This show has finally pushed me over the edge in loving a character whose identity I am not even sure
of. This episode of ACCA is focused on the mysterious white haired guard, ‘Abend’, and Jean’s mother, who is revealed to be the Second Princess of Dowa – Princess Schnee. This episode also reveals ‘Nino’s’ backstory and gives almost everyone’s reasons for everything. The episode does a few things in order to keep some mystery alive and to leave us guessing on a few aspects. What it does the best, however, is show us that all it takes to be admitted into a highschool is to wear glasses and pretend you are really nerdy. Good going ACCA school districts, you let a 25 year old pretend to be 14!
Princess Schnee is revealed to be a spirited girl who wants to see all of the districts and learn more about the world. The Kings advisor recommends immediately that she be disbarred from the community for the sake of the kingdom. Yes, she is free spirited so the King’s highest advisor recommends that she not be allowed to stay in the line of succession anymore. Everyone decides this is a great idea and she fakes her death. I mean, look. Schnee agreeing to it in order to go out and experience the world? Maybe that isn’t such a crazy idea. She’s a wistful young princess who wants to see the world. But. . .is the community really going to be that pissed a beautiful princess is touring the kingdoms? It doesn’t make much sense to me.
The identity of Abend seems ambiguous to me. He could be Grossular, or he could just be a secret 
figure that is really hiding away from everyone. Maybe he will be the big important Deus Ex Character who will save Jean from whatever coup nonsence he will be involved in, or maybe he is Grossular. At first I was ready to scream ‘it’s Grossular and he is not evil!!!’ but now I’m not sure. If what we are seeing in the anime is true then the anime and manga are on such different paths that I have no idea what is going on! (I still would have no idea what is going on.)
What we do know however is very sweet. Abend loves Schnee and is willing to do whatever he needs to do to make her happy, even helping the poor man she fell in love with get a job. As it turns out Abend has a servant indebted in his name who he is recruiting alongside him to a life of serving the King and taking pictures of the royal family. He has a son, who begs to come along with them. Abend agrees in order to line up a replacement servant, and thus he became ‘Nino’. What we see following is actually incredibly heartwarming – Schnee falling in love, Nino being with his father, and Jean and his sister growing up with relatively easy lives.
Of course then it turns out the same train crash that killed Jean’s parents also killed Nino’s father. 
Seeing it I can finally understand why Nino would do all he does even if he is discovered and exactly why it was he has been following Jean as long as he has. On top of it I am concerned for whoever Abend might be. Even if Jean shouldn’t technically be able to inherit the throne he is still from the bloodline of the royals and so a Coup would be easy enough to organize in his ‘name’.
Even more now it feels as if Jean is stuck in the center of things and unable to fight. I doubt he will go down swinging and now we know for sure that despite his strange tendencies Nino would step up to protect Jean and Lotta. Lotta doesn’t seem to be in danger but I worry about what people like Schwan will try to pull. . . then again, he is incompetent so who knows?!
With so many questions answered at once all I can start to do is ask: What will Jean be up against next, now that he knows the truth?
Oki