Chapter 2

The three of them have returned.

Since this is a sequel, I think you will enjoy it 30% more if you read the previous work, *Victoria with Too Many Cards: The Former Agent is Rebuilding Her Life*.

● Please note that this work contains important spoilers from the previous work.

After a five-year absence, Ashberry Kingdom was rainy upon my return.

Even though I lived in this country for less than a year, I strangely felt like I had come home. Nona, standing next to me, had grown much taller over the past five years. She would soon catch up to me. Nona's body was toned from daily training, and her long blonde hair was loosely braided and hung over her right shoulder.

"Anna, the gangway is slippery from the rain. Hold onto my arm."

"Thank you, Jeff."

Nona was smiling faintly.

She must be thinking, "Here we go again with Dad's overprotectiveness." Jeff, despite his large build, moved with agility, always ready to protect his family.

There were few passengers disembarking from the Sheng country's merchant ship. We were the last to leave the ship.

"Dad, is that person here to meet us?"

Looking at the dock, a familiar man with medium build and brown hair was holding an umbrella and looking up at us.

After we completed the immigration procedures and stepped outside, a black carriage was waiting in front of us. The man from earlier was standing beside the carriage, holding an umbrella.

The man was Mike, who had handled the procedures to send us to Sheng country five years ago. He was an agent of the Ashberry Kingdom's intelligence organization.

"Welcome back, Mr. Asher. I'm Mike. I've come to pick you up."

"Thank you, Mike, for coming all this way."

"Not at all, Mr. Asher. It's good to see that Anna and Nona are well. Nona, you've grown so much."

"Yes, I'll catch up to Mom soon."

"Is that so? You've become quite the little lady."

"Thank you."

Jeff and I exchanged glances and tried to suppress our laughter.

Currently, our biggest concern as a couple is Nona's lady education. Nona, who must have noticed our expressions, remained calm.

"We'll stay at an inn and head for the capital. I'd like to share information along the way."

The carriage, built with fine craftsmanship, moved smoothly through the drizzling rain.

Raindrops formed thin streams as they slid down the carriage window. Beyond the window, the streets of Ashberry Kingdom were visible. The familiar scenery made me smile.

"First, there have been some changes since before we left."

"Yes."

"Officially, Victoria Sellers was killed by robbers, but when we return to the capital, we will resume our previous relationships. Please use the name Anna Victoria Asher."

I was surprised to hear that Victoria's name would be used as a middle name.

"Oh. Is it okay to keep Victoria's name?"

"The boss decided that changing your name would raise suspicion among those who knew Victoria. When you resume your relationships with those who knew Victoria, you can continue to use the name Victoria. If anyone asks about your name, please say, 'I was favored by a powerful figure in another country, so I used my middle name to escape. I can't give you the details, but I hope you understand.'"

I see.

Saying "I hope you understand" would let people imagine whatever they wanted. It was a clever excuse.

I just needed to convince Jeff's family.

Nona, who was listening to our conversation while looking out the window, had been deeply engrossed in martial arts training in Sheng country.

When we were in Ashberry, Nona spent all day with me, but in Sheng, she spent more time with the son and servants of our host.

At first, Nona enjoyed exploring the vast grounds, but once she had explored them thoroughly, she started learning martial arts with the guards.

The guards were delighted and surprised that a beautiful blonde girl could keep up with their training and taught her enthusiastically.

The five years passed in a flash, and by the time we were ready to return, the three of us could speak Sheng language fluently, and Nona's martial arts skills had improved dramatically. I mean, "dramatically."

"Mom, I want to teach Sir Clark Sheng language quickly."

"Yes, I'm sure Sir Clark will be very pleased. Nona, you understand, right...?"

"I understand. I won't kick Sir Clark in the knee anymore. I won't punch or roundhouse kick him, so don't worry."

Mike, who had been listening to Jeff and me, looked surprised, and Jeff was smiling wryly.

"Anna, what do you mean by that?"

"Nona was obsessed with martial arts during our stay in Sheng. She improved so much over the five years that I'm a bit worried."

"Martial arts can be dangerous when you gain confidence, but Nona has surpassed that stage, so she'll be fine."

Mike whispered, "No, that's not what I'm worried about," after hearing Jeff and me. He was probably concerned about whether Nona had received proper education as a noble lady, now that she was about to become a viscountess.

