"You KNEW??!!
STILL being the origin of so many misunderstandings because everyone keeps just too many fucking secrets to keep track of...
wonderful.
If I had a dime for every time the "coldhearted Marquis" had the emotional range of freshly mashed potatoes, I'd be FUCKING RICH.
"what could she possibly misunderstand"
You mean from the premise that she was chosen as a perfect breeding tool from BOTH SIDES with that being her only selling point, figuratively AND literally? The summary of how you both got to know each other fit in 4 panels including marriage?
So far nothing definite was even exposed via story ASIDE from the breeding part, so the possibility of everyone being an unreliable narrator notwithstanding, there's so much room for misunderstandings, several couples could waltz in there, simultanously.
This Forest Master is fantastic
And she's right. What HAVE the adults been doing.
But this Forest Master is also fantastic.
(Actively scritches her totally reasonable rant into a wall so that doofus of a king has a taste)
Channeling his inner chihuahua, I see.
Settle down, or it's burrito time again.
I am trying WITH ALL MY MIGHT to disregard all this casual and non-subtle condescension towards commoners and big people and non-pastels.
I am TRYING.
The guy is pretty cute, freezing up on the spot like 404-page-not-found.
Dunno how to feel about reading about my daily work in a "cute context" but we'll see.
Found family with a little grafting here and a little roping there and a generous helping of "I do however, think all of you would be helped a great deal by a therapist" and that begins with this saponite statue of a Duke, leaving his kids to rot WAY BEFORE their mother died, like don't give me that. DO NOT serve me this "working dad can only feed bodies, not hearts or minds"
Shirking his duties to begin with, nono. "I think we ate together before"
that was FIVE years. Five years in kids years is being 3 different persons each
And I can understand the flowers and the golden font very well, but if a mother would act like this in earnest a therapist would call that "parentification" and it would lose its golden nimbus pretty fast.
"Barland is the MVP, setting the prince straight every other minute." Which is, after all, quite confusing, as the prince-per-panel-ratio unexpectedly keeps rising.
So let's just go with Kotoro:
"Barland sets the Idiot straight every other minute", and this is also confusing, as the average idiot-per-panel-ratio keeps rising, too.
At least they're all rather pretty. If nothing else -
her going "I didn't see... ANYTHING. AT ALL" was perfect.
Alright. I am ready for her to ask if "Mr. Cat" has been neutered and the Mayhem following after.
So she ain't got all her marbles in a bag (for which she gets a pass, as she's been raised in way that it would be WEIRDER if she was ok) and he's a little... no, very... normal. Suppose the most normal within a days travel.
Did they send the wrong guy for collection or did they just one-sidedly exaggerate the terms of the contract because everyone had lost their minds back then?
Adorably down to earth from the get go. Suppose if one would let her she'd go, "that's true! but then, any of us would do, why not just pick one of the one's WAITING to be picked for years and years and let us common girls go where we REALLY want to be after finishing our duty, like our goddamn home."
But then, she must have had some kind of resolve to begin with to accept her life as it. Guess that'll carry over to her "next duty"
This certainly isn't the first manga to explore the angle of "you brought a magical staff?!" but I almost laughed myself to tears with every new panel.
"I died a social death" - well only if this gets known in detail. Don't worry about us readers, we'll keep it down.
... sorry Vincent, bad word choice.
I on the edge of my seat. Waiting EAGERLY for him to return her "handkerchief" to dry her tears. Or his. Or Maries.
After re-read number xx reached that part again, where Yoshino learns about the harvesting process on Thai natural rubber plantations INSTEAD. Involuntarily intrigued, and all that.
That and Renji Somei going "I am at a loss here, she is how she is, you can smooth out the edges with education and all that, but... well."
Laughing actual tears.
I had high hopes after
"I am not concerned. I am BOTHERED."
But well.
OOOhhhh she is terrific.
She got goals. She got her own arcs. She's not just powered up until she meets the love interest and devolves into a decorative vase.
At this point, even if she never ends up with anyone, I'll cheer for her just the same, because "ending up with someone" wasn't her goal at no point whatsoever.
Gotta love her moral guidelines:
"yay, we avoided the slaughter-Event... OHMYGOD we're poor, why are we still poooooor"
Lilith has a very particular mix of keen observation and almost painful obliviousness.
Though I absolutely get the notion of being to deeply immersed in your own thoughts that you can be gently lead, for several panels, through a palace, into a coach, omit the ride in its entirety, leave the coach and end up WHO-KNOWS-WHERE
I very much love the FL - I can understand others being impatient with her following along, but she resonates with me because she STAYS WITHIN THE LINES.
She observes decorum, tries to follow established rules and methodically moves ever forward, even if that means advancing for severals moves SIDEWAYS to get around an obstacle. Others might scheme and trick and hatch eloborate plans, she just tries to get through this day and the next day and the one after that with a superior goal above that:
bettering life in her homeland.
But: getting there within the RULES.
Yes, she's inflexible (and possibly prone to develop an ulcer if the royal family keeps glueing her to Sarges side - none of both are UNwilling, but you cannot develop this on your own pace if every other minute half the royal family comes swooping in, matchmaking a caretaker)
And above all I love that she's got this hidden ruthless streak that shines through once you ask her for help. She'll do it. Absolutely, no matter the cost (for herself) do it. Shoulder more bullying?
"I've been tasked to make sure the prince doesn't miss a meal and has his bodyguard stapled to his ass - get on with the bullying, I got shit to do."
(not to mention I also love assembling data and know the feeling when no one wants to see it, hear it or even think of it, so finding someone who goes "you got MORE of that? GIMME" with stars in his eyes would be groundbreaking and awesome)
I seriously love the unabashed chaotic vibe.
The crown prince is WEIRDLY EFFECTIVE (meaning: he's weird, and effective, and both at the same time is EVEN WEIRDER and even THAT works out somehow to be effective)
The girls are just. So lovable.
Freya's mom is just inspirational.
Freya's dad is a weirdly pathetic coward who for once isn't painted as villain in overdrive, just a gutless man without discerning eye and even WORSE: wallowing in self-pity. Which is why I very much loved the prince an freya cornering him lovingly and respectfully and without an ounce of mercy after Freya's mom instilled the everloving fear of annihilation in him. (DESERVED.)