Cid may have rushed to the Oriana capital to stop Rose’s ill-advised plan to marry Perv Asshat, but Shadow Garden actually beats him to the palace. As Lambda, Omega, and Chi discuss how 666’s judgment is in the hands of Lord Shadow, Epsilon just happens to appear just as Cid wishes to enter the palace. He now has a legitimate cover: as the famous pianist Lady Shiron’s secret apprentice, [Name Redacted].
This is how Cid, impressed by the lengths and breadths Epsilon will go to enhance her bosom (99% slime) meets Perv Asshat face-to-face, and he’s gotta respect the man’s dedication to the cookie-cutter villain role. He also notes that while the commonfolk have become downtrodden and cynical, these rich assholes are livin’ their best lives.
While Cid lacks a proper palace pass per the new security regs, Asshat allows him to stay, if he plays a song, confirming that he is indeed Shiron’s student. He whips out another lovely rendition of Moonlight Sonata (which may well be the only piece he knows).
A young maid is among those captivated by the Cid’s playing, while the rich folk are so engrossed in the music, they don’t realize Cid has sent out several slime tendrils to steal their jewelry, including a ring inside Perv’s pocket that we last saw Queen Reina retrieving from the ruins.
Cid is soon snatched away from Epsilon by the maid, who introduces herself as Margaret (voiced with her usual silkiness by Ueda Reina), who has no concept of personal space. That said, Cid learns that her bust is zero percent slime, but grows weary of her trying to “convert him to her religion”. Margaret happens to be Rose’s longtime maid, who now detests Rose after she assassinated the king.
While I initially thought Perv might have planted Margaret as a honey trap for Cid, she seems to be genuinely infatuated with him after hearing his piano. So much so that she tells him exactly where in the palace Rose is being held. Cid then comes afoul of a palace guard who has delusions of an unspoken romance with Margaret, when in reality she recoils and runs from his leering. In his exchange with this guard, Cid only says Sumimasen? over and over.
When Cid climbs up to the tower where Princess Rose is essentially being held prisoner, Rose is so goddamn happy to see him she runs into his arms. It’s a genuinely heartwarming reunion. Cid plays her concerned dear friend to the T, asking her what she means to accomplish by marrying Asshat.
Cid dramatically explains to her (all the while munching on cookies) how the two of them are the same: rejected by their peers, misunderstood, but always staying true to their chosen way of life (in her case, a fencer). But by pursuing this marriage, she’s “perverting” that way of life.
Cid isn’t putting on an act here, either: he truly believes everything Rose has done was building up to her becoming the Tyrant Queen, while Rose thinks he’s here to confess his love for her and dissuade her from going forward with her marriage to Asshat.
Cid makes clear he doesn’t judge her for stabbing her fiancé and killing her father, as he’s certain she had a very good reason for those things, but doesn’t understand why she’d undermine those actions by suddenly getting re-engaged to the fiancé she stabbed. Rose won’t, and likely can’t tell him the true reason, and instead draws away and begs him to forget about her.
Later, when the setting sun turns the sky blood red, we learn why she’s doing this, as Cid stuck around outside the window: Perv Asshat is holding her mother Queen Reina hostage, and not only is marrying him a condition of keeping Reina alive, but also being sufficiently “agreeable.” Ick.
Perv really buries himself in the despicable villain role here, choking Rose out before telling her to come with him so they can plan their wedding. Having absconded with her biscuits, Cid overhears this whole exchange. Now he knows the score, and he has a Plan B in mind.
That plan begins with him remaining undercover as Epsilon’s student. He stays at a spa hotel where Epsilon gives him a shoulder massage and an extremely eager 559 serves him fruit. Before he entered, 559 gives Epsilon her report on her failed mission to the ruins.
Epsilon says what happened was unfortunate but not 559’s fault; they should have taken greater care to ensure Rose and her mother didn’t come into contact at the ruins. We also learn that the ring Cid stole is called the Black Rose, and is essentially a last-resort WMD once used by Oriana to defeat its invaders.
That Lord Shadow met with 666 and didn’t punish her, and whatever he has planned is beyond their understanding. All they can do for now is support their Lord. Speaking of lords, Asshat has a video call with his ostensible boss Lord Mordred, assuring him he has the “Black Rose” (apparently unaware it’s not in the box).
But in truth, Perv intends to use the Black Rose to seize power for himself. We also learn that in addition to being engaged to Rose, he may have brainwashed Queen Reina to be, shall we say, more “pliable,” which, again, is pretty par for the course for a guy named Perv Asshat.
This was mainly setup, but filled with lots of great dramatic and comedic moments, often occurring at the exact same time. I was deeply invested in Cid and Rose’s talk even as I laughed at him scarfing down those cookies. Margaret made for a fun guest star, and most importantly Cid is no longer in the dark about why Rose got engaged. I’m looking forward to seeing how his Plan B unfolds.
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