Always a Catch! Episode 1: How I Searched For A Promising Catch

The scene opens on a lavish party, elegant and buzzing with whispers. Suddenly, Prince Renard makes a public declaration, breaking his engagement to Lady Aida. Her face contorts with shock, then devastation, as he pulls his hand from hers, leaving her exposed. Lady Mari-Anne, standing nearby, witnesses her friend's public undoing. This is not a quiet affair; it is a calculated, painful spectacle for all to see.

After the sponsors and opening titles, the episode presents its own title card: "The Fish That Got Away Searches for a Good Catch." This immediately reframes the preceding drama. It suggests a certain irony, turning heartbreak into a quest. The chosen imagery, a fish hook with pink dots, gives a deceptive lightness to the underlying ambition.

We are then introduced to the Rubyn Kingdom, a sweeping panorama of elegance and beauty. A luxurious carriage, an epitome of noble transport, winds its way towards a grand manor. From it emerges Mimi Annovattii, her face alight with an almost childlike joy. The golden shimmer around her as a hair ornament is placed suggests a sense of destiny, or at least a grand entrance.

Mimi rushes into the arms of Lady Aida, their reunion a burst of genuine affection. Count Ameitis watches, a gentle smile on his face, but with a paternal concern. Mimi's effusive bow, so deep it startles her servant and embarrasses her, immediately marks her as earnest but unrefined. She promises to protect Aida, a declaration that causes even more worry for the watching servant.

Over tea, Mimi reveals the reason for her arrival: her family, having unexpectedly produced a male heir, no longer needs her to continue the lineage. Her father, the boisterous Duke Annovattii, commanded her to find a "good catch" for herself. Mimi is earnest about her desire not to inherit the family, believing Aida would make a better successor. Her honest admission that all suitable prospects at home were "sold out" reveals her practical, if blunt, nature.

Mimi and Aida tour the grand Royal Academy, a place steeped in tradition. They encounter Prince Placide, Renard's younger brother, who greets Aida warmly. Placide immediately engages Mimi in playful banter, recalling a childhood story Aida shared about Mimi's initial un-ladylike appearance. He finds humor in Aida's mortification and Mimi's earnest attempts to defend her friend's character.

Mimi stumbles, a clumsy moment that leads to a harsh rebuke from Lady Elenora. Elenora is dismissive and condescending, particularly towards Aida, reminding her of her position as the crown prince's fiancée. Aida, however, deflects Elenora's cutting remarks with a gentle smile, though her servant remains visibly worried. Mimi, witnessing this, looks increasingly concerned.

Later that night, in her bedroom, Mimi lies awake, her mind replaying the day's events. She thinks about Aida's engagement to Prince Renard, observing that despite being betrothed to a prince, her friend does not seem happy. This realization casts a shadow over Mimi's own optimistic pursuit of a "good catch." The contrast between Mimi's open enthusiasm and Aida's veiled sorrow is palpable.