Bro I love Kyle huhuhu I honestly like Claudine (is that her name, Duke's fiance) coz she ...

Give it a few more chapters. You'll "love" Claudine.




P.S. regardless of all, she is kinda pitiful.

Yes, Claudine is pitiful, but the character I feel the most sympathy for is Riette. He never really got a chance to experience happiness, and by the time things started changing, it was already too late for him (actually, for both of them). His story is just so tragic, it’s hard not to feel for him.

I couldn’t bring myself to feel much for his character—there just wasn’t enough there to make me care deeply. His life was undeniably tragic, but that doesn’t necessarily make him someone I dwell on. Layla, of course, will always be the ultimate victim, and Kyle? He deserved so much better than what life handed him.

But Uncle Bill—he’s the one who truly broke me. Losing him felt like the rug was ripped out from under me. It was more than just a character dying; it was like losing someone I personally leaned on, someone who made me feel safe in an otherwise harsh world. I still can’t reread those parts without tearing up. In that moment, I wasn’t just watching Layla grieve—I was Layla. It’s a raw, aching loss that never stops hurting, and it’s the reason I keep coming back to this story, even though it crushes me every time.

Oh, what I meant was that, between Claudine and Riette, I sympathize more with Riette. Yeah, I totally get what you mean though. I can see why some people might not connect with him. It’s definitely a personal thing. But after reading it for the 4th time, the characters really grew on me. Riette had an emotional arc, especially when he begged and tried to persuade Claudine to cancel the wedding and marry him. He genuinely cared about her, but sadly, even though Claudine loved him too, she couldn’t let go of her ambition and the duchess title, and she took him for granted.

And then there’s that second scene during the war when he was planning to propose to her again after returning. Unfortunately, he never got the chance, and his name ended up on the list of fallen soldiers. That part was just heartbreaking for me.

I also agree that Layla is the ultimate victim, and Kyle deserved so much better. Uncle Bill’s loss hit me the hardest too, especially when Layla called him 'Dad' in his last moments. It felt like something so irreplaceable was taken from the story. Even that scene where Layla visits the cabin they used to live in, talking to him like he was still alive, telling him stories about her life and how happy she was. It’s like she was reassuring him not to worry about her, it always tears me up.