I’m torn

Edit. Ok she used a hairpin to stab that bastard, still doesn’t excuse shit (︶︿︶)＝凸

At first I wasn't gonna read cause it was so long but I'm glad I did! You are 100% correct, it doesn't matter if he changed in this life, it doesn't matter if he was influenced in his last life, the point is he treated her poorly, which is something no one in life can get past, this applies in real life too, unless that person has something like Stockholm syndrome, they would never date their abuser that gives them SO much trauma to the point where they had to shut off their selves from the world for a a couple days. Also another good point you made was that this all happened because she didn't want him anymore, this is just like "Death Is The Only Ending For The Villainess," the brothers only start to care for the FL when she starts to not care for them, its very stupid and makes no sense. I'm also disapointed that she got with the prince because if she's just gonna end up with him what was the point of putting her through the knight training to "Continue the family legacy!?" how annoying, everyone is making excuses about the prince's previous behaviour, when he doesn't deserve any! He doesn't deserve to be with the fl and he doesn't deserve to be king, it would have been better if at the ending they had her become the ruler! What was the point of giving her that name in the prophecy if she's not going to do anything with it???? Like I'l continue the story because its corona time and I'm bored, but like the ending sucks, hate trashy ML's that only want woman when they don't want them back, forget the ML let her be her own ML for got sakes.

I agree so much. Even if he got "better" and stopped disciminating againt Tia, the suffering she experienced because of him made him the worst potential ML. Allen might be a psycho but he never acted upon it for exemple. WARNING SPOILERS


And, serioulsy, do go "she didn't have to fight for him in the second timeline" and "he suffered so much". She had to overcome excrusiating trials again just because she was his official fiancee. She was the one who almost died TWICE and was utterly humilated to completely take her down from the candidates for the Empress's seat. What did Ruve do? Act pitifull, being rejected... The only time his life was proactively on the line for her sake was by taking a blood oath AFTER she agreed to marry him, to bind her. He was rejected several times but never actually had to take risks. He admitted having commoner's bood AFTER it was revealed that she had commoner's blood too. She was always the one who had to take the risks. Also, all the "sweet moments" would have been creepy if she wasn't in love with him from the start, like being forcebly kissed or taking her into his room when she fell asleep. He lied about the breaking of the engagement because "he just couldn't bear to sign the papers out of grief"? Don't make me laught. It was because he was still hoping to get her to turn around eventually. The POV of the characters in the novels show that he is just as cold and haughty that Tia was in the first timeline, funny because it is why made him hate her when he is exaclty like her. He looked down on Ji-eun too for exemple.They both used the exact same words "I can't see any grace or dignity coming from her. She is unbecoming as a Empress". But you know WHO was shown to be sincere, but just a bit slow with his feelings? That is right, Carsein. He is the ONLY one whose POV showed complete sincerety and well-meaning. Some say that Tia is an unreliable narrator. And she is, but never when it is for the important parts. When she look down on Ji-eun on the first time line, Ruve had the same mindset. The abuse, ect was real... And everytime she is mistaken, like thinking that Ji-eun was refusing to heal someone when it fact she don't have the power to heal humans, she had very good reasons to be misleaded. Ji-eun was shown in her POV to be as haughty as Tia too! She found it unbearable to have to bown down as a maid when she used to be Empress... She is no victim, trust me. The novel is FAR from being stellar. It is a repeat of the usuals chineses troops when it could have but so much more.

