I read many comments saying that the heroine is mean to the 8th prince Rutger or that they don't understand her animosity.
Let's remember together that she had been mistreated in his house by his staff, to his total indifference. She was ignored by him and he didn't say a word of affection or kindness, more like he didn't speak to her even when she wanted to interact with him. He then went to war, leaving her pregnant and unprotected and she was sent to the dungeons as a traitor seemingly on his orders. There, she was tortured and after knowing he came back victorious, she begged to be released. Her sister who hates her and has tormented her her whole life gleefully expresses that she will be killed with her child and it has been arranged by her husband because he wants to marry her, the sister. She was about to be killed in truth when Rutger came back looking all distraught.
As readers, we can say that it's most probably all a misunderstanding (although, really, most of that is easily avoidable and should have been avoided) BUT she doesn't know that. She thinks he betrayed her. Also, her love for him probably withered a long time ago in the face of his utter coldness.So she has reason to hate him.
As for the present child Rutger, he is extremely shrewd and sly (though inexperienced) and he engineered many of their encounters. She makes it clear that she dislikes him and she has a right to her opinion. She never abuses him in any way, just makes clear that he is not her favorite person to which he responds by clinging to her and following her around. He even follows her to her house where she finally feels safe and harasses her. Keep in mind, they haven't ever been properly introduced and we don't know why Rutger likes her in the first place. The first time we see him, he's spying on her from afar, already into her and we don't know why.
I read many comments saying that the heroine is mean to the 8th prince Rutger or that they don't understand her animosity.
Let's remember together that she had been mistreated in his house by his staff, to his total indifference. She was ignored by him and he didn't say a word of affection or kindness, more like he didn't speak to her even when she wanted to interact with him. He then went to war, leaving her pregnant and unprotected and she was sent to the dungeons as a traitor seemingly on his orders. There, she was tortured and after knowing he came back victorious, she begged to be released. Her sister who hates her and has tormented her her whole life gleefully expresses that she will be killed with her child and it has been arranged by her husband because he wants to marry her, the sister.
She was about to be killed in truth when Rutger came back looking all distraught.
As readers, we can say that it's most probably all a misunderstanding (although, really, most of that is easily avoidable and should have been avoided) BUT she doesn't know that. She thinks he betrayed her. Also, her love for him probably withered a long time ago in the face of his utter coldness.So she has reason to hate him.
As for the present child Rutger, he is extremely shrewd and sly (though inexperienced) and he engineered many of their encounters. She makes it clear that she dislikes him and she has a right to her opinion. She never abuses him in any way, just makes clear that he is not her favorite person to which he responds by clinging to her and following her around. He even follows her to her house where she finally feels safe and harasses her. Keep in mind, they haven't ever been properly introduced and we don't know why Rutger likes her in the first place. The first time we see him, he's spying on her from afar, already into her and we don't know why.