mm no

here's why i still don't like helena. her initial actions are out of survival, but throughout the story, it's not about survival anymore. her hands are smooth, she hasn't done enough labor to be registered as a maid, servant, or commoner. that's priviledge. that's thriving, not surviving. if this was purely survival, she would have kept her head low, avoided the drama, and done shit when shit needed to be done. i understand that the empress and prince got involved, i don't blame her for changing her plans. hell, if i could attain the favor of royalty i would do everything she's doing. the only difference is that i would own up to my actions and their consequences. and honestly, if i didn't get that favor, i would still think being a palace maid was enough. being a palace maid was actually a priviledge within itself.

i don't blame helena for her actions, i just don't like the idea of pitying/forgiving helena just because she had a shit childhood.