Kusuriya no Hitorigoto
Wait, what??!!! This isn't on my list? I lost my shit while reading this, there I was rambling and complaining that there were no good mangas/manhwas to read anymore and this treasure right here was waiting to be picked up. It's insane how each chapter managed to one up the other, I enjoyed the earlier chapters but the later parts were the best. One thing I dreaded going into this after I read the synopsis was 'genius female MC upstaged by the ML' or 'FL falling into the dumb pushover Cinderella role' as time went on. Luckily that didn't happen, instead the MC is the realist, is cold with it, grounded and her smarts is just out of this world. The ML whom I thought would be the smiley dude who pulled strings behind the scene and always has motives behind his every move is a softie. I like that the MC is so aware of the position she is in with being in the red light district (not technically) and does what she can with the things she has, like putting freckles on her face so she is deemed undesirable and can go under the radar. She admits that she isn't a "genius" like her bio dad who just knows stuff, she has to take everything into consideration and work things from there but her bio dad acts on instincts and can sus a person or situation out. The love story between her bio mom and bio dad was amazing, I thought he was a dickhead when he was first introduced but there is so much depth to him. Her bio mom waiting for him in her weakened state remembering and trusting him despite everything and the state she is currently in. Also the side characters are given so much flesh and their stories are so inspiring and sometimes hard to see. I like that there is a secret to the ML that the MC clearly sees yet she refuses to since she doesn't want to get in trouble (that's foreshadowing if I've ever seen one). My fav scene has to be the ML just slumped being lonely in a banquet where everyone is enjoying themselves yet he is thinking about our MC. He couldn't believe his eyes and had to do a double-take since she was dressed up and it was the first time he saw her without the freckles. The conversation that followed elevates it as well, we get an insight on her outlook about the red light district. She hasn't "served" anyone yet but isn't afraid of it and admits that the person in charge is probably biding her time to sell her off. She isn't sad, it's not the end of the world for her, just something that is inevitable. I think that shocks the ML a bit. He is so soft for her. Ahh! I ship them. Even though the road won't be easy, as long as they have eo.. They can survive anything.
Taishou Otome Otogibanashi