The faint light of dawn crept through the Symboli mansion, painting the corridors in soft hues of gold and blue. The house was still and quiet, save for the occasional rustle of servants beginning their morning duties.
Symboli Rudolf, already dressed for casual wear and composed despite the early hour, made her way toward Diamente's room. She had grown used to checking on the young girl since her adoption—mostly out of habit, though a quiet fondness guided her steps.
She knocked lightly before sliding the door open.
Empty.
The bed was neatly folded, the blanket arranged with care. Not a sign of anyone having slept there.
Rudolf blinked in mild surprise. "Already awake?"
When she asked the nearest servant, the maid bowed politely and gestured toward the western wing. "Lady Diamente is currently in the gym room, milady."
Rudolf thanked her before heading there herself. The soft sound of rhythmic breathing met her ears as she reached the open door.
Inside, Diamente was stretching with quiet focus, her loose white shirt and jogging pants clinging slightly to her form as she held a difficult yoga pose—one leg lifted high behind her, hands clasped around her ankle. Her expression was calm but determined, beads of sweat glistening along her forehead.
Rudolf couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Up early, I see," she said, stepping into the room.
Diamente turned her head slightly but didn't lose her balance. "Ah, Rudolf-nee. I woke up early and couldn't go back to sleep, so… I thought I might as well do something productive."
Her voice carried a matter-of-fact tone, like this routine had been a part of her life for years rather than a sudden whim.
Rudolf chuckled softly. "It's good that you're taking initiative for a healthy lifestyle," she said, crossing her arms as she observed Diamente's posture. "But take it slowly. That pose looks quite difficult for someone your age."
Exhaling deeply, Diamente released her grip and straightened up, rolling her shoulders as she caught her breath.
"You're right," she admitted, stretching her arms overhead. "But I realized my body's surprisingly flexible. I figured I should maintain it—it'll probably help my running form once I start proper training after my maturation begins."
Rudolf raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So you've been thinking that far ahead already?"
"Of course," Diamente said lightly. "Flexibility's one of the keys for efficient stride control. The better I can adjust my motion range, the smoother my form will be when running at top speed."
Rudolf's lips curved into a soft, approving smile. "You've done your homework, haven't you?"
Diamente gave a small shrug. "Just applying what I know. Though honestly, I feel like Tracen's elementary training focuses too much on Speed and Stamina. They barely touch the fundamentals—balance, flexibility, posture control… those kinds of things."
"Ah," Rudolf replied with a quiet hum, understanding dawning in her eyes. "So you wish to fill in the gaps yourself."
"Exactly."
Rudolf smiled, the expression warm yet dignified.
"It's good that you're thinking outside the box, Diamente. Just be careful not to overdo it. Passion is a wonderful flame, but it can burn too hot if left unchecked."
Diamente straightened, giving a small salute with a grin. "I promise I won't push myself too hard."
"Good."
Rudolf turned toward the doorway, her long hair flowing with each graceful step. "Breakfast will be ready soon. Once you've finished here and tidied up, join me in the dining hall."
"I'll be there, Rudolf-nee," Diamente said, bowing her head respectfully.
The elder Umamusume gave a small nod before leaving the room.
When the door slid shut behind her, Diamente exhaled softly, a faint smile tugging at her lips. The air in the gym felt cool and light — perfect for another round of stretches before breakfast.
==== 🐎Legend Changer🐎 ====
After breakfast, the mansion grew quiet once more. Rudolf had already left for her duties at the URA, leaving Diamente alone with the faint hum of morning activity around the, cestate.
With her curiosity and restlessness taking over, Diamente sat in front of the computer in her room. The glow of the screen illuminated her thoughtful face as she began typing away, searching for answers to the countless questions in her mind.
Even though she knew this was the world of Umamusume, there were still so many things that didn't quite add up.
The biggest one being that Rudolf—who, in her memories of the game and anime was once Tracen Academy's Student Council President was no longer holding that title. Now it belongs to Tokai Teio.
