Thank you for this wonderful explanation!
All in the name of love ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶
sure he changes, and has character development but this doesn't mean he deserves her, because what he did to her is enough to make him lose his right to even wish for her. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate him but I don't like him either. Some things are just not forgivable, and I'm pretty sure that if the ages were different and Paulina hadn't grown into such an abusive environment, she wouldn't never ever consider being with him. Sure, he became a better person, good for him, but this doesn't automatically erase his past acts, especially when they were so degrading and misogynistic towards her. I'd be much happier if she didn't end up with him, she deserves someone new, someone who will treat her right from the very start.
*would never ever
Everyone was degrading and misogynistic. No one treated her right from the start. But they were all made to change with Pauliana's example. That's what the story is about.
If that was the basis for someone marrying her then no one in the universe of this novel/manhwa deserves to be her husband. Welp, works for me - she's too awesome for them anyways, but she deserves not to be lonely and act on her (developing) feelings.
2 things:
She is better than all of them put together but she deserves to choose the best out of what's available. And that's Lucius. Coz even though he didn't treat her right at first, he made one different choice. He gave her a chance.
She's so awesome that she can do whatever she wants, that includes choosing to marry whoever or stay single. So she chose to marry the lesser evil.
PS: She was able to change the world through sheer willpower, hard work and by staying true to herself and her beliefs despite all the hurdles. And this was possible because she was given that one chance to prove herself.
That's my point. If she wasn't in that kind of world, she'd never choose to be with him and she definitely deserves something better. He's shitty and everyone of the male gender is shitty in this webtoon. He's definitely not forgivable about what he did (the rape part) but like you said, she has no better options. But that's it. I'd rather she stayed single but i guess you can't control feelings (i would tho, i work better with logic. I'd just stay alone lol)
Yeah, Lucius don't deserve her and...he knows it. What's the reason why he didn't confessed to her at the begging? Because he knew Paulina will not tell him yes because he didn't deserve her as a woman, only as his emperor and she as his knight. Lucius is very aware that Paulina could not choose him and the first time when he finally confesses risking all the years of trust he shares with Paulina (Because, remember after the rape thing they were close friends, even before he knew about his feelings), she rejects him. And as you say he didn't have the right, but... Who does have the right to tell other person his own feelings when they have failed them so badly? Paulina is who will choose he deserves it, as we choose who will be in our life and who not. Even though as readers we say he doesn't because we know all the shit he had done before being a a goody two shoes, Paulina does it because she chose to love him as she has seen him change and someone who deserve been love by her. Lucius has his happy ending because Paulina say so. His past will never be erased, but he decides to change his future self because one of the topics I think this story explores is: people can change. And Paulina, as someone who does not hold grudge to look forward (Example: his relationshiop with Donau or all his subordiantes), chose Lucius. And yeah, Paulina deserves someone better and perfect (like any other random manwha ML), but still I can see why she chose Lucius after all.
You say a change of environment will make Paulina choose another person but... Will be that Paulina our Paulina? A woman who learn to stand up of herself in front of the most difficult situations and have earned the respect of his soldier...? Who was never been abandoned for her parents? To steal alcohol? To be treat as ugly woman? Maybe that dream Paulina who never had a problem in his life would choose another man, but the Paulina of our story choose Lucius because they share a lot and Lucius has given a meaning. Moreover, will be that Lucius the same Lucius? The misogyny is learned, not born with it.
The thing is even though the society where they live it was not the best environment to fall in love, they did it. They choose the other even they have other options, and they hurt the other (Lucius not as much as Paulina but Paulina will leave their baby and never tell him she was pregnant).
I get what you mean, but my opinion won't change. As a reader i find hard to accept him when he did something so fucking disgusting. Some things are not to be forgiven. I still think that she would be much better off alone than with any of the men she had currently met in her life. But of course we can't change the fact that the author made her fall in love, accept him e.t.c. In her place i would have a different approach. But we're not all the same. I've been sexually abused by someone i dated in the past and now even if you put a gun on my head, i still wouldn't wanna go back to him, even if he changed. Even if in a different world she wouldn't the same Paulina, she'd still have better sense and respect herself instead of staying with someone that treated her this way because in my opinion, that's not respecting yourself. Either way, you're free to have your opinion and I'm free to have mine.
