At first I didn’t get it but then she said she had nothing to give him in return so I’m guessing giving the counts position to rowen was her way of paying him back for getting her out of debt she seems to hate owing people
Well her friend is the second son of the Duke so he was never going inherit which means she could’ve given him the Count title since right now he’s just a knight (prestigious knight but still a knight).
If she was always gonna owe someone for helping her out with the debt (which she was). I’m saying she should’ve gone with someone she knew and trusted and who would’ve been better than Winslet at the time. Sure her husband was nice before she married him but the time her dad died it was still just him proposing to her she knew absolutely nothing about him. This is all hypothetical since she married the blonde I just think this part doesn’t make any sense.
I think it's because her friend's family are willing to bend over backwards for and she doesn't want to rely on them even though her friend isn't an heir or whatnot. She is loved by the family alone and a family where money isn't a problem and for her it is, she doesn't want to feel a burden
So she’d rather choose crippling debt over a comfortable life . I’m sorry no matter how I try to wrap my head around it I just can’t understand why she would choose someone she didn’t know very well over people she literally grew up with.
From the very start, she knew she would have to rely on someone to help her pay the debt which is why she chose her trash husband because his family was rich.
I would also like to think that *because* she loves Etzen like a brother that she doesn't want him to be in a loveless marriage with her. With That Bastard, the terms of the contract and it being transactional were clear. But he didn't hold up his end because his family sucks and he can't keep his dick in his pants. Classic fuck around and find out scenario.
If Etzen were to find a real love match, Ariana would have never forgiven herself for blocking that opportunity.
Also... she and the guy she thinks of as a brother would have had to produce an heir together. Gross.
And quite possibly the second son might become a vassal once the heir becomes the duke …so there would be little she can payback unlike the clown she married … she also gets to keep her dignity because she is bringing something to the marriage
His trash husband doesn't have the same emotional ties as the other dude's family, no? You wouldn't understand because you're not able to relate with the character but character archetypes like that are very common. The fact some people would rather stay in abusive relationships and pretend that it's not because they don't want to feel like a burden to other people or like they need to be saved. It is very common, how would I know? Part of my job is to counsel people.
You all raise good points and maybe I am to privileged to understand but I still think it's a bit of a plot hole the way it bounces around why she HAD to specifically choose trash husband
If love didn't matter in her marriage she should have just married the childhood friend. Yeah they're as close as siblings but they aren't related by blood. If she just needed to pay off the debt then he really would've been the better option since she was already friendly with him and close with his family plus he's a noble.