12 - the heart broken part is heavy, but it’s very cute and the beasts and spirits are truly nice
The thing is it doesn’t seem to to anywhere, so maybe it’s just a story about damaged people becoming firends ?
I’m not fond of the harem flavor going on, as at best, she might only choose one
Event more so far, she considers beastkins as “pets” not males and potential partners ?
It’s the second time i read about a retired vilainess , and the second time it feels like some possibilities are closed when it comes to heart matters and I’m not that confortable with it
Also the unfair part of the story comes with too high a cost, and seems incredibly stupid compared tocthe ret of the story : in fact to the point you can’t help wondering if the characters of the break up have been all drugged ? How would a real nice prince accept the scene and actively contribute to it, he also doesn’t seem like the idiotic type that takes the love rival of his official fiancé in his arms just after a break up, in front of all his subjects, because even if he had good reasons to break up, that would make him a cheater
You can also wonder how would her friends side with her lower noble they despised, or how the public incidents described have any credibility as being seen as assaults with that many witnesses ?
From all perspective, It’s plain ridiculous - a major plot flop
But strangely also, because she loved the’ prince and knew the story, i certainly can’t find her that “blameless “, she admit she never believed in “them”, and she did not invest herself in that relationship
She appears to be extremely powerful and motivated enough to conquer human hating spirits, but when it comes to the prince, she’s described as à crybaby who only studies to give herself value - she never fight for him, in faact she gave up before having any trouble : she claims a relationship can’t hold with only one investing himself, but with her state of mind, isn’t something He should say ?
As a potential lover, she seems to rely on him for confort, but she also doesn’t trust him and shares her true feelings ?
When he needs explanations, you can consider it’s unfair, but why doesn’t she clear things up - and why doesn’t she wonder how he came to misunderstand and eventually distrust her, this kind of thing don’t “just happen”
It’s not just about the events and the foreign manipulation, it’s also her own doing, she prioritize her families wishes by exhausting herself , but she doesn’t build a deep connection with him, she leaves all opened for her oponent when she had years to be seated in her rightful place
I think it’s hypocritical to blame all on him, in the end, he’s being played by two egoistic girls, because of how MC is in fact waiting for the bad ending- she could have Kept him, and she could also have ended things any other way - she knew the plot, she knew the future and she’s far from powerless
Instead she’s the victim of her own achievement : she prepared to be dumped, she prepared for 7 years
From that perspective I think the prince is certainly an inconsiderate idiot ( which by the way is rather inconsistent with the rest of his description), but it’s really too much to blame everything on him, in fact that makes him a serious victim ( of course it doesn’t give any excuses to his wrong doings)
Milady Just Wants to Relax