Okay now I’m feeling VERY conflicted over Lili being given a special exception. Kit submitted her sketchbook the day after the deadline for the Critique, and then she gets first place for it? Like… am I the only one who feels like all of this is just too convenient and super unfair regardless of the reasons? To be quite frank, I feel like it absolutely spoils what makes Lili’s piece of work so amazing (and it is breathtaking). It’s actually crazy that she managed to draw such detailed animation of Kit rolling around in bed in just half a day’s time. I understand why she got first place for it, I just hate the circumstances and “excuses” for why they are making the exception of her late and second-hand submission. It just felt more like a lazy way to resolve this mess of missing the deadline, and give her a reason to stick around till graduation.
So now that she has successfully obtained first place,she now needs to prepare a piece to be submitted to the Royal Collection. Professor Brant had decides Lili and Kit will bet he ones to be doing that, giving her the referral to the prestigious Royal Academy of Arts. Her paintings will preparation represent their academy, and she’ll need to prepare for the competition as well. So apparently there’s no time for her to return home now, so I guess there’s that.
With all that said, regardless of my gripes about how they went about this, it was a nice change of pace to see a bit more focus on the other characters like Dorothy for an exchange. She had invited Lili to her hometown and there they had a lot of heart to hear talk about their futures and romances. Dorothy is already engaged, so she’ll be getting married after graduation and begin raising a family where she grew up. So it didn’t matter that she did develop feelings for Joffery, because even though she did, she has no interest in the live of an Irish Noble, and knew he would never be happy settling down in a small village like hers. It also didn’t matter much to her that she isn’t able to pursue a professional career in the arts, because she already knew that she lacked the talent to do so, but still cherished the time she spent there, and will continue to paint as a hobby.
What did conversation did show was the complications of romance, the class divide. Although Lili has accepted she has feelings for Kit, she’s not particularly interested in the noble life, and she also feels like she noticed too late. This conversation however took place before Lili won first place in the Critique competition, but now that she did, it certainly changes things. She can now continue painting and she can continue to be by Kit’s side.
Except while she’s springing her her steps to find him to tell him the news, Kit’s already on the train. With an envelope in hand, it doesn’t bode as a good news considering the only reason Kit would be on board is if he’s returning home. And considering how sickly his father has been as of the late, and it hasn’t even been that long since they have returned to London… I can’t imagine this bodes well.
But before I wrap it up, I do want to take a moment to appreciate Kit going the lengths to at least try submitting Lili’s work for the critique. He knew how amazing her work was, which is why he made it his mission to persuade Professor Brant to accept it. While I disagreed with her being given the special exception and winning (despite Kit vouching that though she didn’t submit it, she did in-fact meet the deadline), it really showed just how much Kit loves her and her art. Not to mention, we had also seen him watching her closely when they were leaving the pub, showing that he was very conscious of her emotions right now.
