All it took was a single line to remove all the pathos.
The "unwanted child gets killed", her sister comes out with a legendary class so she's afraid she'll get discarded and killed.
Thus she behaves the way she does to avoid becoming the "UNWANTED" child.
THAT would be a nice twist.
But no, the custom was ABOLISHED by her grandfather, then what's the point?
A nice developement leading to a good old-fashioned tearjerking moment ruined by a single balloon.
Not good man, not good.