Victoria of Many Faces, Vol. 3, page 6
“My lord, the truth is I’m divorced. I had to change my name to escape an abusive husband. I deeply apologize for deceiving you, but I had to do so to protect myself.” Mia quickly rose to her feet and gave a deep bow to the earl.
Was that excuse too hasty to be believed?
She put a hesitant expression on her face and feigned embarrassment as she bowed repeatedly. The earl studied her with interest but said nothing. Mia’s heart pounded, and a cold sweat trickled down her back.
If he calls for the guards, I’ll be killed. Should I take him out first? After all, he’s committing a serious crime. He’ll face execution eventually.
But Ines was right there. If she killed the earl in front of her, she would have to silence her friend as well.
What should I do? What’s the best move?
Ines had been like a sister to her, and Mia just couldn’t bring herself to harm her. But to her relief, the earl seemed to accept Mia’s story and gave a casual nod.
“I see. I wasn’t aware of your circumstances, Mia. Ines, I expect you to do your best. Mia, we’ll leave for the capital at sunrise tomorrow.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The earl is shrewd… Should I be happy or suspicious he seems to have believed me?
Her instincts had been honed through experience, and they screamed in her mind, He knows you’re lying!
She’d been drilled repeatedly at the academy on how to handle situations like this. The protocol was clear: Flee on your own.
There’s nothing else to be done. It’s a shame that I was so close to getting the proof I needed, but I need to make my exit immediately.
However, as she moved to pull open her bedroom curtains, Mia stopped abruptly. She’d intended on slipping out through the second-floor window, but there were guards stationed all throughout the garden, armed and patrolling with lanterns. The vast grounds of the estate were illuminated to the very last corner.
Is this to stop me from escaping?
Mia placed her ear against the door leading to the hallway; she could sense someone standing just outside. Even if she managed to take down the person at the door, there was no way she could fight off all the guards and make it out alive.
I have no choice but to escape during the journey to the capital.
Mia made up her mind and boarded the carriage the next morning. Unfortunately, however, the carriage was surrounded by mounted guards who were escorting the earl.
To make matters worse, Ines was also accompanying them to the capital; this was highly unusual for a new employee.
The earl chattered away cheerfully inside the carriage. “Where was it you were from again, Ines?”
“Near the western edge of the kingdom, close to the Subartu forest. My ancestors were part of a pioneer settlement there.”
“I see.”
Mia’s heart pounded. She’d claimed to have been born and raised in the capital, but this conversation had just exposed her as a liar, not only regarding her name but also where she grew up. She maintained a calm facade as turmoil mounted inside her.
After a weeklong journey, they finally reached the capital and checked into a fancy hotel. But the earl expressed his intention to head out again without even taking a moment to relax. Just as they were about to leave, Mia noticed Ines was nowhere to be seen.
“My lord, Ines isn’t here.”
“Oh, she went on ahead of us. We’ll be heading to the same place shortly.”
“All right.”
Ines left ahead of her master? That’s strange. Something’s definitely going on.
Alarm bells rang in her head, but now wasn’t the time to run. She couldn’t bring herself to abandon Ines.
They boarded another carriage and arrived at a warehouse district. The earl opened the door to one of the buildings and stepped inside. Mia cautiously followed, but as soon as she entered the building, a bag came down over her head, and something struck her on the back of her skull.
I invited Lady Yolana to join me and Nonna for a visit to the sheep farm.
With the well completed, we no longer had to worry about a source of water for the animals and our farmhands in the living quarters.
Five women from the abbey—all of whom had volunteered to come—were tending to the sheep. One of the women’s parents had been shepherds, which was reassuring.
We had already purchased fifty sheep, which were now grazing freely in the meadows. We would shear them for wool late next spring.
Lady Yolana wore a wide-brimmed hat and gazed at the farm with interest.
“Victoria, this is such a lovely place,” she said.
“Isn’t it, though, Lady Yolana? It’s one of my favorite spots.”
“Lady Yolana, the water from this well is so cold and delicious!” Nonna exclaimed.
“Oh, I’ll have to taste it, then, Nonna,” Lady Yolana replied.
“Okay! You can try some when we have tea in the house. Mom, I’m going to play with the sheep for a bit!” Nonna had been behaving with perfect manners up until this point, but she could no longer hold back. “Yahoooo!” She let out an excited squeal and charged into the flock of sheep.
The sheep moved in a group to keep their distance from her. Since she acted like this every time we visited, they were used to it now and neither panicked nor grew angry. Still, they clearly found her a nuisance, which was amusing to see.
“It’s so fulfilling to see you build such a happy life for yourself, my dear. Your happiness brings me joy, Victoria.”
“Lady Yolana…”
“The day you left that note and disappeared, I went over to your cottage and cried. You’d been living as if you were always ready to run away at any moment,” she said.
“I’m so sorry I caused you so much worry.”
“It wasn’t quite worry, Victoria. I don’t have a daughter, but I selfishly thought of you as my own. And it was frustrating I could do nothing to help you. But now I can rest easy. You have a baron for a husband, you’ve joined the nobility, and you have this farm and your workshop. You can spend your days in peace,” she said.
