Inkblot's Topics (111)

Despite how happy everyone ends, this story is fundamentally a tragedy. Not a single woman in this entire world has autonomy. Even the FL is quick to point out that the one decision she thought she got to make freely was actually manipulated from behind by her husband the entire time.

And I’m not saying Antour and Roxina aren’t genuinely happy by the end of the story. But they are never and can never be equal in this relationship. She may tie him up in bed and he may willingly call his mistress, but everyone knows that at the end of the day he could legally sell her off whenever he wanted to. It’s only because the duke had a change of heart that the duchess isn’t dead in a ditch somewhere.

I’m not 100% on board with the romance yet, but I think it’s really nice that they’re really sincere towards each other and beginning to trust one another. Esp when we’re talking hidden knowlege-type main characters, it’s a big deal to tell someone else about how they know all these cheats. Again, I’m not rooting for the ship, I’m honestly just happy the MC has a friend now.

The one thing I know about blended families or remarrying someone with kids is, you can’t pretend that the kids aren’t also part of the relationship. The kids HAVE to come first. Otherwise you get situations like stepmoms being jealous of the attention dad gives his own kids or stepdads who pretend that their stepkid is a guest in the house and not a member of the family.

Phileo clocking that immediately is just *mwah*. He has to be Leo’s dad first and foremost because children don’t have the same rights that adults do. But it wouldn’t be fair to Varia if he hid this fact from her, only to spring it on her once they’re married or had a child together. He has to tell her now, openly and honestly so Varia can make her decision freely.

It takes 80 chapters for them to get married, and then 1 chapter to deliver the baby. I seriously didn’t expect they’d kick him out of the womb so early RIP kid, your father doesn’t favor you and neither does the author.

It’s nice to have a story where the characters actually identify as gay, because they get to interact with other openly gay people and talk about social situations that arise from being closeted. And like, I get why the average yaoi isn’t interested or ready to write those topics, but it’s also kind of weird to always read about gay people in Japan as some one off exception, usually a “I’m only gay for one person” sorta thing.

Imagine finding out that your spouse has been secretly manipulating your kids to lie to you all their lives. That your kids were so afraid you’d find out the secret that they didnt want to be around you.

I’m not going to judge the queen for this weird single-identity plan (yet) but at the very least she could have told the father of her children, as he’d be the one most interested in interacting with them anyways.

edit to add: if this was happening in the modern United States, he would have a very strong case for parental alienation.

The blonde princess was nice and all, but Seiden is truly the best friend Diarmuid and Bezriche could have had because LOOK AT HIM. He’s actually DOING something about this family’s messed up relationships - especially by telling Jaina that he would take her away if she wanted that, but also that her father is more than just the person she’s seen so far.

I’ve had the personal experience of someone telling me things about my parent that I cannot imagine them doing, because all my life they’ve been depressed. It didn’t make me forgive them for what they’ve done to me, but I was at least more informed in how I treated them.

Jaina doesn’t have to forgive Diarmuid, but Seiden is right to tell her about the kind of person Diarmuid used to be before his world was turned upside down. She deserves to know, and to make choices based on the fuller picture, and that’s what Seiden is acknowledging and trusting she will do.

A MC who is the hidden illegitimate child of royalty is not particularly new, but most of them are men. Having an illegitimate princess being taken seriously is new for me!

And the clear emotional turmoil the emperor has makes me curious. I want to know more about how the MC’s life came to this, how the emperor messed up, and what he’s going to do about it now that he knows.

Lmao not Arsian getting bullied by his dad and his lil bro. Man gets no peace.

(And he shouldn’t, because his dad is right: for Camilla to marry him, Arsian’s gotta put in a lot of work!!!)

I swear I wanted to like it, but I still like the original art more. I also don’t get why they have to start from the very very beginning? Can’t they do a quick recap and catch up to the climax we were all waiting for? Doing it like this makes it even more clear that this version is still using the storyboard of the original, but with less care in the details.