I came back to reread this story because I wasn't sure if it deserved a spot among my favorites. However, after rereading it, I remember why I put it there, and it still deserves that spot. This is a short yet bittersweet story. Despite the presence of characters with animal characteristics, it still portrays the reality faced by many queer individuals, and I think that's what makes it so impactful. <3
It's incredibly frustrating to see both male leads displaying toxic behavior in the story. On one hand, we have a character who doesn't hesitate to cross boundaries, showing possessiveness and forcefulness typical of the stereotypical toxic duke archetype. On the other hand, the crown prince, while not as overtly aggressive, still demonstrates possessive and pushy behavior, though in a different manner. Don't worry I haven't forgotten about the white-haired guy, who is supposed to also a male lead. But the third potential love interest has been minimally portrayed, making it easy to forget about him and leading me to believe he's the least likely to end up with the protagonist. It's disappointing because, despite being my current favorite based on the little we've seen, it's entirely possible that he could exhibit the same toxic traits as the other two. Ultimately, only time will tell. Regardless, thanks for reading <3
I read this story a while ago and was eager to continue, when I saw it was completed. While I found Tiktak's crush on the clete cute, I became uneasy when it seemed the Duchess might develop feelings too. After reading your comments, I've learned that the Duchess and Tiktak are endgame. Personally, I'm not comfortable with the idea of someone falling in love with a person they essentially raised. It's not something I want to explore in the story. The art is beautiful, but I've decided to imagine Tiktak becoming a great emperor, having children with the original female lead, and Clete becoming a godmother to them—part of their family—rather than just being the sword of the empire or in a relationship with Tiktak.
The sister had NOO right to just out her brother like that. I understand it can be frustrating to feel like you have to compete against your siblings for the love and attention of parents. However, just because she's upset with her mother for not paying enough attention to her, which isn't even the brother's fault, she shouldn't reveal something so personal (especially out of spite) that he apparently isn't ready to share. NAAAAAAWWWW
And the other mother? It s clear why she did what she did, homophobic ass.What BS of an excuse, if I ever heard one.
the end was just to cute (ノ≧∇≦)ノ