Investigating someone wasn't difficult for the Mejiro Family.
Especially when most of the Mejiro Family's resources were open to that person.
Staring at the photo clipped to the printed sheet, Mejiro Ramonu's gaze slid downward a little.
Then, Tokai Natural's file gradually came into view.
"No race results… none at all." Mejiro Ramonu didn't show much reaction as she fixated on the section about race performance. She simply flipped to the next page.
"And her physical condition isn't great either…"
Her voice sank lower and lower.
After finishing everything in Tokai Natural's file, Mejiro Ramonu picked up another file.
Tokai Roman's.
The file of the original "target" Rudolf had intended to marry.
Compared to Tokai Natural's file, Tokai Roman's was far more substantial.
"Oh. Mostly wins in the Oaks, is it…"
As she said that, Mejiro Ramonu turned the page.
There wasn't much on the next page—only Tokai Roman's current location, and some medical examination reports.
Before long, Mejiro Ramonu had read it all.
And after reading everything, Mejiro Ramonu was still confused.
Because she couldn't see what, exactly, about either of these two was worth Rudolf marrying.
At least, that was what the files said.
Thinking that, Mejiro Ramonu fell silent for a few seconds, then let her eyes return to Tokai Roman's file.
Unlike Tokai Natural's—marked missing/deceased—Tokai Roman's file clearly listed her current residence and workplace.
"I'll go meet her."
Saying that, Mejiro Ramonu stood up.
You couldn't judge a person from files alone.
That was a belief Mejiro Ramonu had always held.
So she planned to pay Tokai Roman a visit.
...
After Tokai Roman arrived, Tokai Natural's work efficiency had risen by a lot.
At the very least, she no longer had to personally handle basic prep work or the aftermath of what customers left behind.
And because of that, Tokai Natural could now steal a little time in the middle of the busy hours to look at things she normally wouldn't bother with.
Watching the news on TV about the Chinese Uma Musume Association, Tokai Natural raised a hand slightly. "Speaking of which, over at the Mejiro Family…"
As the thought came up, Tokai Natural turned her head a little.
She had a feeling that sometime soon, the Mejiro Family might drag her over to cook.
After all, it was something signed with the Chinese Uma Musume Association—and considering the Mejiro Family's situation, Tokai Natural probably wouldn't be able to wriggle out of it.
Thinking of that, Tokai Natural sighed, then shifted her gaze into the shop.
Seeing her look away, Chiyono O tilted her head.
Pretty clearly, Tokai Natural was torn about whether she should go.
But not long after, Tokai Natural still sighed, her face full of gloom. "I'll go anyway."
The reason Tokai Natural bothered putting in the effort to prepare new-style dishes was simple—
They paid a lot.
If it weren't for that, Tokai Natural would've already planned to muddle through with old menu items.
Making new dishes was just too tiring.
If the Mejiro Family invited her every single time, Tokai Natural would honestly find it a pain.
"Yayoi-nee, you're not worried?"
"Hm? Worried about what?"
"About the Mejiro Family banquet."
As she said that, Chiyono O glanced around the shop before continuing, "Can you handle everything, Yayoi-nee?"
Hearing the concern in Chiyono O's voice, Tokai Natural simply nodded. "With the shop, Roman helps me, so there isn't much of a problem. The hard part is really their taste, you know—satisfying Chinese tastes is kind of troublesome, and they don't have dedicated cookware over there."
Tokai Natural's words were full of headache.
And honestly, it really did add a lot of trouble for her.
After all, plenty of Chinese dishes needed a wok.
And the Mejiro Family leaned much more toward Western cuisine, so a wok was usually the kind of thing you didn't even dare hope for.
So how to adjust flavors to better suit Chinese palates—that was a huge challenge for Tokai Natural.
Thinking of that, Tokai Natural rubbed her temple, then continued, "But since they're paying… I still have to work…"
Listening to Tokai Natural, Chiyono O just smiled.
She didn't really understand Tokai Natural's cooking-related headaches.
But seeing Tokai Natural earn money made Chiyono O happy.
Because as someone who had seen what Tokai Natural was like a few years ago, Chiyono O was obviously worried about how she was living.
But now…
Looking at the restaurant—even during a holiday, the crowd still couldn't be called small—even Chiyono O could tell this place was making serious profit.
Thinking of that, Chiyono O gave Tokai Natural a dopey grin.
Noticing that silly grin on Chiyono O's face, Tokai Natural reached out and pinched her cheek.
"Mmmph…"
After casually kneading her face once, Tokai Natural finally let go.
"Yayoi-nee, seriously."
The moment she was released, Chiyono O immediately protested.
Hearing her protest, Tokai Natural just smiled, then turned her head to look in another direction.
Teio and Mochizuki were both wearing staff uniforms, which meant Tokai Natural didn't have to spend time on things like carrying dishes out.
It really did make her a lot more relaxed.
Of course, the most important thing was—
"Mmm… Mochizuki, you read that many books every day?"
"It's just prep for skipping grades. Same as you getting up to run every day."
Hearing Mochizuki's answer, Teio asked another question, curiosity all over her face. "Then why skip grades?"
"Because I want to get into a trainer school."
"Eh?! Mochizuki, you want to be a Trainer?!"
"Yeah, because it's the fastest job to get into while still keeping my studies normal." As she said that, Mochizuki looked at Teio. "You didn't know? The Trainer exam doesn't look at age. As long as you pass the Trainer exam, you can become a Trainer."
Listening to Mochizuki, Teio nodded. "And then?"
"Trainer schools has the Trainer exam at the end of the second year, and normally by then the student is already nineteen."
As she spoke, Mochizuki looked at Teio. "But with my pace…"
"Hm?"
"No, nothing~"
"What do you mean, you can't just stop halfway!"
"It's nothing. I just feel like not telling you would be better, Teio."