*Claps in soap opera* (๑•ㅂ•)و✧

Lol, I tend to ramble a lot. And yes, it doesn’t really matter if he changes in his new life because this future version of himself that tormented Tia, it’s still in him to do so. It would have been different if she conspired against him actively and he would have had to execute her for political reasons. But he manipulated her lashing out on him on purpose to justify killing her. In all their years together he never thought that she was a victim of circumstance in being his chosen bride. He never thought it necessary for her to be accomplished and fit for the empresses duties. In his twisted and arrogant mind her being accomplished and praised for it was seen as a direct slight against him. He felt insulted by Tia not remembering her mother’s death, which was dramatic, and couldn’t understand that a 5 year old child would lock this memory into her subconscious. We get through flashbacks that he was fond of Tia’s mother and made him promise on her deathbed to take care of Tia . What scum. And he only thinks of all this after new Tia actively fights to not get married to him. What? So he falls for her because she denies him her love. And that makes me wonder. What happens when she actually does and shows her love for him once again? Will his love crumble immediately? In “Death is the only ending for the villainess” we got the same problem. But I would argue it’s not as prevalent as in “abandoned empress”. It’s really twisted up but follows an otome game logic and SPOILER........................................................................It comes out later that there was a curse put upon villainess to be hated by the people around her. SPOILER END.............. The hatred her step brothers feel for her is also a little more complex. She was brought in to be a substitute for their blood sister. They treated her badly, and the whole household caught on to it. In a fit of childish vindictiveness the younger brother, who was also a child at that time, schemed to have her be accused of stealing some jewelry. No one believed her. And because she was also a child that didn’t get any love, she comforted herself with luxuries. She started lashing out in anger and violence because she was helpless to her situation. Which in turn didn’t endear her to the people around her. So any time people treated her like dirt, she exploded, making her look like the troublemaker. It’s a vicious cycle. It’s still annoying that the brothers warm up to her immediately after she starts to act composed, but it’s a slow progress. The brothers were children when they met MC, through circumstances that would have many children be angry at the “interloper”. Children also see the world in black and white so didn’t understand that MC was a victim of circumstance. Through bullying and feeling abandoned the villainess developed major anger issues, which only confirmed the brothers view they had of her. So even when they grew up, her behavior didn’t endear her to them and they never let go of their resentment. So I understand their dislike much more in regards to human psychology. And I understand MC acting careful with the people around her. She’s afraid because any mistake means death. So she has to lay low and actively plans to leave this house. And it’s not MC’s own life. In “abandoned empress” the protagonist is not transmigrated into another body, it’s the same person. Tia’s thoughts about the prince change too drastically and quick for what she went through. How could she have a normal loving relationship with a man that raped her, drove her purposely to madness and killed her? How could she not fear that anything could set off the man she knows? She knows every facet of the darkness hiding behind his handsome face. Sorry, this was long as hell.

Nah its ok that it was long I tend to ramble as well as I am really passionate about what I type about, and I know how awful it feels when you type all this out and no one even feels like reading it cause its "too long" and you feel like you've made a really good point, but what can you do? ╮(￣▽￣)╭

Anyway I do agree, “Death is the only ending for the villainess” circumstances is a lot different from "Abandond Empress" as one is someone getting transported into a game and the other is someone going back in time, and the reason for the brothers to dislike Pp made sense and they were children, while there is no excuse for the prince to be the way he was, he only ever thought of himself, never once thought "she forgot her mothers death because of the huge impact it caused on her, a 4-5 year old losing her mother causing her trauma which made her forget about it." don't you think she would have liked to remember not only her mother but her whole childhood? the only part of her childhood she remembered was practicing to be empress, and being perfect. You also said that he made a promise to her mother to take care of her, when I saw that in the story I was dumbfounded, if he truly cared for her mother and took that promise seriously, would she really have needed to live a second life? Cmon what a joke, the prince isn't a trustworthy person, he's week willed and they expect me to want those to to end up together and feel its acceptable? (╯°Д °)╯╧╧
lets be honest in the whole story the only Main Character that was good and pleasing to read about was Carsein.(▰˘◡˘▰) He's better than the Main Character herself.

