Time passed quickly, nearing the end of September, just before the Arc de Triomphe.
Although Tony Bianca had won decisively a few days earlier, the upcoming Arc forced her to rest.
After all, when races were scheduled closely together, training was mostly about maintaining form.
And the most crucial part was still…
"All the turf in Europe feels exactly the same…"
With a sigh, Tony Bianca turned away and headed in the opposite direction. She could only spend a limited amount of time each day acclimating to the turf, preventing any injury before the race.
Changing into casual clothes, she finally left the training grounds.
Only then did Tony Bianca pick up her phone, dialing Moonlight Lunacy's number.
"Hello, where are you?"
"I'm already at the spot we agreed on. You're late again. Did you spend too long on the Arc's turf?"
Listening to her friend's teasing voice, Tony Bianca's lips curled slightly upward. "Yeah. Since it's the Arc, I need every bit of preparation I can get, or winning might be difficult."
Tony Bianca fell silent briefly before adding, "Is L'Ambroisie's new sous-chef really that impressive? You've been there twice this month already."
"Even better than you'd imagine. Every time I've ordered the set menu, there's been a slight twist. It changes subtly from the original taste, but it just keeps getting better and better."
Moonlight Lunacy's enthusiastic praise came clearly through the phone.
Listening quietly, Tony Bianca glanced around before turning toward the street signs. "I'll be there soon."
"Alright, let's try it tonight. If it suits your taste, how about going again after your victory?"
"You're really confident in my chances, aren't you?"
"Your opponents might be strong, but you're certain of your condition, aren't you?" Moonlight Lunacy paused briefly, then added, "Anyway, I'm thinking of joining the Japan Cup afterward. This might be my last chance here. My break will be over once I start preparing for that race."
Hearing Moonlight Lunacy's explanation, Tony Bianca said nothing more, glancing around until she spotted her friend.
Silently stepping up behind her, she rested a hand gently on her friend's shoulder.
"I'm here."
Startled, Moonlight Lunacy spun around.
"You just arrived?"
"Yes. Let's go. I want to taste this place you've been raving about."
Tony Bianca immediately started walking forward.
"Hey, you don't have a reservation! You need me!"
Seeing Tony Bianca rush ahead, Moonlight Lunacy hurried after her.
"I wonder if the new menu will be any better…"
To lessen her enormous workload, Yayoi Natural had already passed most tasks to her apprentices and line chefs. After confirming they could handle the previous set menu, she immediately developed a new one.
This new set wasn't designed for regular Uma Musume, but specifically for racing Uma Musume. This choice was made deliberately for her health, since fewer racing Uma Musume existed compared to regular Uma, and given that high-end dining usually took a long time per table, catering specifically to racers would be less taxing.
Still, she'd never cooked specifically for European racing Uma Musume, so Yayoi Natural felt somewhat uneasy.
"Miss Moonlight Lunacy, please follow me."
Watching the waiter who clearly remembered Moonlight Lunacy's name, Tony Bianca turned to her friend, slightly amused. "Just how many times have you been here these past months?"
"Maybe ten times?"
Moonlight Lunacy answered uncertainly, then quickly added, "It doesn't matter. The new menu's quality makes it worth coming back."
"Your prize money…"
"It's fine, probably…"
"I'll pay tonight."
"Eh…"
"No worries. My record's better than yours, anyway."
With those words, Tony Bianca followed after the waiter.
Watching Tony stride forward confidently, Moonlight Lunacy paused for a moment, then quickly caught up.
Guided to a table, the two sat down across from each other, menus placed neatly in their hands.
"Hm…"
Unlike Moonlight Lunacy, who'd long grown familiar with the place, Tony Bianca noticed something immediately on the menu—a new set labeled specifically for racing Uma Musume.
Intrigued, Tony Bianca glanced up at the waiter. "This new set menu for racing Uma Musume…is it recent?"
"Yes. It was finalized by our sous-chef just yesterday. Today, we're still gathering feedback."
"I see…" Tony Bianca looked again at the new option, then nodded decisively. "I'll take this set."
"Understood. This menu doesn't have a wine pairing by default. Would you like one?"
"No, thank you."
Tony Bianca handed the menu back, and Moonlight Lunacy, equally intrigued, ordered the same set.
Soon, dishes arrived, delivering a satisfaction far stronger than the regular Uma-focused menu.
"This sous-chef's skills might even surpass the head chef's."
Having visited L'Ambroisie once before, Tony Bianca quickly made this judgment.
It wasn't flattery. Comparing the taste from last year's visit, she confidently reached this conclusion.
"See? Didn't I tell you their new sous-chef was amazing?" Moonlight Lunacy sounded proud, as if praising her own taste.
Watching Moonlight Lunacy's smug expression, Tony Bianca simply smiled gently. "Looks like I'll definitely have to come back again after the Arc."
"Well, I should go now. I still have to prepare for the Arc."
As Tony Bianca stood, preparing to leave, she noticed a small figure standing silently beside their table—a petite Uma Musume wearing chef's attire.
Meeting Tony Bianca's gaze, the small chef spoke hesitantly, "Um…"
"Yes? Is something wrong?"
"I'm the sous-chef. I wanted to ask…how was the new menu? Could you give me your thoughts?"
Hearing this, Moonlight Lunacy also shifted her attention to the tiny Uma Musume.
She stared for a second at the little chef, far smaller than herself—perhaps not even fully matured yet.
"Ah…yes, of course. No problem at all."