To each his own I guess.
But I disagree about her relationship with the king being dragged: first, he is trying to get her recognized as a talent and not a pretty face. And being lovie-dovie would defeat the point. Second, she spend many years in her previous relationship and they were ended abruptly and painfully. Who would jump into a new one right away? Especially with her temperament.
I like the pacing, and especially the fact that she was not obsessed with revenge: that's unhealthy
I think its a resonable pace tbh. The author first had to set the stage for the Mc's position in the Duke's household. Then introduce the villainess and the ex resulting in Mc deciding she wants to make herself independent. So she had to go out, get the job and prove herself to be capable for the job since she is a woman. All this while her plotline with the Emperor develops. The setting seems eleborate if you ask me.
If you read another such story with elaborate plot like 'step-mother's marchen', its on ch 137 and it hasn't been long since the ML was introduced and there is barely any romance. Ofc, if you want a read for romance itself, I would not recommend either of these stories.
The fact that we haven't even reached the full development of her feelings for the King and an official relationship and how it took 80+ chapters for a basic "avenging myslef" plot shows how the author didn't have time and plot management in mind for readers
80+ chapters should atleast be Sisley plotting her revenge and has made several attempts at fl life and reputation if not her getting caught and be prosecuted by the public and wrapping this mess up. It's not a worthy read. Extremely dragged and disappointing.