Ha lol, we are one of a kind then. It really sucks when you write down an analysis you are passionate about and nobody gives feedback because it’s too long . I’m really fond of the webtoon “death is the only ending for the villainess” as the MC is an abused person herself so she could relate to the villainess circumstances and empathized with her. It’s really fascinating to see the MC, who was also abused, able to parkour through her new circumstances in a person who went through a similar childhood but reacted to it differently. The MC has to actively do damage control. The villainess, which I have to say is not evil but rather a socially maladjusted person through emotional neglect and abuse. The lesson she learned is that no one gives you kindness and to give as good as you get. No one heard her so to make herself heard she rages, screams and becomes violent. It’s rather really sad. And I think I would like it even more if she was brought back into the past to relive her own life. But it’s still really good. The artist is phenomenal as I can feel the fear the MC is feeling during her interactions with her “family”. It became especially good when she didn’t have to use the options anymore and could speak freely. Yes! The prince in “abandoned empress” is extremely self absorbed. It’s only about how he feels, and I still don’t understand why he hated Tia so much. He was absolutely disgusted by her. Why? I guess we are meant to feel emotionally connected to the prince by showing moments of his past, but tbh it makes me dislike him even more. Especially after he made those deathbed promises to Tia’s mother. I can’t come up with any real reason to excuse his behavior in his past life. He was too vindictive and hateful and had no qualms to physically and sexually abuse her. I agree, he’s so weak willed that it seems like he stumbles accidentally over new revelations about Tia. And changes his opinion however the wind blows. So how could Tia trust him again and not be repulsed by his attempts to be intimate with her? Carsein is indeed the best character but falls victim to the “best friend” trope, which makes him less interesting as a character. It’s probably because he doesn’t really have his own arc and nothing going on behind the scenes. But if Tia was smart and she would have to choose a marriage partner, she should go with him. He loves her and respects her self agency enough not to push her into a corner or an Ideal, like the weed (forgot his name). The prince is self serving. It’s not about Tia, ever. But about his fascination that she doesn’t want him in any form, so makes sure to catch her, disregarding her feelings on the matter. You know, I really like this isekei format where the MC was a villainess and the ML got rid of her for “good reasons”. In this story that’s not the case. The ML can’t really be redeemed because of his active role in MC’s destruction, and how proud he was of it.

Allen was better than the prince but to me it’s a little like comparing apples to oranges. Allen has the same uncomfortable character trait as the prince in wanting to own Tia, disregarding her feelings. But also, his obsessive love for her doesn’t look as bad when you compare it to the prince’s treatment of her. Lol, I don’t feel any empathy for the prince at all and his past moments made me hate him even more. He promised Tia’s mom on her deathbed to take care of her. And boy did he take care of her

