It feels like the story was going at a snail's pace then suddenly at the speed of light. Why are we rushing through the plot like the author has somewhere important to be with a deadline
"what is it that's making him so anxious?"
YOU! YOU ARE! YOU AND YOUR LACK OF INFORMATION! YOUR AMBIGUITY!
The town is built on a slope, looking like a pyramid or, you guessed it, a mountain.
Guwon's house is at the peak. He has to climb all those steps and through the entire town to reach the only place he can rest.
Nice catch
Can someone remind me where we see their kids in kiss me liar? Like which chapters cause I need to see again
in the side stories!
I could kiss you rn
Oh Cecil is a copy paste from chase LMAO
ofc yes
yessss he is! down to his bratty behaviour too lol
I am somehow reminded of a post on X (or an insta reel or TikTok I caNT FIND IT NOW) about someone asking their artist friend who draws smut if they rub one out to their art or jist stay horny as they draw it, or have no reaction at all. The answer lives in my head rent free and when trying to apply it now to manhwa authors/artists it makes it even funnier.
The answer was yes, they do, sometimes, multiple times even while drawing. I wish to unlearn this, but also go queens.
I'm wondering if it's the same for fanfiction's authors.
I... I actually am not sure i think it depends on the emotions the author is trying to convey through the scene? I've written smut before in an actual fic/og story setting and in roleplay setting. In roleplay? Yeah I got the whole deal alright. I suppose since it relies also on the other person's responses to my characters and the way they react so it feels less out of my control and unpredictable, which makes you immersed in the actions rather than the emotions because you're constantly reacting to them.
When it was me writing fanfiction or og stories, my smut scenes were usually tinged with certain emotions. Either yearning and longing, or desperation, or the dread of doing it thinking the other person wouldn't place the same weight into the act as they do. The scene ends up being emotionally loaded despite the details of smut, because as you write you pick and choose your words, and the focus shifts from the actions (as in rp-ing) to the feelings. You start to lose yourself a bit into the mentality of the character you're writing in order to convey those emotions, and it ends with you not feeling any sort of sexiness from it.
Maybe later, when I reread, i think "oh yea that's hot actually" but the ghost of intense emotions hangs over my shoulder and smacks my head each and every time so it's hard to goon to the agony I just put into words lol.
Idk if it'd be different from fanfics that are labelled porn without plot or simply mindless smut, because what I write is heavily plot based. But I think maybe?
That makes sense, especially the distinction you made between focusing on actions versus emotions. Thanks for the insight.
I keep pondering on what young meant when he said there's a difference between them in chapter 18, but the way I see it is that the difference between both is essentially their biggest similarity: being human
If you look closely, both of them have their optimistic and pessimistic views. Despite Jiho's depression and loneliness, and how it affects him psychologically and emotionally, he's able to see meaning and beauty in everything. Everything in life, for him, has a meaning; an higher motive of existence. Things don't just "be", they're representations for bigger pictures or deeper meanings, and because of this mentality and his introspection, the burden of his loneliness and sadness burrows deeper into him and he can't help but feel it all.
On the other hand, Young simplifies everything in life. "It is what it is" mentality. Everything exists because everything exists, there isn't always a beautiful or a fundamental deeper meaning to everything that's going on. This was highlighted when he was talking about the orchestra. To Jiho, there was beauty in the arrangement, the ambience, and the setting. To Young, he cannot think or feel what this all means, he sees things from the other darker side or more nihilistic, which is there really isn't a higher meaning to those who're performing, to them, it's just another day at work. They don't care about all of this each time. And I think this is a beautiful way to reflect on both their characters.
It's so good and rare to see manhwas or even some media portray depression in someone so full of life and art and beauty and positive outlook, while the one who is in peace with life be so nihilistic, numb, pessimistic, and emotionally constipated at times.
Because Jiho feels too much, he aches too much. Because Young put a lid on his emotions, he turned a back to his aches, which manifested as his nihilism.
I feel like i lost my point but what I mean to say is, Young thinks they're different just because they're looking at things from different angles, but in the end they're both just looking for ways to cope with their lives. While one distracts himself with art and beauty, trying to give reason to everything that's happened to him, the other tries to convince himself things just happen, and that he couldn't have done anything about the things he faced.
This made my frontal lobe develop thank you
this lowkey made me tear up u got a beautiful way with words bro
you're the new shakespeare
Keep talking you’re gonna go far
Okay I'm confused about something after reading the novel then coming back to reread earlier chapters here of the manhwa
.
