I really like how you are saying your emotions enthusiastically with every assumptions (spoilers) you make and I enjoyed reading it because of that, thanks for the spoiler!
(Sorry for my bad grammar)
THANK YOU! YOU'RE WELCOME. and your grammar's chill dw.
I am very confused about the OG word, what is it? And translation about the nephew should have been niece
OG = original, I'm refering to what the novel timeline by saying ogFL for example. Since our FL and the novel's FL are different people.
(and my autism is too strong to learn names with these few chapter)
Let me put the puzzle pieces together here.
I'll call this a spoiler bc I'm that confident.
The temple. They've been turning specific people, whose linage/power as beast-people is strong, into devine beasts for profit. "Unimportant" children like that lost sister of ogFL *winkwinkwink*, for example. *insert aggressive gesturing here* They're the source of what feels like a huge conspiracy rn, it's not only about the kids here. They're after the throne.
ML, aka og villain, drank the puppet potion in the OG timeline. Then he also "infected" og FL with the puppet potion. He obviously never did that out of love/obsession, he was following orders... from who? Probably the temple or whatever entity works with the temple. Why would "they" need ogFL? THE throne, they want either power or smth else
So, the whole og novel is basically just the temple quietly conspiring their way into the royal palace/bloodline. Either for power or because they want something more specific.
First they use og-Villainess. They count on her to become crown princess and support her by doing the whole spiel with the uncle. But ogFL shows up and takes her place. Oh no! What do we do? OH, I know. Use that one high-ranking puppet as a pawn to get close to her, if needed by force, and make her submit to us too. Boom, the crown princess becomes a pawn and they gain access to the crown prince and more.
Also this potent magic power that ogFL has, I think it's that same beast-people special sauce. The temple simply couldn't yoink her bc she was the first child. For some reason only beast-people/"sacred"beasts can sense that type of energy (and seems pretty useless besides for shifting I assume?). It's capable of calming down regular mages, which is either all natural or artificially made to have that effect by the temple for profit. Those potions must've been made from beast people too :(
I'm heavily assuming that the temple seeks to completely legalize their """"practices"""" through manipulating the crown. Either that, or they're working WITH them or one imperial individual in particular that seeks the throne.
*exhales*
God, the manhwa has already won me over and it has barely been 20 chapters. I start reving like an engine when it comes to that type of shit. (giving all my blessings so this shit doesn't turn into another baby lady)