I view this growth arc as much more difficult than a lot of other FLs because it’s not being forced along. There’s no tragic betrayal, fear of death, or imminent aPocalypse forcing her to exceed her limits. It’s just an internal process of healing, revelation, and growth. Most FLs are brutally forced to confront their flaws, mistakes, and failures while entering a desperate battle to save their life/family/country/world. They grow because they have no other choice.
Olivia has a choice to put her head down and sink into her predetermined fate, but she chooses not to. Her increased awareness only increases her pain, but she continues anyway. Unlike most FLs, she is truly making the choice to go through this difficult process
YES EXACTLY. this kind of development is much more difficult and, dare i say, more important than other kind of tropes where they are forced to grow. she CHOSE to heal and leave her past behind. the only difference from her usual day to day life was that she had someone for the first time that saw her for herself rather than her title and the house she "belongs" to. i wouldnt even say that romance is being forced in the story nor onto her. she has a true friend/companion for the first time. i like that its moving slowly, thats much more realistic than suddenly changing overnight. her steps are small and shaky but they are resolute and that makes them much much bigger.
IM SO PROUD OF HER. even if it seems like a small thing, this is a big step for her who always followed orders and bore everything alone. just showing up w someone else and wearing a bright, white dress is already going against their orders, leaving her shackles behind. this feels freeing on its own.