Thanks a lot for writing this. I've seen some bad comments already about this story and infortunately my curiosity doesn't help... I didn't read much of the summary someone put here but having read these comments it's already too much spoilers. Even though, this won't stop me from reading this Josei, the art is stunning ans the story seems interesting and rather realistic in its treatment. I'm ready to endure all the emotions and angst that will be displayed througout the chapters.
That's true that the way the story is told, and the POV, is determinant for how the readers will feel about a story and with which characters they will sympathize. We're only at the beginning of the story and Layle has already a bad opinion of the young Duke, that tells us how sad and difficult their relationship will be.
Let's just appreciate the author's storytelling and ignore anything that repulses you. You can have feelings, experience cathartic moments but the story is worth the struggle, as a novel reader. Too bad the free novel translations available in the internet are not misleading, don't read from those The! The ML's actions appear worse than they are BCUZ WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT HIM THROUGH THE FL'S POV! He's aloof but he definitely helps the FL his own way, it's just his love for her made him very desperate. He DOES NOT and NEVER took her for granted, it's Layla herself who made him look like a villain. She herself struggles from her love for him, but denies it in the worst way possiblem They were both wrong in how they acted but c'mon, we all know humans make imperfect life decisions.