I hate the emperor and this marriage is a total joke. The female lead, however, is wrong t...

I agree with most of it but Ahn isn't innocent either cause she is trying to take advantage of the situation so everyone is a villian in this case

Heonbi is a crazy bitch but I think if I was in the same position I would want to beat the living shit out of Ahn Won. Ahn Won caught feelings for a man that isn't hers despite Heonbi warning her off.

In HS I had a boyfriend and this little bitch would come up to me when he wasn't near just to whisper in my ear that she likes him because he's taken. They would have classes together and he would fall for her sweet girl bullshit. When we eventually did break up they dated and I never forgave him for that. Honestly that one time when I drowned her during practice should've lasted a few more seconds.

Ahn doesn't have the power to abuse anyonoe. She is a pawn. And of course she wants to make an advantage: 1. she is in love with the emperor and 2. it's for her country and 3. it's for her own safety.

The emperor and empress are, however, abusing those below them.

The man is not wholly the empress's. This is not about modern marriage and adultery. If the emperor wants her, she's his. And the emperor's treatment of the empress leads to others assuming she is not in his favor, so how would she know the asshole actually loves her, since he's so abusive.

True but she is the one putting herself in this position cause this is not the first time she has been beaten like this so she knows what she is doing and is willing to take the abuse so I have no sympathy for her at all

So, if you put yourself in her shoes, what would you do?

One I wouldn't be in her shoe cause I would prioritize myself over someone else cause if I know loving someone could get me killed or constantly beat and I can't do anything about it I would say fuck everyone and get the hell out or at the very least stay unnoticed and bo the bear minimum. You are also ignoring the fact that she is taking advantage of the situation cause she loves him so she is willing to go through all of this she is basically consenting to this the abuse that is obviously been happening for a long time for love. Everything that is happening to her is a result of her choices so far so I feel nothing for her. In the end both girls are in love with a trashy ass person and are making stupid decisions.

Well, if you have a choice. In a historical setting, women didn't have much choice. They were married off.

I think the problem for me with this is both the leads are unlikable. They are both vicious and don't talk things out, just lash out. They don't act like mature rulers, but bullies.

But the secondary ones--like the gal the dowager is manipulating--doesn't have much choice. She hasn't got the power. And when one is raised to sacrifice for country, making decisions solely for oneself are not even on the radar.

Me, if I had martial arts skills and a way of escape, yeah, I'd be hell out of there. Being in the imperial harem sounds like a nightmare for women.

Are you talking about the queen or Ahn? I'm referring to the second female, not the female lead.

When I say put yourself in her shoes, I meant the dark-haired gal.
The female lead is a villainess in this, victim AND villaniness.

She should just slit the emperor's throat and die with him. They are so dysfunctional.

I did put myself in her shoes by saying I wouldn't be in her shoes cause She see the red haired girl is being treated poorly and she is trying to take advantage of that with the help of the empress dowager so I feel no sympathy for her cause the black haired girl is willingly taking the abused under the pretext she loves the trashy ass man