I can never forgive ethan.....

Maybe I am wrong but the way I see it, the one who ruined her previous life was Freede and her father not Ethan.
Ethan may have manipulated her to become empress but that’s because he truly believed the throne should have been hers. She was literally oppressed all her life to never reach full potential by her pos father. Ethan saw that potential and also her inferiority complex. So the only way for her to reach her true potential would be to manipulate her because otherwise she would never see herself as worthy.
Where Ethan ensured she reached the highest of places. Freede ensured she would forever remain unstable. He also manipulated her but solely for his own gain. He married her simply to use her while maintaining his relation with Julia. I also believe he’s the reason she think she forced him to marry her because this flashback showed he approached her first. (again like you said just because he felt guilt later on doesn’t mean he didn’t commit the wrong. In Ethan’s case manipulation was there but there no negative intentions which isn’t the case with Freede) and worst of all that shit killed himself like he did just to hurt our fl to get back at Ethan. That was the lowest of the low. He knew what it would do to her and he did it because her pain would hurt Ethan. That’s how little he valued her.
If she remained mentally stable (which she didn’t because of Freede) her life wouldn’t have been ruined.

Thats how I see it too

couldnt have said it any better myself (๑•ㅂ•)و✧

=)

Yea i totally agree you for the most part. Freede and her father were indeed total pieces of shits and did ruin her. But still IMO Ethan also did his best to isolate her and make sure she ends up alone so that she falls for him. He manipulated her to kill her brother who was actually the only person nice to her and that took a huge toll on her. He turned her into a tyrant and never once tried to correct her. Sure he wanted to see her at the top too but most of it was basically out of his own selfishness to have her for himself. Even in the second life, remember how he tried to frame the two brothers so that she would kick them out , just because he was jealous? Freede and father were indeed trash but ethan isn't any better.

I am not saying he isn’t manipulative. Just that his intentions aren’t negative towards her. It did come with negative consequences that’s true because he didn’t foresee what it would do to her. But he literally didn’t mean to hurt her. I think that should count for something. And majorly the negative outcome mentioned before came about greatly because of the circumstances her father and Freede created. She never saw her brother in a positive light because her father favoured him so much. She only realised in this life that he was always on her side. So through her perception Ethan also saw her brother as an enemy in the og timeline. I don’t even need to elaborate with Freede.

His intentions were based on what he thought was good for her and would help her get the things she want. Even if his intentions towards her were nice, he acted as a catalyst which made her commit evil deeds. The negative consequences of his actions were quite obvious the first few times and he could have stopped after seeing how badly it was affecting our mc. But even after that he continued to do the same things thinking it'll be all good just based on his beliefs. If someone's actions cause someone great pain and despair more than once, it doesn't matter how good their intentions were. Even ethan himself realised how his actions fucked up our mc's life but it was too late. Even in the new life he tried to destroy her relations out of jealousy and would have succeeded if our mc was the same as in past life. I get it that people forgave ethan because he truly loved her and regretted his actions and decided to be better, but i personally cannot bring myself to forgive him no matter how good he becomes. Maybe im just really bitter cuz im maybe relating it to irl but that's just how i see it.. Im more into the maid x guard love story ʕ≧ᴥ≦ʔ

You are right that it was his own belief that he was doing good for her. And the fact that it ended with negative consequences. But honestly the way the story thus far was portrayed through our fl with a warped perception I doubt she was as evil as she believes and as we have been made to believe through her.
The only evil thing that happened for a fact was that she killed her brother and I gave a logic for that. Afterwards as the empress, through her we saw she was a tyrant. But her actions in things like the project for the disabled (that everyone opposed in her last life but approved in this one because it was suggested by her brother) suggest otherwise. She thinks she was pleasing the nobles. I think she was pressured by them. Also again at the time she was unstable because of Freede because that pos lost the spirit of light. Bottom line I don’t think we can trust what we have read so far because only a few chapters from Ethan’s pov changed the whole scenario.
But you can keep on disliking or unforgiving Ethan. That’s your prerogative too. I hope things are working out better for you now.
And yes. The maid and the knight are super cute! ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~

Ooo now when you put it that way I kinda understand. I too think that she thinks she's really evil just cause she did few bad things cause of her own perception of it. Well thanks for giving your take on this in such a nice way. (๑'ᴗ')ゞ

You’re welcome. I had a lot of fun with the discussion too. ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉ~

(〃^ω^〃) Me too!

:)