I love Guy's POV so much! The whole comedy in the novel rests only on him. I want to read how Rast's younger brother will portray Octavia! And it would be desirable to see Rust's reaction to this. I'm really looking forward to the interaction between Octavia and Clifford. According to the novel, about 6 days have passed since the creation of the "master-servant" connection, so the relationship between them is developing very quickly. But 6 years have passed for us (about the same time a novel is being released in Japanese)
I want more interactions with Guy and Clifford. I know he's scared of him, but that's the funny part . At this point, I'm just bullying the poor guy. I didn't count the days, but wow 6 days ? And 6 days spanned into 5 novels? Wow. That's... that's something... Well, you have to also take into account that they have been together for 3 months prior to the two forming a "master-servant" bond. While Octavia basically didn't bother to even learn about Clifford because she thought he'd leave one day, it's my theory that Clifford, since he was the one who initiated the bond, would know a bit more about her since he's a very observant guy. And Octavia's "I trust you" was the icing on top that sealed their connection, even if Clifford himself was confused by why he did that (but he isn't regretful ). The six days would seem like Octavia finally notices him and they actually date converse with one another but someone or something always interrupts them .....hence the five novels.....I swear, there's some kind of a conspiracy against Clifford......
IT'S HEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! CLIFFORD AND OCTAVIA MOMENTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (For me) I must say, chapter after chapter of the lack of Clifford, this specific chapter is giving me so much of Clifford~~~~~~~~~ (For me) Perhaps that was the intention. First, the author denies me some Clifford scenes, and after much agony and the Vitamin C deficiency, BAM! Here's Clifford! And it's so beautiful . I was squealing as I read through the chapter while spinning in my chair, until I remain people might be disturbed at my place. Also, plz forgive my excess emojis... (plz, I've been Clifford-deprived for so long ) Spoiler: Chapter 93 Leaving off from when Octavia dove straight into Clifford ( ) he caught her (Guess you could say she took a leap of faith in Clifford, eh? ). Clifford was considerably shocked at her jumping, but this time she didn't even flinch (because she flinched about twice when he kinda got mad/upset (I mean, no one really likes making people angry, imo). First was quick when Octavia lied that she chose him because the sky god said so, and the second was when she deliberately hurt herself, and he audibly said he was angry. The fact that she wasn't scared of him shows improvement in their relationship ). Clifford actually states that it was "reckless" (why do I love that he said that? I need help). She replies that it's because Clifford wouldn't have let her drop right and he says "... Yes" (lol, why do i feel like the scene is akin to Clifford being in scolding mode but Octavia used cute mode and Clifford gave up like "dammit, she's adorable" ). But his dark blue eyes that were close to her were still unsatisfied (#marriagecouple #marriagegoals). She was aware and that he was hugging/holding her from the front. She said that it was her fault that pushed through with an order and then cited the horses. but before she could finish, Clifford immediately said that he "Understood" and, still holding her ( ) . He carried her to the horse and put her on it . The horse lacked stirrups, but Clifford easily got on it (well, it's Clifford) and Octavia, as usual, was impressed (aren't we all? ). So the position is the Octavia is sitting behind Clifford. I kinda wanted her to sit in front of them, but it wouldn't make sense since her visage and long hair might get in his vision and they had to hurry up. Not to mention, sitting at the back has its own perks,... if you get what I mean huhu Before they departed, Octavia had a bit of problem. She didn't know what to hold on, and nearly fell (I know that feeling. Once rode a camel. It was scary af and I was holding onto my cousin despite the saddle while screaming. Viva la modern vehicles). She was saved when she grabbed onto Clifford's stomach. She thought about grabbing the horse's mane, but knew that be animal abuse, so she asked Clifford if she could "desperately" cling to his stomach? And I have to add, I love how Octavia tends to ask Clifford for permission before she does anything regarding him. Clifford says it's not a problem (THIS! THIS definitely needs to be in his POV! I demand two povs in this volume! ) Clifford then asks if her left hand still hasn't healed. (The man! . He's been worried about her hand since volume 3 and we're in volume 5 How sweet ). She moves it a bit, and I think that there was some slight pain maybe idk but she says she's fine. Clifford looks like he wants to say something but she tried to show him that she's fine by wrapping her arms around Clifford's stomach, basically that she can hold on to him (YES! BACK HUG! ). AND THENNN their bodies were tightly attached to each other and she could directly feel his body temperature and basically his abs (see? the perks of sitting at the back! or rather, the pecs~~ ) and her heart skipped a beat (mine too~~~~ I need more fanservice! I just had one so far! ) Octavia stops herself that now’s not the time to have wicked thoughts (what're you talking about!? NOw's the perfect time to have wicked thoughts! Do you have any idea how many chapter it took for him and you to finally share a scene in this volume!!!) To her, holding Clifford was her lifeline (yes, horny lifeline ....and from falling of the horse since she's never rode on one before). (Also, I wonder if this will be in Cliffy's POV and if he ever thinks "Is she feeling me up?" ) She then commands him to take her to the royal castle, and he kicks the horse (to giddyup, there's no horse abuse). And they were riding pretty fast that it had to take time for her to adjust her eyes. They arrived at a gate and she hoped they'd let them pass because Clifford was in his knight uniform but she had a hood on. They gate guards yelled at them to stop, but Clifford didn't slow down ( ) and Octavia worried that was he gonna cut through. So she tugged on his uniform (awww ...why am I romanticizing every scene as if they're on a date!?) Clifford looks at her as if asking "what is it?" She tells him that it'll be bad if they make noise so they should settle it down peacefully. Then the horse stopped (He listens to waifu well ). A gate guard came to them and said the royal family was on an inspection and they were investigating and ask Clifford, who was in his knight uniform, to cooperate with them and then point out to the passenger, aka Octavia. But before he could finish, she slightly lifted her hood up and the guard recognized her. She told him it's urgent and if it was good to pass now. Ig after confirming it with Clifford, he lets them pass. The horse ran again. And Clifford's hand was on her head and repositioned the hood. Taking an initiative I see? They see the Esfia bridge which was far but in sight and they had to cross that to get to the castle. Octavia was happy, and then and then and then She heard Clifford click his tongue (I was like ohhhhhhhhhhhh Clifford showing his unknightly sideeee and I'm lovin itttttt because he's getting more comfortable around her. Part of me wonders if the lack of Octavia for Clifford and the jealousy he had (I'm calling it as jealousy) kinda frustrated him and his guard is bit down since he's kinda relieved to be by her side again? Just a food for thought ). He then apologizes and she wonders for what? For clicking his tongue? (Even Octavia is as surprised as me! ) He further comments that he "should’ve disposed of it in the morning" and his eyes were full of, what I could only translate as, remorse. So this relates to Guy's POV when he noticed that Clifford was looking at a certain direction, suggesting there's something sus. And it was. Let me say this again, Clifford was right! Octavia was like "Disposal is dangerous though!" and wondered what the hell he meant... until an arrow flew at her. But Clifford blocked it with his sword. She saw by the bridge were Esfian soldiers and knights, standing to block the traffic (aka them) and five horsemen rode over to them. Octavia took off her hood and revealed her identity as the princess in order to make them make a path, but it had the opposite effect and tried to attack her. The horsemen tried to swing their swords and the arrow kept flying. But, of course, Clifford blocked all of it and managed to make the horsemen fall off their horses . And one of the horses just ran away somewhere lol ( like "I'm freeee! See ya bitches!". Lowkey reminds me of the black beauty story). Clifford acted like a barrier and Octavia felt like those main characters in those commonly depicted battle scenes where there’s a barrage of guns being fired but it doesn't even hit the main character (gurl, you are the main character). The arrows stopped and were about to cross the bridge, but because the bridge was moveable, they raised it into two splits. And it was pretty high-tech that it was raised in a few seconds, and Octavia wanted to yell that that uselessly high-tech in this era setting is wrong lol She called Clifford's name and Clifford told her to please hold on tight Clifford fixed her holding him. I forgot to add, but during the fight, while Clifford was fighting with his sword, he only uses one hand, as if the sword itself was a living being (I wonder if there's a history behind his sword because it's very decorative with a horn-like handle ) and his other hand was holding on to her hands which were holding his stomach . So she pressed my head against Clifford and clung tightly, while the horse rushed to the rising bridge (I wonder if horses, in situations like these ever think "Hey, you crazy bitch! You think I can make that!? Am I pegasus to you!?" ). The enemies, part of the crooks, called out to hurriedly raise the bridge. Clifford controlled the horse to make a leap and there was a "feeling of floating". They successfully crossed. But there were more knights and soldiers, and Octavia told Clifford ig to just ignore them and he doesn't need to deal with them. Likely to avoid Clifford's exhaustion i think. They finally reached the castle, and Octavia made sure to show her face to the guards, while Clifford supported her body ( ). And Octavia orders them loudly to open the gate. That was quite a roller coaster for a first date jk.
