Mai

(Spoiler lite) Michele actually does ask and he's not cool with it. I think Chu and Chada are following their own thematic or structural adaptation of the novel.

Okay, thank god. The reason why it seems like he's cool with it is because in chapter 32, Ain asks him "Are you upset because you think I lied to you?" and Michelle says "I don't think I was deceived" and that "I don't think everything that happened at the mansion was a lie" while still clearly being uncomfortable with Ain's deception, so it's just kinda frustrating how easily he seems to go along with Ain's manipulation afterwards when literally every manipulative question could be answered with "I'm hesitant because you lied to me."

bc is a manhwa and everything needs to be dramatic?

I think he means he wasn't deceived because he believes the feelings they shared in the mansion were real, he doesn't want to put them into question even tho Ian lied to him because he truly felt love and felt like he was loved by Ain. Michele is very much hesitant even in this chapter and it took Ian basically terrorizing him to make him reconsider the sleeping together thing, but he isn't that easily swayed, he's pretty stubborn in wanting to know the truth from Ian.

I get that that's what he means when he says not "everything" in the mansion was a lie, but even in this latest chapter, Ain/Ian is once again trying to manipulate him by bringing up how "well if you consider me and the servant to be such different people, you might as well just marry my sister, right, because you can't trust me anymore, right," and Michele still can't say "yeah, actually, I can't trust you, and that's your fault because you did lie to me."

I understand there's a psychological scare tactic going on and Michele is currently afraid of what Ain might do to him (which is its own level of messed up), but this is the third or fourth conversation of the exact same nature they've had, and it gets to a point, you know? It's starting to get frustrating that Michele falls for it again and again, hence why I expressed my frustration that he still hasn't managed to even say "hey, it's kinda messed up that you lied," but instead got a nice handjob out of it instead. It feels like we'll be here for another 20 chapters before he musters the courage to speak out.

Yeah, I actually get what you mean. Michele was pretty verbal about this from the moment they entered the castle. He's clearly bothered by the deception even though he doesn't believe everything that happened between them at the mansion was a lie. I think the problem is that Michele and Ian are almost talking past each other. Michele's hesitation is basically, “You deceived me, so of course I'm confused and unsure right now,” while Ian, because he still doesn't trust Michele's sincerity, interprets that hesitation as further evidence that he needs to keep testing him (￣∇￣"). Btw, Michele isn't actually as much of a pushover as he might seem right now.

I absolutely see your frustration , and honestly, I think part of it may just be the narrative flow the creators have chosen for the adaptation because Michele doesn't remain this passive. If I remember the novel correctly, the events around this part actually play out a bit differently (I don't even think there was a handj** ), so I think the manhwa may be rearranging/altering some things. (Oh, and Ian does seem to realize that physical intimacy is one of Michele's major weaknesses and sometimes uses it as a way of placating or disarming him (￣∇￣").

And you're right that Michele has every reason to be hesitant after realizing Ian deceived him. But don't worry, Michele isn't actually the pushover these chapters might make him seem like. For example, when Ian suggests that Michele might as well marry Katya, Michele is genuinely hurt by it and does call him out. There are also points where he gets angry with Ian and refuses to simply let his behaviour slide. He loves Ian deeply, but that doesn't mean he endlessly tolerates everything Ian does.

Oh man, that sounds like a lot more interesting character dynamic ;__; I'd love to see him finally stand up for himself more and call Ian out, rather than go in circles as they're doing right now... I really hope it's not gonna take long in the webtoon to get to that point. As it is right now, it's definitely making Michele seem really passive. And as a result, Ian also comes across as way more evil, since Michele looks genuinely afraid when he starts raging about "why don't you trust me??" while thinking internally about how he doesn't actually care about whether Michele stays confined to the bedroom for the rest of his life or not. If Michele actually responded with some agency in this scene (as he apparently does in the source material), it wouldn't make Ian seem so overwhelmingly in control of their power dynamic.

All in all, I hope Michele gets the chance to clap back soon :/ it's not really fun to read the same conversation of "i guess you don't love and trust me after all" and "no i do, i'm sorry!" for the umpteenth time.

I think part of the problem is that the manhwa's current narrative flow makes the power imbalance between them feel much stronger. Ian is controlling and manipulative, so without clear pushback from Michele, Ian naturally comes across much harsher while Michele seems overly passive. But I promise Michele doesn't permanently remain stuck in this loop .

I really recommend reading the novel though! Aside from getting the fuller story, it's honestly such a beautiful read (it made me cry like a baby ). Woosoo is genuinely gifted. Unfortunately, I don't think their issues will be resolved anytime soon . Ian is a complex character that requires a lot too reach out to him. When Ian feels insecure about Michele, he tends to fall back on manipulation and “testing” him rather than just communicating like a normal person (￣∇￣"). And I can't stress this enough: I understand Ian's actions towards Michele, but I don't agree with them. The novel just does a beautiful job of showing you how deeply broken Ian is and where that behaviour comes from. Without spoiling too much, even after a mutual confession, Ian still struggles to believe Michele truly loves him and at one point essentially thinks he's too “dirty” for Michele . But OMgoshness, Michele really is Ian's saviour . His words, actions and acceptance of Ain/Ian is so beautiful, so please stick with it

P.S there was one chapter I think described them perfectly (the beast tamed by its bride)