dude wait a fucking minute.
i had the exact same thoughts (lol?) but it is too soon for us to judge. It seemed more like a prologue than anything. I don't have high expectations, but we ought to wait at least 3 to 5 (if feeling generous) to decide if it is worth it of it is pure horse shit. xoxo hun
Um yeah because that's what backstories are for. We never get a whole explanation right upfront, ESPECIALLY in stories like this, so why is it people are always ASKING for one? Now that is the REAL 'mess'. Besides I can easily guess what most likely happened. The family probably fell on hard times BECAUSE the father was honest (I mean an aristocrat buying a woman to sleep with him? How does that hint that aristocrats deal with poor but honest people decently?). The woman was sold to the aristocrat which lead to the father drinking (more?) heavily and which, in turn, lead to his paranoia. The woman probably returned because she was pregnant and thus kicked out of the house by the aristocrat's wife. Seems pretty simple to me. Ktbn.
The plot is a mess. We don't get any explanation as to why the father would sell his wife, unless we have to assume that because he is a lowly baron, he needed money, but even so... Wasn't he described as honest right before that? The fuck. Then, the wife comes back. I understand she wanting to go back to her child, but why would she stay with the man who sold her? Just because she is benevolent? But then, shouldn't she take away her son from the one who had been beating him for three years? She has no reason to trust him or stay. If we suppose it's because of the patriarchy and she wouldn't have someone to take care of her, then I would really like an explanation as to how she came back. Isn't the aristocrat who bought her powerful? How come he didn't search for her? Not even going to comment in how the father reacted when she was back. He has negative braincells.