This is basically PRETTY PRIVILEGE final boss ... Oh!!!! the ml is so hot and funny ....so...

I dont think its cheating when she WANTED him to sleep around tho like it was a marriage without any love thats why they didnt really care which makes sense

It's not pretty privilege to forgive him when there's nothing to forgive him for. He's done nothing wrong to begin with. What is pretty privilege is ppl excusing Ines for manipulating him, forcing him to be engaged with her, forcing him into a marriage with her when she has no plan to rly be with him but just to use him to get his child in order to divorce him afterwards and use that child as a link to use his family name to avoid marrying the prince.

The og commenter is complete disregarding the fact that Ines TOLD him to sleep around though. That was a major part of the plot lol.

But i think your tale is kind of harsh on Ines considering what the alternative was. Y'know .. all the rape, stds and having to die over and ever again. Maybe I'm being dramatic but ...

She’s not being harsh. Even the story author doesn’t excuse Ines’s actions.

Kim ChaCha:

I think they're both flawed people, and they're both bad people to each other. They are selfish in different ways. Even when they were young, Ines overwhelmingly did. In the past life too.

So in the early days when the novel was serialized, Ines was also criticized a lot. If carcel is the man who betrayed his fiancee, Ines is the woman who used her young fiancé.

I think that the two main characters are both imperfect people. And I think they are a perfect couple who can fill in each other's imperfections. No matter who blames them, each other is the best option for them. The journey to show it was my novel.

summarizing this entire 96-chapter (and still ongoing) manhwa with such an oversimplified and offensive phrase is just not it. I won't even question if you read the entire thing. Carcel wasn’t forgiven just because he’s “hot and funny.” the younger, cheating version of Carcel was an abomination, a sorry excuse for a man. and since this story is told from Ines’ pov, I hated him for her (at first). but everytime his past cheating gets brought up, although I get the point (cause whoever supports cheating cjgth), I think about how Carcel said in one of their banters before marriage that he'll leave his debauched lifestyle once they're married. and he kept his word. we aren't excusing infidelity here, Carcel was a trash. I dropped this manhwa before because of him. this isn't "pretty privilege", rather it's growth, redemption, and breaking cycles of fate. we didn't just randomly forgave him, we saw/read his actions, his sincerity, and his commitment to change. he was faithful to Ines after they were married, and that's why we forgave him. at the end of the day, The Broken Ring isn’t just about romance, it’s about characters/people making choices, growing from them, and breaking free from the tragedies of their past lives. reducing it to “hot guy gets away with cheating” completely misses the point.

Another manhwa issue. The reason why Carcel was faithful in his marriage from Day 1 is because he does not believe in adultery. He believes as a Catholic once he said his marriage vows before God, he should honor them and honor his wife and family. He told Ines this before marriage and she was upset with him. Carcel is all about his responsibilities to his family. Season 3 will show it even more because at least then the manhwa can’t screw it up since events will show it.

When readers say Carcel changed or redeemed himself, Carcel is essentially the same person. We know this because the novel is full of his thoughts. The irony is even though he slept with others out of 3 months of the year when he visits Mendoza, his thoughts weren’t as bad as Ines’s thoughts and that’s why Ines’s was also criticized by readers. Ines herself does come to realize that Carcel is essentially a better person than her and he always was since the beginning of the story. As long as manhwa doesn’t cut out more things that make Ines look bad, season 3 will show more of why she would think that. Carcel of all timelines is consistent and it’s more proof that he’s always been like he is now. The irony is the author considered him the darkest in the true first timeline where Ines had a stronger influence on him early on and the brightest in this final timeline because he was estranged from her during their teenage years into his early 20s.

