"Chapter 6, days of trial"
"1980, 6 years before the crime". We get some more details on the circumstances of Battler leaving the family. As previously hinted, it's over Ange... Or rather, over the timing of Kyrie's pregnancy. Interestingly, when Rudolf brings the news in, Natsuhi angrily approves of Battler's reaction. Krauss understands why he married Kyrie so quickly, though : that was the best way to take responsibility for Ange and secure her future. And Rudolf holds no animosity towards his son (he's clearly trying to repent), paving the way for their eventual reconciliation six years down the line.
Shannon is a bit of a wreck, of course. And I note that her next dream meeting with Beato and Gaap looks a lot like a pep talk by her imaginary friends. They build her hopes up for Battler returning at the next family meeting. ("Surely he left so that dating an Ushiromiya servant wouldn't be awkward !" Urgh... That's wishful thinking and she knows it.) Which obviously didn't happen. Shannon sees it as divine retribution against her own inability to really commit (she hadn't prepared the paperwork for quitting). And she decides to soldier on and trust Battler to come back for her... eventually.
Meanwhile, the Lion/Will narrative makes no pretense anymore of treating Shannon and "Beatrice the culprit" as different entities.
Completely random note : the Stakes are still being recast as random maids over the years. Is it a coincidence that, around the time Ange makes her first visit to Rokkenjima, the only one shown as active is... Mammon ? (Probably. Still...)
"Chapter 7 : sprout of love, root of love"
"1 year later : 1982, 4 years before the crime". Obviously Shannon is starting to worry a bit, especially as barely anyone ever talks about Battler anymore. George seems a bit too eager to affirm that Battler has made a new life away from the Ushiromiya family, and the subtext is clearly "Shannon, forget all about him. (I'm here.)" Hum, didn't a previous episode state he's already been looking at her for several years at this point ? Shannon endures, but she's clearly hurting and starting to have doubts.
The 1983 family reunion. The bad news : Battler still isn't coming. The good news : Kyrie did get in contact with him, and even strong-armed him into writing letters to everybody so as to lift up their spirits. The worse news : there's no letter for Shannon... (Although since George was the one opening the envelope, I wouldn't put it past him to have pulled a fast one here.)
Shannon is besides herself, obviously. She still loves Battler, but the pain is becoming unbearable. That night, Beato makes an intervention : she takes Shannon's bud of love for Battler into herself (thus finally experiencing this "love" thing), and create a younger boy who loves Shannon as a sister to fill the gap in her heart. (Oh, and since she's now the one in love with Battler, Beatrice takes the appearance of the Golden Witch we all know and love.)
This... still doesn't really explain the practicalities of Kanon's existence.
In 1984, Grampa has the portrait and epitaph installed. It truly is a way to find a successor... It'd take a miracle to solve it, and who better than the miracle solver to inherit the headship ?
And I think I'll leave Beato solving the epitaph to the next installment.
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