Chapter 46

I am here with Yorana-sama and Nonna at the sheep farm. The well on the farm grounds is already completed, so there's no need to worry about water for the sheep to drink or for the living quarters.

Five women from the convent have volunteered to take care of the sheep. One of them comes from a family of shepherds, which is a great help.

We have already purchased fifty sheep and let them graze on the farm. We will shear the wool next spring, but it will be a bit late.

"Victoria, what a nice place."

"Yes, Yorana-sama."

"Yorana-sama, the well water here is cold and delicious!"

"I would love to taste it, Nonna."

"Yes! I'll serve tea at the management building later! Mom, I'm going to play with the sheep for a bit!"

Nonna, who had been behaving so politely until now, finally couldn't hold it in. She let out a strange cry and rushed into the flock of sheep. The sheep moved as a group, trying to keep a distance from Nonna. They do this every time we come here, so they are used to it and are not angry or scared. However, it's amusing to see how clearly they find Nonna annoying.

"Watching you steadily find happiness makes me feel as if I am fulfilled myself."

"Yorana-sama..."

"On the day you left a note and disappeared, I cried when I saw inside the house. You were always living in a way that you could escape at any time."

"I'm sorry to have worried you."

"It's not just worry, Victoria. I don't have a daughter, but I had come to think of you as one. I was frustrated that I couldn't help you in any way. But now, I can rest easy. You have a viscount husband, and you are a noble. You have this farm and a workshop. You can live a secure life now."

"Yes."

"Nonna's lady education is a bit behind, though."

"...Yes."

I can't say "I'm safe now" yet, but there's no need to make Yorana-sama anxious by saying so now.

In the pasture, the sheep had moved quite far to avoid Nonna. She was still trying to play with them, and I watched in exasperation as one of the sheep finally headbutted her.

"Yorana-sama, would you like to come with me and Nonna to our regular used bookstore? There are many beautiful old books on parchment there."

"Beautiful books are a feast for the eyes. I would like to go."

When we called Nonna back, she was covered in the smell of animals from touching the sheep. We made her wash her hands with soap, and then we headed to Sandor's Used Bookstore. The tea was postponed for later.

The bookstore, which was temporarily called Zachary's Used Bookstore, had its name changed back to Sandor's Used Bookstore. The owner greeted us with a smile, and the three of us were browsing books when two women ran past the window at a tremendous speed. They looked back once while running, and it was clear that something unusual was happening.

"Mom!"

"Let's go. Yorana-sama, please wait inside."

"But what do you intend to do?"

"I'll explain later."

I said the last words while turning my back and quickly followed Nonna out of the store. The two women were running ahead, holding hands, but the one being pulled looked like she was about to trip.

Nonna caught up with them at a tremendous speed and turned to look back. I also turned back and saw three men approaching from behind me. There were no other people around except for the pursuers. They might be seen from a window somewhere, but there was nothing I could do about it now.

"Get out of the way!"

The men ran with fierce expressions and raised voices. I stood in their path, pretending to be scared and confused.

(Come on, come at me.)

I pretended to step aside to let them pass but aimed to elbow them as they went by. I staggered and hit all three of them with elbow strikes and body checks.

"Ow!"

"It hurts!"

"Ugh!"

If I hit them directly, I would be knocked away due to my lighter weight, but this way, I could slow them down while causing damage.

"You guys, keep chasing them! Hey, you! What are you doing?"

The man in the lead gave orders to the other two and turned to face me.

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

"No way! I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. You're making false accusations!"

"Don't lie. You must be one of those women's accomplices, right?"

"No, I'm not!"

As I shouted, I ran into a side street. The narrow alley, lined with small shops, was dim even during the day. There would be no one around here. I ran into the narrow alley at full speed, luring the man in. He chased after me. The alley ended in a brick wall.

"Hey, who are you, anyway?"

"What about you? What did you intend to do to those women?"

"It's none of your business. No, if you're an accomplice, it is."

The man approached me menacingly. I stepped back as he closed in, but I didn't draw my knife yet. Because...

There was a dull thud, and Nonna jumped down from the roof, kicking the man in the head. She landed gracefully and took a basic Shen martial arts stance. The man collapsed without seeing Nonna's heroic figure.

"I won't forgive you if you hurt my mom! Oh, you fainted?"

"Nonna, what about the women earlier?"

"They said to wait in the bookstore and came this way."

"Right. I'll deal with this guy first. You stay with the women. Oh, what about the other two men?"

"I asked someone walking by to call the guard. They were unconscious, but I'll check on them!"

I slit the unconscious man's shirt with my knife, tied his hands behind his back, and securely bound his ankles before following Nonna. The two men at the other end of the alley were still unconscious, so I tied them up the same way.

"I thought it was noisy outside. You did it again, didn't you?"

Turning at a familiar voice, it was Zaharou.

"Good timing. Can you watch these people so they don't escape? There's another one in that alley. We need to keep an eye on him too."

"Sure, I'll bring him over here."

"He might struggle."

"Hmm."

Zaharou chuckled and gestured for me to go into the alley with a nod. Carrying a grown man is quite a physical task, but he seemed confident. Zaharou looked at me and asked with his eyes, "This one?" before walking into the alley. The man was regaining consciousness and struggling to free his bound hands and feet.

"Hey, hey, hold it. Don't try to untie yourself. You don't want another hit, do you?"

Zaharou's tone was completely different from his usual self, low and menacing. I wanted to look up in surprise but held back. Zaharou quickly blindfolded the man with a black, stylish handkerchief from his pocket and pressed the knuckle of his middle finger against the man's back.

"I'll help you stand. If you try to run, I'll have to stab you. Don't make me do that. Now, walk."

The man reluctantly walked. When we met up with the other two, Zaharou threw the man to the ground. Seeing the guards finally arrive, he then asked me,

"So, what did these guys do?"

"They were chasing women. I'll call the women who were being chased."

"I'll go get them!"

When the women Nonna brought arrived, everyone present was shocked into silence. The face of the blonde woman who had been dragged was in a terrible state. She had been beaten badly, with a broken nose, a split lip, and swollen cheeks. One eye was almost closed due to the swollen eyelid.

But the woman was strong. Under normal circumstances, she would have fainted or been in a panic. Her broken nose and swollen cheeks must have been excruciatingly painful. The guards immediately rushed to her side.

"This is terrible. You were assaulted by these men. We will treat your injuries and take you with us."

"Yes, thank you."

"So, did you take down these men?"

The question was directed at Zaharou. He quickly glanced at me. I hesitated for a moment about how to answer, but Nonna spoke up.

"It was me."

"You, miss?"

"Yes, I've been learning self-defense."

"Is that true, ma'am? Is what this girl says true?"

"It's true."

Reluctantly, I answered honestly, and Nonna was also asked to come along.

"Nonna, I'll send a carriage for you later. I need to take Yorana-sama back."

"Okay."

In the midst of the many onlookers, the perpetrators, the victim, and Nonna disappeared.

"Victoria, are you okay?"

"Yorana-sama, I kept you waiting."

"That's fine. What about Nonna? What happened? Why was that woman so badly injured?"

It's best not to lie here. I would have to remember the lie for a long time, and I have no confidence that Nonna would remember our plan correctly.

"Earlier, I saw two women running past the window. So..."

I explained the situation to Yorana-sama honestly and in order. Yorana-sama's biggest surprise was that Nonna had taken down three men with martial arts. It's no wonder she was shocked.

"Jef and I were busy in the Shen Kingdom. Nonna was obsessed with learning martial arts for five years."

"Can Nonna handle herself against three grown men?"

I don't know, Yorana-sama.