Marielle and Lutin remind me of Wendy and Peter Pan ngl. Marielle knows she could be on fun adventures with him if she let him steal her away, but she knows where her roots are and of the true dangers these whimsical adventures (with a guy whose identity she can't trust/comprehend fully) would bring, so she'll never choose Neverland. The love she has for Simeon may not be the stuff of fairy tales, but it is built on a solid foundation, accepting and trusting despite their flaws.
He's saying Etienne should be Emperor so lightly, but I highkey don't think he's cut out for that tbh. He just doesn't seem comfortable in that role first and foremost, and maybe I just forgot story bits but Etienne never struck me as being interested in the throne or showing let's call it "latent ruler potential".
Anyway, they're so gonna marry each other and rule together so this comment is useless, g'day to you people.
For someone who re read again think rishar only wants to see him as a emperor because of his love for him, plus to shut people up who says shit about him. He grew up thinking that etienne will be the king as a heir to the crown and he'll forever protect him. Etienne never wanted the crown, he was only desperate because of his mother
That adds up. Maybe also because of their childhood, like remains from the days where he looked up to Etienne as a big brother.
He don't got that dick, he's just a dick.
The sex feels icky bc it's just the top being manipulative, trying to isolate the bottom like a victorian housewife with no human rights. Is it that hard to write a possessive top with literally any redeeming qualities? He's fucking the bottom forcefully with such a punchable grin while declaring his stockholm-syndrome-inducing plans, meanwhile the bottom may be making that o-face but he is so obviously in turmoil over the whole situation, and all the sex scenes are just that.
FL for sure feels a bit too op sometimes, but I feel like it's covered up and explained well. She's no annoying too-perfect Mary Sue, but what I lovingly refer to as the V for Vendetta of shoujo. A FL who can unapologetically slay through the story because of deeply emotional origins and/or convictions that resonate with the audience (most of the time it's vengeance)- which was done well here imo, for now.
I hate her, but at the same time I can't help respecting her for how focused she is on chasing after what she wants at any cost.
But ngl, if her father wasn't such a slimey shithead himself the Empress would've looked way uglier this chapter.
The Emperor didn't want an Empress, he wanted a trophy wife and treats her like one.
I also have the feeling that the former Empress might've asked for something not so innocent from the Duchess on her death bed, that fueled the Duchess' rage. Something of an act on my behalf kind of request. "I love the Emperor even in death and/or want my son on the throne, so keep away the hoes" or a more innocent "protect their legacy (bc my hubby is dumb af)" could be it too, either way-
it'd be kinda funny if both of them fell in love with each other instead, as their villainous plans keep getting repelled by FL's giga chad luck.
They couldn't have made it anymore obvious that she's their actual daughter
*winks* unless she went under an experiment *wink wink*
That line made me laugh too much, like, yes author we know
If you want to have a character with no sense of taste then just... don't give them a sense of taste?