Wow you're really where its at! From the way you write I can tell you really look into this, you don't just read one thing and think, "Oh I hate this guy" You have actual valid reasons on why you dislike someone, and I can tell you make sure you fully understand everything before you start ranting, and you see thing from BOTH sides before you make an evaluation which makes your rants so interesting, that even if I want to stop reading I can't, you make me gain a new understanding of things and make me want to move towards your side of view. When I read "DITOEFTV" my thought process was this and I told some one:
"Og Penelope has good reason to act like a brat, she was forced into a home to replace someone who had been taken away, something she didn’t even ask for, and when she got there she was bullied and framed! All the time in these kind of stories I hate the fact that the family members never tries to see the other persons side of view, and usually the author wouldn’t let the girl tell her side of views, they just have the girl be quiet and accept being bullied! But this is what I like about OG Pp, she wasn’t having it if she was bullied she’d actually stand up for herself and yes it made them hate her even more but like does that make sense? A girl is sticking up for herself because she was brought into a family she never even wanted to be in as a replacement and is being tormented by these two brothers to make her seem like a witch, which I’m pretty sure she was probably a nice girl before she came to the house, not to mention she had just lost her family as well! Her mother died not to long before she was taken! This is absolutely ludicrous, no one deserved the treatment she got, and I would never wish that on my enemy, to get bullied for all your life then get killed off, I would turn cruel and rude too! No one tried to see from Pp’s side, there was no remorse from her death, and no thought to it! When the heroine came it was just an excuse to set an irrelevant “evil” person to side to just kill off later, Pp had no friends and no one to back her up while the heroine was accepted before and after the moment she appeared.. oof soz I’m rambling let me stop before I rant your eyes off" but after reading your statement earlier, I started to empathize with the boys a little more, and I understand, they were just children who couldn't even grieve their lost sister before someone came and replaced her, but my problem was that in the game version the only option was death and it was for the stupidest reason, like???
But that's not even all you'd think that when they grew up they would be less scandalous and mature but, when the maid was feeding her that nasty food, the eldest knew she wasn't the one who caused the problem but made her apologize anyway.... Which kinda ticked and rubbed me off the wrong way, but I'll let it slide this once. And I also like the fact that pp and mc are the same, I also wish she can go back and relive her normal life I would enjoy reading it! I like Pp and the MC because they give me a feeling that no other FL has given me and that's that strong aura, they both went through crap and still had the will to live and move on and see where the road leaves ya, and sadly for Pp what she got was death but for MC she got an apartment and college and was free from that god awful "family" just because she had the will to keep going and knew that one day there would be a brighter light for her, now i would admit that Tia was also like this, but the MC for DITOEFTV, when she get teleported into the, she is cool headed, calm and gives an aura that she can protect herself and make good decisions, Tia on the other hand is surprisingly naive? Shes completely idiotic, she couldn't take a hint that Allen was only getting close to her for personal reasons? I mean it was quite obvious he wanted to sway your heart by "confessing his love" for you after only knowing you for 2 seconds, not only that in your past life you knew he was a genius ever since young and you think he wouldn't know how to act and woo a little girl? Not only is she naive and idiotic shes also quite pathetic, how do you fall head over heels for a couple of words? Like cmon ik you can use the excuse "she never felt love like that before thats why she was easily influenced" I call bs! When Pp ran into Bunny Wizard dude for the first time, he showed her kindness and she wasn't easily swayed, you can say its because she can see the interest bars, or because it a game she's played before so she knows not to mess with him... NO! I also call BS! It's because shes smart enough to understand no matter who it is a ML or a side character, you truly know no one! And you truly can't trust anyone but yourself most of the time, she understands this from her past life which may I add is like the society today, Tia lives in a place where Status matters and anyone would try to hang onto you thigh for a little attention, her growing up to be a empress should have know all that! She should know more than Penelope that you can't trust anyone, that everyone is trying to talk to you just to get something out of you, and her living that kind of life once already would make you think she would be wise the second time around but not at all, shes easily swayed by allen when she was warned 3 TIMES by 3 DIFFERENT PEOPLE, to not get so close to allen! First it was her father, then it was a knight then it was Carsien! And instead of listening to their advice, SHE GOT EVEN CLOSER!? NANI!??? AT THIS POINT IS SHE EVEN SPEAKING THEIR LANGUAGE!? IN HER MIND ARE THEY SPEAKING OPPOSITE? THEY SAY BE CAUTIOUS AND YOU DO THE OPPOSITE!? Ah my god the more I think about it the more messed up it makes me. She is also just like the prince, weak willed, if she had strong willpower and actually thought for once she would have never ended up with the prince, and idk if I said this already or not but I'm gonna say it anyway, if she was going to go through all this hard work to become a knight and "Continue the family honour" why have her end up with the prince, its another thing that makes me really upset with the story, her wanting to be a knight really never had that meaning no matter how many times she's said it to herself, she just wanted to get away from the prince and I find that messed up and upsetting, like idek. ╮(￣▽￣)╭

sorry for all the errors I am typing at turbo speed.