Aloha, everyone. So, apparently the next chapter is Hugh-pain-in-the-ass' POv. I hated that fact, but as I read.... yeah, Hugh-pain-in-the-ass is gonna be redeemable.... it's questionable... but redeemable. I looked at the chapter closely for any tea... and yeah it had tea. Huh. His POV is more useful Generic Derek's POV. Hah! His POV is called Hugh Roberts' choice without regrets because he doesn't regret the choice he made. He's smart enough to be the mastermind (and I called it! Hah!) But his choice is.... stupid... even if he means well. Spoiler: Chapter 94 So it starts off with him reaching the Esfia Bridge before anyone realized he's actually the one who's sus. A guard knows him because he's popular as Douche's guy, but the guard still wants to check the license. When the guard is busy checking the license, Hugh-pain-the-ass basically punched him unconscious, by hitting him in the chest (I actually felt bad for the guard, ngl). Then he called out his "comrades", and the quotation marks are actually his quotation marks because he doesn't genuinely see them as his comrades. He orders them to move and hide the regular soldiers (ig those who aren't with them) and not to kill them, and to not let anyone cross the bridge. If someone did try to and they failed to prevent that, raise the bridge (jokes on you, Clifford reigns supremacy ). He didn't have it be raised up alreay because apparently whenever it's raised up, the castle immediately knows and he doesn't want to alarm them (again, very high-tech for people who don't have memo pads lol ). He knew that someone might come after him so he gave precautionary instructions to them. So about the "comrades" they were both working for the castle and were also anti-royalists. Because Hugh was a man of high status and was Douche's right-hand man, they were easily convinced. But he himself didn't believe in anything he said and thinks that because he didn't say anything he was able to talk more than he could to get them on his side. But he did wonder why they betrayed Celius. So he's going to the castle to get of Window Sill. And he's doing that to obey the orders of his "former master". Before you think, is a jyuu, like I did, no, he's not. His former master is Celius before his brainwashing/hypnosis. He has a flashback to an old but vivid memory that he buried inside his memory. I'll refer to him as Celius, or former Celius, here because he wasn't spouting bullshit like he is now . Sigh. I know I've said it before, but I hate that he's also redeemable . Anyways, the memory became important because Celius fell in love with Sill and the former Celius' fears came true . So I'm not sure when this memory occurred in terms of age if they were young, but it certainly took place before he met with Sill. So former Celius is worried about what Enoch, his dad, said, and trails of his Enoch between when he was the crown prince and now when he’s the king, likely to when Enoch was also supposedly rebellious to Esfia (I've said it before in Post #162 about theorizing that Enoch actually hates Esfia but also has somewhat internalized the norms). He then wonders what's hiding in Esfia (so Ig Enoch also had the talk with former Celius like he had with Octavia regarding the former queens). He then gives Hugh, who was the only one there, that if he ever changed, Hugh make sure to put him on the correct path. Hugh, of course, didn't understand what he meant, and tries to say something but former Celius cuts him off that he also wants to believe in his future self but he asks Hugh if he can be sure that he won't be like his father. First, former Celius is smart, current Celius can piss off. And two, does this imply that maybe Enoch was also brainwashed?? Was it a temporary this, or are there any side effects left because he does show signs of hating Esfia in subtle ways. Hugh says nothing, and former Celius goes on that he "wants to destroy this system of Esfia. It's fine to be married with same sex. However, if [one has] rights, [one] should also have responsibilities to fulfill. It’s unacceptable to enjoy rights alone while abandoning responsibility. All the more so if it’s a king. If the king, who should be an example, is wrong, then it's no use.” It kinda clear from including the same sex that he means about the sisters giving birth, about twice and forced to hand over their kids if the king turns out gay and refuses to have a woman (or just change the system from monarchy to democracy and you can stop caring about classist "pure blood", but this is an isekai. Democracy doesn't exist in isekais . Plus, I'm only here for Clifford). Former Celius thinks that because the king doesn't change, the system doesn't change so he's gonna cut the trend off in his generation. Hugh thought of getting Derek, former Celius' bestie, but Hugh now realizes everything that former Celius meant. Derek is apparently "kind" (not as kind as my Clifford! ) and not as ruthless as Daddy Duke to get the job done. He also wanted to do this for Octavia's sake (why?). He had many chances to stop like the attack plan during the inspection, the unsuccessful attempt of sabotaging Sill's carriage (so it was him, mystery solved), and even before and in the middle of the inspection, and even now. So, he remembers a line that Octavia apparently once said that if it were her, she'd choose the order she wants to obey. I don't remember because I skimmed through the chapters with him and her because... you know.... no Clifford, no life. He agree with her words with all his heart and he also is choosing the one he wants to obey, which is Celius before he became a douchebag- I mean his brainwashing/hypnosis. And he had no regrets, hence the chapter title. But here's an interesting parton the very last line of this chapter "No matter if this plan itself succeeds or fails, his purpose will be achieved." The purpose is to get rid of Sill, so if Sill is still safe, hence the plan being a bust, what's the purpose that he achieved? Maybe to snap Celius out of it and remember his original goal and his love for his sister? Low key curious. Okay, high key curious. But, for a smart guy who's a mastermind behind this whole fiasco, he's stupid. Octavia has more brains than him. When Rust said that getting rid of Sill might help Octavia because she's in a bad position as the baby-making machine (with high surveillance around her might I add), she said that he doesn't want to get rid of him because there might be grudges. On one hand, yeah, Douchebag will be hella pissed, and, on the other hand, killing loverboy isn't kill gonna kill the system itself! You can always move one and find a new love, so then what would be the point of all this? Homonormativity is active in Esfia, and that's the issue. So you should be changing the internal aspects of Esfia, and I mean, the patriarchal aspects. Was he hoping to spark a social movement or something!? Also... why is he after Octavia then!?!??!! Like, yes, Sill was targeted, but Octavia was also targeted!!! Did he forget about attack by the Carlam trees!? Did he do that deliberately because he knew that she'd be safe, particularly because of Clifford? Like, how does that constitute as a part of his plan!? Overall, I am sad because no Clifford. So I leave some remanents of Clifford so that you remember who's the male lead (I-it's Clifford, just to clarify). I found this really cute chibi Clifford and chibi Octavia in their semi-ball outfits. It's so cute~ It's like those pop-up paper dolls. I'm gonna make one for Clifford because there's no official merch Spoiler: Chibis https://twitter.com/yonedakazusa/status/1499610832623513601 Spoiler: Quality fanart + useless rambling Also, if anyone is interested, there's a fan artist who made really amazing fanart for this series, and I mean quality. You can make-that-are-you-wallpaper quality. They're also probably the only one bold enough to actually have these two kiss~~!! Even though some of the fans (I can cite one fan lol) wants some "lewd" (their words not mine ) I've realized that the fan artists don't actually go bold with kissing (and I mean on the lips kissing, not Clifford kisses Octavia's hand kissing). That itself can be a blessing in disguise because you've seen fanart of other genres and media, like Genshin Impact, you know always gonna be someone who draws something and just... ruins it.... Kinda makes me happy, for that fact only, that this series is underrated (but I still want more people to read and love this). Luckily Clifford and Octavia's kiss is romantic (and maybe sensual, for me, ), and that's the highlight of these two. I did originally reference them, but they deleted their Twitter account, so out of respect I didn't share their art through imgur since I don't why they did that. But I found them on Pixiv, where other fan artists have also posted their art on the series (for some reason, another different fan artist deleted some of their work on PIxiv and I don't why). So I've decided to happily their link, for anyone who's going "Where's the romance!? Where's the kiss!? Where's the snusnu!? Where r da bebez!?" this should calm you hunger. The artist is known as キャハ……ッッッッ. You can find a list of their fanart on Pixiv here. Here's just one of them . Spoiler: The kiss~~~ I resized it so that it's easier to see. I assure you the original's quality is really good. The translation: Octavia (on the left): Clifford calms me down Clifford (on the right): Is kissing still embarrassing for her...
