How does one grow a backbone when for 10 years of your life, you have been abused so many times that your mental state is severely affected? There is no literal way for her to stand up for herself when her family blames her for existing and causing the Duchess' death allegedly. False accusation just to make her feel lesser than human and find no real support until the ML came in to save her from misery and show her what real love looks like, of course slowly.
Olivia and her situation is painfully realistic for those who has been abused to the point, the slightest bit of accusation towards her makes her fear she did something wrong.
The Duchess, while betrayed by her husband who brought a child in from another woman, was slowly ready to welcome in the child because she saw the child did absolutely nothing wrong. She saw Olivia was already being abused in her own household and she wasn't having it. She decided to divorce her husband and most likely take her children with her after getting settled with her parents. Unfortunately, that never happened.
Now Olivia's father... he has his faults but according to spoilers, he was taken advantaged of by Liv's mother and blackmailed into having the child. He was right to be angry but now that his r*pist died, his anger redirected to his child, even stronger when his Duchess died. He could have just sent the child to the orphanage or given her to a new family, but no. He much rather let the poor girl suffer for her bio mom's mistakes.
Say what you want about the ML, I quite like him. What he did at the beginning towards a child wasn't okay, he made up for it with taking a step back from blaming the FL to giving advice and her being clear and rational. He is quite loving and awkward but he is also charming. He is slowly growing feelings for the FL but his childhood friend is ruining it by forcing him into an arranged marriage even though she is a CANDIDATE. I don't think the FL realizes she is also growing feelings for him but she is definitely enjoying his presence. He also makes a better father figure for Adam than his actual bio dad.
And the whole "he is weak against his family" is bs because he explained his homelife and how shitty it was. You expect just because he is a man he would suck it up and stand up for himself against his family, no. He has his issues and unresolved feelings about them.
The ML is a green flag.
I can't tell which one is the male lead and which one is the second male lead but I love Luca so much! Julian does give second male lead with villain attached to his title. Luca and Dorothy has a much better chemistry probably because they live together for now. This story may be the typical "isekai lady steals the original male lead" and this one is actually cute and makes sense. Hopefully the original female lead is not a bad person, but that hope will most likely dwindle.
Honestly, Riyun has been good at managing her abuse away from Melissa and tried her best to walk away. Melissa on the other hand, whether she is intentionally trying to rile her up or not, is only going to force Riyun's hand to strike at her. Like, she has already told Melissa to not touch her by yanking her arm away but to try again with touching her after being told not to, I would have pushed her too. Riyun has an inferiority complex due to trauma and being ridiculed for her appearance which in time periods like these, beauty was the best thing a woman has at her arsenal, still is today for some woman. Riyun isn't trying to act like a victim which is why she mostly hide her true colors despite the constant frown here and there and her outbursts at home against the maids, which was the parents fault for not giving her the love she needed. All she wants is to fit in but her pent up anger and trauma is thick and heavy, now slowly being exposed thanks to Melissa antagonizing her just because her brother favors the "ugly girl" over her...
I am on Riyun's side. She doesn't want to hurt people or herself but her anger is sharp and fast, anger that she built up most likely for years before Melissa came into the picture and nkw Melissa is just making it worse when Riyun only wanted to walk away.
Now that I have read up to 17, I am absolutely heartbroken for Riyun. Melissa pushed her too far and Riyun just snapped. Did Melissa deserve a beating? Yes and No. Yes, because she just wouldn't leave Riyun alone when she begged for it. No, because Riyun released anger on someone who didn't start her trauma, but she was definitely the major catalyst for Riyun's mental breakdown that led to physical violence.
I absolutely love Reynold. He is in between being interested in Riyun and unknowingly falling or already has fallen in love with Riyun despite knowing she likes Cain. He didn't give a shit and still gave Riyun his attention, teasing her, accepting her, using willing to use magic for her when it seems he doesn't like using his magic. He is absolutely smitten with her that he doesn't give a fuck if his "precious" sister got beaten up, he was still worried for Riyun. So the fact he saw her falling to her death, he definitely cares a lot more than he or anyone realizes for someone who is unattractive. She is attractive to him and him watching her fall was heart wrenching. I don't think Cain expected it either, it certainly seem like he wasn't angry enough to want her dead and was just as shocked.
