Victoria of Many Faces (手札が多めのビクトリア)

VICTORIA OF MANY FACES

Vicky. Vicky.

Hey, Vicky!

ARE YOU GOING TO ARREST ME?

What's wrong?

I'm sorry, Nonna.

Since the dance party, I'm struggling to deal with what I felt.

I'm ready!

You looked like my mom.

What do you mean?

She wouldn't move.

Can you tell me more about that?

My mom would come home in the night and sleep till noon.

She'd get up and leave once it was dark,

then come home in the night...

She was always zoning out like you just did.

And then...

I'm sorry.

I won't lose myself in thought anymore.

No, Vicky, that's not the problem.

Why were you zoning out? I want to know.

I'm sure you do.

I don't know what was going through your mom's mind,

but I can be honest about what I was thinking.

Would you like to hear?

Yeah.

So, at the dance party the other day...

Wow!

Incredible! That's amazing, Vicky!

Nevertheless, I was thinking that from here on,

I should run without fighting, even if there's a bad guy.

I don't want you to get involved.

Can't the two of us fight together?

No. Protecting you, Nonna,

is far, far more important to me than taking down any bad guy.

I... I don't like this!

I don't want to hold you back.

I'd feel bad for you, Vicky!

Nonna, nothing matters more to me than you do.

Don't feel bad for me.

If I hold you back, then you'll disappear too...

So take down the bad guys!

Don't hold back!

Nonna has never cried before now.

Maybe she felt she couldn't because she was abandoned

for holding her mom back somehow.

Don't you worry, Nonna.

There's nothing for you to fret about.

Vicky, if there's a bad guy, you take them down.

Okay. If there's a bad guy, I'll take them down when I can.

But since nothing matters more than you,

I'll run if I decide that's the best thing to do.

And I'll never let go of you, no matter what.

Hey, Vicky...

I want to see how you take down bad guys. Show me!

Right here, right now?

Please.

You can't ever tell anyone about this.

Okay.

Not ever.

Okay, not ever!

A roundhouse kick!

Grab their shoulders and knee their belly!

And a chop to finish them off!

From now on, I should be more open with Nonna.

Vicky, what about this one?

That goes third from the right.

And this one?

That goes to the far end, please.

Okay.

Ah, you've organized them by author.

If you'd like them arranged differently, I can redo it.

No, this is fine. It's perfect.

It must have been a lot of work.

No, I enjoy tasks like this.

We do.

What are you reading there, Nonna?

Is it good?

It's very interesting.

Is it now?

You're welcome to read any book in the library whenever you wish.

I can read all of these?!

Of course.

History books are great.

Like chatting with people in the past.

I get to chat with them...!

Now, allow me to prepare some tea.

Vicky! Vicky! Jeff is here!

Captain.

Hello.

Are you here to see Master Bernard?

No, to see you.

Would you and Nonna like to go to dinner with me tonight?

Jeff.

Hello, Nonna.

Actually, there's something I'd like to discuss with you, Captain.

Why don't we eat at my place?

It's a private matter.

This is very good.

You're being followed?

Yes.

I thought you should know.

That may well be Prince Conrad's doing.

That can't be...

Someone took down the attacker in the garden at the dance party.

And they suspect it might have been you.

Me?

A guard witnessed a woman in what was either

a light purple or light blue dress fleeing the scene.

If I continue to be followed for something I didn't do...

I will ask that His Highness

cease surveilling you. You have my word.

So please don't disappear on me.

Disappear?

I somehow get this feeling that you could vanish out of nowhere.

I wouldn't do that.

You're thinking too much.

May I visit you again?

Yes, of course.

Good night.

Nonna.

Vicky, I'm so excited about tonight's slumber party!

Her cookies are so yummy!

I wish I could have some of Ms. Susan's cookies too.

I'll ask if I can have extra for you.

Thank you, Nonna.

Vicky! Hurry up, hurry up!

I thought about moving to a different country

if the royal family had taken an interest in me.

But it doesn't feel like I'm being followed anymore.

Seems like he really made it happen.

After becoming an agent, I only ever trusted one person.

That man trampled on my trust, which is why I'm here now.

When you choose to trust someone,

you need to prepare yourself for the possibility of betrayal.

That way, it doesn't hurt so much when they let you down.

You just laugh it off and say, "Ah, I knew it."

Hey, lady. Are you by yourself?

Have a drink with me.

Hey, are you listening to me?