SAME! I felt cheated that I didn’t see certain things even though we had an unreliable narrator. That and although I enjoyed parts, it was like a campfire story that relies on a lot of flashbacks and explanations and exposition over meaningful scenes that I feel a bit cheated that everyone knew and I got stolen the moment of shock from the reveal like everyone was toying with her. SOMEONE at least showing that they are on her side may have graced her years of self-sacrifice and self-degradation but “she was just so cute” and “would never let us help if we told her we knew” BS. I was cool with it up until everyone in the woodwork cam forward that they knew well like that sucks for her she’s not even good at the thing she is supposed to be good at!
*see certain things regarding of her plans and schemes as they were happening like everyone and their uncle did
". It makes mc feel kind of stupid and makes me feel stupid for thinking she's cool. "
Ur so real for this bc I was so embarrassed about how hyped I was for a secret plan that everyone lk knew abt
I really dislike how everyone knew about it. It makes mc feel kind of stupid and makes me feel stupid for thinking she's cool. Don't get me wrong, lot of it is interesting "Oh the ml knew all along! Of course he loves her!" "Oh her father knew about, well that makes sense!" "I'm so glad that her sister knew she was on her side!", but why does a classmate that talked to you one time count as an important enough character to be included in this. If both the butler and the maid knew of this plan and said nothing, then they could've obviously done more for the older sister secretly.
Idk, when I go into a story like this, it's for the angst of "She loved them enough to make them hate her to save them", that draws me in. After the reveal I'm just embarrassed for her that she roleplayed so badly that everyone with a braincell saw through it. I think if in-between the downfall of the count's family and the reveal a year has passed, where everyone slowly learned the through while mc suffered a bit, it'd be more meaningful.
Also imagine, that you're some wife a noble and you get all prettied up to go to this event and then all this melodrama to appease a girl that's not all that good at scheming happens in front of you, because they couldn't have resolved it without everyone present. Now, this girl is being aggressively flirted with by the duke, being praised like a little kid by the other nobles who knew of this and even a maid gets her chance to speak in this hall of nobles about how adorable this lady is. After witnessing this, you realize she's going to be a duchess and that you're going to have see her at all these tea parties and not think about all that happened today.
I'm thinking of dropping the story, not because of what I said above, but because the ml is so cringe. He sorts of feels like a parody of himself. If the previous fiance was talking like this, I wouldn't have thought it strange. Be more gentle, she just went through a lot! Be more reserved, you don't know each other like that! What do you mean you fell in love with him at first sight huh!!!!!