beta
The last sidestory(?) was a little confusing, but I think I can imagine what may have happened, maybe. Little 8 year old Nine wanted to meet someone warm, as he said somewhere here. He likely made that wish on a full moon, and hence it was granted - on the moment wherein there is no more danger nor crisis, and their feelings for each other are already clear and determined. If it happened earlier, Melissa might not have been able to give him all that much care due to dealing with crisis after crisis, not to mention how it might impact future Nine's relationship with Melissa. So, he likely replaced older Nine for a moment, until the magic wore off and he went back to his world. After that, little Nine was determined to meet her again - perhaps in a different timeframe, in a path that leads to a similar future? This is what confuses me. I don't think Melissa had to wait for this Nine to grow up, as old as she is, for them to reunite, when they were already together.
If it's an alternate story, universe, and timeline, then we can't guarantee if it's the same "Melissa" that this Nine will meet. So, maybe, little Nine reunited with another version of this reincarnated Melissa, outside of the usual story too, but in a different path? And then, in the previous world, adult nine must've simply thought of it as a strange dream, probably to be told that a younger him had played with everyone in there?
Artstyle is cute. The eyes are sometimes too vivid, like they're permanent floursecent bulbs, but it doesn't look too bad.
Story was... ok. It's not too different compared to similar "pitiful ML/2nd ML/Villain finds love in a dedicated reincarnator/transmigrator who will do everything to make them happy." There are a ton of stories with that premise that I've grown to love.
What I wasn't too fond of was the way she left due to the plot changing too much. I understand if she left because of their positions and ages.
I understand if she considered his fixation.
But after changing the plot so much and even being resonsible for healing his curse, she says she doesn't want to change the plot too much? It already changed the moment she stepped in as his maid and warmed his heart. It already changed when he healed him. Did she really want the plot to proceed as normal? Even considering what could happen to him later? There are potentially other ways for her to try and divert his feelings:
Try to let him meet new people.
Make him trust others more.
Be by his side and treat him as a family member, and be firm about it, regardless of how she also feels.
Why leave him and cruelly reject him with the thought that the story changed too much after decidedly changing his childhood?
...Ok, I guess I'm too nitpicky with that tiny detail.
But it's like watching a teenage comedy romance, with the only reason why they're aged up is for them to participate in politics and make big decisions. Pouting, whining, and acting cute are commonplace. It gets a little tiring after a while. It's not even a cute trait - the entire family acted like that 20 years later. I get that there's sappy love, and unchanging relationships, but they really are acting like literal children - even Ibelina, who seems the most mature, is no exception. I'm all for "being yourself", I tend to have childish interests and sometimes act immature but it's like they don't act like children, they ARE children. In the case of the audience with the emperor during his birthday - the emperor might forgive it, and they are 2nd highest, but doing being petty, rude, and childish in front of other nobles? On his birthday? It sets a bad precendent. You can express your displeasure without downright disrespecting him ON his birthday IN FRONT of the nobles - even if it doesn't foster potential disrespect from the other nobles and other classes, even if the emperor doesn't mind, the other nobles might. They may not do anything about it, but it still reflects badly - and in a noble society wherein connections are essential, they basically played jesters of the court.
I don't know, I'm just whining, it all just didn't sit well with me. Nonetheless, I did like the story enough, and as one of the first I've seen of its kind back then, it holds a spot in my memories.