She was finally getting that feeling. That strange feeling that every one of Professor Layton's targets felt. Surprised? Shivers? Or even fear?

Everyone was staring at her intently, surprised. She kept clenching her fist, her eyebrows furrowed... Her intentions were betrayed. That was the big risk she had taken. She just sighed and smiled an almost sorry smile.

"-Professor Layton, what the hell are you saying? You suspect me of stealing that mirror?
-He doesn't have to make you look innocent... Miss Victoria Smith."

She laughed mockingly.

"-Me? Making me look innocent. Ha ha, I forgot you have a rather peculiar sense of humor."

Nobody dared say anything. Victoria? So she was behind this whole thing? That was impossible!? Why would she...?

"-You hid your game pretty well. I must confess that we have been duped."

The young lady was taken with a nervous laugh. It was so funny.

"-It's all very well to accuse me, but where is your evidence, Professor Layton?"

She kept laughing at him.

"-You seem to be taking this situation lightly.
-Oh... Forgive my hilarity. It's just all so amusing.
-Keep laughing, Victoria, and we'll see if you find the rest of my theory just as amusing."

She stopped dead in her tracks and gave her accuser a blank stare.

"-Well, go ahead, we're all ears, Mr Layton," she said, putting her hair back in a quick motion."

Again, pacing.

"-You contacted me to help you find the Rosenwald Mirror. From the very beginning, you had prepared your plan meticulously. You knew that I would accept your request and that I would be able to solve the whole thing.
-Hmpf, indeed. After all, who doesn't know you? Who doesn't know about your great discoveries, your adventures?
-You were planning to manipulate us, so that you could sneak out once you had that Mirror.
-Hmm...
-Unfortunately, things didn't turn out as planned. You hadn't foreseen that Descole would be with us, nor that TARGENT would also be looking for the object.
-So? What would have changed?
-Descole suspected you were in cahoots with the organisation from the first time we met. It didn't escape your notice and that's why you manipulated him. We've all been manipulated."

Descole couldn't help but react.

"-Manipulated!? It's impossible... Victoria, from the beginning you..."

She laughed in his face, proud of his stroke.

"-And yes, honey. Being under suspicion would have interfered with my plans, due to your mistrust. So I played you, to gain your trust. Well, I'm disappointed...A man like you, just as manipulative and calculating...Fooled by someone more novice than you. The pupil surpasses the master, it seems."

The masked man vision was blurred. He didn't understand anything. He felt a bitter taste of betrayal mixed with sadness. He had let his guard down, he had to admit it.

"-And all you saw was fire. I'm proud of my shot. I got all the information I needed, thanks to you three. What more can I say?"

Swift was amused, facing the scene that lay ahead. He could never have thought of an ending like that. And he was not at the end of his surprises.

"-So you really stole that mirror!? But how could I...!" Luke exclaimed, more and more surprised.

"-Luke, do you remember when we were in the basement and we heard TARGENT?
-How could I not remember, of course I was panicked...
-When we came out, you noticed that Victoria had not followed us.
-Oh! She joined us a few minutes later!
-Hmmm...Layton...
-Exactly. And it was during that brief time that she replaced the authentic mirror with a fake one."

Victoria clutched her satchel against her with a black look on her face, towards the professor.

"-There's no point in denying it, Victoria. A glance in your bag will betray you.
-But then where did this fake come from? " Swift added.

"-Oh, it's very simple. She made it by herself.
-Is it really possible, professor...?
-Sure, it's even one of her favorite fields.
-I beg your pardon, Professor?
-Everything in its own time, Victoria.""

She laughed maniacally again and started clapping sarcastically.

"-That's right, the fake one's mine. But the glass and its properties betrayed me again, it's a pity.
-For you it is.
-So what do you intend to do about it? Arrest me for theft? HA! Keep trying.
-So you weren't sincere... All this time?" Says Luke, looking sad.

Victoria looked at him with a haughty look on her face and said nothing.

"-Answer me at last!
-. . ."

Descole, still as bewildered as ever, asked him in a trembling voice.

"-Victoria, why...?"

The young woman lost her patience.

"-I had to have that mirror! I was willing to do anything to get it! But you...YOU. Layton you ruined everything! From the moment you exposed the whole truth...
-Then you wanted that mirror to grant one of your wishes.
-I had to! I've been waiting... I've been waiting too long! I can't believe its properties were nothing more than rumors!
-Calm down, Victoria. Come on...
-Calm down!? Ha ha ha..."

