I have to say, it is nice to have a heroine who is committed to using all the knowledge and skills she gained in her past lives, towards improving not just own, but the lives around her. Rishe wants to live a long and healthy life, but while preventing the war could save her, it will always means having many more who had been among the causalities. As such, it is one of the reasons why her partnership with Aria Trading Company comes with the condition of hiring those from the slums to manufacture her nail polish products. By doing she not only helps them be lifted them out of poverty (thanks to Arnold’s policy for minimam wage), but she also intends to target her inexpensive product to the masses rather than the wealthy. And by doing so, she will create a new customer base.
Kaine however wanted to make the most profit by selling Rishe’s product to the wealthy. So Rishe resorted to bringing up his sickly sister (Aria, which the company is named after), to drive the point home that he isn’t the only one with family who is suffering and making sacrifices. He thought she was going to hold the cure to his sister’s illness hostage, but Rishe is not a cruel “villainess” like the title would otherwise suggest her to be. She was going to give him the recipe for the medicine anyways, because she knows how much he and his sister suffered in her first life she had spent with him without finding the cure.
So thanks to being given some perspective, Kaine changed his mindset and agreed to the conditions Rishe has proposed to him. And thus the partnership with Aria Trading Company has been formed.
With that out the way, Rishe now has another situation on her hands with none other than Theodore.
Good grief, he sure made himself a creepy gremlin this episode. In fact I have to hand it to the animators for making his expressions legitimately terrifying to look at. His freaking eyes when he told Rishe how Arnold killed his own mother, like SHEESH. Well it certainly did match the gravity of the reveal. And while we’re on the subject of that, yikes… This now leads me to wonder if it was actually Arnold’s mother that left that awful wound on his neck, and killing her was out of self-defence. Either way, whether or not she was the one who stabbed him, that doesn’t make the experience any less harrowing for a young Arnold to have to go through. If it wasn’t apparent already, Arnold has certainly gone through a lot of trauma, both from childhood and on the battlefield.
But Rishe outwitted Theodore by sending Arnold a reply to the “letter he sent” that she was going to meet in the chapel, Arnold was able to show up and shoo his brother away. We still don’t know the specifics as to why Arnold wants to keep Rishe away from Theodore, but the kid sure isn’t being subtle about trying to stir up trouble, or get under his brother’s skin.
And sure enough, Theodore was not done with his mischief, because as it turns out: Elsie and Kamil are actually his people. I don’t think any of us saw that coming with either one of them, especially with how much they, or at least Elsie seems to care for Rishe. It appears they capitalized on the fact Rishe had finally reached her limited after working day and night and finally collapsed. Well, provided she wakes up (which I’m sure she will) and despite being sick, it’s probably safe to say Rishe find a way to bust herself out like she did when she picked the lock to the carriage haha. Theodore had no idea who he is messing with!
As for Arnold: Thanks to Theodore’s invitation and departure, they were able to have some alone time to talk in the chapel. Rishe wanted to know why people say he’s a cruel person, but Arnold believes that to be the truth. However Rishe strongly believes in his actions and the way he has treated her that he is a kind, and considerate person. And from what we, the audience have seen so far, she’s not wrong. Arnold tends to say one thing, but does another, and his eyes can be cold to his enemies, but they are very warm to her and those he trusts. Heck, after she told him she is resolved to be his wife, he freaking kissed her and then softly tells her she doesn’t need to have any resolve for that. Goodness! The way he looks at her when he says that— those are the eyes of someone who sincerely cares about her well being. And don’t even get me started on how much freedom he has given to do do as she wishes!
What I didn’t expect to see from him today was actually him sharing one of his biggest fears with Rishe, and that’s having to kill those who has the convictions in their eyes to survive no matter what. But by sharing that with her, contrary to what he says about himself– it just goes further to prove her point that he isn’t so cold-blooded to ignore what he’s is taking away from them and their families. That’s also undoubtedly one of the main reasons he seems to hate himself. Despite his actions, such as creating policies to help his people, he does not consider himself to be a kind person by any degree.
And perhaps that might also be one of the reasons why Arnold had fallen for Rishe in the first place– well if he did that is… his kiss seems to suggest as much. He’s absolutely right when he described Rishe has the look in her eyes of someone who has stood on the battlefield– because ironically she has. And this is also the main reason why she is so mature and level headed in these situations. She does not cower in fear, because she has to resolve to live a long life till the end. As such, perhaps it would be fitting to say Rishe is exactly the kind of person Arnold needs in his life right now. Someone who can actually see and tell him the good sides about himself that he can’t seem to bring himself to accept.
With that said: I have to say I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy this series as much I do right now, so I’m really looking forward to the rest! 😀 I wonder how far many volumes this will adapt.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I fully expect Arnold to kill Elsie and Kamil next episode, especially Kamil since Arnold will likely take it personally that one of his retainers that he personally selected betrayed him. I could see him killing Theodore too if it comes to it should he find out that Theodore was behind the kidnapping. I expect things to really go south next episode.
The look in Elsie and Kamil’s eyes is not one of arrogant, satisfied victory. Theodore has that look down pat, but the two of them looked more resigned, defeated, and downtrodden than anything else. My guess is that either Theodore has threatened their loved ones, which would be the usual cliche, or maybe… hmm, maybe Theodore has them convinced that this is actually for Rishe’s sake. I mean, first he told Rishe he wanted to save her, then he told her Arnold killed his mother, so perhaps, on some level in his warped little brain, he really is trying to protect her. Not that I entirely buy that, but if Elsie and Kamil could be convinced of it, that Rishe needs to be removed from Arnold’s proximity for her own safety, then I can see them betraying Rishe out of that very same love and loyalty which she naturally cultivates with them.