+++ Hugh really did a stupid thing. But this situation will shake the authority of Sirius and his self-esteem. He deserved it. Japanese fans think Hugh is going to die, but I don't think so. The worst thing is that he will be put in prison for a long time, at best, he will be pardoned. I have a two-fold attitude towards Sirius. The lack of memory doesn't justify his actions, but on the other hand, the former Sirius was a sensible person + took care of Octavia as a child (I really like the moment when she remembers her adaptation in the new world, Sirius helped her and paid attention! this is chapter 14) And it seems to me that the royal family is cursed by King Us . He hated the Esfia and wanted to destroy it. And this curse is doing a great job with it. I also think that Enoch's curse is related to Irene's death. Oh my goodness!!!! The art is so so beautiful! Sovokop thank you!! I'm looking forward to a chapter with Clifford and Octavia this week!
I understand what you mean by the situation shaking Sirius' authority and self-esteem, but part of me also thinks that the hypnotism on Sirius may override his realization that Hugh had to go this far. Like when Derek tried to tell him that he used to love his sister, but it was overridden. Of course, at the same time, in this volume, Sirius realizes that there might be an issue. I wonder if there'll actually be a change. And yeah, I also think Hugh is gonna be imprisoned or pardoned. I really doubt that they'll just kill him off. But who knows? Mamechoro, the author, has a lot of stories revolving around isekais with cruel depictions. Still don't think he's gonna die though. YES. THANK YOU ! I absolutely hate those stories which go like "Oh but he forgot", "Oh, but he was only like that in the first time line", "Oh it was just a misunderstanding", "Oh but he was cursed/brainwashed/bewitched/poisoned" blah blah blah. It's my motto now that even if the guy, whether he's ML or family, is trash because he's not himself, the FL's pain was not fake. And Octavia is so stressed because she has to sacrifice herself for his sake when he sacrifices nothing, and she knows that. She's not faking it! She'll fake a smile, but not her pain! It's like I'll Divorce My Tyrant Husband or My tyrant's husband somehow became cautious. I actually read them and I'm like why do people ship them again? Their words and behaviors were just disgusting in the earlier chapters and left a bad impression on me. And it turns out that there was a "misunderstanding". But the FLs in that story suffered HORRIBLY! Where's the misunderstanding in that!? No amount of excuses is going to make it okay for the pain an innocent person had to go through. That's an interesting theory of King Us cursing the family. But I also doubt it. I think it's the opposite where King Us was cursed, from killing his beloved sister and being unable to destroy Esfia. Same with Enoch I suppose. He hates Esfia, from the clues we get, but is unable to destroy anything to weaken the kingdom. To me, sky god is sus...but I think I'm gonna look into Enoch's dad later..... Yeah, it's pretty clear he had something to do with Irene's death. The question what's the exact relation because there's literally no information about her. This is just speculation.... but what if she's originally Enoch's lover? Octavia says that Edgar is Enoch's love, but I haven't seen any conversation between them to show their bond, like you can discern with Clifford and Octavia's, so I'm doubtful about their relationship. They aren't even shown as being affectionate in the background, which is weird , like how Octavia and Clifford are seen as being affectionate in the background in other characters' POV (i.e., Sill, Guy). Edgar's convo with Octavia may provide something (I just skimmed through because no Clifford, he was in prison )
Apologies for the delay. So many chapters have already been uploaded and I've been busy. Spoiler: Chapter 95 Back to Octavia (and Clifford, can't forget about my bby) who arrived at the castle and ordered the soldiers to find and capture Hugh while she (and Clifford, never forgot about my bby) headed to Douche's office because Sill might be there since only a limited number of people can visit, so makes sense for lover boy to be there. Since she's a princess, the best thing for her to do is too quietly wait for the report, but the castle was familiar territory to her and more importantly, she had Clifford (I wish I had a Clifford ) and since he and she are a 'Jyuu' and 'master', so Clifford's strength was my strength ( ). Of course, she wanted to resolve the issue in a peaceful way (but i want violence ). To get to Douche's office she remembered a shortcut. I've already translated it in the manga, but it's basically the secret passsageway where a young Octavia and a young Alexis found during their expedition. She took Clifford to a secret passageway and, before they could move ahead, Clifford asked if she could give him directions since he could sense someone ahead ( aw he's relying on her... okay I'm sorry too much.) So far she could only notice her and Clifford's footsteps but nodded to Clifford and said to let her know if he noticed anything. While she was giving directions, eventually Clifford showed hesitation. She asked about it and he rpelied that there seems to be a battle taking place on the left side, She tried to listen but I think she couldn't sense it but she beleives in it because Clifford sensed it (you see, kids, trust is a very important factor in any healthy relationship ). So she decides to change course, and eventually she heard a metallic sound (I'm assuming swords) and a running sound. Clifford drew his sword and came was........window Sill (now if only i had a window emoji....). He was out of breath with a sword in hand and there was someone behind him with a raised sword. Sill blocked it but then another enemy came. And then Clifford indifferently asked ".... Should I help him?" and Octavia said, "Of course!" And Clifford, like the top-tier Male Lead that he is, defeated both enemies in an instant, and even Window Sill was surprised. She also felt that Clifford's fighting style should have been more merciless, but now he's trying not to kill (Clifford is now on the Pacifist Route ). She then asks Clifford if there are any signs of other pursuers coming, and Clifford said there are signs but Sill must have defeated them (Just to add, Clifford refers to Sill as "Burkes-sama" or Lord Burkes, which is the first time I've heard him say that ). Sill was disheveled but unharmed. He tells Octavia that Nathan (who got nothing on Cliffy) is in trouble and confirms that he's in Douche's office. She finally asked if Hugh-pain-in-the-ass betrayed them, and he confirms it. So they all go through the passageway and despite the danger, she feels safe because Clifford is here ( ). She did ask Clifford to send Sill back while she waited in the hidden passage but Sill said that Octavia might get in danger (and just to add there's no Clifford would be fine with the order of leaving her alone ). Clifford is leading the way, and she and Sill are walking side by side. Octavia needed info, and Sill said that Hugh entered the office with the other escort knights and one of them had the knights who was in the dungeon, and Hugh said that it was dangerous here and that he would take Sill to a safe place, and at that moment Nathan told him to run away. Sill found Hugh strange so he believed Nathan and he saw Hugh draw his sword as soon as Sill tried to escape, but Sill didn't find any murderous intent from him. Anyways, Clifford called out Octavia while turning to her and pointing ahead. If they keep moving then theyll find the office. Clifford was looking for confirmation apparently to break in I guess? So she orders him to rescue Nathan and capture Hugh, and he accepts. After asking if Sill was okay with this, I think she tells Clifford not to forget that Hugh's aim is Sill and he just says "……yes". Spoiler: Chapter 96 They get to the office finally and Nathan and Hugh were there. Nathan was messed up since he could barely stand when Octavia and co burst into the office. Hugh was about to swing his sword at Nathan but could because Clifford threw his dagger at him (noice ). But Hugh doesn't pick up his sword again and says that when Octavia entered it meant he lost. Sill went to help Nathan