Lauvil's manga / #Arranged marriage(13)

There are way too many details and plot points in this story that makes me uncomfortable. Mainly things that reek of interlised mysogyny. One is the trope of a beautiful, but weak girl, who needs a man so rescue her all the time. Another is the clear implication that rape is not about violating a woman's right to bodily autonomy and integrity, but about her and her family's honour, which is why the bad guys try to rape Mei to hurt Kou. It's bullshit though. The idea that raping a woman could somehow hurt her family or lover, more than it would hurt her, is archaic and misguided. In general the story feels like it was written by a man. The way the MC's body was posed and exposed to please the male gaze in ch.1, and the thoughts she had about herself and her body, just felt so charicaturized and cringy.

I already don't like the premise... I've read enough stories about FL's who were neglected and/or abused bc of their thoughtless husbands, to know what's coming. It will probably be revealed that the ML loved the FL all along, but some misunderstanding or trauma caused him to act cold towards her. But I call BULLSHIT on those excuses. Bc the "misunderstanding" is never the root of the problem, that caused the first timeline to end in tragedy. No, the reason is that the ML didn't realise that his position as a man, noble, leader and husband is one of privilege. His actions forms the basis for his wife's life; whether she will be respected or disregarded, be cherished or neglected, be served or spend her life in servitude. He has no regard or compassion for his wife's feelings or circumstance. If, in the first timeline, he had just spent a minute to think about how his words sound or how his actions can be interpreted by her and others, she wouldn't have had to experience the abuse and neglect in the first place. One could argue that he simply didn't know how his actions affected her and that he didn't have the sense to understand or predict it. But even that is an empty excuse, bc he could've found out if he simply asked her, spent time with her or checked up on her. Imo, there are no excuses for his behaviour. His wife was completely at his mercy and HE SHOULD KNOW THAT. Even if he lacked common sense and empathy, that much should be obvious. Yet he still spoke and acted like he did and made his wife MISERABLE. I think it's great that our FL gets a second chance - she deserves it. But he doesn't. The fact that she has to go through hell, be executed and DIE, and then still has to teach him how to not be an inattentive asshole, just means that he wasn't worth it in the first place. Run away from that bastard, please. He doesn't deserve you.

Laria Rosetree is a Korean woman who reincarnated into a novel, as the terminally ill daughter of count Rosetree. The girl just lost both her parents at the young age of 13, when a duke Icard shows up to take her in. He wants her to marry his son, to desperat rumours of him growing his power, and even though Laria knows she's being taken advantage of, she decides to go with it so she can live out her last days in luxury. However, the cure to her desease, which killed the original Laria in the novel, was conveniently revealed at her tombstone. And even more conveniently, the very rare fruit which holds the cure happens to grow in the duke's backyard. How convenient. Now all she needs to do is the fruit for 5 years, without anyone finding out, while convincing the duke she still has an expiration date and also make sure she can somehow live on after she's been cured. Less convenient. So far - 4 chapters in - it looks pretty decent. Not an astonishingly new or original plot, but it has pretty art, light hearted writing and cute characters. I'm counting on it to be a relaxing read - though I hope it won't be one of those series where the MC stays a child for endless chapters. I do want my dose of romance and I ain't got the patience to wait for it for 90 chapters.