LogFAQs > #950856699

So Mell and Nellie have a little spat where he's backing out of some concert that he promised he would attend with her, and she's throwing a fit because it's lame that he doesn't want to go. She doesn't want to go without him, and she doesn't understand why he has to be so difficult all the time. I never had siblings, I assume it's more conflict than what's being shown here... This seems a little precocious. But that being said, the painful coming-of-age feelings the game evokes of growing up and being 'too old' for certain things or outgrowing what was once a close relationship... all of those are right on target.

Mell...heads down a path. He gets the Maid to send White-Haired Girl [WHG] on a fake 'errand', and meets up with her while she's out. This is all a thin excuse to go on a walk with the girl he has a crush on, but WHG is employed by your family, dude. I love this trope and it's still making me nervous. Then Mell really hecks it up by trying to give her an item made by the same craftsman that made Nellie's birthday present. You know, the craftsman who makes pieces for the royal family?? "Don't worry about how much I spent on it". Dude. Nooo. She feels super uncomfortable about this.

The priest encounters Mell after WHG has taken off running from the unfortunate exchange. Mell is crying, which is very sweet and vulnerable. The priest makes a spooky observation about how a girl who looked just like WHG and a man who we can only assume was her father came in to the church one night, totally emaciated like they hadn't eaten in a long time. But he cannot confirm that it was the same girl, despite Mell's protests that she looks very unique [and she sure does]. The priest urges Mell to figure out where she came from, her family line, her origins. Mell knows he will still feel attached but he reluctantly agrees to seek out this info.

In the meantime, Father has returned and put the kibosh on any marital delays for Nellie. She's distraught because she doesn't want to get married [and her rather youthful appearance/attitude/interests makes it kinda heartbreaking].

I have to admit, I keep feeling suspicious about 1] Mell and 2] the priest. Mell, because he seems a little too set on WHG and he might make some more dumb decisions. The priest, Idk, he's a little too easygoing for my taste. Maybe this whole game is 'wait for the other shoe to drop: the game'. We shall see!

Comical that I type that right before WHG comes in his room in the middle of the night and tries to choke Mell to death. All righty. Mell points out that she doesn't seem convinced by what she's doing, and sure enough, she gives up. Someone else is pulling the strings - but who? Mell inquires as to her background and swears himself to secrecy. WHG calls him on sounding like a 'man of means', and he sure does. She'll agree to tell her story if he agrees to punish her.

Apparently WHG's father was an itinerant portrait painter, which, along with WHG's unsettling appearance, led them to travel from town to town. Whenever business would wane, or people were too disturbed by her white hair and ruby eyes, they would leave and go somewhere else. Apparently, her father came to Rose Manor and painted something the Rhodes family didn't like. They threw him out and having the reputation of disappointing the Rhodes family, no one would use his portrait services. So WHG settled on taking revenge on this cold Rhodes family who had ruined her father's life.

But when it turned out that each member of the family was so kind, when Mell kept making overtures and talking to her and wanting to see her laugh and smile...She faltered. She wanted to kill Father, but he is so rarely at the Manor. The next best target was the son and heir, Mell. But she couldn't do it.

Mell says something really codependent-sounding like "a smile on your face is a smile on mine". Oh no. He invites her to their private box in the theatre, then works together with the Maid to make sure WHG is able to dress the part.

A Slow-Killing Poison is next. See y'all on Monday!

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Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself...: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize?
-Marcus Aurelius