Vil’s first interaction with Epel involves Epel insulting Vil (apropos of nothing, from Vil’s perspective) by calling him girly and weak on his first day as Pomefiore housewarden.
Vil beats Epel in a magicless, physical fight before the opening ceremonies have even begun and explains, “In this school, the rule is that the weak obey the strong…since you lost, you will do as I say.”
Epel worries that Vil will be taking all his money or turning him into an errand boy, but instead Vil insists on Epel improving his appearance, his impolite way of speaking and his attitude, saying “if you want to voice a grievance, you’ll have to beat me in a fight first.”
This interaction forms the foundation for the relationship between the two, with Vil trying to correct Epel’s outdated, misogynistic mentality and Epel forced to comply until the day he is able to fight Vil and win.
We see Vil correct Epel’s table manners, make Epel say that his favorite food is macarons, correct his speech patterns and beat Ace, Deuce and Grim in a fight when they attempt to stand up for Epel. During Book 5 Vil insists on transforming Epel into “the poison apple that brings (Neige) down”, but Epel is reluctant to perform “girly twisting motions”.
Vil admonishes Epel for gendering movements, saying, “The whole idea of boys being ashamed of doing effeminate dance moves is so last century” and that he expects Epel to get over his “antiquated notions of things being ‘boyish’ or ‘girly’.”
Epel argues that he wants to be big, strong and tough, and Vil says, “You speak of being ‘charming’ and being ‘strong’ as though the two are mutually exclusive, when in fact both of them are equally valid forms of power…If you want to be yourself, then become strong and beautiful first,” beating him in another physical fight.
Epel runs away from rehearsals and explains how Vil forces him to wear the frilly shirt worn with his school uniform and has forbade him from speaking in his natural dialect, and when Grim comments on Epel speaking differently during White Rabbit Fes Epel responds, “Please don’t tell Vil!” When Idia reacts with surprise to hearing Epel’s usual way of speaking in his dream Ortho explains that Epel actually tends to act like that most of the time when he is around the other first-year students.
Sebek says that Vil also instructed him in how to speak politely, but he does not believe that he has any room for improvement.
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 