Episode 4 – Though I Am an Inept Villainess

It would be simple enough to write off Shu Keigetsu. After all, dismissal is the only treatment she has ever known. Following her parents’ tragic—and perhaps suspicious—deaths, the sponsor who brought her to court abandoned her, and her fellow ladies-in-waiting ostracized her entirely. Prived into a corner, Keigetsu saw no alternative other than stealing Kou Reirin’s identity and body. Her entire life had conditioned her to believe she was utterly worthless and that nothing she did would ever suffice; her own parents couldn’t even be bothered to take her with them when they ended their lives. While she functions as the story’s designated “villainess,” her ruthless path was carved out by a society that punishes any young woman who fails to display passive, unquestioning gratitude.

Keigetsu shares a clear literary lineage with Becky Sharp, the unforgettable protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. When the novel debuted in 1847–48, Becky was a scandalous disruption of the traditional Victorian heroine. She refused to be endlessly grateful, possessed clear ambitions, and—most horrifyingly of all—actively worked to achieve them. Becky was far from a “nice young lady,” but critics often overlook how her cunning was a direct survival tactic born of poverty and limited societal mobility. While Becky’s legacy has drawn mixed reactions over the generations, she undeniably broke new ground for mainstream fiction. Keigetsu performs a similar service for the villainess archetype; she isn’t manipulative out of pure malice, but out of sheer desperation. Her theft of Reirin’s life is a “bad” deed born not from hatred toward Reirin, but from an innate, desperate drive for self-preservation.

This dynamic makes the pairing of Reirin and Keigetsu deeply compelling. In the latest episode, Keigetsu reaches a breaking point and finally asks Reirin for assistance. Because the surrounding court ladies assume Keigetsu is actually Reirin, they foolishly expect her to solve her own problems—a nuance Keigetsu failed to anticipate. Furthermore, she drastically misunderstood the coded, delicate term “frail” used to describe Reirin, never imagining that her chief rival for the prince’s heart is chronically ill. Reaching out through the mystical flames of a candle signifies a major psychological breakthrough for Keigetsu, proving she is finally looking beyond her own suffering. Though she likely expects rejection, Reirin immediately and kindly offers explicit instructions on what to do, devoid of anger or recrimination. On the surface, this reinforces the dynamic of the “good” woman versus the “bad.” But on a deeper level, it shatters the tropes, demonstrating that Reirin holds no hatred toward Keigetsu. Far from the bitter rival Keigetsu imagined, Reirin simply harbors a wish for everyone’s happiness.

Naturally, part of that gentle demeanor is a carefully constructed shield—a survival mechanism Reirin adopted to protect herself. Viewers saw this dynamic last week when Reirin made excuses for LeeLee while quietly letting it slip that she was fully aware of her lady-in-waiting’s schemes. This defense mechanism is just as valid as Keigetsu’s outward anger, as both women are trapped in a rigid system that values them solely for sweetness, beauty, and producing heirs. Ultimately, Reirin refuses to play the rigged game at all, whereas Keigetsu is playing desperately to win.

As the ghost festival approaches (falling on August 27th in the real world), Reirin is poised to redeem Keigetsu’s reputation, since onlookers will inevitably assume the dancing is her own. She will also have the chance to showcase her mastery of dance and needlework, regardless of how hostile the reception might be. This highlights Reirin’s ultimate strength: by opting out of the malicious social games that Kin Seika thrives on, she has already secured a moral victory. Now, her next challenge is convincing Keigetsu that, together, they can be each other’s guiding lights.

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