“That’s right,” I said.
“However, it does seem Nonna’s lessons in etiquette are a bit behind…”
“Yes…”
I couldn’t say with certainty that my situation was secure yet, but there was no need to tell Lady Yolana that and make her anxious.
The sheep had moved a great distance from Nonna to avoid her, but she still hadn’t given up on playing with them. I watched with exasperation as the creatures finally grew angry and began head-butting her.
I probably ought to stop her; there were so many sheep, things could get dangerous.
“Lady Yolana, Nonna and I are going to our favorite bookstore next. Would you like to join us? They have some gorgeous antique parchment books there.”
“Oh, I love looking at beautiful books! I’d be delighted to go with you.”
“Wonderful. Nonna! Come back here!”
Nonna came racing back, the wind whipping past her. She now smelled of sheep from touching them so much. After I made her clean up with soap, the three of us set off for Sandor’s Used Books. Tea would have to wait until next time.
Sandor’s Used Books had returned to its original name after its temporary stint as Zachary’s Used Bookstore.
The owner welcomed us with a smile, and the three of us perused the shelves.
All of a sudden, two women sprinted past the shop window at an alarming speed, glancing nervously behind them. It was clear something was going on.
“Mom!”
“Let’s go. Lady Yolana, please wait inside.”
“But whatever are you planning to do?”
“I’ll explain later.”
And with that, Nonna and I rushed out of the bookshop. The two women ahead of us ran hand in hand, but one was stumbling as if she might collapse at any moment.
Nonna sprinted at incredible speed and caught up with them in no time, glancing back at me. I turned just as three men closed in on us from behind.
There was no one else in sight. It was possible someone could be watching through a window, but at this point, my hands were tied.
“Get out of the way!” one of the men yelled roughly, glaring at me as they ran. I put on a frightened expression and stood in their way, pretending to be bewildered.
Come on, then.
I shifted as if to let them pass, still feigning fear, but just as they ran by, I jabbed my elbows out sharply. Stumbling, I pretended to lose my balance while hitting all three of them with shoulder and elbow jabs.
“Argh!”
“Ouch!”
“Gah!”
If I had collided with them head-on, the impact would’ve sent me flying, as I was much lighter than them. But this way, I could deal damage while slowing them down at the same time.
“Keep chasing them, you two! Hey, lady! Just what do you think you’re doing?!” The man at the front of the pack barked orders to his companions, then turned to face me. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Of course not! I was just so scared that I didn’t know what to do! How dare you accuse me of such a thing!”
“Don’t lie. You must be with those women!”
“I am not!” I shouted, then ran toward a narrow alleyway. The path was cramped with small shops and dim even though it was daytime. Fewer eyes would be on us here. I headed into the tight space, drawing the man after me. A brick wall blocked the way at the end of the alley.
I kept my back to the wall as I faced the man, and he grinned like a wolf that had cornered its prey.
“So? Who are you?” the man asked.
“Who are you? Why were you chasing after those women, and what are you planning on doing with them?”
“That’s none of your business. Or maybe it is, if you’re with them.”
The man inched his way closer, and I backed up step-by-step. I refrained from taking out my dagger because…
…Nonna dropped from a nearby rooftop and kicked the man right in the head with a thwack! She made a graceful landing, immediately falling into a basic Shenese martial arts stance. The man crumpled to the ground before he even glimpsed Nonna’s brave figure.
“Lay one hand on my mother, and you’ll pay! Oh, wait. It looks like I knocked him out,” she said with a shrug.
“What about the women, Nonna?”
“I told them to wait inside the bookstore before I came back here.”
“Oh, I see. I’ll hand this guy over to the guards and return to the shop. You go stay with the women. What about the other two men?”
“I asked someone who was passing by to call the guards and left them there. They’re out cold, but I can go check.”
I cut off two pieces of the unconscious man’s shirt with my dagger, then used the fabric to tie his hands behind his back and secure his ankles tightly before following Nonna. The other two men were unconscious just ahead, and I tied them up in the same fashion.
“I thought I heard a commotion. You sure do things in style.” I turned at the familiar voice—it was Zaharo.
“Perfect timing. Can you keep an eye on these men so they don’t escape? There’s another in that alley. We need to watch him, too.”
“Sure thing. I’ll go get him and add him to the pile.”
“He might put up a fight, though.”
“Ha!” Zaharo chuckled softly and gestured with his chin for me to head into the alley. He seemed confident, even though carrying a grown man wasn’t easy. He gave me a questioning look as he gestured toward the alley as if to say, “Here?” and I nodded. The man was awake, struggling to free his bound hands and feet.
“Hey, now. Wait just a minute. Don’t try to wriggle your way free. You don’t want to get knocked out again, do you?” Zaharo’s voice was low and menacing, completely the opposite of his usual demeanor. I almost turned to look at his face in surprise, but I kept myself in check.