and Octavia hesitantly asks if Hugh admits to it, and he does admit to tampering with Sill's carriage by giving others orders to do it. And then I dunno Nathan goes on a speech about how some ppl go on a thorny path or something. In the original novel, Nathan is the guy who breaks rules and Hugh gives good advice to Douchebag ( I dont care ). Hugh says that it's presumptuous for him to reprimand Celius, and Nathan yells out why he did this then (cuz he doesn't ship it lol ). Octavia I guess then probes again why he did it and he deflects by saying that he tried to kill sill, and there's nothing more important than that fact. Then Hugh throws something from his pocket (don't u be copying Clifford! Hidden dangers are his niche, okay? It's trademarked!) She assumes it's toward Sill since he's the main target, but Sill is looking after Nathan so she simply calls Clifford, and he....... blocked the weapon that was directed toward Octavia. Because Hugh did that, he is now marked by Clifford as an enemy. Meanwhile, Hugh just had a satisfied smile (screw u ). And it kinda clicked to her because she understood his intentions to target Octavia. And immediately homegirl tells Clifford to stop while she jumps on his back ( ). She held his arm that held a sword with both hands (cute~ despite the situation ). Clifford then changed his sword to ig his other hand and knocked Hugh's sword out in one sweep easily. Of course Clifford was mad . He tells her "Please stop doing dangerous things" (I repeat these two are married and you can't change my mind). He looks at her with angry and doubtful eyes (idk why doubtful but that's what it says). She tells him don't kill Hugh and Clifford just frowns lol. She thought he must have misunderstood her, because she didn't stop him because of philanthropy. Hugh, confused, comments that Octavia would respect the life of a sinner like him, and she denied that (noice). She orders Clifford that if Hugh continues to act suspiciously, he should stop him, but not kill him. She then let go of Clifford's arm and approached Hugh, until they were standing right in front of each other. And then the moment i have been waiting for She slaps him!!!!!!!! You deserve that you arm-grabbing, nay-saying, Douche-loving, pain-in-the-ass jerk. I hope that slap stings. Because then I can redeem u (about let's say... 35%) Octavia then says that Hugh wanted to die (by attacking Octavia, Clifford sees him as an enemy that must be eliminated like he tried to do to Sill when he attacked Octavia but Octavia dissuaded Clifford from hurting Sill... but it was a smart decision to stop him because when Sill tried to attack Octavia, Clifford was imprisoned. I can't have him go to prison again! And not because of you, Hugh-pain-in-the-ass! You get no redemption arc if he goes to prison again! ). She then asks if he thinks that everything will be solved if Hugh dies, and she won't let him die. Octavia was really angry and I think it's because she wanted to live (i.e., not be thrown into a political marriage and be used as a baby-making machine), so she hated that Hugh easily tried to give up his life in front of her (since she was fighting hard to live). And then the door opened. (Not a surprise, it's Douchebag). Spoiler: Chapter 97 So yeah Douche bag entered the room. Generic Derek was there too. Then Douchebag asks why Hugh did all this (you're too late to the party bro ). And Hugh basically says that not everyone blesses (ships) Douche and Sill and Hugh was one of them. Douche asks if he was dissatisfied with Sil, and Hugh replies that while those two love each other, as a person of Esfia, Hugh couldn't let go of the fact that the would-be king (he refers to Douche) only had a partner of the same sex, and he laughed mockingly (I hate to say this but..... noice). Douche then yelled why Hugh didn't tell him first (would u have listened? ) and his yell sounded like a weep (I think this is how Hugh accomplishes his goal even if his plan failed. By making Douche lose his closest friend.... damn). And i don't know there's some convo I didn't bother because I don't care much for their weeping bromance, but Hugh has no regrets and had no last words. Douche finally orders for Hugh's imprisonment in a slightly trembling voice. Spoiler: Chapter 98 And when the day is finally over, and Clifford is now officially back to Octavia's side. First, a round of applause but because there are no clapping emojis I'm going to gush . She was advised to take a break (by who!? Clifford!? Was it Clifford!?!?! I need to know!!!). Clifford sent her to her room and before she could enter, she was still uneasy and couldn't rest. She looked back and told Clifford that she was going to see Hugh and to please guide her to the dungeon. Clifford blinked (cute~~~). He looked like he wanted to say something, but he bowed his head and accepted it (reluctantly might I add, as I deciphered from Clifford's initial response of “…………” ). Sigh. And here I thought that they could finally have a conversation together alone. Oh well. And so they hurried to the dungeon and managed to get through the soldiers and knights thanks to Clifford's accurate guidance and Octavia's imperial authority as the princess (is this the second date? ). In the dungeon, she asks the guards where Hugh is, and he's in the deepest part of the dungeon (for the degree of suspicion, so Clifford and the others knights were in better cells). She then orders them not to let anyone follow them. She continues to walk on with Clifford in front of her with a torch in his hand. While the aisles were clean, but the cells inside were poor. Clifford then stopped. There were in front of Hugh's cell. The guy was covered in blood and some kind of stain and his wrists and ankles were shackled. I know I hate the guy.... but....and I mean lowkey.... I feel kinda bad.... His 10-year redemption arc starts now. Hugh bowed to Octavia. She asks him why he cut the gold thread tassel on his sword which shows that he's one of Douche's guys. Hugh was surprised and if she came all this way just to ask a trifle question. She thinks it's important and asks if he cut it himself (tbh, is this important? But I trust Octavia). She goes on that it's just her and Clifford here so he doesn't need to lie. He asks her what is he lying about, and she replies the motive. While she doesn't agree with Hugh's means, she does agree with him that the Esfian king, who must leave behind an heir, only accepts spouses of the same sex is something she essentially finds fucked up. She asks Hugh if this was all his idea, and thinks that instead he was ordered by someone (does the former Celius count?), and Hugh was silent. She then tells him that he hasn't yet been dismissed from his role as Octavia's knight by Douche (who put him there in the first place) and that he still has to listen to her orders. She says this because she wonders if Hugh stull has the consciousness of being an "escort knight'' (Oh lawd I can only imagine Clifford's jealousy over another man being her escort knight ). So she repeats why he cut the gold thread tassel, and he said he cut it exactly half because he thought it was suitable for him (ah, because the brainwashed Sirius and the former Sirius are the same but brainwashed Sirius is different from the former Sirius. At least that's what I think). He then starts to talk about the order he wanted to follow, and she understands that he had two conflicting orders, but she thinks that one of the conflicting orders might have come from the royal family since they have an equal to high status as Douche. The torchlight, that was in Clifford's hand, then flickered a little and she looked at Clifford. She felt like Clifford told her something... and I think he told her to only move her line of sight to where the light moves. There was a vague figure in the distance. All she thought was ...He's here, but the figure didn't approach them. Who was it? Douchebag? Hugh goes that he chose the one he wanted to obey. And if he obeyed only one of the two orders then he's not qualified to attach the ornamental tassel given to him by Douchebag in its original form. Because Hugh cut the tassel in half, she basically understood that the other conflicting order was from Douchebag himself (in other words, former Celius, but Octavia has yet to know that. Maybe in the next chapter it will be revealed).