Another thing, the story is not told just from Ines’s point of view. Carcel and Ines’s are true co-protagonists of this story. The novel begins with Carcel’s point of view first then switches to Ines’s point of view and continues that way back and forth right to the end of the side story. Cárcel is not just Ines’s male lead, he is equal protagonist with her. It’s their story told from their points of view.

well we only know what the manhwa shows, and while we'd love to read the novel, too, we currently don't have the means to do so. you're coming in with a broad knowledge of Carcel's inner thoughts, while we only know what's shown to us in the manhwa adaptation. (though I admit that I might remember Carcel saying something about him not believing in adultery, which I may have overlooked while building my own idealistic 'promise of loyalty' for him.) but still, what we saw early on was a guy cheating to his fiancee for years. so of course, it felt like he needed to prove himself (considering the fact that he's the male lead or, as argued, an equal protagonist of Ines). whether or not he was always faithful in his heart won't change the fact that, for a manhwa-only reader's perspective, he ought to redeem himself by his actions, because we do not have an insight on what's supposedly always been inside him(yet?), and we don't have any reason to trust him. and I get that Carcel and Ines are co-protagonists in the novel, but in the manhwa here, we're mostly seeing things through Ines' pov. I'd bet that's why Carcel's initial hate train even started, because we are experiencing Ines' emotions and perspective more than Carcel's in the manhwa. we do not have the benefit of knowing whatever Carcel is thinking like novel readers do, so he just comes across as a reckless playboy to us. and honestly, his reasons for having that debauched lifestyle while being engaged... feels like nothing but excuses which highlights his immaturity more, especially when the manhwa has focused so much on Ines' tragic and failed attempts to rewrite her fate. that said, as the story progress and the focus shifts, I do feel my impression of Carcel change(drastically so). it even get me to the point where I can defend(?) him with only my knowledge of the manhwa... and I just hope they continue showing more of Carcel in the next seasons.

well, perhaps it's only a matter of storytelling differences because manhwa obviously is very limited and requires a lot more work compared to a novel that can dive into deeper narration. in the end, we are just having two different reading experiences, novel readers and manhwa readers. novel readers already know a lot if not the full picture, while we manhwa readers are still here hanging by the cliff of season 2's abrupt ending, piecing together what we know. so of course, our perceptions of Carcel aren't going to be the same, at least not yet. which I think is fine? as long as we don't expect manhwa readers to see Carcel's character the way novel readers do, because without the extra depth? it'd be unrealistic.

I mean, we only know what's covered in the first two seasons here, and anything beyond that are spoilers.

I’m often at a loss to understand why readers judge morality with double standards. Time and time again I see manhwa readers judge Carcel and call him ‘trash’ solely because he had consensual sex with other women during his engagement when he was basically estranged from his fiancée-in-name only whom he was not in a romantic relationship with. They even disregard the fact that Ines does not care about the way Carcel lived during his engagement to her. In fact, manhwa readers care more about Carcel’s premarital lifestyle than Ines ever does and ever will.

Another thing, if readers are judging Carcel as trash solely based on what he did with his genitalia during his engagement, why aren’t they similarly judging Ines who walked uninvited into a frightened stranger’s bedroom and proceeded to sit on his genitalia when she didn’t even know his name while she was not only engaged but in a romantic relationship with the crown prince for ten years and was three mere months away from marriage? Isn’t she similarly trashy? At least Carcel always had 100% consensual sex which I thought it would be something modern people can appreciate but evidently not since they turn a blind eye to Ines’s questionable behavior.

Carcel has not changed drastically. From the very moment Carcel got married, he acted like a decent husband. How in the world is that a drastic change?Did he change overnight? He was unmarried today and married the next day and he was the same person. He took care of Ines from Day 1 of his marriage. What happened is the story showed more of his character but readers don’t seem to understand this. They think they know his character in the first few chapters when as the story progresses all it does is reveal more of his character. Ines is the one who will undergoes drastic character development because she has a lot of lessons to learn. It’s the first time she will actually undergo good character development because she needed the maturity.

