You are right and it continues and at one point it gets annoying. One of the reason why I dropped this.
You do realize she’s been traumatized and has no one better to compare her current family to? How does she know what love and affection looks like when she’s never known it? Of course it looks “silly” and fake to her. She’s waiting for the other shoe to drop because she’s trying to protect herself. Yes it’s not fair that she’s comparing them without even trying to know them first but again, it’s a self preservation response. She’s trying to minimize the hurt for herself. The fact that she’s constantly comparing them and reminding herself speaks to her true feelings imo.
On another note, I completely agree about the favoritism between the two kids. I do believe the emperor also loves Oscar but probably not as much as Mabel. And this is likely due to his own feelings towards their birth mothers I think. It also hurts me to see him treating his father more as a monarch rather than a father. He’s like 8/9 (at the start) I think? He should be at his most active right now but because he’s the heir (before Mabel came along) he has to behave as an heir does.
Uhm... it's because this manhwa is solely centered on Mabel because she is the main character? All of this is the MC's POV and experiences? Not of Oscar? Did... nobody knew that?
Maybe I hvnt read till latest but am I the only one notice the blatant favoritism on the mc and her 6yo brother was ignored a lot? I mean, the emperor treat his first with respect but the child in turn treat his father as a monarch than a father. He would only able to be his child self and safe with the mc. It hurts my heart to see that.
Plus, I understand the ptsd, the hurt from past life. However, to stigmatise her current family with her previous was frowned upon. It was heartfelt at first but with how much love the emperor was showing to her, and then the misunderstanding of the emperor "ignoring" her was some points to "fortify" her point that the parents will ignore her. He was merely respecting her wish not to see her. Just for that, she blamed him.
The emperor gv her so much things, even the throne, to show his love but those are shown as crazy/deranged/silly by the mc. Those are obvious show of adoration and love, outrageously so.
Gah. I didnt realize I wrote such a long comment. Rarely does so but I can't help it. I'm gonna continue to see if it gets better or not. I hope it will