てほしくば - "If I want you" to or "If you want me to"? I always understood as "I want/need you to". How does it make sense in this context where a kidnapper in a drama says: > Per this translation: If I want you to return the princess, surrender the castle. Shouldnt also mean "You want/need me to" For the correct translation to be: If you want me to return the princess, surrender the castle

I think it is "If you want me to return the princess, surrender the castle" as you said.

VVV=VVV= "If [you (the listener)] wanted (someone/some people who can control the action of VVV) to VVV" where VVV is an action. sounds old, overly elegant, or demanding while is more contemporary, less elegant, and less demanding.

i.e

() = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to eat

() = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to stop

() = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to resign

() = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to release (some people)

()() = If [you] wanted (person/people in control) to take (some people) (somewhere)

I am just answering from my language experience (Japanese is my first language) and I am not a scholar. I hope I helped a little bit.