So this is pretty short (like actually short). Spoiler: Chapter 99 Leaving off from when Octavia deduces that the conflicting order for Hugh was from former Celius before he became a douche- I mean, before he was hypnotized, Hugh pretty much acknowledges it. So he built a wall between him and Sill, because in the original novel he liked Sill in a romantic sense. Nothing new in this chapter. Hugh isn't repentant and will accept whatever punishment because he followed former Celius' to stop him from going down the wrong path. He was actually going to die whether the plan succeeded or not, by having Clifford kill him, and it's okay for him cuz Douchebag has Nathan and Derek. Also the figure in Chapter 98 was Douchebag. He was listening to Octavia and Hugh's convo. He finally stepped in and asked Hugh if there was there anything he wanted to say. Hugh replies that while he has unchanging loyalty to Douchebag, he, as a traitor, wants to be given a fair punishment. Warning. The next two chapters mark the end of vol 5 of the LN and are dripping with sweetness.
AND NOW THE MOMENT WE (I mostly) HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!!!! Two whole chapters of Clifford x Octavia moments ~~~~~ Vol 5 of the LN is officially published~~~ As happy as I am, I still hate this volume, excluding the last two chapters, Guy's POV and that scene where Clifford and Octavia ride a horse together~~ . Apart from that, too much Douchebag and Hugh-pain-in-the-ass (tbh, that scene about Douchebag's "fashion show" is still giving me second-hand embarrassment... ). Also, a little warning ... since it's been a while since I properly read a Clifford x Octavia moment in vol 5 of the LN... IMMA FANGIRL AND THIRSTTT!!! LET ME HAVE THIS!! (But hey, you're getting free spoilers. Just like how you gotta endure ads on free manga sites. ) Spoiler: Chapters 100-101 So by the time, Octavia returned to her room again, it was already nighttime. I think Douchebag stayed behind in the dungeon to talk to Hugh. And Octavia felt that her room was cold (with everything that just happened). She didn't really feel like going back to her room, so she tried to do "some trivial chores", which apparently included meeting Eleil and Guy, who played the role as Octavia's doubles, changing from Irene's clothes to her everyday dresses, and Clifford (?). She also rebandaged her injured hand because it bleeding again. One of her closest maids, Sasha was busy so Octavia couldn't call her... because Sasha screamed when she saw Eleil back in the castle with Guy... and I think he was still in the dress Octavia forced him to wear . Sasha's gonna have nightmares. I really wanna know what Rust thinks of seeing his lil bro in a princess dress And Octavia, remembering the commotion at that time, felt a little brighter . But then she saw her spacious room, and withered. She didn't want to be alone... So she called out to Clifford Clifford, who was about to leave the room, stopped with a questioning look on his face (I can already imagine the question marks above his head~). Octavia wasn't thinking about anything and just said it (lol, she called out his name as easily as it is to breathe ). She then found a teapot in her room left by Sasha (Noice, Sasha! What'd I tell ya? The maids in this series are the best!). And so, Octavia asked Clifford if he would like some tea with her (finally, the tea party!!!! ). She asks him to sit there while she brewed that tea, and I think she says that she can't guarantee the taste, but, Octavia plz, Clifford will drink anything you make for him. Don't believe me? Just keep on reading and you'll understand~~. When Octavia finished saying that, she realized that when she first called Clifford to her room, a little before they officially became "master" and "Jyuu", Clifford had indirectly refused to sit down and drink her cup of tea (he just didn't sit down, but at the same time, he also, in that same scene, made her become his master so I don't know what to make of that lol). So she adds to Clifford that she won't put in any poison in the tea so he doesn't need to worry (lol wut wut!?!?). She basically wanted to tell him that there was no harm in drinking it. And Clifford just straight up says that it's fine if there's a little poison . Like I said, he'll drink anything she makes! He goes on to say that if she orders him to drink it, he'll drink it, for example, a truth serum which is completely harmless . (Okay, so apparently there's a truth serum in Esfia. It's been referred to a few times in the series but I always skipped over it) Octavia sys that the tea won't even contain truth serum. But Clifford says that he doesn't mind and he'll notice if it's in This boi! Octavia's just like what's up with this convo, Clifford! (Yeah, what's up with this convo? lol both master and servant being a little awkward~ ). She promises him that nothing will be in the tea, especially since he's her "Jyuu", though she wouldn't put anything in it even if they weren't master and Jyuu (since Octavia's not the type to enjoy forcing others). She only said that because Clifford seems to be more receptive to this idea. Kinda like how Clifford would excuse his feelings of joy and jealousy (I'm calling it!) around Octavia as being influenced by her as his master, not them being his own emotions as a man capable of empathy. So, since that's the case... the plot should go to Octavia telling Clifford that her future hubby will protecc her for life, and Clifford will go that that's his job as a Jyuu so he's gonna be the one to protecc her and so he'll marry her It's a little devious but I'm desperate at this point . So Octavia brewed the tea. She made herself some milk tea and made Clifford just some tea, so no milk. Gurl why. She told the confused Clifford to sit down and he did. Octavia felt victorious I guess because he was finally having her tea. Noice. She saw Clifford properly drink the tea and then Octavia blurted out to him to not be like Hugh. Clifford just stays silent, while Octavia continues that he should talk to her first whatever the reason is, because Hugh refused to talk to Douchebag before he made his choice. So if Clifford has complaints about her, she'll improve, and if she can't improve on something she just honestly say that it's impossible (I honestly love the communication between these two , and how real Octavia feels to me. Yes, there is a misunderstanding trope but it's not like "Oh, he/she hates me/wants to kill/has another lover". Octavia thinks he's gay because of her experiences in a male homonormative society though I think she does have a budding crush on him which she has to accept, while Clifford doesn't know the exact reason why Octavia chose him as her knight and I think he stops caring since it's not brought again in his other POVs after the very first one. So the fact that Octavia tells him to just talk to her if he has something on his mind is so refreshing and good advice ). Clifford just stared back at her "with an emotionless, brooding look on his face" (I know he's having some emotion in there! ). He says he understands and she thanks him with I guess a fake smile which failed. Clifford then suddenly says "--Why. Is Your Highness hurt?" So this part is the part of the vol 5 LN's synopsis where Clifford (confirmed!) says "Why, is Your Highness hurt?" All my predictions were wrong for this synopsis... so much for Clifford's sexy "I'm terribly angry" 2.0... and all my other delusions, sigh. Though, it does clear up about Clifford's sentence because I was confused about the structure of the sentence which could affect the meaning itself (For example, "Don't come" & "Don't, come" mean different things). So basically, he's asking why she said that and if she's