"So Teio's already the president, huh…" she murmured softly, scrolling through the results.
"And these races… It's sometime after Epiphaneia's Japan Cup win…"
The realization made her lean back on her chair, eyes narrowing in thought. That particular race marked a very specific point in real-world horse racing history.
And, if her guess was right, it meant she was living in a timeline where legends like Gold Ship and Gentildonna were still active and nearing their retirement races.
"I could actually see their races live…?" she whispered, a small, childlike grin tugging at her lips.
Her expression soon softened as she thought about her own circumstances. With the bloodlines she carried—the Symboli and Sunday Silence heritage—there was no doubt her maturation would come later than most. It was something she could already anticipate from her game knowledge.
"So I'll have to wait, huh… fine," she muttered, her tone filled with quiet determination. "Until then, I'll make sure I'm ready."
Before she could dive any deeper into her research, a few soft knocks came from her door, followed by the voice of her attending maid.
"Lady Diamente, the Matriarch wishes to see you."
Diamente blinked, tilting her head slightly.
"Matriarch…?" she repeated under her breath before her eyes widened in realization. "Speed Symboli…?"
She hadn't met the elder yet, not even yesterday after her accident. It made sense—Speed Symboli must have been away when the incident occurred.
"Please wait outside," Diamente called out. "I'll be out in a moment."
She quickly closed her tabs and shut down the computer before heading to the door. The maid greeted her with a polite bow and guided her through the mansion's elegant hallways toward the reception room.
When they entered, Diamente froze for a brief moment. Sitting at the far end of the room was none other than Speed Symboli, the dignified matriarch of the Symboli family—and beside her was another familiar face she recognized almost instantly.
Before she could even greet them, the shoulder-length, brown-haired umamusume beside Speed Symboli suddenly stood up with sparkling eyes and approached her.
"Diamente-chan! Are you *cough* *cough* okay?! Does your head still hurt? Did the doctor say anything bad? You scared everyone yesterday, you know?!"
The rapid barrage of questions hit Diamente like a storm. She barely had time to blink before the other girl was already standing in front of her, full of energy and concern.
"Ah… I-I'm fine, Tsuru-nee," Diamente replied, her tone polite yet slightly flustered. "The family doctor said there's nothing wrong, and Teio-senpai also gave me a few days to rest before returning to Tracen."
At the mention of "Tsuru-nee," Tsurumaru Tsuyoshi's expression instantly brightened.
"Good! You really had us worried!" she said, placing her hands on her hips with a proud smile.
From her seat, Speed Symboli let out a gentle chuckle, clearly amused by the scene before her.
"Now, now, Tsurumaru. Don't overwhelm her before she's even fully recovered," the matriarch said warmly.
"Ehh… fine…" Tsuyoshi pouted but quickly stepped aside, crossing her arms like a sulking child.
Speed Symboli then turned her attention toward Diamente.
"I'm glad to see you looking well, Diamente," she said kindly. "Tell me, how have you been finding your stay here at the Symboli estate these past few months?"
Diamente straightened her posture instinctively before answering.
"I'm deeply grateful, Matriarch-sama. Everyone has treated me kindly since I arrived."
Speed Symboli raised an eyebrow before waving her hand dismissively.
"There's no need for such formality, dear. Just call me Grandmother, or Grandma Speed if that's easier."
The younger girl blinked in surprise before offering a small, bashful nod.
"I'll… try to get used to it, Grandmother."
The elder umamusume's face softened into a satisfied smile.
"That's better."
The three of them continued talking for a while—mostly lighthearted chatter about Diamente's life at Tracen, Tsurumaru's endless stories about her races from the past, and Speed Symboli occasionally chiming in with nostalgic laughter.
Before long, the meeting came to a close as the two older umamusume prepared to return to the URA.
As they departed, Diamente stood silently in the reception room for a moment, her gaze following them with quiet admiration.
"This world…" she whispered softly to herself, "really is something else."
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