I have a few this I personally understood that I think you had difficulty understanding
1) The MC does not turn into an obedient puppy all of a sudden but she knows that she can't be blood thirsty all the time with out blowing her cover and when she turns docile it's cuz she understand that ti get what she wants she needs the Duke with out him she can't do any type of satisfying revenge that would quell her
2) it's not that he gets of from her being choked it's because if you read properly you would realize that she activated the power of seduction one of the 3 main witch powers and he himself is unable to resist and the only reason he choked her was so she would feel threatened and see what type of power she specializes in
3) she is useless that just to make her growth more satisfying cuz the only power she had before was the mild inconvenience to run away and make petty decisions/mistakes to Inconvenience her family's lives so when she actually has power with the ML she is learning howbyo use it she gets progressively better at using it
4) the empress does have a backing beacuase although her family was killed she would still be someone from the old reign and would reasure the citizens that yeah he's chill just like the old one but she does have strong phycological problems and her cat is what she uses to substitute her child which is away which is why she gets so mad when they insinuate they killed the cat
I don't think she'll turn smarter but I think they'll explain it more with the fact that she also wants revenge and the reason the emperor married her must be because of his aid so she will be revealed to have some hidden purpose
Look I'm not saying this is good or even original I can probably guess what happens without reading it but I wouldn't citizenship it as it clearly is low budget or no budget piece that clearly was made to be a fast off brain read and honestly I know many plot holes and mistakes that the story it's self made I agree with you on the villans iq but those flaws you pointed out were not the story's fault and more of your reading comprehension (〜￣△￣)〜
I'm sorry but I can't disagree with you more. It's definitely cliche but the drama, angst and genuine desire for revenge & to survive is very engaging. The art isn't bad and the scanlation isn't horrid either.
It took me a while to respond because I thought, "Maybe they’re right. Maybe I should reread it to see if I was just talking out of my ass." But I was too uninterested to do so for a long time. Still, I gave it another shot—and I regret it so much.
1. I understand that the MC can’t be openly bloodthirsty all the time, but there’s a difference between strategically holding back and completely losing her edge after chapter 5. She doesn’t just tone down her act—she stops questioning things or the ML. Whenever she does ask something, she doesn't get a clear answer, yet she accepts whatever vague response the ML gives her without pressing further or even showing frustration.
Instead of carefully maneuvering him for her own benefit, she simply follows his lead without resistance, making her feel less like someone plotting revenge and more like a passive follower.
And the ML? He’s either unbelievably dumb or just the kind of person who treats life-and-death secrets like casual gossip. He lays all his cards on the table within minutes of meeting her—only to later act like some manipulative mastermind.
Back to the FL: She quickly realizes this man has spent enormous time and resources finding her, that she’s integral to his plan, and that he’s willing to defy the emperor’s direct orders for her sake. It’s obvious he needs her. Yet later, when he acts like she’s disposable, like she needs him more than he needs her, she doesn’t even call out his bluff, worse - she actually believes it.
Where is the cunning? The intelligence? She could’ve asserted her value, negotiated an actual deal, and made it clear she’s an equal in this arrangement. The outcome wouldn't have changed much, but at least she would’ve had some agency. Instead, she just lets him do whatever he wants with zero resistance.
Her anger, wickedness, and spine exist solely in the context of hating her family—and the moment they’re out of sight long enough, she loses them.
2. I was referring to both before and after her magic activated. And, by the way, interesting choice that it just happens to be seduction powers in this exact situation, but whatever.
The choking itself drags on for several panels, with multiple angles emphasizing the act. The ML is smiling—maybe sadistically, but he sure looks like he’s enjoying himself. Now, I’ll admit I was wrong to assume it was definitely sexual arousal, but let’s look at the possibilities:
He gets off on hurting her.
He enjoys having power over her.
He just thinks it’s fun.
None of these make it better. Honestly, I’d prefer it be a choking kink rather than him enjoying having complete control over her. You could argue that he is acting but him acting completely emotionless would have been as good if not better in the situation.
And let’s not forget—his excuse is that he’s trying to help her unlock her powers. But what actually triggers them isn’t physical pain—it’s the psychological distress of him threatening to send her back home. So why did the author frame the scene like that? With the choking, the bed, the ML on top of her? There was zero narrative reason for it—except to make it look suggestive. And if that wasn’t enough, the final panel of the chapter is identical to the classic "romantic" shots used in historical romance manhwas— with soft lighting and roses around the edges.
