i was going to wait until this whole arc was over to read because it’s just way too stressful (and heartbreaking) but i don’t think i can stay away
Arcana is the real MVP of this series for pushing past his own feelings and trying to straighten out this mess because they do have more important things to worry about.
Which feelings? I'm not arguing that Arcana is the MVP but his feelings for Sigrid seemed more platonic or admiration than romantic.
I agree, it didn't seem romantic for me either which makes it even more likeable.
sorry if what i said came off like that, I only meant to imply arcana cares for her deeply and isn’t happy with whoever is putting her under more stress than she’s already experiencing. i was referring to him pushing past his animosity/resentment towards lunatil so they could work together in order to help her rather than separately
Oh, I completely agree! Specially after Morris actions in the last chapter. He seems to be the only one making progress on the pressing matter.
Mel, sweetheart, it took the great (chaste) hero Dominic 2 seconds to figure this act out before he got distracted. At this point Issac’s ulterior motives are as subtle as a brick wall. He even has the wholehearted support of the kids, who were (very obviously) pushing this match from the start. But fake dating is an incredibly fun trope and I’m so here for this.
he (and marianne) make a good point, this entire dating game is more like an opportunity to pick and choose marriage partners for alliances from a pool of appropriate candidates under the guise of finding “true love.” love might blossom, but if the match proves disadvantageous once true identities are revealed, then that budding love might be ignored in favour of a better match. even if you’re trying to find true love, half the people aren’t acting like their true selves anyway and getting time alone together to sus them out is hard.
I love that ML isn’t some righteous dude but rather MC’s partner in technically-not-illegal crime. Like make no mistake, she’s switching from one kind of villainy to another here, capitalism is just a much more comfortable and nicely-packaged form of villainy than whatever she was doing before. The subscription system? Perfect revenge and it puts basic math behind a paywall for any poor soul wanting to do magic. Being economical involves far more math—like this is top tier evil. She’s gonna run all the local businesses to the ground to build up a franchise empire and look fabulous while doing it. Evil queen behaviour.
DUDE, EXACTLY
Don’t blame Penelope for being like this, her behaviour right now is a result of the trauma that’s underscored the entire series. Penelope doesn’t believe him because her current home situation is triggering all of the trust-issues and fear of abandonment she experienced in her previous life. The game-like setting is only reinforcing her beliefs that people can’t change—her real family never did—and that her only option is to escape. Her desperation and inability to trust people is making her blind to evidence on the contrary. She’s clinging to the brutal certainties provided by the game mechanisms because they’ve been proven trustworthy. She can’t trust Callisto as a reliable means of escape because true love is the only way to beat the game, and she’s learned the hard way that it can’t be half-assed.
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The problem is that Callisto also has trust and abandonment issues due to constant threats and betrayals. He’s not going to move forward until she gives him the affirmation of mutual affections that he needs in order to trust that she won’t leave him. Which makes sense realistically, given how evasive she’s been. He also can’t leave her alone because she’s one of the few people he does care about. Penelope can’t see this because, again, she doesn’t believe people change. She only ever saw his ending with Yvonne and gave up on him during Penelope’s route because she couldn’t get past the first meeting without dying.
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For some reason I can’t remember what happens immediately after this in the novel?? But she’s just been betrayed at 99% affection, her behaviour makes sense
Loving FL’s confidence and the plot direction, but the translation is just awful. I’m still seated but damn
She really lived up to the title right there worrying about losing her bribes lmao
you were supposed to change the genre judith!!!
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.spoiler-y speculation…
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…Judith mentioned Luca spent a lot of time there in the novel. Luca’s a regressor. He probably knows this place like the back of his hand, or at least well enough to have a chance at finding her (if they let him).
Honestly, that’s what I’d expect too. Or, rather, he’d either offer to go but be rejected due to how dangerous it is or sneak out by himself, knowing that he’s her best chance of escape. Ruediger would come along of course, either having caught him (Luca probably still has familial affection for him and might decide not to put him in danger) or having been invited because Luca is way too young to be a good enough fighter to protect both himself and Judith