Lol, thank you. I always think hard about why characters act the way they do, and try to calm myself before I rant. And I always give children slack because of their brain not being fully developed. Even with teens, because the rational part of the brain doesn’t stop developing until age 25. I completely empathize with the real Penelope. And it might not be addressed in this webtoon yet, but I think her “terrorizing” the heroine has everything to do with being replaced by her and feeling inadequate. Here Penelope is, hated by everyone the moment she got brought to this mansion to replace the heroine. Heroine comes back and is loved immediately. Penelope is from the streets, which means she has no education, or tools to correctly navigate through the social intricacies of high society. She’s not just an outsider to her “family” because she replaced the beloved daughter, she’s also an outsider to all of high society because she’s from the gutter. And just judging the “father’s” actions or inactions in regards to her, makes me assume she never got the necessary education, as she was seen as a doll, only there to ease the fathers pain due to her similar looks to the heroine as a child. So she never had an outlet other than buying luxury items to fill the emotional hole due to loneliness. Her lashing out is completely emotional. And her “brothers” couldn’t understand it because they were brought up with a different mindset. There was no way for them to understand each other because of how they were introduced and the social differences. I also see misogyny and classicism that subtly weaves its way through the story. We have the crown prince acting like a complete maniac, yet it’s Penelope who is called a mad dog and is shunned. Because she’s a woman and because her origins are known. She’s an outsider in every form. Her reaction to it is the cherry on top. MC might have had an abusive family, but she also lived in a society where she was privy to education. There was a light at the end of the tunnel in form to actually be able to move out and be independent. Penelope doesn’t have this hope at all. There are no avenues to be independent. No way to get out of this family other than marriage. And she made it impossible to get married to a good family because of her common origins, her outrageous behavior and her adoptive father never intervening. And I think she’s aware of this. But in her mind it’s too late to change it and that makes her even more upset. Someone might say she could just have left and go back to living as a commoner. But that was made impossible for her after living in the lab of luxury for so long. She wouldn’t fit in with her kind of people, as she doesn’t fit in with the gentle folk. She belongs neither here nor there. She has no survival skills and would just go under. She’s trapped. So I think it’s not just because Penelope and MC have different temperaments, with MC being more adept to read the room, it’s also because MC knew she could escape down the line. And MC is privy to how easily Penelope could be disposed of. Penelope reminds me of those tragic Greek female characters. I agree with you. MC and Penelope feel like real people, not just some mere tropes. I enjoy “abandoned empress” but I have to agree. Tia is too naive and trusting, which doesn’t make sense at all. In her former life she was detached from the gossip about her, yet knew the people around her were snakes. And for some reason she trusts Allen too easily. And this is odd, regarding his character having a similar aura as the prince. They reek of danger. But on the other hand I also understand it a little. Tia in her former life was disliked by everyone. It must have been flattering to suddenly have someone who’s only concerned and possessive with you. So I think she basks in his feelings for her and shoved her logical thoughts aside. Because it feels too good. In DITOEFTV I loved that MC is suspicious of every action, and doesn’t trust others kindness. But she was also privy to who they are. She knows that every ML here is able to kill her in certain circumstances. So she’s extra cautious, and I live for it. The problem though I have with Tia in general is that beside having those monologues about not trusting people and her breaking down that one time, she’s much too open with everyone. Like her father. And that makes me wonder about former Tia’s life. If it only took a hug and saying “daddy” in tears for him to open up, why wasn’t there more concern from him in her former life? It’s weird that she needs to approach him so openly for him to show his affection openly. Anyways, she’s much too self confident in her behavior with other people. She just lived the last, what, 2 years after the marriage, in complete misery. She was emotionally and physically abused, defamed, raped and killed. The last thing she saw was her husbands gleeful smirk. It would have been more realistic for her to have behaved like a battered woman for longer and not just around the prince. But I also understand that this is a massive story, and we already have so many chapters. If they stalled her mental healing and mistrust with others, than we would end up with like 500 chapters. What bothered me though greatly is that she recovered real fast being around the prince after going catatonic because of him. It would have been more interesting for her to become expressionless and tense whenever he’s around, to mentally guard herself from his presence. But she seems more at ease with him now. I agree, Tia should have known already that she can’t trust people easily through her education and being around nobility. But I also think this is the theme here in “abandoned empress” in regards to making the prince more likable. Which doesn’t work for me but there you go. We are privy to him realizing that Tia is not a mini adult and that she’s naive, due to her acting so young after her reincarnation. Old Tia was in many aspects emotionally and socially juvenile, but hid it behind a mask of coldness, refinement and perfection. So the dumb prince never realized that he’s dealing with a vulnerable young woman. And this is used as an excuse to justify his cold and cruel behavior regarding her in their past life.
Yes, as much as I try to put myself in Tia’s shoes in regards to Allen, it’s less about real behavior, but rather a plot device to build up drama for his betrayal in the future. He’s going to do terrible things I assume to make the Prince look not as bad anymore in comparison. So you really see the writers hand here. Logically Tia would be put on guard. It would always be in the back of her mind to be vary of Allen. I’m not sure about the circumstances why Tia marries the prince again, but I think it was because of political reasons? Which is ridiculous if you think about it. She worked so hard not to be trapped anymore, but then just goes along with the Prince’s and Emperor’s schemes. She could have said no. I mean, they invited all those princesses for him to choose one. Wouldn’t it be politically detrimental to choose the one you were engaged to already? Wouldn’t it be a slap to the face for all those other kingdoms to realize that they send their daughters for nothing? Also, I’m not to sure about the spoiler timeline. But does Tia marry him before the heroine pops up? That would be stupid. She experienced the prince’s and the heroine’s whirlwind romance, and would have to fear that it’s going to be the same again, even with all the promises he makes to MC. I don’t know, but I hope the artist makes a good case as to why Tia would put herself into this nest of snakes again.