But how did it ruin the manhwa for me? The aftermath. She isn’t mad. He violated her personal space—her safe space—choked her, threatened her, and deliberately hurt her. But the second he pats her on the head and says "Good girl," she melts. She’s happy. Kicking her feet in happiness and he is outside blushing (either bc of his reaction in response to her power of or bc he patted her idk).
Oh, and let’s not forget: The one time she took the initiative to use her own powers, she succeeded. She couldn’t control them fully, sure, but she could do it on her own. Yet the ML randomly decides that isn’t good enough for him, so he assaults her. This scene was 100% useless and only served to further the romance plot.
3. The problem with her "growth" isn’t just that it’s slow or that it won't be satisying if she does grow —it’s that she hasn’t actually earned anything on her own, and probably never will. Everything points to her becoming yet another romantsy FL who learns she has powers from the ML, who teaches her how to control them, only for her to use them for him. Everything about HER powers is most likly going to resolve around HIM.
She still can’t control her power, she has no allies or real influence outside of the ML, and her biggest "win" so far—her sister’s breakdown—wasn’t even her doing. It happened purely because of her association with the ML. The story wants us to believe she’s progressing, but everything she gains comes from external circumstances, not her own actions. Maybe it would change but I am not waiting for 100 ch for that.
4. I don’t think you’re using the term "backing" correctly but whatever.
The empress seems entirely alone. She lives in a society where women rely on their families or husbands for power. Her family is dead. Her husband is, well… what he is. Her only real support so far seems to be her staff. You could argue that she might have hidden supporters—maybe nobles or citizens who sympathize with her—but she isn’t politically competent for me to have much hope.
Even if she has symbolic value, her emotional instability and impulsive behavior make her unreliable. The story insists she’s politically important, but her actions say otherwise.
Ultimately, the problem isn’t that this story is generic—it’s that it fails at basic execution. The FL lacks agency, the ML’s actions are framed as romantic no matter how questionable they are (they already have feelings for each other!?), and the supposed political intrigue is about as deep as a puddle.
If you enjoy it, great. Just don’t take it as a personal attack when people point out its flaws.
Recently, historical romantasy manhwas have been getting worse and worse. I'm desperate, so my expectations are practically underground at this point—I don’t care if it’s full of clichés or lacks originality, but damn at least execute it well. Spoilers ahead!
This one is such a disappointment that I can’t even make it past chapter 17.
Strike 1: The story teases us with an interesting dynamic—the FL seems like a true villain, bloodthirsty and unhinged… for about five seconds. Then, like magic, she transforms into the ML’s obedient, blindly loyal puppy.
Strike 2: There’s a scene where he chokes her in her sleep under the guise of "training," straight out of a bad Western romantasy novel (I can’t remember the name, but the MC was the whitest special snowflake to ever white). Worse, he finds it arousing, and she has zero issues with it.
Strike 3: She’s been mostly useless, dull, and uninteresting—except when she thinks about revenge. But those moments never last long enough to be satisfying and the rest of the time she is just his lapdog.
Strike 4: Everyone acts like a five-year-old with no common sense. Even the supposed scheming villains are too dumb to be a real threat. If the enemies are so incompetent that defeating them is child’s play, then what’s the point? It just isn’t engaging. Dumb emperor is one thing but the family of both leads sharing 1 brain cell is just too much.
Example: The empress hates the emperor because he killed her family—a valid reason. However, this also means she has no political backing, making her essentially useless as an ally. Yet, for some unexplained reason, both the MC and ML are desperate for her support. (They want her to crown him after he usurps the throne but is she has no political standing it's the same as some random person doing it.)
Now, back to the point—she has a cat she brought from home and absolutely adores. During a ball, she overhears the main characters casually mentioning it, and instead of handling it with even a shred of composure, she impulsively causes a scene. Then, she drags the MC outside, yells at her, and collapses into sobs three seconds later. Her reaction is understandable, but it reinforces her weak character, complete lack of political acumen, and emotional instability.
If she were the protagonist, with room to grow and develop, this could be an interesting arc. But as a side character who will probably get zero meaningful screen time? She’ll just miraculously transform into the smartest, most cunning woman in three chapters—out of nowhere if the creators could even write a cunning character.
Don't waste your time with that.