoi-san's cooking was indeed excellent.
After finishing dinner, Kagura volunteered to clean up, washing the dishes and tidying the kitchen, despite Yayoi-san's repeated attempts to stop her. Eventually, Yayoi-san's protests turned into resigned words of thanks.
The legends described that legendary Uma Musume as having quite a terrible temper… Completely the opposite of Kagura-chan. Reincarnation really does seem unlikely… They look so similar—is it just a small joke from the goddesses, after all?
Yayoi-san had invited Kagura home today partly to thank her personally for the constant care she'd shown, and partly to confirm something about Kagura's lineage.
Though the most direct way to confirm lineage would be genetic testing, that required a comparative sample. Considering the legendary Uma Musume had passed away long ago, obtaining a suitable sample—at least within Japan—was impossible. Therefore, Yayoi-san could only rely on sparse legends and records for comparison. But other than their similar appearances and extraordinary running talent, Yayoi-san hadn't yet found any other links between Kagura and that legendary Uma Musume.
After all, that legendary Uma Musume was British, a member of the royal family—traits that should be easily recognizable. Yet Kagura's demeanor and temperament didn't have the slightest resemblance to British nobility emerging from that culinary wasteland. If anything, she looked more like someone from neighboring China, leading Yayoi-san to dismiss the possibility that Kagura was related to that legendary figure.
When this child participates in the Selection Race someday, the sides of the track will definitely be packed tight with spectators…
Yayoi-san could already vividly imagine the chaos that would occur when Kagura eventually took part in the school's Selection Race prior to debut. Given her talents, even more scouts would likely appear than had come for Nice Nature.
"Akikawa-san, what are you thinking about?"
Tazuna-san, noticing Yayoi had been staring blankly at Kagura busily tidying up the kitchen, quietly approached her.
"I was just recalling a story… It's nothing. Did you need something, Tazuna?"
"I just checked the time—it's almost curfew. Kagura-chan won't be able to get back into school if she returns now. Do you have a plan?"
"No problem! I was already prepared to have Kagura-chan stay over tonight! Luckily, she's about my size, so my clothes should fit her."
Yayoi-san had already considered the possibility of Kagura staying too late, so she'd prepared a spare room and even found some suitable clothes beforehand.
"Hm~ Can I also impose on you tonight, Yayoi-san?"
"What's this? Don't tell me you can't go home either? You don't even live at the school."
"Kagura-chan's cooking was too delicious, and I ate way too much… Besides, I'm pretty tired after today's filming…"
As she spoke, Tazuna-san playfully wrapped an arm around Yayoi-san's neck, gently resting her chin on Yayoi's head while giving her a few affectionate nudges.
"Alright…fine, I have plenty of spare rooms anyway…"
"Yay~ Thanks, Akikawa!~"
...
"Eh!? It's already that late!? I can't impose on you like this, Director Akikawa! I'll just run back quickly and explain to Fuji Kiseki-san!"
After Kagura emerged from the kitchen and learned about Yayoi-san's decision, she immediately shook her head to decline. Given her good relationship with Fuji Kiseki-san, quickly explaining the situation to her wouldn't cause much trouble.
"No need to bother Fuji Kiseki-san. Kagura-chan, it really isn't any inconvenience for you to stay here. Besides, I have plenty of rooms and even spare clothes—more than enough for you."
"But…"
"Don't worry so much! Tazuna frequently stays over at my place whenever she feels like it, see? Is she ever stressed about it? Just relax and stay!"
Ultimately, unable to resist Yayoi-san's enthusiastic invitation, Kagura gave in and agreed to spend the night.
After a long, busy day, Kagura just wanted to take a bath and get some rest. Soon after, Yayoi-san handed her some fresh clothes, saying they were outfits she'd bought years ago on a trip to England when she was younger. Thankfully, since Yayoi's build was similar to Kagura's, the clothes still fit.
——Hehe… Seeing these clothes is so nostalgic. Back in London, I always wanted to wear dresses like this. My father always said they looked too plain on me and didn't suit my status… It feels very much like home.
Stepping out of the bath, Kagura checked herself in the mirror, turning around slightly. The clothes were indeed a good fit, and Eclipse-san had left her own remarks in the mirror.
Clearly, the outfit wasn't meant as sleepwear—it looked more like something an English girl might casually wear for outings. In the current era, however, the style was somewhat outdated, but to Eclipse-san, it felt just right.
Of course, aside from Eclipse feeling nostalgic and Kagura treating it as everyday clothing, Yayoi-san was the most invested in seeing Kagura dressed like this. Back when she bought this outfit in England, she'd simply purchased it on a whim. But tonight, Yayoi-san hadn't chosen it at random. Even though she was starting to doubt any connection between Kagura and that legendary Uma Musume, she still wanted Kagura to wear it, to confirm her doubts once and for all. As expected, the style really didn't suit Kagura—her demeanor and body language just didn't match the dress's aura at all.
Ah… It truly doesn't suit her. Looks like she really isn't related to that legendary Uma Musume after all…