But I give up on this one. ML is not a cold duke, he's an asshole. The kind of asshole who put a woman who's playing the part of duchess and his daughter's mom in a shabby room and let his servants treat her badly with how obvious he made it look that she's someone he bought, not even bother treating her like a proper duchess or lady of the house (other ml at least do that)
FL can't defend herself at all, even while facing little kid(s).
I was thinking the same thing. Also if you read a bit further he pushes her out of the house because shes a “bad influence” on riri. And because she’s “intruding” on him and riri’s relationship when he’s really just an ass of a father who uses money to “bond” with riri. Like seriously, i was so annoyed with him when he did that shit.
The Somei household (Idk how to say it but I will refer them like this) raised Yoshino as a strong woman since she was a child, sure, they do spoil Yoshino like a little princess (she is) but they also made her tough. The Miyama household treated Yoshino as a young lady and a little princess (in a different meaning, because she's the only woman in the household) so they really spoiled her in the last chapter
I thought Loid reminded me of someone, especially when he saw Anya being taught by Grandpa Siggy(?), then I reread Black Butler again and he reminded me of Sebastian when he saw Agni with the Phantomhive servants, both are perfect in everything they do, but they can be quite clueless or helpless about humans.
Bonus : The way Loid used the strings to help Anya during the end of year party is literally Sebastian with Ciel on the circus arc
I remember years ago reading this, it wasn't completed, I read the manga until it's the chapter where Iku is holding a cocktail glass, then a couple years later, I went to a small used book store in another city, and read a volume that I haven't read before. I wanted to buy it but I wasn't allowed to, and have been regretting not buying it in secret, and a few years later, I found this site and was beyond happy to read the continuation.
Sadly, I can't find that bookstore again (the only bookstore where I could find the manga), and I have been looking for the physical copy but still can't find the new ones.
But keep in mind that in the setting of the story, noble ladies are 'gentle and frail', it's also what Riftan believes noble ladies to be. Maxi is the daughter of a duke, in his mind, even though they have spent some time together, Maxi still is a weak lady, especially seeing her 'small' body. To him, Maxi is a lady who had never been exposed to harm or even lifted something more heavy than a spoon.
I don't like how he dismissed Maxi's hard work, but think about it, he doesn't know that Maxi had never been really happy when she was still living in the duke's castle, that Maxi was not free to learn about anything or do anything she wants to do because Maxi has never been open about her past to Riftan at all. He doesn't know that Maxi had suffered through wounds more severe than let's say, a needle prick from doing embroidery.
He doesn't know that rather than being 'helpless, useless, spoiled young lady', Maxi would rather do everything she can to not be categorized as such. Contrary to Riftan, who only wants her to be pretty and happy, adorned with jewels and only the finest and the most beautiful things.
I have this perspective in mind, therefore I still keep liking this story, even with all of Riftan's 'protectiveness'. It shows Maxi's growth as a person. She wasn't able to express her opinions and desire at all almost all her life. I love that she has come so far as a person that she can even oppose her husband, the strongest person in the kingdom, the one even his own knights fear. I love to see her fight for what she wants instead of being provided by the male lead like some other characters because the fl is pretty and cute and the ml can't say no to the fl.
She's us if we got reincarnated as a rich girl in the world where our bias lives, me personally, I'm going to pamper the four lads boys
You're so real for this