Yikes yikes. Can you guys imagine if this was a story from Duke Felix' perspective? One cr...

* can you say her motives are not suspicious?

I don’t know, but that just makes Adelaide unique. I don’t want a typical goody two shoes heroine. I want to see a scheming one as well, rather i really want to see a REALLY bad heroin. I want to see scheme vs. Scheme and not a damsel in distress that just thinks about everybody’s welfare and would offer redemption here and there. Jesus i want a proper scheming and tactics. I only see these kind of heroine’s in Chinese novels, they don’t even care if the villain was once good. They only care about is if they are a threat or not, they have hurt them or the people they care about or not. This is also why i love Lucia because she don’t care abot what other people are thinking and just focuses on herself and her future, but then she started developing feelings for duke and nobody was able to come between them, no third party conflict kinda thing? Just pure self reflection and development.

Agreed. Chinese novels are something else when it comes to scheming

I'd just like to add. I adored this story and have followed it eversince there was just a prologue and 1 chapter. I loved seeing the strong-willed Adele and Felix just slowly falling for her and being amazed again and again by her beauty AND brains. I loved reading this every week - which is exactly why I am now so hard on the story. The disappointment from the initial excitement was just too great for me. The story had a lot of potential - I didn't need another masterpiece where she would become the next emperor via scheming or something... I just needed a decent continuation and ending. And instead with every chapter I see Adele as a manipulator of the only true victim of the situation - Felix. "I love you. You love me, you just don't know it yet. But don't worry, I WILL make you realise it."... if she didn't have the love most people had for her or she wasnt them MC? Girl would have been chased with pitchforks here.

I kinda find it stupid too. Adel is becoming manipulative in a bad way, like she is trying to make the Duke bend his knees and follow her every whims. She is no better than the Saint.

She was the one who initiated the deal to begin with, why is she acting like she is the Victim!
Did the Author forgot? lol!

She even kept on telling the Duke that she will not force him, but is tring to psycho war the Duke.

And this all happen in just mere months, like it was their 1st month when Adel said he loves him.

The Duke with that kind his trauma should've not been able to open up that fast.

The story is helter-skelter. #－.－)

I've been trying to say this but ppl keep ragging on me because ShE's A StROng FeMALe LeAd. I'm like no yulia is strong.. She stands up for herself. Helped adele out and didn't force the prince into liking her. Adele knew what she was getting into and when she was getting spoiled it was all fine. But SHE caught feelings and that's somehow his fault

Well, she really isn't manipulating him? It's more like she is making it a challenge so the duke can understand if he is in love with her or not. And y'all need to see that if they get into a onsided relationship, both of them will end up getting hurt, and Adelaide knows this, and that is why she is placing these challenges on the duke to realize his feelings.

It's either, A. He chases her back to her mansion, and that shows Adele that he truly likes her. Or B. He doesn't do shit, and Adele avoids a relationship that will hurt her.

And like one of the comments said, sure, nice heroins are cool and all, but after so many of them, it gets boring. I also want some badass heroins that don't give a shit (๑•ㅂ•)و✧

There are baddass heroins that don't psycho war their partner just because they fell in love first.

I know what you are getting thru with Adel wanting to make sure she is in a relationship where the guy loves her too, but she is too pushy.

She was the one who first thought of their act, but she was the one to fall first and now she wants to know right away if the Duke loves her?

Like it has been maybe 2-3 months and the Duke has Phobia with women, not even talking to them, because of her stepmom and already opened up to her about that she should've known better!

From my point of view though, forcing a relationship isn't any better. Speaking realistically, she would make him decide in a hurry and what if later he realises he made the wrong decision only because he didn't have enough time and holds it against her almost resenting her? How is that a healthy relationship? I'm not sure if it was true, but somebody has pointed out that it has been a month since they met, so at best a week since "her confession"... she wanted to "give him time because she understands he needs space", proceeds to a few days later force an answer out of him. Yeah, very understanding...
And Adele definitely isnt the "I don't give a shit" type - isn't she instead giving too much shit? She tries to force an answer, then disappear to trigger a reaction but before that acts pitiful for others to see that the one at fault is Duke Felix and not her who broke the agreement in the first place. If she didn't give a shit, then just play with Susan till happy and scram once all is done leaving the duke missing her as a byproduct of her actions and not the goal.

The tropes of nice, ditzy, clumsy heroines is dying - we have so many webtoons, novels, and even mangas where the female leads stand up for each other and literally fight for their lives. And Adele is unfortunately not one of them. She is aiming for what is known as "blackened lotus flower". Acts all nice for others but is scheming to the core.