Though I Am an Inept Villainess ‒ Episode 10
The Inner Palace is essentially a human kodoku – or at least, I'd bet that's how Shu Gabi sees it. It's a container where women are all assembled, pitted against each other, and only the strongest survives to become the empress, while the losers live there as powerless shells. It's venomcraft designed to benefit only one person: the emperor. And Shu Gabi, despite the “winner” having been decided years ago, is determined that she'll be the final centipede in the pot.
There are plenty of things wrong with this analogy, of course. Gabi's refusal to accept the outcome in itself seems to deny the whole kodoku metaphor, given that she and the other consorts are all very much alive. But venomcraft seems to be what she feels the most comfortable with, and in her mind, there's no victory until the empress is well and truly dead. (Does she even see the other two consorts? Certainly not as threats, but possibly not at all.) She's willing to risk her own life to make it happen, but that doesn't mean she's keen on actually dying – she's just that certain that she's going to come out on top. It's not even a question of winning the emperor's heart anymore; I think she's just trapped in the horrible moment when her baby died, and she lost everything.
It's sad on a few levels, at least one of which is that she and Kenshuu may actually have been friends before Gabi let the poison of the Inner Palace get to her. She and the empress are a failed version of what Keigetsu and Reirin are becoming: friends and allies. Gabi never let herself feel real affection for Kenshuu, as we saw when she snapped after Kenshuu became the empress; it was just about Kenshuu not presenting herself as a threat rather than genuine like. But Reirin and Keigetsu stand to be actual, genuine friends. When Keigetsu drops the knife and the jar, it's not because she doesn't want Gabi to kill her original body; it's because she doesn't want Gabi to kill Reirin. Reirin may be the one who overtly wished for a friend, but Keigetsu wanted one, too, and thanks to Reirin's persistent, stubborn friendliness, it looks like she's got one.
Both girls richly deserve friendship. Reirin grew up, as she says, pampered and put on a pedestal. Keigetsu grew up the opposite way, with no one showing her any kindness until Gabi took her in – and we all know how that turned out. The crown prince may love Reirin, but I wouldn't call their relationship mutual, or even say that he truly knows her. Leelee is the closest thing Reirin's ever had to a friend, and Keigetsu never even had that. If they can find solace and joy in each other, That's the happiest possible ending to this story. Keigetsu may have thought that this was about the prince and living a charmed life as his favorite, but that's just Gabi's influence talking. It was always about being accepted and loved, and Reirin has already proven that she's willing to do both.
Of course, now that more people know the truth of the swap, things could get more complicated. Gabi is likely to be out of the picture; even if the venomcraft doesn't actually kill her, I suspect that it will break her fragile mind. I don't see Keigetsu and Reirin actually wanting to swap back, although Keigetsu is willing to do it, or at least it seems that way. But I think, ultimately, both girls are happier in each other's bodies. Reirin is relishing her life in a healthy body, and Keigetsu, while she doesn't love being sick all the time (and who would?), is finally getting the sort of care she was deprived of her entire childhood. It's not a perfect tradeoff, but it does seem to be one that works for them…but it might not work for Gyomei. And while he may feel trapped in a gilded cage, he's still got more power than either Keigetsu or Reirin.
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