Also, calling what Carcel experiences frivolous is biased. Everyone’s pain is their own. If a male lead of another story neglected their fiancée like Ines treated Carcel, readers would call him trash. I see it so often. But when Ines does it, she gets the trauma card because for manhwa readers, trauma is the free excuse for all kinds of unacceptable behavior. Nevermind some of Ines’s trauma is from her own bad decisions. Since Carcel didn’t make similarly bad choices, readers thinks his life and grievances are trivial. That’s how they shallowly look at things when Ines herself will come to understand how terrible her action was in the way she treated him and even cry over it because she finally understood she hurt him. At least Ines grew enough to understand what some manhwa readers apparently will never understand and dismissed as unimportant.

Also, calling Carcel immature while ignoring Ines’s immaturity and very bad decisions is biased as well. Carcel never made ‘very’ bad decisions for his life. Carcel was always mature even from a young age. In his teens, like a teenager, his pride was hurt and he rebelled. Ines made bad choices as a teenager as well. However, if it’s one thing I can say about Carcel is he always took care of Ines. Even when he wasn’t her husband, where ever he could, he helped her. The two times he was her husband, he was more mature than her. Just wait until season 3 reveals the trouble she gave Carcel in the first life. Like another novel reader said early in the manhwa adaptation comments section, she was a shitty wife to Carcel. I usually say she was an extremely difficult wife to him but I couldn’t really disagree with that reader.

I get your frustration with the double standards, but I really do think the reason for the disparity is more about storytelling than reader hypocrisy. the manhwa frames Carcel and Ines differently from the start. Carcel’s playboy reputation is front and center, constantly reinforced, and given weight as a defining part of his introduction. on the other hand, Ines’ choices, even the ones that could be considered morally questionable, are presented within the context of her trauma and desperation(yep, trauma card as you called it). that naturally leads to different reader reactions, not necessarily because people excuse Ines and condemn Carcel unfairly, but because of how the story presents them.

manhwa readers don’t have the benefit of knowing Carcel’s internal thoughts like novel readers do. so when we see him engaging in infidelity, we only see the action, not the deeper reasoning behind it. at that point in the story, we don’t know that his actions are influenced by Ines’ past decisions, nor do we know his actual stance on loyalty. so, yes, he comes across as a reckless playboy. from a manhwa-only perspective, he has to prove himself through his actions because, at that stage, there’s no reason to trust that there’s more to him. and I did not say that he changed drastically, I meant to say that my impression of him did and my understanding of him deepen as the story evolves and we are given more context. that's why I said my impression of Carcel changed drastically, not that he did.

now, about Ines’ own actions... particularly the one you mentioned, where she slept with a painter three months before her wedding. I don’t think manhwa readers "turn a blind eye" to it, but the framing makes a difference. she wasn’t acting out of pleasure or indifference; she was in full desperation mode, trying to find any possible way to escape the same fate she suffered in what she believes was her first life. As you've said, three months, she only have three months left to escape the marriage with the crown prince, her ist, the very reason she had to khs. That doesn’t make her actions right, but it does provide a clear emotional motivation that makes us more inclined to sympathize rather than condemn. Carcel, on the other hand, is introduced as someone who seems to be living a carefree, indulgent life despite his engagement, with no visible sign of struggle or internal conflict. readers react to what’s in front of them. the more we see his actual perspective, the more that perception shifts... but that takes time.

I also think that comparing their morality needs to take into consideration the expectations that comes with their roles as the main couple in a romance manhwa. as the male lead, Carcel is expected to be someone who idk, deserve(?) the reader’s investment like any other male leads, because it calls for another character for the role otherwise. yes, it's shallow, but it's a manhwa in an overused setting, and this cliche leads to that cliche expectation. since his early introduction centers around his playboy lifestyle, that puts him in a position where he has to "redeem" himself in the eyes of readers. not because he's inherently a bad person, but because the genre itself sets that expectation for a male lead. Ines, on the other hand, is introduced as someone suffering and fighting to escape her past. even when she makes questionable decisions, the immediate instinct is to understand rather than condemn. we may or may not approve of her actions, but the story presented them in a way that it evokes understanding rather than an outright criticism. which isn't necessarily a double-standard, rather a matter of human perception. we see Carcel as someone who chooses his circumstances, while Ines is someone trapped in hers.

