Victoria instinctively looked left and right before hesitantly pointing a finger at herself. "M-me?"
Had she misheard just now? Had Elliot said "beautiful"?
Victoria lowered her head and looked at her grotesque, twisted limbs.
What was beautiful about them?
"Yes!"
Elliot was truly excited. Victoria, whom he had thought was merely High Rank, had become an Immortal in the blink of an eye!
Elliot had already sensed something was off. After gaining her Transformation, Maeve spent all day as a giant flesh chunk eating in the Courtyard. After Dorothea gained hers, crows were everywhere in the Hearthfire District. Even Simon turned into a bug and flew a few laps through the sky between consultations. Why was Victoria the only one who never wanted to show her spider form?
So there had been deeper reasons behind it.
"I-I don't think I can change back from this form now-"
After a moment of silence, Victoria spoke quietly.
She knew Elliot had probably only said that to keep her from feeling hurt, but honestly, her heart really did feel a little warmer.
Not being abandoned, not being despised, still having her old companions beside her even after becoming a monster and losing everything-she fantasized about beautiful fairy tales like that too.
But even if they could endure it for a while without fleeing, how long could that last with a monster staying beside them?
"You can't change back?" Elliot froze, his face full of disbelief. "Really?"
Victoria's eyes dimmed a little, and she nodded gently.
She raised her head and slowly looked at the companions around her.
"C-can I come over?" Maeve called to her from a distance, while Vanessa craned her neck to look over too.
Looking at these old companions, Victoria nodded, somewhat at a loss.
She feared seeing unfamiliar looks