She burst out laughing. She had gone mad. Her laughter resonated throughout the room. She plunged her face in her hands, going crazy. She was out of breath. No one understood anything anymore. Layton closed his eyes and put his hand on her chin again.

"-Professor... I don't understand," murmured Luke.

"-You're finally showing your true face... Meredith."

They all turned to Layton except Victoria. Even Swift looked very surprised.

"-Layton, what are you talking about!?" Descole got excited.

It was too much for him. First Victoria had fooled him and now his brother had just said she was Meredith. What the hell was going on ?

Victoria calmed down, but her eyes said something else. She stared at Professor Layton with hatred and animosity.

"-Come on, what are you pulling on me now ? Who is this Meredith ?
-I think it's high time we talked about that. Descole, I'm gonna need that letter, please."

Descole handed it to him with a clammy, trembling hand. He wanted to wake up, after all none of it was real? Layton handed the lavender paper to Victoria, who turned pale.

"-Where...did you get it from? How did you get it!?
-Actually, I got two letters. The first was from Victoria and the second was from Raymond. He had, he said, a doubt to clear up. So before I joined you, I paid him a visit. It was there that he mentioned to me this letter, which you have in your hands. First I noticed something. This so-called "anonymous" letter directly betrayed its sender.
-What do you mean...?
-Victoria, this is your handwriting, isn't it? It was you who wrote that letter! And I can prove it by comparing this letter with the one you sent me. Besides, you used the same stationery.
-I should have been more careful.
-So I deduce that it was you who wrote this. As a result, Raymond had his doubts about what this message said. He then asked for my help.
-Layton, you're not saying-
-Yes, Descole. I accepted his request. With Luke's help, while we were looking for information on that mirror, we also took the opportunity to get information on Meredith. You must know what I'm talking about."

Now that he was thinking about it, Descole thought back to their nightly conversation.

"-That's why you were always together when we were apart...
-You've got it all figured out, Victoria. Raymond has given us crucial information about Meredith. After that I went to London to visit her aunt, Iris."

Victoria looked away. Layton was almost terrifying. She frowned and clenched her teeth. Her pretty face was distorted by anger.

"-She also received the exact same letter as Raymond. And she told me something very interesting.
-We're listening. What could have been so interesting?
-She assured me that the handwriting of this message was exactly the same as that of her niece.
-Ah...!"

She gritted her teeth even harder in addition to her fist. She glanced at Swift who was following with great, great attention compared to earlier.

"-Layton...
-She then showed me a picture of her. Your eyes betrayed you, Victoria. Eyes of such a unique blue... I knew right away who you really were!
-Nothing more than coincidence.
-In that case, let me be clearer about Meredith."

He squinted his eyes.

"-Meredith Philbys is the daughter of a great London composer, Edward Philbys, who was forcibly engaged by TARGENT years ago. Her aunt took her in and raised her as her own daughter. The poor girl, wanting to find her father, decided to go in search of him and study archaeology, more specifically art history at the University of Gressenheller.
-Stop it, you don't even know what you're talking about...
-That's when she met Professor Sycamore and became his assistant.
-Layton, that's enough!"

Descole raised his voice and readjusted his tricorn with a trembling hand. Victoria hadn't understood his reaction.

"-Navré Descole, but you'll thank me later.
-And who exactly is this Sycamore ? I've absolutely never heard of him." She said, with a grin stuck in her face.

Layton continued.

"-Some time has passed and her mentor has dealt with TARGENT. She then devoted herself body and soul to researching how best to help him."

Descole could feel his head starting to spin. Oh yes, he remembered his times so vividly, so horrible. Victoria didn't say anything. She was trembling.

"-But, TARGENT has come back for the professor. And that's when Meredith stepped in for him, to protect him.
-How touching..." Added Swift.

"-The most interesting thing is what comes next. "Victoria, your reaction to Swift surprises me completely. After all, didn't you say that you did not know TARGENT?

-Strange as it may be, you seemed very familiar with him. As if you had known him for a long time.
-I think I'm beginning to understand what you're trying to say Layton" Retorted the leader.

"-When Meredith joined TARGENT, she met Swift, who was Bronev's right-hand man at the time.
-Professor, you're referring to...
-Says Celian, Luke, you got it all figured out.
-But this one managed to flee the Nest among so many others after a few years there. And if my theory proves correct, that's why Swift wanted that mirror so badly! He wanted her back!
-And why her in particular?" Descole was suspicious.