as for Carcel’s maturity, I do think there’s a valid argument that he was always emotionally steady in comparison to Ines. but again, manhwa readers don’t see that right away. what’s presented to us in the beginning is a man who looks like he isn’t taking his engagement seriously, while Ines is someone who has been through hell and back. without the additional knowledge that novel readers have, the initial contrast makes him seem immature in comparison.

I won’t comment on events that have yet to unfold because I simply don’t have the knowledge to do so. my perspective is based entirely on what the manhwa has shown so far, and my arguments reflect that. novel readers may have a fuller picture, but manhwa readers are forming opinions with the information available to us. it might be unreasonable to expect both groups to view things the same way at this stage.

Thank you for pointing out exactly why this manhwa is freaking biased. This is exactly why novel readers dropped this shitty adaptation and I’m probably one of the only original novel readers left reading this altered story. Author particularly made Ines the way she is on purpose. A selfish, spoiled female protagonist. She even recently said her current female protagonist was more selfish than Ines. She said this because her Korean readers were complaining about her current female protagonist. There are also novel readers who like that Ines was a flawed character. What this manhwa did was erased or basically hid Ines’s flaws that should have been revealed in the beginning and made everyone else in the story a villain except the guy from the previous timeline. They made Carcel the villain from day one and some novel readers were plenty upset about it because we already know Carcel is a MUCH better person from Ines. Who do think influence her change and character development? Carcel Escalante.

As to Ines’s trauma, you are precisely right that manhwa storyteller used it to wash Ines’s flaws away because they know the trauma card works and it worked so effectively that Ines can do no wrong in the eyes of manhwa readers. I even saw someone who read the novel who didn’t like Ines say she much prefer manhwa Ines. Why? They frame everything about her under trauma and she liked that because now Ines didn’t seem as much of a bitch, selfish or unlikeable. Personally I wouldn’t even be surprised if they further diminish this beautiful story in season 3 by cutting down on all the scenes that make Ines look terrible. They probably don’t even understand how important those scenes are for Ines’s growth as a person and a wife. For novel readers, they know how beautiful this journey is for Ines because ultimately the story is more about her healing than her past lives trauma.

Also, for me, I’m not carried away by consequences resulting from poor decisions. When I first read ch11 as a manhwa-only reader, the first thing I thought was Lydia Bennett of Pride and Prejudice. Then I thought, why didn’t she do like other desperate women had done by shaving her head and joining a convent? Or, why didn’t she just gather money and run away with her maid? How couldn’t she foresee the poor decision of running away with another man while engaged to marry the crown prince of the country is like throwing oil on fire. Not only does it implicate her family, it’s creating a nationwide scandal.

It was a story told in hindsight in both the manhwa and novel so I wasn’t caught up in blind emotion like it seems a lot of manhwa readers were. After I read the novel, I understood why she did that and part of it was her teenage emotions (confirmed by Ines in the story and author in the Q&A). When Ines explained it in her perspective after Carcel’s perspective, she was coldly giving an account of her past and even said, her 26 year old self would’ve slapped her 16 year old self for her foolish behavior. That’s the context it was framed under then she said her 16 year old self was looking for love after Oscar disappointed her in marriage in the previous life. That’s why any nice and good looking man would have done for her and she hung the frame, started painting then put the first man that fit her external criteria in it. (Ch94).

