**WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!** Sorry, I am just so happy. One rare story where the sporty knight type actually gets the girl. And it's also well-written! I can totally understand why [Victoria of the Many Faces] gets to be an anime. This story has a distinct tone that sets itself apart from most of the current roster of RoFan/Otome Isekai animes out there. [Victoria of the Many Faces] reads more like an iyashikei with a bite, a combination of slice of life and childcare stories set in the backdrop of a typical RoFan. Overall, it's a good story, though I do feel like this story will benefit much more in a webtoonformat.

See, this story has a DENSE paneling per page. The pacing is actually not bad, and the writing is careful and steady, but sometimes there's a LOT of things crammed in a single page. That makes the pacing feel like it's rushed even though it's actually not. Like, while many manga can be turned into 2 webtoon chapters, this title will have to be divided into 3 webtoon chapters, MINIMUM.

Now let's shift back to the first point. And here, allow me to be biased and subjective and emotional, won't you? I'm just so happy that we finally get a second ML type as the main love interest.

(Okay that's a bit confusing. There is no 'second ML' at the point of writing; the main LI just looks like second ML type in other stories.)

But no seriously, Jeffrey Asher, the ML of this story, is an earnest yet dependable knight--exactly one of the favorite second ML types in your usual Otome Isekai and RoFan stories, played STRAIGHT. And his entire character is emblematic of this story's direction.

Y'see, the basic premise of the story ties around our titular [Victoria of Many Faces], a former spy who escapes her organization to live in peace alongside Nonna, a child she adopted in her escape attempt.

Whether manga or manhwa, so many other stories would have used this kind of premise to simply add intrigue and melodrama. In an utterly generic RoFan scenario, the narrative would have thrown Victoria and Nonna straight back into drama and conflict, where they will also meet a Duke of the North type LI who will bring them back into his palace because he's drawn by her skills. Then Victoria will not only deal with her violent past, but also the political intrigue circling around this supposed ML and his inner circle. Meanwhile the ML will pamper Victoria with scenes of excess and glamour while systematically breaking down her defenses and boundaries, and Victoria will then melt the supposed ML's frozen heart due to his veritable dark past.

This story refuses to do most of that.

It firmly and genuinely wants Victoria and Nonna to recover first and foremost, to be away from conflict and violence, and Jeffrey's character perfectly complements that direction.

While yes, he is a famed noble, and he has some dark past, but in practice he's no Duke of the North. And neither is he secretly yandere or possessive or anything. The story portrays Jeffrey unflinchingly as who he is; a solid, friendly, earnest and beefy knight whose charm lies not in how SUPERIOR he is but simply in being dependable and devoted. His past doesn't dim his light or gives him any hidden dark side at all, only adding a slightest bit of edge that only helps giving his character texture.

And then the story goes one step further by making him respectably smart. He's straightforward but not stupid. He's protective, but not possessive. He's caring and devoted, but not clingy.

Jeffrey immediately notices that Victoria is more than who she claims to be from their first meeting, and the story never lets it slip by even as his bond with Victoria develops. And yet, he never tries to pry in. He subconsciously knows where Victoria's boundaries are and respects that despite his own misgivings.

He's the kind of person who will spend his entire life looking for those he cares about, but he's also the kind of person who will respect that person's decision to walk away.

Everything about Jeffrey is so respectful, so protective, and it perfectly complements the healing theme this story is trying to give. His stability, patience, and compassion makes for a really nice contrast with Victoria and her numerous dark secrets, and their relationship development feels steady and comforting.

I hate that the story is VERY conservative about PDA, but their romance is palpable and heartfelt.

Don't get me wrong tho, while I have waxed so much poetic for the ML, that doesn't mean the MC is inferior in any way. The titular [Victoria of Many Faces] is a very enjoyable main character herself. Her calmness makes her look unlike most girlboss OI protagonists, but she hides a steel edge that rivals the best of them. And at the same time, she has a good heart that rivals the best of the white lotuses.

It's difficult to talk about Victoria's heart without connecting it to Nonna, the child Victoria has adopted. I appreciate the way the story uses Nonna; Victoria sees her not just as a cute Morality Pet, but also as a living representation of the hell Victoria has endured in her time as a spy--both the violence she inflicted and the pain and suffering etched deeply in her body, mind, and spirit.

The end result is that the childcare moment feels layered. As Victoria provides Nonna with love and care, she also gives herself the chance to do so. And on the flip side she also teaches Nonna many of her espionage skills, adding a bit of a student-teacher dynamic in the childcare part of the story. This direction turns Nonna into a more actualized character, a girl taught to be careful yet free, and she has a lot more agency than most non-MC child characters in the genre.

Not only does this match the direction of the story, it also gives Victoria's skills and flaws more weight.

I actually enjoy the way the story presents Victoria's skills here. At first I genuinely thought that the espionage part of the story will be just be an afterthought, a flimsy reason to give an occasional action sequence or two, but they do appear in the story repeatedly--just in less obvious forms. Victoria is collected, composed, and prepared in the face of conflict. She's a skilled yet evasive woman who keeps backup plans and cleverly dodges inquiries with excuses and distractions. Every single part of her evasiveness feels natural yet intentional, and I find myself thinking that "oh yeah this is believable for a former spy."

There are also moments where she undeniably acts reckless, bringing herself and her many skills into public display despite how unwise it would be. But again, the presence of Nonna turns these flaws from bad writing into intentional character flaw; the irrational actions of someone who acts rushed simply because she has people she cared about.

The supporting cast are nothing special, but they are still solidly written. So many of them are friendly and supportive, both towards Victoria, Nonna, and Jeffrey, and I do enjoy that none of them are particularly stupid in regards to Victoria's skilled talents.

The narrative has a solid sense of found family, and it's very consistent in supporting female independence. All in all, reading this story feels like a breeze...

But I do find myself humming and hawing over the general plot.

Again, there's the condensed panel I mentioned above, as well as the weird lack of PDA. While the story still contains lots of intimacy and affection, the PDAs are surprisingly low and chaste and I just don't know why.

But also, some parts of the narrative can be executed better.

The premise itself, Victoria's espionage past, reaches the climax in a very weird way. Characters that felt like they are going to be important just..don't...and the climax unfolds in a very weird direction. As much as I understand the narrative's refusal to put Victoria and Nonna in a fight, I feel a bit deflated when I reached the conclusion of that part of the plot.

And then there's the second major arc, a post timeskip arc. I actually like the significantly lower stakes compared to the first arc, except the fact Jeffrey has a surprisingly little role here. He still has some parts to play, one personally tied to his past, but that only last for a moment and then after that he just exists in the sideline while most of the adventure got resolved. He only returns to prominence AFTER the adventure's over, and I must admit it feels a bit lazy; like the writer doesn't know what to do with Jeffrey in that setting.

The manga's available chapters online stopped right as a new arc begins, so we shall see if things are different moving forward.

But overall, it's an enjoyable story; and I can't wait to see the anime.