Well, I tried and give my point of view. Forgive his actions as character it's still a personal moral choice, nothing much I can do; hope you still not drop the story though and be safe _(:3」∠)_
Yes! We can agree to disagree. Our opinions are formed from our experiences, and the gravity of other people's actions impact this. Words (which Lucius has wronged Pauliana with) and actions (which your partner has wronged you with) hold different gravities.
It is understandable that Pauliana can learn to love Lucius despite his offense and shortcoming because she was still recognised and respected, and it does not compare to the gravity of your experience!
And you are right in not forgiving your abusive partner. You definitely deserve someone better, and you have the whole world available to you. I'm proud of you getting out of that abusive relationship and standing up to what you believe in. In the end we should not force our opinions on others and still have meaningful discussions with different POVs.
It all comes down to one thing: respecting yourself and being able to make your own choice with your own power.
Haha another one after my own. I'm someone who values my freedom and that includes my freedom of choice. And if my partner can't handle that, I'm okay by my own awesome self.
finally someone who doesn't get triggered
That's actually a really healthy way of thinking. Glad more people have a healthy mindset.
Well we don't really have to be angry just because someone has a different opinion. I'm simply after expressing my self and sharing my thoughts. Discuss, not debate.
Sometimes we get angry because we want validation that we're right. But when I see 6 and you see 9, just means we see things differently from where we are. Matter of perspective
Exactly!
YES THANK YOU FOR THIS EXPLANATION <3
I love this story but still dont like him
Thank you very much for the explanation omg
Idk from where comes the rest of the readers but I am from Europe and I am very much used to medieval history. So I understand that most of the important things that Lucius did (except rape, that's a no-no ALWAYS) was bc he is the emperor. Royal lives never belong to themselves but to the crown and politics. Is that simple.
I might not agree with it, but I understand the mechanics behind it.
And, well. About the "uuuh he's cheating the wives / he's cheating Paulina" thing... It drives me nuts. First bc monogamous ppl can be quite disgusting like the LGBT haters. I experienced it since I am poliamorous pan.
And second bc they're missing the whole point that you already explained.
So, yeah. Thank you very much for your comment.
I hope you're having a nice day!
Spoilers
Yo, I am here as reader of the novel because I've seen many people throwing spoilers (and not seen scenes of the novel) and dirt to Lucius but not really contextualize them; that's what happen when you just ONLY read the spoilers. And If you mess with the husbando of my waifu, you are messing with her happiness and, therefore, with me. Also, It's an important part of the message of the novel to understand this development xd
First, 3 wives because it's the easiest, some comprehend some not. Yeah, he married them and I have seen a lot of people hating this. Understandable, have a nice day. No married person shouldn't be with another, that's cheating and Paulina does not deserve that. But, we need to look at the reasons 'Why Lucius marry them? And what did Lucius after marry them?' Lucius marry them for political reasons; If you do not see it, let me explain. Lucius in the manwha has shown that he is not conquering the continent because he wants power, but because he thinks it is the right thing for stopping the wars. At the same time, he knows this dream will cost a lot, many lives and time of his soldiers (Manwha: ch. 34). Marriage is a contract to secure territories, because they easily can do a revolution even though Lucius treat them fairly. It's a way to protect and not let all the sacrifices being in vain. He also needs to marry to establish his position, he knows his position in weak even in Acrea (Manwha: ch. 54) so he needs to do what it's need to do. That's a ruling, sometimes you can't be a moralist. Does he act on Paulina while married? He does not because he respects he's wives and loves Paulina, he bites his tongue and tries to forget her (Manwha: ch. 101). In the novel he explores that If women in his time can only gain power out of marriage, he will be a good husband and give them everything as he can as the emperor. He treats them fairly even though he does not love them and neither them. It's not the ideal situation to his feeling to Paulina, but it's his obligations as who went for war of 10 years.
