beta
Honestly the mage guy is better than gold eyed man. Like the mage is just a narcissist and blunt as all hell. So it's clear what his intentions are, he's not fake he's socially inept. (added point shadie wasn't hostile to him. More neutral than anything) Like I'm pretty sure I know who the Ml, it's not mage man. So I think mage guy could just be her friend to her given the chance. O
Goldie on the other hand is a fake as BIoch who is running the slave wage island and was pretty quick to try rope Mc in before he changed his mind a little also loses a point cause shadie clearly dislikes him.
Oh wait bonus round. Let's talk about the kids. The Mages daughter wanted to leave because of previous abandonment issues coupled with the social inept sudden dad. She honestly cute and due to dying so young she doesn't get the how's and why of the world. Thematically their arc works better and at worst they gave Mc a headache. (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
I can't not say the same for Goldies niece, her goal is to repay the kindness of her love ones. But she clearly is more aware of the situation on the island and seemingly is content with just saving her uncle and trying to rope Mc into marrying him. （￣へ￣）
I'm not saying she is bad in and of herself. But the arc is weaker with a thematically worse father figure. Who is trying to entrap Mc. (〜￣△￣)〜
I enjoy toxic love interests but only if they fit story they are in, rate of delicious dark chemistry, and how it goes about things in general . But this story and it's theming don't jive with Goldie. You could cut him out and make the duchess the mages friend instead.
╮(￣▽￣)╭
Yup, neither of them are the ML, neither are the two others we have yet to see (priest and ...emperor? Royalty anyways). The true ML is Shadie <3
I really hope the mage never develops feelings towards MC, I'd really enjoy seeing the two have more of a platonic friendship than anything else. Or at most he gets confused about what his feelings are but things are talked about and get solved quickly, they remain friends. Their personalities just match so well as friends! I hope they get to graduate from a customer-artisan relationship to friends asap so MC can finally speak her mind and not worry about it as much (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
The EXPRESSIONS OMG THEY WERE SO GOOOD. side note tho did he slap that man's booba.