Don't overanalyze
Haha I wish I could turn my mind off but sometimes things piss me off despite my best effort to ignore them
I think it's not that stupid tho, a lot of people in abusive or toxic relationships feel love or longing for their abuser anyway, even after years of some kind of torment. And they also feel jealousy. And MC is in a situation where he was secretly in love from a few years with the crown prince of a country, his boss nonetheless so the abuse of power and also the difference in power in their relationship is on a whole different level. Some people like they are seen are just willing to go for it (and go to the king's bed) but MC just loves his crush and I think he knows in his head the CPrince is abusing him. Sometimes we do have a bad crush, that treats us like shit but we still crush on them, just until we hit the limit of abuse - or not (that usually ends in death or injury). With love even the most logical and rational peoples brains can go rotten sometimes, believe me....it's chemicals in your brain, you feel endorphins every time you see that person so it's like a narcotic ... But just as much toxic as fentanyl. It's kind of a sickness. Sometimes you need several years not seeing that person to finally move on. It's not so easy as just "he is rational so he shouldn't feel that way" - well love is everything but rational. It's kinda shitty sometimes. And abusive. And hurtful. I hope maybe You will try and understand that he probably would need the CP to start changing for the better or someone to help him get away from this all - or what he is trying to do, escape on his own and just try and heal. He is not so weak I think, for this decision.
In the novel Luce actually already attracted to Ail since they first met.
I didn't get that same vibe from the manhwa but maybe it was there and I missed it
Maybe it's hard to translate it to manhwa but Luce's aloof act actually him trying not to fall deeper.
-spoiler-
*He's actually leaving the castle because he can't bear to see Luce getting married to other people.
Thank you for the clarification and the spoiler :)
Why did the author have to include the part about MC feeling jealousy? It makes no sense for a reasonable level headed guy like him to feel this way. He should see it as a good sign that his abuser is getting closer to someone else and might stop tormenting him.
This type of shit makes some yaoi stories insufferable.