I! Am!! So!!! Excited!!!! For this game!!!!! I've been checking this page daily for the past few weeks. When you see a purchase within 10 seconds of game release, know that it was me.
Some random thoughts:
MC is A+. Good balance between presence of personal history/pre-established personality (raised with great expectations as a prospective royal consort or, if nothing else, a proper lady of a great noble house) and freedom to refine her characterization with the choices you're given, and I like what's there of her personality independently of the player, too. MC is a witty, clever cookie. I'd be friends with her! I named mine Élisabeth, after notorious Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and lemme tell you, I'm so READY to construct a psychological profile up in this bitch. Also, can I just say that the main 3 personality types are hilarious? You can be a bookworm, okay... a tomboy, standard procedure... and a straight-up godless slattern. I lol'ed.
I found the sprited cast universally likeable - including Albertine and Francesca, actually, who were sources of amusement. Then again I gotta admit I don't quite see them as real threats to MC, even *when* I'm actually trying to go for the Prince. Anyways, my personal #1 forever favourite is Frederique, with Charlotte (too pure, too good for this world) or Sofia (I feel like her and MC could potentially have a lot in common) interchangeably in second or third place. I'll stop myself from writing an ode but Frederique is just the best. I think his first scene was when he argues for MC's right to self-determination to mother dearest? I started liking him, like, immediately haha. And ''I am your man to the last?'' I am WEAK. Such support. Much loyalty. Plus, his role as best friend/confidante/partner in crime is very welcome in a story like this - it's a masquerade and he's the dude MC can just take every single mask off around. And unlike everyone else, he expects nothing from you and the only thing he wants from you is that you be happy. I. Love. Him. /ugly crying
Guillaume was actually the first one I went for (because I liked his hair best lmao) in the demo, though, and he'd probably be the one I'd have gone for first in the completed game if I hadn't caught wind of the secret romance (I see chu ;D ;D ;D tbh I combusted screaming when I realized that a) yes, the secret romance IS a thing and b) there is a God after all). I felt kinda bad for him throughout the demo hahah, being fought over and pulled every which way like a doll. I note that he sympathizes with MC if she says the woods are her favourite part of the estate, because she feels like she can get lost in them... A crown is such a heavy weight.
Btw, I noticed one of the updates says the demo was updated with a new scene in the inn, but I redownloaded the demo the other day and didn't see any new scenes. At least... I don't think I did? What was the new scene supposed to be, or did I misunderstand the update haha?
(Also, not sure where to put this but in real life, Frederique is a woman's name with Frederic being the masculine version. I guess it's kind of a moot point, given that the setting is a fantasy world, but it did stick out to me so I thought I'd just point it out.)