
wait can someone re-explain that chapter about how she was able to get him to realize that yvonne was suspicious? im confused how just bringing up the innocent maid's death was enough to get him thinking

So Penelope ordered the now dead maid to poison the glass but so did Yvonne I'm guessing but for her to drink not penelope. So Penelope would get set up for trying to "kill" her and the maid would be the witness because Penelope did ask her to poison the glass. But Penelope still had the poison meaning she didn't give it at all or gave very little (I can't remember at this point) but I want to say she didn't, but she suspected that Yvonne did that's why she grabbed the cup.
But idk I have to reread, anybody correct me if I'm wrong.

Actually, Pen would die eventually as she would still drink the poison BUT NOT in front of everyone. As far as i remember, the Duke’s words before the birthday celebration touched her heart and she decided to change the time she die by the end of the party, when everyone finally had their fun and she’ll die in silence.
She lied and said that to Winter bc she doesn’t want him to get too close to her and drift far away from his “role” : Yvonne’s “protector”. Pen knows Yvonne did it but doesn’t want Winter to get involve and ended up like that knight of hers (i forgot his name) just bc she couldn’t return his feelings and start using him instead, so i think she misleading him in order to protect him

can someone explain to me whats going on and how the late emperor was involved+how hes involved with the family? im so confused by whats going on behind the scenes

... inferiority complex he just decided to do another plan, where orlo aka the knight that escaped with regina to spy what going on or more like what are the north Duke's are hiding in their territory (it's something about the fangs)
(We're gonna see what's there because phelio is gonna to show to leo that in the time skip)

Basically the previous generation were not showing their fangs and trying to keep a balance by faking alliance in the open. But the late emperor had ulterior motives and wanted to find out more about the Duke's land and his family secret aka the fangs power.The late Duke also seems to have known that the emperor was up to smth but didn't show it. This was also passed down to the current emperor (then crown prince) as we can see with his action on the present and his hostile attitude towards Phileo.
What Phileo wanted to know was if the plan started from his generation or the previous... The plan being them trying to infiltrate inside the North which is where they also tried to use Regina (Leo's morher) for it...The red head knight she fell for was actually a high ranked nobel who workded for the royal family.

HAVE THEY CONFESSD THEIR LOVE YET OH MY GODDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD IVE BEEN LETTING THIS MARINATE

Not yet ;( but the ml has acknowledged that he likes the fl and the fl is meeting with her ex but she doesn't really feel him like she thought she would so probably for another 10 chapters, it's gonna be them both (mostly fl) realizing that they like each other unless the exes do smth to disturb that.
Its honestly such a good read already but if you want to start reading when they have know they have feelings for each other, you probably let marinate for another month
i was getting ready for an epic fight scene abt the dragon and marianne just to see the infamous/dangerous dragon get shot down with one arrow. i guess the author just gave up