Why is Albert the one engaged to Daphne? Wasn't it James? The Kingsley family did not have ties with Laurel family, it was the Cheslow, right? That's why im confused and I feel like this will ruin so many things because so many scenes will not make sense if Bella is with Albert. I don't understand why the manhwa decided to do that
Same question! There was a guy named James Cheslow, and then suddenly in the manhwa it's Albert
OMG ME TOO i was wondering the same! but im sure the flow wouldn't change much i guess
It really would though once the angelhic plotline comes into place and the Bella x Cedric plot. If who she's with is Albert, a lot of scenes (the boat party, buying angelhic, trying to leave James, cedric fooling Bella, and even James leaving Daphne and the repercussions that had on him to anger the Laurel family) they all make no sense if it's Albert and not someone of a lower family and no ties to the Duke. That was such an odd choice in the manhwa tbh
aah now that you mentioned it, it truly doesn't make sense... i simply thought albert would just have an extra "job" other than a drug dealer lol, but i guess its not that simple considering his standings
I think Cedric's uncle will get a different role in the manhwa — maybe he will be the one that start to commercialize the Angelique?
BTW many things are different: Cedric's father dead (if he is dead in the battlefield, the Clarissa's Monastery help was less personal for Cedric), Tez already Bella's lover (when she uses him to hurt Harriet), the orphans already in the convents, Harriet without skin struggles (i want to understand how the manhwa will manage all the soap Clarissa stuff).
Honestly I don't like the manhwa. The characters are best-written in the novel. Cedric is not only a yandere cold man with red eyes: he is kind and he chuckles often thanks to Harriet (with this character design i cannot imagine Cedric laugh, chuckle or smirk).
Harriet is not only a serious woman: she is stubborn, proud, clever, smart: her every move is calculated and above all she prefers to die before to ask for help (in the manhwa she write Trisha without thinking twice, begging to be her guardian).
In the novel, the scene where Cedric offered his help but she refused it, gets totally different vibes. She was trying to suppress her anger, full of desire to get her revenge: she clenched her fists when the talk to him... she laughed in front of him, because he was concerned she could badmouthing him. She showed him all her pride and fierce. And her reaction left Cedric with a stiff face. In the manhwa she was simply serious, calm and in her thoughts she also justified Cedric's actions during the party... and Cedric? He didn't reveal a single thoughts and he seemed to threat her, instead of warning her.
Sooo given the randomly sprinkled hints, and according to Chaejun's memories and uncle's words, I guess Seung Hyeon has something to do with Chaejun's past and possibly the incident that caused him insomnia.
If you remember around chapter 30 something maybe he had told Chaejun about his brother and how overprotective he is, and that his worst was around middle school (the time he met young chaejun) and that he'd control the circle of people around him and push away anyone he found unnecessary or unworthy or just bothered him and didn't want him near Seung Hyeon. Given how uncle immediately recognized young Seung Hyeon, and how he had guesses as to who locked Chaejun up as a kid, I am GUESSING it's Seung Hyeon's older brother. He probably did that to scare away Chaejun and have him not approach Seung Hyeon again. Going by the memories Chejun had around chapter 39ish of hitting Seung Hyeon as a child it could be what happened after he got locked up and he took it out of the person he thought made his hyung do this to him, or it could be a fight before the incident which led Seung Hyeon's brother to decide to 'punish' Chaejun by scaring him off a little.
I don't think the brother intended for it to cause this level of harm, but that's a dick move nonetheless.
It could be Seung Hyeon himself who unintentionally locked Chaejun up, but this would make the whole plot point of his brother being overprotective and neurotic and pishing everyone away kinds off topic and unrelated. Oh well
woow we have similar brain cells
Here's something else I think there was scene where mantions hide-and-sick play.. maybe they were playing and something happened or it could be that they played before the trauma accident…
but I'm more inclined to the theory that mc's brother did it. ( still don't want it to be true)
I also think that he forgot all of this because of a head injury that happened some time later. (He had a scar on his head)
I didn't remember the hide and seek bit, but going with this it can also be 3 situations
1) Seung Hyeon and Chaejun played hide and seek, Seung Hyeon either forgot Chaejun or got side tracked, Chaejun was somehow locked in, it traumatized him, and he hit Seung Hyeon after in retaliation which led to their separation. The accident is unrelated.