hurt. Octavia says that if it's about her left hand (which is the injured one), then she had it rebandaged. But, halfway through her words, he shook his head and said that it wasn't about that. She then stopped speaking and knew what Clifford was trying to say. She was apparently shocked that Hugh was a traitor, and she thinks that that's what he asking about (Clifford is jelly at another escort knight who was there with her for the entirety of vol 4 and 5. I repeat, Clifford is jelly ). Clifford then says that if there's something she want to say, she can speak to him. (I just love how Clifford is worried about her mental and emotional health as much as he is about her physical health (aka, her injured hand), and that he's finally taking an initiative to be worried . I just hope he doesn't go "Wait, why'd I do that?" in his POV. Boi, you got the doki doki (love) for her without the actual doki doki (fast heartbeats) ). Octavia then tells him that she's kinda regretful since she's responsible for Hugh, so she wondered if there was something she could do. The reason for that is because the incident is completely different from the original story's plot. Right now, Hugh and Douchebag's relationship was shattered. She wondered what would have happened if she had taken a different action in the past and if she was close with Hugh like in the original story (Hugh was the original Octavia's escort knight if I recall. And if that happened and there was no Clifford, I wouldn't be reading this series ) or if she got along more with her brother (nah, Alec is all you need ). She thought it would be fine as long as she took care of her brother and Sill, and in the original story, Octavia solves the succession problem for the two by sacrificing her children to them. In the original plot, despite all the obstacles that Douche and lover boy go through as any romantic couple goes through, no one dies (or maybe they did and she just never noticed or cared as a reader , since Octavia, as Maki, didn't even care much about the original Octavia and simply referred to her "Younger Sister-chan". It's sad, but I do get it. Kinda like how I myself, as a reader, missed some plots about the supporting and minor characters because I only care about Clifford and Octavia (but mostly Clifford)). Since a happy ending was promised for the main characters, which is just Douche and lover boy, Octavia didn't bother about changing the fate of other characters (but if you look at it, Douche and lover boy also don't care much about other characters and are stuck in their bubble of joy until Hugh pointed it out to Hugh that not everyone ships them. Douchebag is much worse since he monitors Sill for "protection" (overprotection is not a good or healthy thing ), so Sill is surrounded by men who gossip and are bad to Octavia (since they're Douche's yes-men) and only now Sill realizes bout the succession problem when Octavia pointed it out to him but he still didn't do anything. Not even when Clifford was in prison when Clifford simply protected Octavia from him when he tried to harm her. He's like... and this is my own opinion... a doormat ). Of course, she knows that Hugh and Nathan are Douche's absolute allies which is an unchanging aspect of the original story. She also remembered jerk god promising that Douche and lover boy would be together and happy. So... a happy ending for the two of them only . It's undecided if anyone other than Sill will have the same ending in this world, like Hugh. While she's thinking all of this, Clifford responds that "... No matter what the circumstances, the final choice is yours. There is no room for others to intervene." I stan him so much~~ . Thirsting aside, that's also generally good advice. Octavia lightly chuckles and thinks that it's such a Clifford-like answer (meaning it's the right answer ). She says that she's not divisive however. Internally, she thinks that it's because being Octavia has changed her. Even though Clifford said that it's up to the person themselves to choose n the end, Octavia's actions, from now on in her contemplation, may affect other people's happiness in the original story and in no small way (well, yeah. You're the only princess, so if you say no to being a baby-making machine, if which al long-ass, albeit highly fucked up, tradition, ppl are gonna riot like how they riot when Idearia became Queen, a rare thing, and blamed the natural disaster of the sky god being pissed at her. But hey, no one can be a ppl pleaser). And Octavia won't stop (my gurl! ). Clifford then asks if she's still hurt (I want me a Clifford like this~~). And he's still talking about her emotional pain. I wonder if he's thinking about the crying little Octavia from his dream . Octavia thought back to when she was Maki and how she used to complain to her sister a lot, and her sis would then comfort her by saying, "There, there." (yoshi, yoshi ). Even if her problem wasn't solved, there was a place she could vent to, and there were a lot of people who pampered her (I mean, she is the youngest in her family, so she would practically be the baby of her family ........ which makes this even more sad actually). And when she became Octavia, she used to tightly hug Alexis when she was a kid, and Alexis would her back ( ). But Octavia has a sense of feeling of wanting to protect Alexis, whereas she was the one being protected as Maki (especially since, as Octavia, Alec is now the youngest). Clifford kinda calls out to her when I guess she says nothing. She's wondering on how to deceive him but then thinks it's useless since she's the one who wanted Clifford to talk to her and now she's trying to deceive him because she was too embarrassed to talk about it. (Yes! Be honest with him! ). So she just says that when her heart hurts, she used to hug people and have them hug her or pat her on the head. And she tried to keep on going. But just then!!!!! Clifford, who was sitting, got up, and the next she knew it, she was in Clifford's armsssssssssssss!!!!!!!!! I was squealing so hard at this point Octavia remembers that something similar happened at the quasi-ball (actually yeah, Clifford technically both hugged and pat her head ), but that was to wipe out the fucking abominable memory of her death as Maki, and she had ordered that (just the hug, the pat-pat was an extra service from Cliffy ). So she wondered if she gave the order again (Nnnope! Clifford actually took the initiative himself! Progress~~~ ). Clifford asks if there's no problem with this (act first, ask later I like it because it's refreshing with Clifford~~). Octavia is basically silent at this point since her mind was blank and it took her a while to think. She wondered if it was because she said wanted to be hugged whenever she gets hurts (emotionally). But she's never been hugged (I believe in the BL world) and it's always her initiating a hug (I guess that makes Clifford even better boi ). But, she noticed the warmth coming from Clifford which made it hard to leave (Let me in! Let me innn!!!!!!!!) She thought that if it's just a little, she wondered if it's okay to be pampered (y'know those stories about CEOs pampering their wives in the titles (coughcoughchinesemanhuascoughcoughcough) forget about those (most of them are more toxic anyways ) This is the real pampering!!!!). So she put her hands around Clifford's back , who was wrapping her up in the chair and says to stay like this just a little. Cliffor's big hand then caressed her head like he's practicing (if so, his pat-pats deserve an 11/10). I love how Octavia says that she gets a hug or a pat on the head and he just straight up does both . Again! Clifford's pat-pats, as usual, were both clumsy and gentle (he still deserves that 11/10 pat-pat