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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.