2) The accident is just Seung Hyeon's brother witnessing the scene of him being hit by Chaejun and perhaps in attempts to diffuse the situation he unintentionally hit him. Or it could be just Seung Hyeon himself who did it in self defense since he knew Taekwondo, and after this incident his brother became overprotective.
3)The brother lured Chaejun in with the promise of a hide and seek play and then locked him in. Later on Chaejun takes it out on Seung Hyeon. The head injury could be unrelated or could be the same as I mentioned in 2
Honestly I'm sort of starting to think the brother might not have had a strong hand in this because it feels too elaborate to do this to a young child, it's weird and vindicative, and would mean a lot about him as a person which will prevent the possibility of a relationship between the brother and uncle, and even if author executed it, it'll still make people iffy about it. I'm guessing maybe Seung Hyeon and his Taekwondo play a role, he did manage to even hurt the uncle when startled so...
I genuinely think the actual forced emotions that were going on was between blondie and mc. I'm sorry I don't remember any names as of now except seojoon cause the comments are full of it.
But yeah as I was saying, Blondie was so hung up on his childhood crush and friend he convinced himself this was first and true love. He never actually met mc again or knew him well, he was just riding that obsession to find him then that high of finding him that it was quite easy to let it go once he realized it's not mutual. It's not that he got over mc and immediately considered Seojoon, it's that mc was never a real option to begin with and his feelings for him weren't romantic.
Also I don't really this it's right to fault and blame Blondie for Seojoon's wasted potential because he never forced him into being his secretary or limiting himself. Blondie saw the facets of Seojoon's personality that Seojoon WANTED him to see, and blondie took it at face value. Maybe he should've delved deeper, yes, but honestly it's a matter of character imo. Some people really aren't very adept and empathetic enough with social interactions that they can read between the lines or be very intuitive about hidden or unsaid words. Taking things the people you care for and trust say at face value is never a crime and never means you care less. "Why would Seojoon never shae his interests or real likes and dislikes with me? We're quite close! We're best friends! I share everything with him all the time" is what he'd think, and I can't fault him for it.
I find it quite unfair to blame blondie for everything that's happening really, he's just a bit dense and airheaded but he's not forcing anything. He does seem like a clingy person who just doesn't want to let Seojoon go, but I personally truly feel like their relationship was never pure friendship to begin with. It just got mixed up with blondie's obsession with finding mc and seojoon's unwavering belief that blondie doesn't feel the same that he consistently put boundaries between them and never revealed his true self most if the time that ended up with a weird situationship happening without any advancement forward.
I do feel bad for seojoon. It sucks.
I just truly also feel bad for blondie and find it also unfair to suddenly realize the person you've known most of your life and thought were the closest to hid not only his feelings from you but also something as simple as his favorite drink. That the whole "I know him well if not best" is a lie. The friendship was a lie. All the times he thought he was close to him was a lie.
Ofc I don't believe it was all a lie, but imagine being in his position. Then also be told let Seojoon go. Which is fair for seojoon, he shouldn't remain in a relationship that brings him heartache, but when taking in blondie's side of things it really also seems quite unfair.
I wonder how the author is gonna take this further tbh.
You said it so well, all your points are on point, esp ur first point on blondie’s crush on the first mc , also yeah it makes sense that what they had isnt rlly a pure close friendship since like u said, seojoon kept a certain distance and blondie is just a simple person which i personally relate to
Side note completely unrelated to ur comment lol, i rlly like this plot development where blondie tries being the secretary i rlly rlly like this plot point, its like he’s literally putting himself in seojoon’s shoes and it shows that he’s trying to understand him better
I honestly love what the author is doing here it just feels realistic to me and honestly well-written, i hope it will continue this way
Also im pretty sure blondie felt absolutely bad at the last scene, i just feel bad for the both of them honestly like neither are at fault and they’re both in a somewhat complicated situation at least emotionally so i rlly hope they work it out, i personally dont rlly care if they end up as a couple which they obviously will i think , but i just kinda want them to actually be mutually close to each other for once
I really want them both to find peace. Yess the last scene really hurt because he was so happy and proud of himself for getting Seojoon the drink he likes, the drink he thought he likes because that's what Seojoon made him believe, only to get hit in the face with the knowledge it's not actually his favorite. It's not even a simple issue of oh? :(( I was wrong :((( I didn't know him as much as I thought I did :(((
No! It's downright earth shattering to suddenly learn the person you thought you know, who also gave you the impression you're the closest person to them, was in fact just a mask.
