Filthy Casual for Life

EPISODE 4: TURNING THE KNAVE INTO A SECRET SPICE

Rishe enters her mental match with Kaine Tully from the Aria Trading Company. Unfortunately, things do not go Rishe’s way and Tully turns down her request to provide the wares for her upcoming nuptials. Rishe is confused as to what she did wrong. After all, she needs his help if she is to somehow mitigate the war that Prince Arnold wages.

Tully credits her strong resolve and tells Rishe that the goods he would procure would not be up to her standards. As he leaves the meeting, he drops a clue. He might stay around for a little while to take in the sights.

Rishe retreats to the comfort of her garden. She goes over her interaction with Tully and tries to figure out what she did wrong. She finally latches on to the clue he left. She announces that she is done gardening for the day and wishes to rest.

Tully is speaking to one of his men and enters the keep to find Rishe with brown hair and the rest of his men drunk around her. Tully tells her that he didn’t expect to see her so soon.

After a bit of banter back and forth, Tully opens the negotiations. Before they begin, Rishe asks him to speak plainly. Internally, she monologues that his formal speak makes her uneasy. After their first drink, Tully tells her to drop the act about her wedding and tell him what she really wants. He tells her that his intuition is telling him to take her on as a trading partner and not as a client. When he asks her for her plan, she tells him she can’t tell him her plan. Tully gives her seven days to come up with a plan that will turn a profit and earn his recognition.

Rishe returns to her villa to find Prince Arnold waiting on her. He admits he will not reprimand her because he told her that she should live the way she likes. Prince Arnold marches up to her and traps her. He makes a point about her venturing out alone at night.

Rishe immediately apologizes when she realizes her getting caught could tarnish his reputation. Prince Arnold immediately dismisses that idea and asks her if she’s hurt in any way. He then tells her moving forward, if she wants to go to town, she must bring him. Rishe asks Prince Arnold if he is hungry. The go to the kitchen where she makes a soup. Then, she admits that she isn’t a great cook. However, Prince Arnold tells her the soup is delicious. Over the meal, she tells Prince Arnold that she has a week to come up with an idea befitting of the Aria Trading Company. Before he leaves for the night, the Prince brings up his younger brother. He tells Rishe to not engage or entertain him. Rishe dives deep into research for her product.

The next day, on her way to her garden, a mysterious person is asleep. She notices the black hair and deduces it is Prince Arnold’s younger brother.

He introduces himself as Theodore Auguste Hein. He has a cheerful disposition, but something isn’t quite right. The guards plead with Rishe to return to her room. Theodore tells her something is wrong with her plot. As she approaches and bends down to where he is pointing, he whispers to her that he wants to save her. He tells her she’s a hostage to which she immediately replies she is okay with being a hostage. He takes his leave. On the way back to the room, Rishe tries to pry information from the guards, but they won’t divulge any information. Rishe later learns that Prince Arnold is responsible for some really good policies that help the people which further confuses her opinion of him.

In the evening, she is escorted to her room by her guards. There, inside the doorway of her room, is a letter. She opens the letter and it is an invitation by Prince Arnold to meet him in the chapel so he could tell her a secret. She arrives at the said time knowing she would meet Prince Theodore, and not Prince Arnold.

THOUGHTS

I am all about Prince Theodore. Who is he? Why does Prince Arnold forbid Rishe from interacting with him? Why does he want to save her? There are so many questions that I have. He has a dark aura and I dig that. Most of the episode dealt with the Aria Trading Company. I can’t say that I find this aspect of the show entertaining. I know it is a means to an end, but I find their back and forth a bit dull. I still can’t figure Prince Arnold out. Is he good? Is he bad? Does he really love Rishe? There are so many questions!

PREVIOUS EPISODES

Episode 1: The Fiancée That Killed Me
Episode 2: The Golden Imperial Capital
Episode 3: A Thinly Veiled Sword Dance (Rondo)