I am curious though if this is Riyun's second life or a life she is inhibiting when away from her "original body"
It's concerning that there are some people who don't know how grooming works... Grooming would be actively trying to get the child to like and prepare them for something devious. Stories like these, the FLs AREN'T FUCKING TRYING TO DO THAT. In that case, it comes down to the MLs slowly but surely falling in love with the FLs.
4 years isn't that big, plus they both were children once as Annie has been working for the Duke since she was 8 years old. Granted, after seeing Narkiss' backstory, it seems she has met him a little older but still children nonetheless. Only difference, she turned into an adult first.
There is no grooming, zero. She isn't trying to get his attention so she can date him, he is ACTIVELY going to her and gaining HER attention. He is old enough to know what he is doing. Plus, I ship Annie and Narkiss better than Kyle.
I would rather have the father and second brother to slowly forgive later down the road than Derrick. The father and Second Brother are actually trying while Derrick is still an ass to Penelope. If I was going place my forgiveness on some it would be the Duke and Reynolds
Those two really thought Filomela would be miserable in her new home. Jokes on them, especially Prince Andrew. He really thought, if I see where this is going, wants Filomela to suffer so she can run back to him and be dependant on solely him. He is using Patricia and Makin her believe she is his lover to provoke Filomwla into begging that she wants his attention solely on her. However, sending her to the cursed Kingdom backfired tremendously because she is thriving with a man who is devoted to her and doesn't believe in the bad rumors about her. That is his greatest downfall, by sending her away and finding her happiness.
It amazes me that People think it's easy to gain a backbone. Amelia literally had almost the entire academy to hate her and she was on her own. I would be discouraged too to try to stand up for myself when no one will bother to listen.
Even if she now has the Royal family's attention, people like her don't just grow a backbone out of nowhere. Having help shouldn't be a problem Because it let's her know she isn't alone and will gradually work on growing more, but being targeted the way it happened at the end of chapter 11, she is on her own with no one to listen to her until the Royal family comes in. How is she supposed to stand up for herself when no one is willing to see she isn't like the rumors suggests? She can't, not even a person with a backbone can. Having someone in her corner has a much better outcome than being alone and getting hurt further by being slandered like this.
Of course, you can argue and say she doesn't need other people to know the truth because she has found real friends who believes her and knows the truth. However, in a situation like this, ignoring it shows her no favors at all so getting this mess solved would be in her best interest so this matter can go away instead if just suffering through until graduation or even for the rest of her life. No one can live like that nor should be expected to. You are asking for that individual to have major problems living like that.
While there are some qualities of the male lead that is extremely distasteful, but he isn't like most male leads who would constant abuse the female lead and make them depraved of any sort of contact. This.female lead is only scared to be abandoned because it dawned on her finally that her family just outright abandoned her. I don't blame her for how she acts and why she is scared of being left again. That's all she has experienced in her life.
Is the male lead doing anything to make it better? No, however it's still early in the story. He isn't the worst male lead in the world, he does try to take care of her when not using her for sex. It's a nice touch though that he was a virgin who acted on instinct to take his female as his. We don't get too many male leads like him to be a virgin. The male lead still has room to grow as he is already swayed into developing some sort of feelings for her which is a better direction than most male leads could even fathom.
The female lead, bless her, no one has taught her Jack shit. It makes sense why she acts like that because no one taught her anything nor did she have any freedom to learn on her own. She isn't dumb, at least the annoying type of dumb. She was never given the chance to learn, hence the lack of dining etiquette being one of them. She is only learning as she goes through the interactions, wouldn't surprised me if the blonde maid taught her what it meant to be a chambermaid. It's plausible that is why she knew what to do because she was taught off screen while we were focused on the male lead. The maids instructed her on wjat to do but it's only speculation as she just outright gave him a blowjob.