Zaharo quickly pulled a stylish black handkerchief from his chest pocket and blindfolded the man, before digging his knuckles into his back.
“I’ll help you stand. I’m gonna have to stab you if you try to run, though. Don’t make this harder on yourself and just walk.”
The man reluctantly obeyed. Zaharo escorted him to the other two and dumped him on the ground. He waited until the guards arrived, then finally asked, “What did these guys do?”
“They were chasing two women. I’ll go fetch them,” I said.
“No, I can do it!” Nonna said, volunteering. She brought the women over.
The entire group fell silent in shock.
The blond woman who had stumbled while she was running had been severely battered. It was clear she’d endured a horrific beating. Her nose was broken, her lips were split, her cheeks were swollen and bruised, and one of her eyes was nearly swollen shut.
Despite it all, the woman was composed.
Under normal circumstances, someone beaten this badly would have fainted or had a breakdown. Her broken nose and bruised cheeks had to be causing her excruciating pain, but she remained calm.
The guards immediately rushed to the woman’s side.
“How terrible! These men assaulted you, right? We can treat your wounds, so please come with us.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Were you the one who stopped these men?” the guards asked Zaharo, who quickly glanced at me. I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to answer, but Nonna beat me to the punch.
“It was me.”
“You did, young lady?”
“Yes. I’m trained in martial arts,” she said.
“Is your daughter telling the truth, ma’am?” the guard asked skeptically.
“Yes, it’s true,” I admitted reluctantly. As a result, the guard declared their intent to take Nonna along with the others to the station for questioning.
“I’ll come get you later, Nonna. I need to take Lady Yolana home first.”
“Okay,” she said.
The guards escorted Nonna, the perpetrators, and the victims away while a crowd of curious onlookers watched.
Lady Yolana emerged from the bookstore and asked me quietly, “Victoria, are you all right?”
“Oh, Lady Yolana! I’m so sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Don’t worry about that, dear. Where’s Nonna, and what happened? Why was that woman so badly injured?”
It was better to tell the truth than to risk getting caught up in a lie. And if I made up a story, Nonna would have to remember it, too. Would Nonna be able to keep my false story straight if someone asked her about it later? Honestly, I had no idea.
“I saw those women running past the window earlier…”
I gave Lady Yolana an honest account of what happened. What shocked her the most about my tale was how Nonna had taken down three men with her martial arts skills. And who could blame her? It was astonishing.
“Jeff and I were so busy in Shen that Nonna spent those five years immersing herself in learning martial arts.”
“But defeating three grown men alone? Are you sure she’ll be all right?” Lady Yolana asked.
I’m not sure I know the answer to that, Lady Yolana…
Browsing through old books was now the last thing on our minds, so I took Lady Yolana home before heading to the guards’ station.
Nonna was there waiting for me, sitting on a bench in the hallway just past the entrance.
“You must be exhausted, Nonna,” I said.
“Not at all. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, you know, but nothing’s changed.”
“Come to think of it, we came here the day we first met, didn’t we?” I said.
“That’s right.”
The day I first arrived in Ashbury and brought Nonna here felt like only the previous day and also a lifetime ago at the same time. I couldn’t believe six years had already gone by since then.
“Do you know what happened to the injured lady?”
“I don’t know. They took her to another room right away.”
“I’m sure she’s receiving treatment, what with those injuries,” I mused.
“I can’t believe someone would beat a woman so badly.” Anger flashed across Nonna’s face.
When we returned home and stepped out of the carriage, Nonna said, “Riding in a carriage for such a short distance seems like a waste, don’t you think?”
It struck me how much she’d grown. She even had a wry smile on her face.
Jeffrey greeted us the moment we opened the door.
“Welcome back. You two went to the farm today, didn’t you?”
“Yes, we took Lady Yolana with us. But…”
“What? Did something happen?” he asked.
I told Jeffrey everything that had happened outside the bookstore. I had nothing to hide, after all. A look of concern came to his face after he heard my story.
“So Nonna was very helpful again. But this is a dangerous time for Nonna. She must be feeling overconfident in her skills now that she’s subdued grown men in combat twice now. That’s a recipe for getting sloppy. We need to make extra sure she’s being careful,” he said.
“You’re right.”
Just then, Nonna walked into the room.
“Mom, can I go to Master Clark’s house? I told him I’d come over to borrow a book.”
“That’s fine, but be sure to take the carriage.”
“I can walk there, you know.”
But despite her protests, Nonna took the carriage.
Right as she left, another carriage arrived at our house. At first, I thought Jeffrey was expecting a guest, but his puzzled expression as he looked out the window told me otherwise.
To my surprise, the person who disembarked was Mike.
“Forgive me for coming over unannounced. But I have an urgent matter to discuss,” he said.
“Is it about Victoria?” Jeff asked.
“Yes. The truth is, the woman who Nonna rescued today is one of our employees. Thank you so much for your assistance with that matter.”
“Mike, there must be a reason why you’re telling us she works for you.”
“That’s right. Victoria, do you know about the Saint Floren Festival that’s coming up?” he asked.
