This topic may contain spoiler
I was asking myself the same question, cause if the act wasn't done why is she so surprised by the idea that he won't "take responsibility". Is it just that she was hoping the rumor of it happening would force his hand?
Hahaha yes, that's why she said that they'd use those rumors as an opportunity which is stupid and I don't even get why they think she's so kind.
Spoiler.
（/TДT)/
Yes. I think she really likes being the queen/one in control but since our homegirl is there shes trying to go for the 2nd best thing cause even then she still has influence over nobles.
1They never had sex. The "take responsibility" probably means she explained it in a way that suggested that they did* to the now-pissed-off-blondish-dude (who tf is he??) & her jerk-dad's probably aware she's lying/misrepresenting the situation but he's going along with it for personal greed. ╮(￣▽￣)╭
2 She was surprised because she thought resorting to underhanded methods would guarantee her a "win" & she'd get to stay & hit on the already-happily-married-man-she-still-has-a-crush-on-despite-being-the-wife-of-his-deceased-brother/relative. She truly thinks she's the victim in all this, and without considering Heinrey's feelings--or anyone else's for that matter--she decided she just deserves to be with him because *she* one-sidedly likes him. （￣へ￣）
3 Honestly I think she's an idiot (less so than Rashta though) with no sense of awareness. She was raised to be a "proper lady" since she ended up accepting the forced marriage her dad shoved her into, and probably had a kind disposition until the guy she *really* liked [even though at that point he was her BROTHER-IN-LAW] suddenly got happily married (much less to another country's newly divorced Ex-Empress). Now she's just desperate & out of ideas. (︶︿︶)
4 From the look of it (c143 so far) she doesn't give a shit about being Queen* so much as she wants to be close to the ML, and only wants to use her title to prevent her from being "separated" from him. If he hadn't married Navier, she probably would've either tried seducing him or forcing a political marriage through her Jerk-dad's authority/greed-for-power (￣ε(#￣)Σ
5 the whole scenario is embarrassing. I feel secondhand shame through the screen. They all could've handled this crap better. (╯°Д °)╯╧╧
Oh thank god, cause the way Heinrey was apologising to Navier I thought he really did have sex with her.
I’m kinda confused… so he was drugged but he didn’t sleep with the former empress, they just made it look like he did and tried to coerce him into taking her as a mistress?