I will never get tired of watching Kon choosing to make a stand, rather than just taking things the way they are, the way she has been taught all her life.
Especially after a chapter like this.
Feeling so incredibly bad here for Ai, that's some insidious manipulation. Kaede does excel at brushing over it or gaslighting her every time Ai makes a good point.
I wonder what it is that Kaede actually wants - is it just this feeling of control she is after? Does she believe the things she is saying? Does she want to believe the things she is saying? Is she trying to prove something to herself here?
...curious if she herself knows.
Though I feel I'd need a degree and several sessions with Kaede to really know what makes her tick, in my experience as someone who has known people like Kaede... my guess is no, she doesn't know what she wants either. All she knows is that it feels good to spiral, and it feels good to drag others along with her spiral. To me, the insistence on fate really solidifies her seeing herself as a rudderless ship enjoying the feeling of being thrashed around by the wind as the only way she knows how to feel something. It's only those on the outside that can see her rudder locked firmly in place steering towards a crash amidst the rocks.
Who knows. Maybe it'll be revealed that she fancies herself a manipulator, rather than doing it instinctually and automatically. I suspect we (and the characters) may never know, may never get closure — as is often the case with horror like this. We want to understand, but sometimes all we can do is break away and move on...
I really hope Kon gets Ai out.