I also loved the secretary route! I am very invested in what's going on tbh
I am trying so hard to like the direction of the manhwa but maybe I just hold the novel so dearly that the changes are bothering me, and also because idk how the author/artist here is planning to tie those core changes to the upcoming plot cause in the novel every situation tied to the rest in the end. Yeahhh...
Anyway, I absolutely love this story. Genuinely love Harriet a lot even tho she'd infuriate me at times that I wanna reach into my phone and shake her to STOP THINKING THAT WAY AND ACTUALLY LISTEN
I have nothing to say about Cedric.
Absolutely perfect.
Best male lead I've read in a long while.
Harriet is so damn lucky.
Anyway for anyone reading the manhwa and wondering or worried this might be one of those that starts strong and then drags out and becomes stupid, no worries! This is a very well written story! If the manhwa butchers it I'll be so sad, but if anyone wants to read the novel you should give it a go!
What did they change? I font mind any spoiler~
Ahh so,
Okay this is a spoiler for anyone who'll be come across it:
I haven't kept up with the recent manhwa chapters entirely, but the whole Albert and Bella thing never happened in the novel. The development in the plot in regards to the drug angelhic is also different. It was always implied Bella caused scandals using Harriet's appearance as a disguise, but that's all before the events of the story truly begins. As in, all the scandals we start the manhwa knowing is surrounding Harriet. So the whole disguising as Harriet and joining parties to distribute the drug? Didn't happen. In fact, joining an angelhic related party and causing some sort of a scandal while in disguise as the other counterpart was actually a plotpoint given to Harriet not Bella, later on.
Bella doesn't even come in contact with Albert until later in the story when shit hits the fan truly, and her involvement with the drug is through Tez Rorak. She's an addict. There are many details that give explanations to why other certain events will happen later on and develop in a certain way, so I'm confused why they chose that direction for Bella and Albert. I've mentioned in another comment weeks ago when they first introduced this change that it's completely illogical bearing in mind the future events will all be affected by it, including the fact the man bella should currently be involved in is someone's else's fiance, and that girl will be an essential character to Harriet, and even has a side story chapter dedicated to her love story with another essential character. It's just, the manhwa is changing too much for my liking.
I was excited to see the novel events play out so I'm a bit disappointed and maybe angry like when you're reading something that's wrong so you keep yelling THAT DOESNT MAKE SENSE THOUGH because you already read the whole thing before. Maybe the manhwa manages to do a good twist with the new stuff while also advancing normally in the og plot, so i wouldn't confidently give a verdict now. But yeah, that's it.
hi tysm for this, can you tell me where you've read the novel?
too bad they changed A LOT of it. But if those who didn't read the novel might ok with this but i do understand the frustration u have
At first I read the manhwa up until we met Aunt Trisha, then I picked up the novel from novelupdates. They had multiple sites as options for the translation there but I read it on novelish universe. Let me link you up since i think they changed sites to novexa
https://novexanovels.com/the-scandal-maker-has-returned/
It's a 200 chapters novel with 9 chapters side stories.
Up until chapter 171 it's unlocked, and the rest are unlocked for free a chapter every 10 days (10th, 20th, and 30th of each month). You could purchase coins if you wish to unlock some earlier.
I did continue it on another site (after hardcore search) after i reached 168 bec rest was locked at the time, it had all chapters and side stories, though that site has it translated in Arabic. While I do understand Arabic, I was so used to reading it in English that I felt it fitting to just continue with English format so I autotranslated the site with Google translate to English and honestly it was 90% readable with the exception of some names having different spellings every time due to Arabic being a phonetic language and translation tries to mimick that which ends up doing different ways of writing same name. That, and sometimes mixing first and third person speaking because the writing didn't have the tones (imagine chinese tones to same word can make it different meanings)
If you wish I provide that site too I shall!
Sorry for the long reply haha had to give you the full picture.
thank you so much! bless you ♡
The manhwa is already butchering it! I mean the fountain scene cannot happen. If Cedric himself asks Harriet to join the party with him, how can he gets mad for this reason?
The fountain scene is important for Cedric to discover his feelings and can I say? It's so darn romantic.
And the 'brooch in the party' has an important part in the novel, because he uses the excuse to 'repay her for bringing his Heirloom back', to fully supports her. I mean it's not necessary to follow a novel step by step, but the author cannot neither invent to whole story.
Here you can get the whole unlocked novel
https://lunaranime.ru/novel/the-scandal-maker-has-returned