Sh didn't even marry him again for political reason but out of love... Ironically, I would have accepted the ending better if it was indeed purely political or a sacrifice she decided to make to protect her loved one and/or the Empire.

Wow, that makes it even worse. So Tia didn’t learn anything. If it was politically, something she was manipulated into then I think I could have understood her decision. This is actually really terrible. So the prince doesn’t need to do anything to get her to trust him ( which would be impossible anyways for most people), as she loves him? Does he ever really change as a person? Isn’t he still the same, only difference now is he actually wants Tia. Ugh

Yes, felt bad for original Pp, she had no where to go and no one to back her up, and yes you are right her and the MC are different, the MC knows to just listen to all their comments while gritting her teeth and ignoring them while Pp, is a lot more hot headed and speaks up for herself, leading people to dislike her even more, and some people would think shes acting suspicious. I've read a story called "Beware of the Brothers" or something like that and the FL was also replaced the sister that had died, and the brothers also bullied her, but the difference between this and DITOEFTV is that the parents that brought her in loved her dearly, they loved her to the point to where she wasn't some dead girls replacement, she was just her, not the dead sister, she was apart of the family whether the brothers liked it or not. But in DITOEFTV, the father that brought her in showed no love, if you're going to bring in a replacement shouldn't you take care of her? He can't say he did it for the kids because they obviously hated the fact that they had a replacement sister, so why? What was the point in even bringing Pp back, not only that she looks nothing like the FL that got lost, the hair is different and everything, so why? Why put here through all that torture if you aren't even going to care for her? She could have lived a better life then she did now, yea it would have been a little rough in the beginning seeing as her only family, her mother died, but she would have learned to adapt, she probably wouldn't have died and be as miserable as she was then, its truly a pity, but Pp held on till the bitter end of her life. Lets go back to Abandoned Empress, the fact she ended up with the prince even though it wasn't political sucks, and its to quick but like you said don't want this to continue on for like 500 unnecessary chapters, but like? Idk if its just me I would never forgive someone who did me wrong in my past life, even if he turned into a saint in the next life I'd still be maaaaaaddd paranoid, I'd probably watching my back all the time and having nightmares for a loooonnnggg time, I'd probably die having to be in the same room with them, so I'd try to avoid them at every cost, but alas... tia doesn't have the luxury, you can't, not come to the castle when you are summoned, if you do that would be a slap to the face for the emperor, so she was bound to bump into the prince soon enough, that's something that can't be helped but regarding the love part I have a theory, I believe Tia never truly got over the prince to begin with, in the new life every time she sees the prince out of character from the past one she always compares, like: The prince asked to drink tea with me he's never done that with me in the past life, or the prince wants to help me do something? He's never done that in the past life. Every time she compares, I think her love from her past life comes through, her past self longed to have the price do these things for or with her, but she never got it, so when Tia see's how different thing are in her new life, she gets a realization, that "hey, this is a new life so maybe the prince will be new too" she subconsciously thinks that with out knowing that she's thinking that, somewhere in her body the girl from her past, will for the prince to love her is still there and never left, so every time the prince did something different and kind, that past will started getting bigger and bigger, so then she finds out the truth that everything that happened with the prince in her last life was something that couldn't be helped and that the prince actually could have cared for her, her will from her past self took over, and she forgave the prince cause now all she wants is his love, just like her past self, and in this life she can get it, so why wouldn't the will of the princes love from her past self not take over? The new meaning Tia tried to pave out for herself was useless because she never truly washed away her past self, in Xianxia or Xuanhuan's when a person is reborn in someone else's body, they have to finish the will of the previous body owner or else their soul won't be complete and they could never truly be themselves and adapt to the world and no matter if you want to or not you have to complete the will or it will start taking over your body and you will finish the will unconsciously. When its something like this, you either have two choices, complete the will or reach an understanding between the two souls, in a story I read the guy that died was in love with this girl but the new owner of the body wasn't having it, he told the past soul, you don't need to worry about that girl, I'm in your body now, I am you and I will make sure you have better woman and a better life in the future! The last will of the previous body owner disappeared and the new owner and the previous finally became one. I think this is Tia's case, but she sadly choose option 1, because although she talked about change, she never truly meant it, she never made her past soul or will feel at ease, as she never really had a purpose. So her past will of being loved by the prince stayed there and came out when the truth of the past was revealed, making her forgive the prince and fall in love with him all over again. Well that's my theory anyway. ╮(￣▽￣)╭

