I feel like this could have been better told, and had potential. It's interesting cause it's not the type of story you often see with k-webtoons. It's essentially a story about toxic attachment, codependency, resentment, agency, and (lack of) trust. Maybe even martyrdom?
I also feel like even if they are using a well known myth, it would have still been good to give more detail, as we don't really get how he put his wife into this curse in the first place. What I do really like is that they used the command of the gods to "not look back till you exit the underworld" to signify someone who is not willing to let his love "go" and keeps on metaphorically "look back" in the past, trapping his lover there.
It's an interesting interpretation. Hadestown is one of my favorite musicals and I love the original myth too, so it's nice to see a variance of the story. Also because it focuses on Eurydice's perspective, and her going mad from this pact. You get the sense of asphyxiation she feels, from how nothing going on in her mind can be expressed outwardly, and how her realizing they both have fallen out of love for each other, and now have twisted and ugly feelings due to their predicament, leads her to "act out" and break the cycle. It's kind of telling how the only things she does with her own agency are to cheat with that guard and take poison at the most crucial moment. She's been turned a puppet, and she's seeking life through self-destruction.
I do think it's weird tho that they Korean isekai'd Orpheus into the Duke of the North TM, like what??? Why did you even need that?? Lol
Ok so Imma explain some basic things about what's happening in the plot that I've pieced together for the people who are confused because this webtoon is definitely a mess in explaining the plot and many characters are introduced.. without being properly introduced. Sometimes I feel like it wants us to feel like Sylhan and feel like we're going crazy lol.
So: you have Khallak, Kirdara, Ibsen/Epssen and Glenberg. Khallak is the biggest kingdom and the Lord of Khallak, the monarch, has only been seen a few times, it's the older woman with the wavy black hair. This was the position Sylhan was meant to inherit before being framed for his father's death. Epssen is a kingdom that got subjugated by Khallak, and was given to Gjord, making him the Lord of Epssen, and he was originally a bastard son of some dude named Lord Stravin, who's some sort of noble of Epssen but I guess he is of Khallak, he was given a part of it to rule there. Meanwhile, Gjord was raised as a slave from probably those subjugated from Epssen. Later on the title of Lord of Epssen was given to Gjord because of his accomplishments in war(s??), and he's also supposed to be chasing after rebel forces there that resist Khallak rule. The title also is a sorta mocking title, as Epssen doesn't have any power actually, and the "lord" of Epssen" is just meant to be going from battle to battle (don't remember more than that pls someone fill this in if they do). Yet Gjord has somehow survived all that. Basically these reasons are why Khallak nobility have contempt for Gjord.
Now when Sylhan was framed for the death of his father, Gjord we just now learned had to actually sacrifice his left arm (a vital part of of anyone who made their worth by being a knight), to ensure that Sylhan would not be executed or be put in permanent confinement in "the tower of Helga" (which I still don't really get what it is but oh well I guess it's a solitary prison). Now because of that, for the past 3 years he's had to have an arm of a beast chimera style forcibly put in stead of his own arm but it is a procedure he has to redo every once in a while, otherwise the beast can I guess corrupt him or overtake him (probably we will find out more about this later).
(This is a good indication of how this webtoon is messy in presenting the information relevant to the plot, because unless you go back and reread the first 2-4 chapters you won't remember that Sylhan did think it was weird his life was spared and he was allowed to live as a slave, and this current plot point about Gjord's arm is actually an answer to that question. Like... I wish we ever got some fuckin map with everything dude).
Sylhan being framed and Gjord being forced to make this deal to give him what was supposed to be a decent life somewhere where he'd be protected was all basically orchestrated by some people, including of course the current Lord Khallak, that knight who tried to test Sylhan with the blueprint of that bridge through the canyon, and the magician who gave him his meds (as him probably supplying poison is also related to the fact that he's also giving him meds that alter his memories and make him numb). Probably the Stravin Lord also was involved.
This is why essentially from the time that this webtoon started (and probably since the day Sylhan was framed 2 years before that) Gjord has been slowly plotting his revenge on these usurpers and traitors, and making moves to make himself powerful, as well as setting the stage for Sylhan to clear his name and take his place as the rightful heir of the Lord of Khallak.
Of note is also that Lisbet seemed to know something more about his predicament that she felt particularly guilty about but her hands were seemingly also tied up for some reason, and Lister seems to be completely an idiot and oblivious to any of this political maneuvering and even the actual side effects of Sylhan's medication or the real conspiracy around him, which makes him somehow even more pathetic. He's basically just excited to finally be above rank him and doesn't question this whole sus thing any further. What's weird is they were both invested though in Sylhan not remembering some things, probably related to Lisbet feeling guilty towards him. Also, Gjord had supposedly made a deal with Lisbet to keep Sylhan safe, and Idk if Lister just doesn't fuckin' know about it or he just thinks he's hot shit and can push Sylhan around, but because Sylhan has been treated like this I guess Gjord's side will no longer keep their part of that deal, tho we don't know what it was yet...
OMG DO WE REALLY NEED HIM BACK THOUGH JESUS
I don't even care about him, nobody does. I feel like he is a case of spoiled child/character syndrome, where an author creates a willful, annoying character that everybody hates and that makes the author feel bad for their creation and wants to find a way to give him some redemption and happiness. BUT I SHALL NOT ACCEPT ITTTTTTT










Oh my lord coming here from the anime, is it just me or does it feel like that pretty first year that's scheming is accidentally actually getting Koyun and Minato closer lol.
Like the things she said made Koyun realize she has a crush, and I feel like what she told Minato will make him apologise or confront in some way Koyun lol. I feel like this mangaka doesn't like dragged out misunderstanding types of conflicts so that's also a plus point for why I think it's going there. hohoho the classic trope from the age of Jane Austen lmao
edit: SPOILER I read ahead, turns out im an idiot and this mangaka is going to milk the shit out of this misunderstanding omfg. I guess the Seihantai is like the opposite of this manga lmao