Nooooooo ahahahaha don't be evil you're so sexy (pls don't let him be an irredeemable villain im so srs he has too much potential for that i beg)
Guys the ending has mc going on a journey after saying she should speed up her schedule. This came right after Vlemir said he was going to confess after he finished up his business. Do you know who else is going on a journey and following their heart?
ROHANNN!!!
You could interpret it as she is finishing up her business so that she can settle down with Vlemir afterwards, but given how she phrased the length of that journey where she can finally be free, it could totally be an insanely great setup for Rohan and Ellisa being able to find love in each other again once they are free from all their duties (she totally ran away from Vlemir with that journey) (plsplspls let that be the case even Kaiden had more chemistry with her than Vlemir) (sob)
LOL
Can we take a moment to appreciate how stupid and funny of a villain Kaiden is? I actually can't take him seriously with how he's written.
When he offered for Ellisa to become the Empress I don't know why so many people read it as him having a redemption arc in the story bc NO!! IT'S LITERALLY CLOSER TO A LAVENDER MARRIAGE!!
"no one can understand me like you do"
Understand what? Clearly he was referring to how Ellisa understood that everything he wanted was power and he hates anyone that undermines his power, how everything good he does has a ulterior motive that brings him closer to absolute power, and how as long as you don't threaten his power, he might even do things in your favour??
Kaiden is literally so in love with power that the one time in the entire series where he blushed was when he was talking about sending his wife to war to win over the entire rebel faction that was forming in the West!!!
bro was like "holy shit you gave me key information as to how to destroy my enemies, you don't even need to come into my bedchambers anymore tonight" CAN WE SEE IT GUYS?? HE IS SO HORNY FOR POWER THAT THE POLITICAL EVIDENCE ELLISA BROUGHT WAS MORE SEXY TO HIM THAN ELLISA HERSELF!!
He was never good nor evil, he just really gets off to the concept of having power and has no morals standing in the way of his pursuit of true love
Woah careful, kaiden might invite u instead to his bedchambers
NONONONONO I RESPECT HIM FROM A DISTANCE
I love this analysis so much and honestly it’s so freakin funny cause of how spot on it feels. I also actually really like the emperor as a character — most portrayals of people in power don’t show how likely they were to covet said power and this story makes his character feel very true to form.
I really want to get the depiction of trauma, self-punishment, and internalised homophobia in this series, but it all feels too... quick and convenient. Someone who has held onto this for so long, lived and developed with this guilt for years, doesn't fold so easily.
Every time you relive your guilt in your head, conclusions form again and again until you are able to name your sin emotionlessly, and speak it in a way that denounces all possible pity in your name. The abusers aren't the ones in control of the punishment; rather, you are, and this includes not letting yourself make such a cathartic confession in front of someone. In a weird way, your punishment becomes part of your ego and pride that can't be taken away so easily.
This story doesn't depict a very longstanding guilt imo. It feels like a very fresh wound that could be taken care of quickly rather than a long festering injury.
Everything was thrown into a 5 chapter package I just use my imagination to fill in the gaps and to expand the story