I had taught her some etiquette as a lady, and we had decided as a couple that "Nona can prioritize learning martial arts in Sheng, as she can learn lady education after we return."

On her tenth birthday, I had honestly told Nona, "The people I was running from were actually agents of the Haggle Kingdom. I think it's safe now, but you should still be cautious and learn to protect yourself." This was a decision made after consulting with Jeff.

Nona, who had been listening to our conversation, interjected with a composed face.

"Mike, don't worry. My martial arts teacher told me, 'If you use your techniques on someone weaker than you, consider yourself expelled.'"

"I see. That makes sense."

Mike was trying to suppress a smile by biting the inside of his cheek. I apologize for our daughter being exceptional.

By appearance alone, Nona could pass as a beautiful noble girl anywhere.

Her long blonde hair was lustrous, her skin was fine-grained despite being slightly tanned, and her gray-blue eyes were intelligent. Her posture was excellent.

However, her movements were a bit too brisk, but I thought she could hide that by learning more ladylike movements. Probably.

The carriage carrying our family moved smoothly through the rain, stopping at inns along the way as we headed for the capital.

On our journey, Nona, who had excess energy, practiced Sheng martial arts in the backyards of the inns where we stayed, as well as training in hand-to-hand combat with me and Jeff.

Mike, who had been watching at first, couldn't hold back for long.

"Excuse me, can I join you? I'm interested in both Victoria's hand-to-hand combat and Nona's Sheng martial arts, as they are different from our country's techniques."

"Would you like to try?"

"Yes."

Since there was no reason to refuse, we decided to train in pairs: me with Mike, and Nona with Mike.

Before we started, Mike asked me a question in a low voice so Nona wouldn't hear. I answered in a low voice as well.

"What weapon is Victoria good with?"

"Short swords. I rarely used them in practice, though."

"I understand. The better the agent, the less likely they are to be forced to use weapons. Please use your short sword, even in its sheath. I've been looking forward to sparring with an ace from another country."

Mike's eyes, which usually showed little emotion, were shining.

"Let's begin."

I ran towards Mike, holding a knife.

I decided to attack his dominant hand and foot first. I feigned a kick to his right leg by looking at it, but that was a trap. I aimed to strike when Mike reacted to my gaze.

The more experienced someone is in this kind of training, the more they react unconsciously to their opponent's gaze. It's natural for the body to react before the mind, or else an agent would lose their life quickly.

During my training with the organization, I often took advantage of this "veteran's reaction."

When my opponent reacted to my gaze, I would already have cut them with my knife. I tried this again after a long time. As expected, Mike reacted unconsciously to my gaze.

"Got it, your dominant arm is out of commission."

"Huh?"

Mike was taken aback, surprised by the strong slash from my sheathed short sword on his right shoulder.

"Huh? Huh?"

"Hehehe."

"Mom wins!"

"I only have my speed to rely on."

"Victoria, can I ask for another round?"

"Sure, I want to spar with Mike this time."

"Okay, let's switch."

Mike seemed to want to spar with me more, but the method I used would be seen through if repeated. It's better to use it only once. Although I probably won't fight Mike again, I decided to watch Nona and Mike's training.

I wanted to objectively observe Nona's movements.

Mike, unsure of Nona's skill level, was a bit hesitant. But that would make him lose to Nona.

Mike weighed about 68 kilograms, while Nona was around 40 kilograms. The weight difference made Nona's kicks and strikes seem less effective.

But in a real fight, Mike would be sliced all over by now.

"I haven't taught Nona any weapon use, but even with a small knife, well, you know," the Sheng martial arts teacher said, trailing off. I wanted to hear the teacher's heroic tales, who said such terrifying things with a gentle smile.

While I was lost in thought, the match was over. Mike was stunned.

"Wait, hold on."

"Oh, so you're giving up, Mike?"

"Yay, I beat Mike!"

Mike, who had lost to Nona, was looking down dejectedly, breathing heavily.

Nona, who had been moving and attacking continuously, was laughing happily.

Nona could jump high without a run-up and climb walls in a semicircle to attack from above. Her opponent would be exhausted and lose when they slowed down from fatigue.

I was always amazed at where such endurance came from in her slim body.

Nona was asking for a reward, "I beat Mike, so give me a treat," and Mike, who had taken a red ball-like object from his pocket, was chatting and laughing with her. They both looked happy.

The journey to the capital was quite enjoyable for me as well.