i agree. theres no way they get to the point of addiction without first accepting a good amount w/out addiction. something they knew to be improper, as well as allowing her to hang around like that. i think it makes sense for both caroline and mls to take blame - if they'd done as rufus had and denied her it wouldn't have happened
Exactly and we could see with Rufus how he avoided it. Now yes I know he already knew about her, but surely he also knows about noble etiquette
I feel like we’ll learn more about the cookies in later chapters because Pia said the cookies weren’t homemade. The shop she saw at the end of ch.22 may have been the one providing them. If I remember correctly the heroine refused to tell anyone how she made or where she got the cookies from.
I'm late but I feel like it's cause when they ate a cookie once (after being tested for poisons) the cookies effects started a lit bit even if they only ate one in front of her later in the day they keep thinking about the cookies and here's the thing the rats were given smaller portions and not multiple a day (i think) since there were still cookies left when shown and the Fiance's here unlike the rats were not caged and portions controlled like the rats, so they decided on there own portions so they might of gone wild with the cookies.
This is my theory like
No, for real, because fine, they were brainwashed after eating the cookies. But WHY did they eat it the first time? A random girl, who is by all standards incredibly rude, offered a personal gift to someone with a fiancée after violating basic etiquette and act super familiar, and they received it? They ate the cookies just like that? Nah, they’re for the streets
In my personal opinion, I’m left wondering: how did all four men become so easily addicted to the cookies, if it wasn’t entirely of their own doing? In Volume 14.3, we saw Rufus test the cookies’ dosage on mice. Interestingly, the mice only developed an addiction when they consumed the cookie daily; those who ate it once every five days or even every two days showed no signs of dependency. Rufus also mentioned that the cookie size was proportionate to a mouse’s body, while for humans, it would be a small dose.
So, I’m curious: how did the men even start eating these cookies in the first place? Did she personally give them the cookies, and if so, why did they accept them? There’s a certain etiquette for engaged people that discourages them from accepting sweets from others, as it could be seen as disrespectful to their partners. Did they decide to be polite and try just one or two cookies, thinking it was harmless? Or, giving them the benefit of the doubt, is it possible someone else, perhaps a servant, offered the cookies and that’s how they began consuming them? I’m skeptical, though.
While brainwashing is indeed a horrible violation and they are victims to a certain extent, I still wonder how they began eating the cookies at all, especially when etiquette typically discourages engaged or married individuals from accepting gifts or spending time alone with single people. It makes me question if there’s more to their choices than meets the eye.