There was this girl named Ophelia which a lot of people had loved, but she had real temperamental problems and liked nobody except for MC whom Ophelia treasured dearly. Ophelia was sickly and was destined to die at a young age. Nobody liked MC for various reasons, but the main reason is that she was a low-born person and people thought she was only close with Ophelia in hopes that her father could adopt her as a daughter, since MC lived with Ophelia because she was the only one who could calm her. The second reason was because they were jealous of the MC of her being close to Ophelia.

MC reincarnated and left the house because in the OG game, she was the villainess who "followed the male leads around" not sure what that means. The OG FL named Elodie looked like Ophelia so they all went yandere? But MC went bye and all of them were like ??? And wanted to find her because they literally expected the opposite.

We're told that she's loved and everyone doted on her and loved her when in reality it wasn't love.. They only idolized and pitied her. Why do you think they moved on so fast and to Ellodi? They didn't care about Ophelia's feelings and personality, they only cared about her looks. They didn't see her as a person, but as a beautiful, pitiful object. It sucks as hell that we find out that the only person that truly loved Ophelia was Emilia. Not her parents, not any of the MLs, no. Only Emilia. And then how dare they f*cking let Ellodi go into her room and touch her stuff but not Emilia's? God, I feel so bad for Ophelia. Not only was she sick, but she also died, was replaced, and wasn't truly loved. I just wanna give her a hug..

Elodie's Tea-Party - Elodie's feelings, as if she is a puppet, are internalized, but also are properly presented in the social situation, where it seems that she lacks strength of character and agrees with the opinion of the others. She feels, as if she has no choice but agree with what others are thinking even when she does not actually share the opinion (for how despicable Emilia is, how she does not know her place; for example).

The author also makes it so, that just before that moment Emilia questions if Elodie actually has the freedom and the ability to express her own opinions without suffering consequences. The questions is posed in entirely different situation and to a different character.

But later, when Elodie is placed in such situation (her won teaparty), the reader can actually follow through the reasoning behind such weak behavior and the sadness of it. It is not a matter of criticizing the character for the weakness, but getting into the depth of it and understanding it. The author is not very forgiving, too. Explaining a weakness and sympathizing with it is not making it acceptable. I believe the point here is not so much to be judgmental - who is right wrong, good or bad, but how to grow out of it; how to be better. The author presents in the same situation alternative via Dorothy, the maid, - she has so much more to lose, but she does not hesitate to defend her point of view and beliefs. Moreover, even her social status is far lower than the people she faces. Even Emilia - who is not in that scene at all, leaves a shadow as if an acting participant, with her strength as an alternative.

Yet, the ladies at the party were right - it is not the job of the maid to correct them, but Elodie's.

It is amazing in this scene that despite the conflict to be led by the side characters, their malice, jealousy, hope and longing for missed opportunities, search of acceptance and also humanity is presented in depth without being excessive about it or sharing too little.

Moreover, it also begs the questions: Have you ever been in situation, where your voice has been silenced? Have you chosen to speak up and have you suffered consequences? Have you ever been in a situation, where you have been used as a weapon against someone else? Have you actually done to someone else something like this? Have you actually even questioned it, when it happened? Have you felt pressured to respond the social norm instead of standing your ground? Can you admit that sometimes you are coward and you have not stood up to your beliefs and sometimes you have been brave? In which situations has your bravery came from the support of others? Have you lived in someone else's shadow? Has your bravery cost you if not all, some of your friends?

I admire the way the author has presented those topics and the skill s/he had used.