harold, they're shapeshifters

No because this is how every Howl/Sophie interaction plays out in the book

Almost every interaction she has with any of the women in the estate ends up showing them they don’t have to follow the script. And she doesn’t blame anyone because she knows that behind every attack or muttered insult is real fear alongside the envy. Finding a good husband is a matter of life or death for these girls, most of whom are illegitimate or from a lower standing. They have nothing that is not given to them, and the giving is conditional. Lu Xuechen, despite how much he wishes he wasn’t, is a safe catch for being rich, handsome, and kind. I’d be shitting bricks myself if I was in the past facing bleak marriage prospects where I’m someone’s property from birth through death.

❛ i don't listen to anyone.❜ ~ Cha Sa-gye (circ. 2026)