Hi! I loved your adventure and it was super fun to play through! :)
I do have a few questions (WARNING HEAVY SPOILERS):
a) Was the mirror red herring, since it never really comes up? Did you originally plan for another ending involving it that got cut in the final version? Were you planning on having a scene where he observes you from there or somehthing liek that? :) I just wonder what was the point of having the mirror there.
Also, why did he seem 'hesitant' about entering the room/he didn't want to go inside, was there something special about it? Like he has a reason why he doesn't want to enter it? My first assumption was that there was either something wrong with the room (eg. special perfume in it or something, a trap of some sort) or he doesn't want to enter it because of something that had happened there (after finishing the game I thought maybe it was used for sex slaves, but then I thought that's very unlikely as it seems out of character for both Pantalone and Dottore).
1. My first ending was Loyal, and I enjoyed it, but I was surprised the game ended that way because I picked the choices which I thought were the most logical to escape, so I could get back with the intel to Sumeru "to win the game", since I thought there is a best, true spy escape ending.
I thought that's where the next section of the game begins where you attempt to discreetly escape, so I was surprised he trusted you because I thought it was logical not to try to escape yet in both cases. I really like the ending, but I'm curious why does he trust you right away? Here is my reasoning for not trying to escape during those two times:
I didn't undo the strap as I thought I'd wait until Webtorre leaves, since he could spot the escape easily and I felt I should first get intel on what did the procedure do, to see if there's any maintenance or drawbacks you should be aware of (plus also if you can even walk etc., it's better to look cooperative and wait a day or two until you're sure you're physically okay and won't suddenly collapse or faint). And when I saw the carriage, I thought it was going to be a trick option with a bad end, since normally there should be a driver (as I assumed it's a normal carriage with horses) and as a student, I wasn't sure if the player could subdue the coach or take over the carraige quietly without raising a commotion and drawing attention to yourself. And if there wasn't a driver, I would've expected there to be no horses, as they would be in a stable (as they'd get too cold to be left outside for an hour or more without moving).
The next day as I was thinking about it I realized it might've been a mechanical carriage, but since the text didn't mention if you could see a driver or not, I would still assume you might need a key to actually use it, so I wouldn't risk it right away, esp. with two Harbingers nearby who could very easily overpower you, so I was surprised the escape actually worked! :D As a tip, if you do plan on doing an update, maybe you could describe if it's a carriage with horses or mechanical one (in the latter case with an off-hand commentary whether you think you could steal it, ie. it needs no key or you could most likely hack it as a Ksharewar student?) and whether you can see the driver or not? That way it would make it easier for people to judge whether they could escape or not, since I assumed it was going to be a trap option where you get caught by the guards who subdue you themselves or call the Harbingers. :D
2. Which of the endings are you favourite, or do you like all of the "good ends" equally? Is there a "true" or best ending? :) I noticed that the True Spy ending seemed super short compared to the others, so I actually preferred the other endings with Dottore like Loyal and Apprentice. as the spy ending didn't really seem to have much rewards or pay-off storywise, unlike the others. :)
3. Speaking of which, did Dottore plan on killing you originally in the Loyal ending after doing the Dtest? Today I noticed he says that he planned on disposing the material when you wake up afterwards, which I realized means you (since on my first playthrough I thought he meant lab mats) but on the other hand, in the Obedient ending he never kills you even when you do try to escape, does that mean he didn't really plan on killing you? Or is it a divergent timeline where he would've killed you if he didn't notice you could've escaped? I do prefer to think that he likes you enough to keep you around like in Obedient ending or the other endings. :)
4. About the Immortal ending, was he planning on making the Apprentice or Loyal immortal eventually too? Personally I felt like he treated the player in the Immortal ending more like an experiment and an object at first, and he seems to care more and treats you like an equal in the other two, esp. with how he seems to butter you up while talking to Pantalone (with compliments, and you can see how jealous he is :D). Maybe it's because it's just a third person description, but does he grow to like the player more in the Immortal ending compared to the other two, or does he like you equally in all three, but just in the first one he decides that as probably more time has passed? How would you describe his feelings towards the player in all three endings? I felt like the latter two felt more romantic to me, tbh.:)
5. Is there a difference in what would happen after the Epilogue in the Apprentice if you didn't tell him the truth? Since there nothing about it in that ending, I assumed in that timeline he either doesn't know or doesn't care, since hte epilogue doesn't actually mention any consequences for not telling him, so if you do tell him, it just seemsl ike an extra bonus but not something that would happen in the keep it a secret timeline. Or did you plan on him doing something about it? If yes, maybe having a throwaway ominous line like "You're not sure if it was the best choice to keep it a secret from Dottore, but you're safe...for now." something like that to imply what might happen, like he says he would've done in the other endings, haha! I really liked both endings either way though! It was super sweet. :)
Oh and it was interesting that there was the dichotomy that if you followed the plan, then the char would be only faking interest while you'd be genuinely curious if you stayed- I assumed you'd be still interested and eager to learn even if you wanted to get back to Sumeru, you'd just be still focused on the mission (which I thought would be even more fun since he could have more incentives to try to "seduce" you or convince you to join him if you try to remain a spy and get back home, hehe!).
6. I really loved the Loyal ending scene with Pantalone, are you going to tell us what he thought about you behind his "gentle smile"? Or is that a secret for the sequel? He totally wanted you for himself after learning about the loyalty, right? :) I'm guessing Dottore talked about you when you entered, he's talking about being justified in either giving you the Delusion test or taking you away to the Palace, right? So Pantalone knows you're a former spy.
7. Last question, does Dottore know in all endings that you're a spy, or only in the ones where he finds out (so not in the Immortal or Apprentice secret)? Did the sages plan on giving you to Dottore in all endings or just the Political Ending one? That was actually the last ending I got, so in retrospect I do wonder how were you supposed to be the gift unless they planned on telling him eventually or him just finding you're a spy and then assuming you're meant to be a"goodwill" gift? Did they plan on him using you for experiments and killing you, or did they think he would take you in as his apprentice, or perhaps they thought you might succeed and come back, and if not, you'd be the gift? The True Spy ending seems to imply they didn't count on it, but to me it does seem a bit OOC they'd just send you to your death/be experimented on, esp. as they see it as a sin. So I'd be interested in reading your thoughts about it! :)
Once again, I loved the game and I hope you don't mind I wrote a huge post asking about the questions I had. I really liked your writing and I'd love to hear what you think! Cheers!