Responses
They can, but like, in a work of fiction when you portray characters a certain way there's bound to be assumptions. Showering Peresa and the Empress in flowers, for example, while they look at each other with shiny eyes isn't very "just strong women admiring each other" is it? Even knowing the context it still makes you question things.
The yuri-readers are already hooked, why not cater to them in some way?
Empress x Peresa won't sail, but perhaps Duchess Eres x former Empress is/was a thing? Her being THAT nutty over her death has to be bc she loved her, like the super tragic queer kind of way.
I won't accept any other reason. Don't you dare hit me with that "and they were friends" bs, istg.
Honestly, there's lesbians all over this story. Peresa and the Empress were a fake-out, well, then the duchess showed up, now we got another knight oozing butch lesbian energy with an unrequired crush on her crown princess.
If this story dodges out of any queer representation in this S A T U R A T E D landmine of hot women with questionably strong admiration for their fellow women, I WILL riot. I will manifest my reincarnation into this damn story to DRAG EVERYBODY OUT OF THEIR CLOSET.