rating). Octavia then remembered that boy from her dream (aka young Clifford). She thinks that it couldn't have happened in real life but Clifford and the boy from her dream who hated to fight but took up a sword to survive overlapped. She gripped the fabric of Clifford's uniform tightly and blurted out that she had a dream. Clifford goes "A dream?" Octavia then explained the details of her dream (wow, she's being really honest with him ). Clifford, meanwhile, was listening to her without interrupting, and then said, while gently stroking my head , that dreams are dreams and that boy doesn't even exist (Cliffy ). There's a line that just says Anywhere. It's not a dialogue, but it sounds weird that Octavia is saying that. It would make sense if Clifford were to say that. But I supposed Clifford denying the boy, basically, the existence of his past self may be because 1) he's ashamed; 2) he doesn't want to worry her when she's already going through a lot; 3) he's not ready to share everything about himself; or 4) bad timing . Clifford did what Octavia said with the hug (+ patpats). She thinks that, rather than being a princess, she's come out too much as Maki, and she also thinks that Clifford's hug is bad because it's both exciting and very reassuring . Told ya he deserves that 11/10. Thank's to Clifford's hug, the feeling of her room being cold disappeared. But, as soon as she returned to her senses, Octavia was embarrassed ( tch. I was moarrrr ). She doesn't blame Clifford but herself she was the one who invited him to tea and was the one to stop him first. Regaining her self-control and getting out the hug, she apologizes and that she's not always like this (but you should be more like this ). And then wonders if it's actually Clifford's fault (yeah, it's his fault for being hella sweet yet also hella spicy ). She goes on that she's showing a pathetic side of herself and is starting to worry about how he would think of her (I can't tell if she's worried about what he thinks of her or what people would think of her, but i think it's the former. Translation errors ). She thinks that it (ig a hug) is useless as a "lord" since, in her mind, a "Lord" has a cool image (Clifford isn't looking for cool). Clifford takes her words seriously. He tries to say "How……" and "His Highness, for me, is..." and his thinking time is longer than expected. But I appreciate that he actually tries to answer what he actually thinks of her . Don't worry, Cliffy. I know how important she is to you in your heart . But then Clifford, after a few seconds, tilted his head and muttered, "A weapon, huh?" I honestly don't get why he said that. Is he trying to say that Octavia is like a weapon to him? Because that'd make no sense. Octavia is kinda confused too, and wonders if she's treated the same as the long sword on his waist (if that's the case, noice . I've always wanted to be like the dagger in his cuff heh heh ). In all honestly, if it is like that, then I guess Clifford means to imply that Octavia is someone that he wants to keep close to him at all costs since Clifford never leaves his weapons. Additionally, the dagger in his cuff (which I think is the same one Octavia used for self-injury), was also first used by a young Clifford to cut the rope that was drowning him and then used to stab the foot of the guy that drowned him. By that fact, Octavia, compared to a weapon, would be someone who essentially saved Clifford. She reignited his empathy and treated him like a person and not a tool, by trusting him, respecting his opinions and choices, and worrying about him, which I keep theorizing is something that he did not receive before he met Octavia. If it's like that then it makes sense. Spoiler But the talk of weapons made Octavia remember the Lev bird sword tassel she promised to give Clifford in the first volume. She took it out, got up from her chair, and held out it to Clifford. She asked if he would accept it and he says that he willingly (and unhesitatingly ) does. He untied the gold thread sword tassel that belonged to Douchebag and attached Octavia's Lev bird sword tassel. Honestly, I just wish he tears that off, but hey, gotta keep a clean image in front of waifu of tolerating the brother-in-law . He partially pulled out his sword from the scabbard to I guess tie the tassel properly and then put it away. Octavia suggested that wouldn't it be better to try to pull it out. So then Clifford smoothly pulled out his sword and made a swing (Clifford, are you showing off a little? ). He says that he'll cherish it, and Octavia thinks that he seems to like it (of course hedoes, he finally matches with waifu ). And Octavia is a bit fidgety so I guess she's kinda shy, but tried to remain cool. She asked him if he liked it, while already predicting that Clifford will answer yes and it will surely be a calm "yes". True to that, Clifford said yes with a soft smile while looking at the Lev bird sword tassel . He says that he likes it very much . And even though Clifford denied it, Octavia remembered the kind boy who appeared in her dream and who hated fighting. She stood up to reach for Clifford's head and tried to put her palm on his black hair (Reversal pat pats!?!?!?! I'm readyyyyyyy ). And then Clifford called her out with wide surprised eyes, and she lowered her outstretched hand and put it behind her back (nnnnoooooo I was readdddyyy! Cliffy why ). Octavia wondered why she did that (don't you start with me ). So, she, from her heart, told Clifford, who was pleased with the decoration, that she was happy that he liked it too. And she said that without her fake princess smile, but a real smile . …… And she was still embarrassed about trying to stroke Clifford's head lol . Just go for it! Clifford would be even more happy ! He'll be a bit confused at first on why he likes it, but eventually, he'll want more pat-pats and also be pampered~~ Clifford also deserves some sweet pat pats and pampering~~~ . And now we wait for Clifford's POV and any other extra stories (if any) to officially end this volume.
This is a wonderful conclusion to Volume 5! Clifford is making great progress! It makes me so happy! And I think his reaction is due to the fact that he missed Octavia these days. Looking forward to his POW! Oh, God, how he took care of her! I wish everyone to find the same man! I want to mention Octavia's great work in her relationship with Clifford. After all, she is the initiator of cute moments! And Clifford is not yet fully accepting his human feelings.. But he is an unusual "cold" male character! He is very polite, gallant and behaves like a real gentleman. I just can't put into words how wonderful he is. I didn't like that phrase. I think that this is where his inner conflict with human feelings is tied. He rejects the existence of this boy, he rejects a part of himself! This is wrong ahahah Clifford is a romantic! Well, you can say that this is a declaration of love. He can no longer live in this world without Octavia. And how he was delighted with the decoration for the sword, it's so cute!!! I've read these chapters 20 times, and I won't stop! I'm waiting for new chapters (I know about the author's long breaks, I hope for a new chapter at least this year) I have some suggestions about the future plot. Octavia will actively look for a fake lover, and Clifford will think: "do I want her to be with another man?" There will be a process of awareness of his feelings. And Octavia will definitely go to her uncle's estate. She talked to Derek about it. And on the estate there are the very trees under which she cried as a child and was comforted by Clifford. And she must remember everything! And there will be a surge of love! At least, I hope so.. Anyway, I'm looking forward to Volume 6!