All in all, this is a more tamed version of this kind of trope. It is definitely worth it for me to read. The main leads are growing on me. There isn't really much to hate about them too much other than it's distasteful at the beginning.
There are quite a lot I love about this. I love our FL, she is so cute.
I love the redheaded knight, something did tell me he wasn't just around her and caring bout her because she is a neglected child, but his fatherly instincts kicked in to protect this child. He is a great father so it makes sense.
Ligrin... there is one thing I like about him is that he does seem caring even if he is meant to look harsh. He knows what the commander is true and had no choice but to walk away and remain silent.
As for the second brother, I can just tell he does care but due to how he has seen the FL been treated, he, too, treated her horribly because children are impressionable, so he acts by what he sees within his environment. Could he truly hold disdain for her? Possibly but that isn't being revealed. We clearly saw in one of his thoughts "I just didn't want you in a shabby place" or somewhere around those lines but it means he does have some level of worry and care for the FL and slowly beginning to change. Should he have made the change the time around? Yes, but as I said, children are impressionable. Monkey see, monkey do.
I had a feeling Raphael wasn't the one who killed Enrika in the first timeline. Why kill the person you need to break your curse? Also, the man must have also cherished Enri in some fashion to go as far as being a villain along with the maid who also cherished her master.
Thanks to distorted memories, the fl thinks this some sort of novel when really, this is her original world and the people within it categorized themselves to being "characters" in the novel.
Not me being fucking giddy at every sex scene.
So far, out of the elves Jiwoo has slept with, Helka and Callan are my favorite followed by Lanshill
Larvanne: this family can go to hell for all I fucking care. To HELL with them, Tia is right. My sacrifice isn't worth my pain for their happiness.
Preach. That family can rot. When there is a family of evil, there is a least an angel or two unfortunately born amongst them.
The Imperial Family is fucked, except for Perez.
Vieze is fucked because he slapped Tia. Perez is going to be be extremely pissed and will kill on sight.
I knew from the beginning this was a "supposed to be born in this world but got soul swapped" troupe or whatever it's actually called. It's honestly one of my favorite troupes. It's a concept that i hardly seen used. It makes sense that this is supposed to be FL's true world she was meant to be in. She may be naive at best but she is learning everything as she goes as if she is a newborn baby. Especially since it isn't a novel/otome game based soul swapped where she would know the future and the ending. It's basically trial and error on who to trust and learn from series of mistakes.
I am usually fine with incest due to the amount of roleplays I have about such insane concept that my bestie and I do quite often. HOWEVER, that comment from the mother was VILE. I feel bad for the man who was trying to support his mother and then she goes and throw away all of his sacrifice and efforts to say that. He made points clear that he wanted his own family and children, valid. The mother is like "I can do it for you!"
Also, given the time period this is and how young she must have married into the family, she has a small chance of getting pregnant again. If we put aside the vileness and the fact she is his MOTHER, chances of those two producing children at her age is very low.
Jannick, did you literally forget she has Holy powers and she can and will use it? Boy is literally a dumbass... Roy is right to question them, did they really think cursing would work when a person with more mana than him is literally right there, scared and worried for her people?
Imo, I don't get how this story flows. It's just so confusing every damn time I try to understand. Like...there's a high possibility that the dad and the brother was actually brainwashed or whatever.
After going through the chapters and comments, you just have to admit while the imperial father and brother treated og Shu horribly due to misunderstanding upon misinformation and being lied to both in the past and present about Shu's real identity, those two truly does care now that they know the truth in the current timeline while the possessed Shu only knows the past and not the fact her birth started out with a lie that the imperial duo knew about when they heard the baby was a prince that died, not a princess. They have every right to do their best to make amends for the lost time but it is up to the current Shu to take the information in and deal with it how she pleases. I would honestly be fine if she keeps both families who do love her and want what is best for her.
Honestly, her father may have been a cruel man in the past and only turned back time for the sake of the Empire, although after reading the latest chapters I don't think that was the whole truth to begin with, he made some redemption here and there and being there for Keira, better late than never. I would still have a hard time forgiving him but with his effort of trying to protect her properly even though he should have done it from the start, he deserves a second chance