Nice theory, but Tia never forgave the firsttimeline Ruve. She can't believe he ever loved her either. However the "she never got over her love for him" part might indeed be true. Which is why this story make so little sense.

Beautifully said. Yes, Penelope never had a chance. I also am reading “beware of the brothers” and I liked that it was the MC herself who was brought back to the past. And I was positively surprised how the author was making it obvious that she is an adult in a child’s body, thus had more awareness of her surroundings and people. She understood why the brothers felt so hateful towards her in subsequent chapters. How many times are Mc’s brought back into children’s bodies while mentally they are adults and take on a child like persona even in their thoughts. The worse for me in this regard was that one webtoon where the 40year old married MC with a child got put into a child’s body, and she acted like a child throughout and became attracted and flustered by some teenage boys. There was never a scene where she was lamenting being stuck in a child’s body, in a different world, or most importantly, missing her family. I’m a mother myself, and I would die inside from sadness not to be able to see my child anymore, or my husband. I dropped this one real quick as I can’t identify with this MC’s actions or thought process at all. In “DITOEFTV” I think it was mentioned on the side that Penelope had a slight resemblance to the heroine early on. I think MC mentions how when Penelope grew up with her darker hair more pronounced that it got even worse for her? If I remember correctly. I’m not sure. And I guess this woke the “father” up from his little fantasy and Penelope, who was brought in to ease the pain, became a constant reminder of the daughter he lost. He was disappointed to discover that Penelope is a human with her own characteristics, not an empty doll who will replace his child. And that must have been aggravating to witness the physical evidence of his failure to find his blood child. And his “honor” doesn’t allow him to just get rid of her so easily. But there must have been a moment where he made it clear to his sons that she wouldn’t be missed if she suddenly died. So when it happens, he can claim ignorance, as he emotionally and physically removed himself from that situation. The funny thing is, in any other webtoon Penelope would have been the redeemed Heroine. And that’s why this webtoon sticks out imo. Because as much as it’s fantasy, it shows the unfairness of life in a really harsh light. I also couldn’t forgive the man who did something so cruel to me. And I think you are right. Her comparing every courtesy the prince shows her with his past self, hints at that she’s still in love with him. There is even a scene where she thinks about how the emperor showing his favor for Tia, emotionally hurt the prince. Which shows that she finds excuses for his behavior. Maybe she feels more on equal footing with him after gathering more confidence and a real support system, so she lets her guard down to be flooded once again, with this self sacrificing love for him. And self sacrificing it is. She was the victim of constant gossip in her past life, but did nothing about it. Just so the prince’s reputation wouldn’t be marred. She’s pathetic in this regard. She knows full well that as soon as they would be married again, she would have no power anymore to protect herself. So would be reliant on his continued good Will towards her. That is emotionally exhausting to be walking on eggshells in fear to set him off. Tbh, it’s made obvious that she never got over him when they showed the scenes of comparing his present from his past behavior. In her own recollections she remembers him being softer with her sometimes. So why does him wanting to drink tea and seeking her out, have such a great impact on her? It’s because, as you said, receiving any kind of positive attention from him feeds her hope and one sided love. She’s desperate for it. And it’s jarring to know that she’s going to end up with him out of her own free will, after seeing her fight so hard against it. The worst thing for me is that there was never a proper excuse given for what he did to her. I would have been more in favor of the prince if it came out that this one Lord “bearded geezer”, who told Tia her blood is dirty, gave the prince some hallucinogenic drugs to influence his mind and make him suggestible to feed his resentment towards Tia. But no. We find out he only did all this because she was more fitting to be empress than him being emperor, and that he developed an inferiority complex because of it. You seem to know more spoilers. Is there ever another reason presented to explain his psychopathic behavior towards Tia in their past life? You say the truth comes out and that makes her forgive him. What happened?