However, even without any of the above, it doesn’t change the fact that Ines chose a 6 year old kid, judged how he will turn out and decided to ruin his life. She knew the nobles would rather murder their spouse than divorce them. Yet, she intended to subject Carcel to this humiliation despite knowing it. And since she has the trauma card, manhwa readers just turn a blind to it just like they turn a blind eye to the fact she was constantly plotting to try to entice Carcel to commit adultery. Let’s not forget that she already gave a hint that Carcel helped her and her people during the previous timeline when they were running from the soldiers. So, what does it say about her when she repays the person who helped her when she was in dire straits that in the very next life she chooses him to use and dump? Wow. She’s such a good and kind person. It’s okay for her to destroy someone else’s life for the sake of her goal even when that person has always tried to help her without expecting anything in return. Yet, she’s considered the ‘better’ person.

Well, despite Carcel being called trash, he has never touched another woman without their consent. He has never destroyed anyone’s life. He has never used anyone’s life for his selfish purpose. He has never avenged himself on anyone. He has always treated his servants well. He takes care of his family and does his duty. Even when Ines gives him a hard time, he puts up with it. Even when Ines brings a woman into the house to entrap him, he doesn’t hold a grudge. Most people would have been angry and upset for a time but the same evening Carcel already forgot his anger and also told her he doesn’t want anyone to treat her like the crazy lady did. Excuse me. Who is the better person in this situation? Who is the mature person here?

I really love you all ... U all gave a pretty amazing argument.. It was good to learn...
Actually I was stuck with this fact that even though she's his fiancee he continued to meet another women which irritated him..

Irritated me*

I understand where you're coming from, and I get that Ines’ actions can seem hard to accept, especially when viewed from a hindsight perspective. but it’s really important to remember that her decisions were made in a moment of desperation and fear. yes, running away with another man while engaged to the crown prince was a reckless choice, and it did have big consequences, but Ines wasn’t acting out of malice but desperation. it's nowhere near Lydia Bennett's elopement with her now husband. Ines' decision is rooted from her feelings of fear and survival, not the same with the recklessness and thoughtlessness of Lydia's. she was trying to escape a traumatic fate, and her judgment was clouded by her past experiences. she was a 16-year-old girl who had already been through so much(iirc, she just woke up from khs), and it's very easy to criticize her decisions when we see them from the outside, but we need to remember the context in which she was making them. at that moment, she was desperately searching for a way out of a terrifying situation, and that's not something that should be dismissed outright.

I also understand that there’s frustration over Ines’ behavior in trying to push Carcel into a position where he could be humiliated or harm his reputation. but I really think it’s important to look at her intentions and context. she wasn’t just plotting to ruin Carcel’s life for the sake of cruelty. she was operating out of a deeply ingrained sense of fear, shame, and her own trauma. in her mind, she was already a woman scarred by past choices and was looking to escape a fate she felt powerless to change. her actions weren’t driven by malice but by a desire for control in a world where she felt trapped in (she's been through many reincarnation, and none of them are even remotely worth living). and yes, I am completely aware that understanding her trauma doesn't excuse her actions, but it does helps in explaining them. the pacing of her backstory-reveals also shows that she’s not just a victim, she's someone who’s made questionable choices while trying to survive. it might not be as dark as the novel, but I believe that's intentional. after all, manhwa readers tend to lean toward stories that balance romance and drama rather than diving deep into tragedy. however, that doesn’t mean the adaptation ruined the story... it just means it's being told in a way that better fits the format and its readers.