"-I think the answer is simple to deduce."

Swift sketched a smile. Layton had figured out his true intentions.

"-It's the truth, yes. I've been looking for her for a long time and this mirror would have helped me find her. "Unfortunately, its whimsical properties having come to light...
-Layton, what have you done...? Victoria murmured.
-Meredith knew TARGENT would find her. After all, those who had fled were going to pay the price. That is when she decided to change her identity and go into hiding. And that's when she began to study this famous mirror, to work out her plan.
-But, Layton, I don't know what you're talking about! I don't even know who the hell this woman is."

She raised her voice, and so did Layton.

"-There's no point hiding from you anymore! You set out to steal that mirror for the sole purpose of finding the man you cherished so dearly. You wanted to find Professor Sycamore, the facts are out there!"

She took a step back, panicked by everyone staring at her. She was pale and had her back to the wall. But she was still angry. He didn't know what he was talking about!

"-For God's sake, since I told you I don't know this Desmond Sycamore!"

There was a long silence. They were shocked by what he had just heard. Layton, on the other hand, had a big smile on his face.

"-Miss Victoria...?
-What, Luke!?
-If you didn't know Professor Sycamore...How come you knew his name was Desmond?
-...!"

She became livid. Her anger had gotten the better of her and that made her say a mistake... Most regrettable.

"-Well, because you just said it!
-Navre Victoria, but we never mentioned his first name. You're the first one who said it.
-No...No, no, no, no!"

She was trembling, alone against all. The only thing she managed to do was, once again, burst out laughing. For a few minutes, she wouldn't stop.

"-LAYTON! You meddled in what was none of your business! I knew it! OOOOOOH I knew I'd taken a big risk asking for your help...!"

Descole had lost his pride, his shield, his words. He was helpless.

"-It's impossible..." he murmured.

The young woman suddenly straightened up and put on a morbid face.

"-Let's put an end to this comedy, shall we?"

And suddenly she calmly put on a pair of round glasses, put her chestnut wig in her purse, then untied her long brown hair to rearrange it and finally wiped the fake freckles from her cheeks. Descole and Swift were shocked. She had been in front of them from the beginning.

"-Congratulations Professor Layton. What more can I say? You have once again proven your worth.
-I wish we could have met under different circumstances...Meredith."

She gave him a little smile. She was incredibly calm, despite her coldness. The glow was gone. The joyful, vibrant Victoria was gone.

"-So you weren't dead.
-I pretended to be dead to avoid any risk. I was being hunted by TARGENT, so you had no idea I would not remain under that identity."

She readjusted her glasses.

"-I can't believe it... it's impossible!"

Meredith turned to Descole and sketched a mocking grin.

"-What don't you believe Descole? The fact that your little Victoria was nothing more than a disguise? The fact that I handled you with such ease?"

Descole's getting stiff. If she knew...

"- So you were looking for Professor Sycamore." Cut Layton off.

Meredith felt her cheeks turn red and took a pained tone.

"-Joining TARGENT was a horrible experience... But you see I was doing it for him and Raymond... They had suffered enough so it was my duty to sacrifice myself.
-He did not try to find you?
-What good would it do? Who knows, he's probably dead by now... After all, Raymond is no longer his butler from what I thought I saw. And I didn't want him to find me. It was too dangerous."

She gave Swift the black eye.

"-Then I took advantage of my flight to do whatever was necessary to find him. But he'd disappeared from circulation. That's why my letter of death was addressed to Raymond."

Swift took the opportunity to stand next to her. Unexpectedly he kissed her hand, which disgusted her, and she withdrew her hand sharply and walked away from him.

"-My dear, if you only knew how long I've waited for this moment."

He turned to Layton.

"-You brought it to me on a silver platter, I don't know how to thank you."

Descole drew his sword.

"-Don't even think about it."

The leader just laughed in his face.

"-Then the knightly knight takes out his claws.
-Meredith, what do you intend to do now?
-What a question. I intend to find him!
-But this mirror...
-Shut up! You don't understand anything, you can't understand! You don't know what it's like to live hidden and alone, without any possibility of seeing the people you care about the most! Then I won't change my mind!
-Miss Meredith, listen to us! Professor Sycamore is...
-GET OFF!"

She exhaled for a long time and pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at the group.

"-I'm sorry, but I have to go."