"I would have been more in favor of the prince if it came out that this one Lord “bearded geezer”, who told Tia her blood is dirty, gave the prince some hallucinogenic drugs to influence his mind and make him suggestible to feed his resentment towards Tia"

That's exactly what happened Lol! I just searched for every spoiler I can and that's what happened, and now that I've read the spoilers I understand that the webtoon is the reason he looked so awful in the beginning! After I read the spoilers, I sympathize with him a bit! but if he trusted in Tia just a bit more it all could have been prevented so I do not forgive him, but I understand why he did what he did, and his life after tia died wasn't the best at all, he died in massive regret because he was blind to see that the woman he loved and was closest to loved him and killed her off.

please let me know what your take on the spoilers are.

https://www.wattpad.com/846370951-spoilers-the-abandonned-empress-spoilers-what/page/2

Omg lol . That’s why his eyes were black in the beginning. I wondered about this but thought that it was an artistic expression of the artist to show how Tia sees the prince. Thank you for the link, it shines a light on how utterly spineless and cowardly the prince is. How did he even get to that conclusion that Tia sees him as a breeder and tool for power, if she was only his queen and he had actual power over her, which he made use of in the most disgusting ways. And sorry, I have to laugh. The only reason he didn’t stop the execution was because the “heroine“ clung to his arm so he couldn’t raise it. So was everything because of the bearded geezer drugging him? Every detail? If so. Damn. I certainly hope that the artist will be able to portray the prince’s anguish and make us believe that he couldn’t help it. Now I feel a little sorry for the fool.

Yes I hope he can redeem himself even more in the future, I want to see what happened with my two eyeballs so all we can do is wait. I hope I don't get disappointed!

The question was meant for someone else but, rather than spoilers, you should just read the novel at this point. It is almost completed (there is just a few side story left to translate) AND it is free.

https://wuxiaworld.site/novel/the-abandoned-imperial-concubine/ (yes, it is indeed the Abandoned Empress).

And, well, reading it did not make me change my mind. I was supposed to feel at least a little sorry for Ji-eun and Ruve I suppose, but no, no way. Their fate was determined by there actions and they got what they deserved, in both timeline for Ji-eun and in the firsttime line for Ruve. As for the end of the story and the poison plot, I just can't stomach it. It was not used cleverly enought to make it believable or to justify anything. The poison wad clearly discriminating against Tia for exemple and if he really had wanted to save her in the first place he could. He also could have granted her a more noble death by poison rather than behead her with an axe of all thing in front of the populace. Can you imagine what it was like for her to be executed with everyone screaming abuse at her and caling her the "most evil vixen of the Empire" when she was already broken? When she sacrificed herself and her own health for them? I have never liked "love will heal all your trauma and suffering" type of stories anyway. She can forgive and not take revenge, but how can she forget? Time does not heal everything. Also, as i wrote before, reading the POV of others characters was very telling. Some readers are saying that the manhwa made a mistake by preseneing Tia as an absolite victim and everyone else as a villain. However it was already in the novel. The others WERE the villains bacause contrary to Tia whose actions always benefited others, the actions of others characters were clearly not only made to hurt someone (more often than not Tia) but were made with underlying evil intent.

You can read the novel if you are tired of waiting for the manhwa!

https://wuxiaworld.site/novel/the-abandoned-imperial-concubine/