now, in terms of Carcel being portrayed as 'much' better than Ines, I understand why novel readers might feel that way. however, I don’t think that’s the point of their story at. all. Carcel helps Ines heal, yes, but Ines also changes Carcel in her own way. they both start with flaws, and they both grow together. it’s not about comparing who’s more morally upright, but about showing how they evolve together as a couple. their relationship isn’t about finding who the 'better' person is, but about two flawed individuals learning to love and support each other despite their imperfections. 'cause clearly, Carcel’s character isn’t perfect either. he’s introduced as a playboy, and even though the manhwa doesn’t dive into his internal conflict right away, it’s clear that he has his flaws... like his infidelity. while the manhwa highlighted this part of his character, it doesn’t make him out to be an 'irredeemable' villain. if the adaptation was truly biased, it could have exaggerated his flaws even more. but instead, we see him as kind, patient, and loyal, not a perfect person, but someone who is capable of growth and redemption. and when it comes to their moral choices, it’s crucial to consider the role that trauma plays in both characters’ actions. Ines, while making mistakes, is motivated by survival, and Carcel, despite his initial behavior, is shown as someone who learns and grows over time. so I really don’t think it's fair to turn this into a morality contest between the two. they're both flawed, but that’s what makes their love story beautiful. it’s not about who is the better person, but about how they learn to grow together. that’s why I believe this story is more than just a comparison of who’s right or wrong, it’s about how love allows people to change and heal.

still, I respect that novel readers have a different perspective tho, and I understand that you may prefer the depth of the novel more. but dismissing the manhwa as having 'ruined' the story disregards the experience of readers who only have access to this version. the story is being told differently, but it’s still meaningful in its own way. and for manhwa readers, the unfolding of the characters’ journey still feels impactful, even if some details were... well, adjusted.

and though I've said all that, I just genuinely love both Ines and Carcel. they're complex characters who make mistakes. they're not perfect, but I see both their strengths and weaknesses. so, I really don't want to dive into a perspective that undermines one over the other. their journey together is what makes the story so special to me, and I think both of them have their own unique path of growth and redemption that we may have yet to be seen. I believe it’s about understanding and embracing both sides of their characters, without diminishing either. I just really believe that the one deserving of my hate(at least) is the crown prince...

Thank you everyone for helping me out I Still have some negative feelings for Carcel but well..

Thanks again for this productive and gentlemanly discussion it is truly worth it

How is this not a discussion about morality when readers are complaining that Carcel is trash because of his premarital lifestyle. This is exactly why I brought up morality because they are judging Carcel as ‘bad’ solely based on his actions while judging Ines as ‘good’ based on her trauma card despite her questionable behavior and motives.

So, a teenage boy who wanted to court his fiancé visited her repeatedly and she rejected him. (Even Oscar was treated better during the timeline he married her) That teenage boy intuitively began to understand his fiancée didn’t give a damn about him, felt hurt and rebelled by sleeping with another girl. Then from there he decided he didn’t give a damn about a girl that didn’t care about him (which is true..his mother even noticed it and brought it up in the manhwa but I’m sure the majority of manhwa readers didn’t care and promptly forgot it) and decided to live his life like most Ortegans in noble society. He doesn’t harm anybody nor does his fiancée give a crap about what he’s doing or how he’s living but because he lived like that, he is forever trashed by manhwa readers even though he wasn’t motivated by malice towards his uncaring fiancée.

Yes, Carcel is flawed because no one is perfect but he was always in essence a good person. Ines even said he would never ruin any of the lives of the women he dealt with before they married. Yes, Ines Escalante said this in her thoughts after church in the novel. This is when she was still trying to get Carcel to cheat and she acknowledged Carcel was very careful and set boundaries to not ruin anybody’s life. In other words, he had principles and never overstep them. It showed that even before he married her, he was the kind of person who didn’t want to harm anyone especially a woman.

Please provide an example in the manhwa that shows Ines has changed Carcel. As the author said, her story is to show that they are meant to be together and they’re a perfect couple who fill in each other’s imperfections. As a novel reader, I know exactly what the author means. You said their story is not about who is a better person and I agree even though we weren’t talking about them as a couple but as individuals whom manhwa readers lift up on the one hand and tear down on the other hand. Them as a couple wasn’t even the topic to begin with. But since you brought them up, tell me what a good job the manhwa is doing by showing how Ines changed Carcel. At least I know Carcel is changing Ines in so many scenes but please enlighten me where Ines has been changing Carcel for the better.