"The why he does not maker his concubine?" Out of respect, my kind stranger. He loves her (oh, how much he simps) and he can't control that and is one of the thing he wants to do (ch. 45), but also he's aware that Paulina just don't look at him in that way in this moment. He knows that If he makes her his concubine; Paulina will say yes out of duty, not for love in this very moment in the manwha. Even more, he will strip her of something he knows she values a lot; Her title as Marquess and power, something for she fought a lot. Concubine is not the same as Queen, there's difference in power. Not only If he makes her his concubine she will not love him, she could easily hate him out of spite for taking away something he know is precious to her. Isn't love about desire the happiness of the other more than your own? Sometimes he acts out of jealousy I will admit (Manwha: ch. 107, great example), but he never tells Paulina 'you can't do that', he just does dumb things like any person who is in love. Jealousy is irrational (and it was for the sake of comedy, lol) but Lucius will accept Paulina marrying another guy because he saw her happy, he does it with Doctor in the novel. What more can he do? He will of course investigate to be sure Paulina will be happy, and discover that he is a snake and tell Paulina to let her take her OWN decisions about the situation. "Why doesn't he just change the law?" He does it but at the final because at the moment we are in the novel, he can't due to his weak position and politics problems which want to dethrone him at this moment of the novel. He is not a dictator, he has to respond and negotiate; there's been to much war.
The heavy part; tell his soldiers to rape Paulina and tell her "rather fuck whores than sleep with an ugly girl like her". Yeah, he did it, but he will regret it all his life (Fuck, it will be one of the things why Paulina does not believe him he loves her because she remembers it, he wants to fucking beat his younger self in that point) and he make things better for women because he will learn to respect them as equals thanks to Paulina. Lucius does not do an 'Arc of redemption' but he works thought the novel; he respects his wives, he will start changing the law to let women be equal to men at first with inheritance but then changing all the legal system (and If you think of the period; He is really putting on risk he is position and changing all the legal system is very much a hard duty; He even warns his court to leave him If they don't feel they can't cope it!) and he decides that his first daughter (From Rebecca, not his first with Paulina which was a male and 'rightfully' the heir) will be the queen as her right for being the firstborn. I quote «I would like to finish this change in the legal system. I have worked as hard as I could for these dreams, and I will continue on working for them. To be honest, I know that it will not be an easy road for us. Perhaps it will be even more difficult than conquering the entire continent. Perhaps this will be the end of this kingdom, but Paulina, I cannot control my greed for you. I hope you will become my wife. »
This last can be very subjective and If some can't forgive him, it's understandable. He did a very bad thing in the war and rape is still rape. But people make and believe wrong things and learn to regret it, Lucius will dedicate his life to change a system where women were less than a man thanks to the influence of Paulina, not just only for Paulina which is the main reason but because he saw it was unfair. Example, the mother of Rebecca apologize for his death daughter for giving birth a girl to HIM (He was mad as fuck) and his other wive Tory (Acrea Lady; blond one) who help him to discover a plan to dethrone him and still she is such in a weak position for the laws due to being a woman that she has to divorce him and go to receive punishment (no worries, he gave her a title for saving him and trust him over his family, let her work in the castle for logistics). BTW, when he is trying (finally) to woo Paulina one of his wive is dead [In the novel is shown more about the friendship between her and Paulina; and Paulina feels bad when she starts feeling for Lucius due to this :( ] and the other two CHOOSE to divorce him; Tory because of the incident of betraying her own family to help Lucius and the other because say 'Nah, this too much, hope you confess to Paulina Lucius' (The man is a open book about his crush on Paulina for her xd).
About the manwhore accusations, yeah, he was in the war but, hey, never force anyone and no one should be shaming you for your sex life because it's active. More over, he wasn't in love with Paulina at that moment and record them in case someone became pregnant and take responsibility.
There's a LOT I dind't mention but because this SLOW BURN AS FUCK but the necessary (?. We are nearly in the middle of the novel folks and Paulina isn't feeling until the two arcs, lol.
Stay safe <3