Responses
I like the way you think and i totally agree
I meant to upvote
Same thoughts! It'd also be hard on her on the long run if, hypothetically, she gets chosen because by then Marie would (also) be hypothetically gone and Rachel can't do the things Marie did because in the first place, she's not capable of such. She'd be a fraud and still lose at the end.
On one side, an empress who can choose the right allies is great, but on the other, she's basically asking to have the answer to the exam given to her by someone more capable
I think, whether or not she takes credit for the stuff Marie does, will determine if she's worthy