Ikr~~ The only best thing about this vol 5 (apart from Guy's pov and the horse scene) is that they ended it with Clifford , rather than Douchebag in vol 4 . And I agree~~ He was so anxious when she wasn't by his side ~~~~ And he missed her ~~~~~~~~~ A-M-E-E-N! I am wishing for a Clifford every day! I need a man like that in my life!!!! That's so true! Octavia technically is the initiator! Although I feel like she initiates through her words, whereas Clifford springs into action . And I love it! Like for the hug scene, she just says casually that she like hugs, and he, with no further questions, just does it . Even when they became Lord and Jyuu, he just took her light-hearted words as an affirmation of becoming her Jyuu . He kinda spins it so that he can do his own thing, is what I feel . I think the scenes where Clifford took the initiation himself, without anything remotely said by Octavia, is putting flowers in her hair for the first time in the castle garden, and lifting her up princess/bridal style at the Sky Room. I need more initiative actions from him~~~~ . I love your thoughts so much~~~~ Because they match mine~~~ One thing that I noticed about Clifford is that he does fit into the typically popular "cool and brooding" types of Male Leads. But what makes him different from all those "cool and brooding" Male Leads is that he's loyal to Octavia from the very start and so polite to everyone, even when they talk smack about him! He's indifferent in his POVs to everyone who tried to get under his skin (although I think Daddy Duke kinda did a little ). He's aloof, as people are to strangers and acquaintances who aren't their close friends, and he doesn't try to get revenge (which also never happens with those types of MLs even though they talk big). Clifford just can't be bothered, and I love it~~~~ And I love how he doesn't have any complexes even though he does have a sad story like those "cool and brooding" Male Leads. And so they project a scary aura. But Clifford has only (AND unintentionally) scared Guy, and to a certain the king, Douche, Generic Derek, who know that he's Ongarne's Messenger. Otherwise, no one else, especially the women, are scared of him! (Because the maids are wholesome af in this series, and I want them all to have happy endings ) Yeah My heart broke a little when he said. Young Clifford is part of Clifford. His present mindset stems from his past experiences of that situation he was forced in. It's one thing to move on, but another thing to deny it. Of course, he may have pretended to simply deny his past to Octavia because it's basically a tainted past that he doesn't want to burden her with. Clifford needs to realize that he can get the help he wants now He's not alone anymore. Spoiler: meme Right~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oh, I'm glad I'm not the only one who keeps re-reading their moments together It is gonna take some time for volume 6, but vol 5, in my opinion, was written and published very quickly after volume 4 was published. Hopefully, as long as the fans keep loving this series, the author might start regularly updating on volume 6 sometime this year. Ohhhhhh~~ I like your predictions~~ Yeah, I had a feeling that vol 6 would take place at Daddy Duke's place. It's a little worrying for me, because generic Derek is there and I'm just like nah stay away potential love rival . Clifford is all she needs. And Clifford better be on that estate during her visit! Then we'll see moments between the son-in-law and the dad-in-law (I acknowledge Daddy Duke as Octavia's dad). Wait... would the mom also irritate Clifford a little? Clifford gonna have a vendetta against the Nightfellows lol And Clifford better start realizing his feelings! I need romance! It's been too long. The lover arc needs to starttttt!!!! All in all, I'm still waiting for Clifford's latest POV in vol 5. I haven't gotten the book yet because globally different addresses are annoying . I am heavily running low on Vitamin C.
When I first read it, I was worried that Clifford was really spins Octavia's words. It seemed to me that he would use Octavia's naivety for his own purposes. And it was not clear why he chose her as his mistress. And also the words that he can't lie to his master, but in fact he still can... in general, I was afraid for Octavia at the first reading. But then, everything changed! I got to know Clifford better! It's good that my fears didn't come true. I am very worried about the speed of writing chapters... 2 chapters were released in 2020! 4 chapters have been released in 2021! It's sad! Maybe the presence of an opponent will push Clifford to take action I want to see more female characters! I think Derek's mom will like Clifford! In general, I would like to see Octavia's biological mother as a victim of this terrible system... As an illustrative example. How she feels about Octavia after so many years of separation, I would like more information about her biological father, otherwise Sirius suspects that it was Nathaniel (but I don't think so). In general, it's interesting to watch this family! And I am worried that Lily Shana is very similar to Queen Idearia (silver curly hair, green eyes), I wonder if silver hair color is spread among the residents, we have already seen 4 characters with this hair color. Oh, I read on Twitter that there was such a moment in his POW: "Clifford thought that he could also be a model to dress up for Octavia and looked away." If this moment is confirmed, then it's just aaaaa I was also waiting for the chapter where Rast's brother will walk in a woman's outfit! I wanted to laugh!
Yeah, a lot of people thought the same. But I didn't. Because Clifford basically asked himself, "Why did I do that?" Analysing Clifford is the biggest thing for me in this series. To me, to explain in detail, Clifford was initially an indifferent, formal and polite knight staying professional. I don't what he thought of Octavia during the first 3 months on the job (but I don't think it was anything bad. Just like observations Ig), but I think Octavia hit a home run with Clifford deciding on becoming her Jyuu because of the things that she did. She tells him she trusts him when she has him enter her room without any maids present, and Clifford kinda grins that she says interesting things, while in the novel he found Octavia's trust in him kinda odd, which leads me to believe Clifford was never trusted (since he was seen as a tool). In the manga, she tells Alexis, whom she thought fell in love with Clifford (lol), that Clifford is her knight, which kinda surprises him as much as it does Alexis (tho Alec is more shocked). Like, Ig, she doesn't want to give him up easily. There's also the moment in the manga where, after Clifford catches her, she tells him to protect her just like he did before which makes him smile. I wondered if that counted, but I guess it might be her way of saying good job (?) at that time, since she technically does praise him throughout the series. So I suppose Octavia treating Clifford with courtesy was something that got him a bit interested. The nail in the hammer was when Octavia wanted him to be her last knight (until she found her fake lover lol), and he was surprised. I think, there and then, he found a way to stick closer to her. That's how he spun her words. He found a way and took it. Maybe it was impulsion? Maybe it was a craving of feeling trusted? These are my assumptions, but that's the only logical explanation I can think of. I should add that it's interesting how, in the manga, he tells her that she doesn't know the weight of her words, as if warning her that trusting might be a bad idea (since many others clearly do not (i.e., king, Daddy Duke, Douche, Alec, Generic Derek (cuz he calls him a monster)). And when she doesn't care, he has this secretive smile and so makes her his Master. It does, of course, confuse Clifford very early in the manga, so I knew that he didn't have any malicious motives. He just wanted to be close to her. Are you talking about volume 4? I don't remember when that was released. But Volume 5 was very quickly published in my opinion. Cough cough Generic Derek Cough Cough Hope so. I am excited to meet her. I hope I can see her and Daddy Duke's lovey-doviness since I think they are in love. Generally speaking, none of the women have spoken ill about Clifford compared to the men, who have talked down about Clifford (as Ongarne's messenger, as Alderton, and as a former commoner). The maids kinda ship him and Octavia~~. Even Rosa, from the other people who have confronted Clifford in his POVs (i.e., King, Daddy Duke, Alec) was the tamest among them even if she was drawing him out. The only other woman in his POVs, apart from Octavia of course, was Octavia's head maid Mathilda who pleaded with him to protect her. And I love that. Octavia likes him, so the maids are also happy that he's such a reliable guy. First, I never really focused on her biological mom. I was most interested in Idearia, Clifford's three sisters, Sisi and Rosa, and of course Matilda and Sasha. I hope that the biological hates the kingdom a little and her king brother. I already feel sorry for the sister who died giving birth to Douchebag. Second, WHATTT!?!?!? Are you telling me Douchebag thought that Nathaniel was Octavia's biological father!??!?!? In which chapter was this!?!??!?! (Also, Octavia has so many dads....... Maki's dad (he counts), Enoch, Edgar, Daddy Duke, the sperm donor related to Octavia's birth (it sounds rude, but that's basically what the guy would be, and mom would just be the surrogate. It's sad....as long as they hate the system). But more than that, Clifford has waaaaay too many father-in-laws ). Third, yeah I keep forgetting about her. Lily Shana would be important to the plot since her color palette is related to mostly Idearia and Tahen itself, which is an important location regarding Clifford. Share. That. Tweet. Share. That. POV. And Clifford deserves to be a model ! He posed in his fanservice scene . God, I want someone to draw him in Zhongli's suit! It suits him so much. I tried to edit one..... I couldn't tell if it looked bad or not...
Thank you very much for your analysis! By the way, I recently went to a website where the author updates chapters, reread chapter 4 and there is no scene where he catches her! Probably, the author changed it. I went to the same site and looked at the release dates of the chapters. And I'm also shipping Sasha and Guy! I think they'll make a good couple! Yes, chapter 4 of the manga. I share links to the analysis of Volume 5 and Clifford's POW from Japanese fans! https://fusetter.com/tw/ZYrY85Au#all https://fusetter.com/tw/DqRkuqFw#all https://fusetter.com/tw/tLVUWg41#all