I first read this way back during the pandemic when it only had 20 or so chapters. It was a classic "sweet potato" story filled with frustration at the time. Eventually, I stopped reading webtoons altogether for a while, last I read was around ch40... I started reading again recently, finally picking this up once more and finishing it.
It's so... healing to see how the two leads are so broken and despite all their flaws, managed to work through their problems and heal together. I love how Violet eventually settled into her own, powerful peraon without losing her gentless, kindness, and rigidity. I love how Winter lslowly learned what love really is, with his toxicity eventually transforming into a proper love language. Even 'till the end, they still had some flaws, but their growth overshadowed those flaws and it's so... happily poignant to see their ending and love for each other. Definitely not the best story out there, but it will always have a special place in my heart. I will remember Violet and Winter's story for a very very long time.
Really, the story only started getting some semblance of coherence at around ch80 when the Shinhwa guild became the focus and MC settled into his mentor tyoe role. Before that it's just... all over the place. Heck, I had hope about that one crine syndicate boss... and he ended up self destructing in just 2 chapters without input from the characters lol.
And then the Rainbow 6 keeps getting mentioned but only three of then got revealed. So much wasted potential.
Setting aside how Julia was practically shoehorned into Theon's arms... because honestly, of all the cast, Julia seemed to be the one most fitting to be free spirited and independent, and even she found the idea of dating Theon to be repulsive (Justice for her as well). Ray and Theon had more chenistry lol.
Anyway, setting Ray's doomed yaoi aside, I really hope we get to see Dorothy finally eating Ray's tomatoes. Y'ALL HAVE NO IDEA HOW SAD IT MADE ME WHEN DOROTHY REJECTED OUR POOR BOY'S TOMATOES AND PROMISED HARVEST EARLY ON IN THE STORY, SPECIALLY SINCE IT WAS PROBABLY HIS MOST HEARTFELT GIFT. As someone who grows vegetables as well, that I REALLY empathized with Ray then. I really hope Ray's precious tomatoes make a comeback.
... is the fact that Liza will always be just like a fleeting dream to Jihun... and it hurts a lot.
Damn, I was lajghing so hard at Yeonwoo's pozza shenanigans I just had to read the entire second half again... then I noticed the hoof prints scattered around the cafe. Well shit.
Her sisters were such wasted potential for a compelling storyline, like honestly they might as well not exist. The plot doesn't feel like it's moving forward either. I was expecting some angst, specially considering she knew that her adoptive family killed her sisters (she was aware who the marquis was because the knight mentioned the family name during the massacre... and she recognized the name when the "father" was introduced). Honestly, the father might as well not exist too.
Honestly, red hair and princess had 0 chemistry. It's like they woke up one day and chose to like each other. It wouldve been more believable if Arjen and red hair HAD a thing because the plot kept going on about how Arjen is more strongly connected with red hair thus they had stronger feelings for each other. I was actually waiting for angst from princess girlie because of some formnof insecurity.
AND DON'T GET ME STARTED ABOUT HOW MESSILY THE HEIBI BLOODLINE PLOT WAS HANDLED. So they're literally just gonna sweep her bloodline uner the rug? There could've been a wholeass character arc for princess girlie about coming to terms with her bloodline but no, they decided to just ignore it altogether.
What happened to Riolu? What happened to young Lord Rosea? Heck, where tf is Ishina? Honestly, all the other characters felt like plot devices. Father (Idk his name, btw) and Sidwell are deus ex machina, Alex is token healer, Lloyd and Eiji might as well not exist. And it hurts to see Arjen go from main character to accessory. This webtoon had a lot of promise. I was actually expecting character growth from their struggles to open up to their family, to coming to terms with their bloodline, to their mana disparity (which was POORLY EXPLAINED, btw and had no significance in the story like honestly it was made to make princess even more of a Mary Sue), heck I would've even wanted red hair struggling and finally accepting his growing feelings for princess! I was expecting the other guardians to step in or smth when green hair and dragon(?) Seemingly disapproved or was bewildered with a guardian falling for their master but NO it was glossed over. The academy might as well not exist. AND EVEN THE ENDING WAS RUSHED.
And let's not even talk about Arjen literally not getting his own arc. Srsly, even when he was kidnapped, EVERYONE WAS MORE WORRIED ABOUT PRINCESS GIRLIE LOSING HER TWIN THAN ARJEN ACTUALLY DYING (not rly but yall get the point).
I knew there was a reason I dropped this webtoon, and I regret pouring time catching up to it.
Cliff: is an outright ass to Edith, forces Killian to go with her girl.
Comments: Please don't judge. He's just controlled by the plot. The novel says blah blah blah
Lize: Never outright hostile but you know is kinda cooking up smth.
Comments: HAH! BITCH IDC IF THE PLOT OR W/E GO DIE IN THE DITCH.
I just hope Killian and Edith gets their happy endinng, Cliff dies in a ditch, and I can't care less about Lize so long as she doesn't act up.