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Ines was never meant to marry Oscar. The correct person for her was always supposed to be Carcel. Ines married Carcel in the true first timeline because she chose him. She also told her father she didn’t want to marry Oscar. Whomever Ines married was always her choice especially since she was the only high-ranking noble girl in her generation and therefore she had the upperhand. (In the next generation, there are at least three high-ranking noble girls) In the first true timeline, it’s Ines’s mother who wanted her to marry Oscar just so Ines can become the crown princess and eventually the top lady in the land. However, Ines as a little girl already realized Oscar was a pervert and she secretly told her father she doesn’t want to marry Oscar. Her father agreed because he didn’t like Oscar as well.
As to Oscar in the first true timeline, he wanted Ines but I wouldn’t say he was obsessed over her. He married Alicia and had mistresses on the side. Ines married Carcel at 17 years old and they basically spent their marriage in Calztela or Esposa. They didn’t mingle as much with nobles in the capital. They had their own issues to deal with that didn’t have anything directly to do with Oscar. Instead, the true villain of the first life was Oscar’s wife.
Ines’s brother visited her before she died. At the time, he was a Duke so of course he was in Perez with his wife and daughter who looks exactly like Ines. The family members knew Ines was dying from terminal illness and Luciano, his wife and daughter visited Ines and Carcel in Calztela before she died. Ines and Carcel even used to babysit the daughter and Ines was going to leave most of her assets to the daughter when she finally passed away. It’s just that the family didn’t know when Ines would die and the country was at war so of course her brother as the Duke had to guard their territory in Perez.
Ines wasn’t made to forget. Both Ines and Carcel forgot the first life because they didn’t ask to remember the first life. Having memories is unnatural. In order for a person to possess memories of a previous timeline, they have to make a wish with Anastasio (prophet that Ines met on the street) or commit suicide. Ines died a natural death in the first true life and didn’t make a wish for memories when she was given a second chance to live. She used her wishes on Carcel instead. She only remembers the most recent timelines because in both of them, she committed suicide. Memories are a punishment for suicide.
Memories are also a double-edged sword. Having them allow characters to manipulate the fate of others and lead them to ruin. For instance, Oscar has memories of the first true life because he made a wish to have memories. What did he do with those memories? Manipulated Ines into marrying him by pretending to be someone she could fall for. He remembered she rejected him in the first true timeline so he knew what not to do in order to win her over. So, yes, Ines did choose Oscar because Oscar treated her nice before marriage and behaved himself. Some years after they married, he discarded his pretense and began to engage in debauchery just like he did in the first true timeline.
In the true first timeline, Oscar was executed in a rebellion led by Luciano. Luciano encouraged the citizens to depose Oscar because he was a tyrannical crown prince. This occurred after Carcel and Ines were already dead at 28 years old. Since Oscar wasn’t meant to die that way, he was granted wishes and he asked for memories so he could exact revenge against Luciano in the subsequent timeline where he married Ines. In a way, he was also exacting revenge on Carcel as well by tormenting Ines who was Carcel’s wife in the true first timeline.
As to Lourdes/Matteo, he was always meant to be the next emperor in all timelines. Oscar always died or committed suicide.
Ooohhhh that makes so much sense now!! Thank you!! To be honest, I always found it odd because even though the "story" keep saying Ines had a "choice" and it was her "choice" to pick Oscar, it always seem like the opposite to me, almost like victim blaming in a sense. It's almost as if what is being "shown" to us Vs what's being "told" to us had a disconnection.
I've always had a bitter taste in regards to that because to me it felt like the story was condemning Ines for something she had no power over, but now it all makes sense why they said she made the wrong "choice"
I've read some of your older comments and it hit me that certain parts of the novel hadn't made into the webtoon, I suppose this means there are bits and pieces left out of the original novel that might've helped me connected the dots easier
There are lots of things left out of the manhwa. Ines takes full responsibility for marrying Oscar. She never denies it was her choice. She even said in the manhwa that she has terrible taste in men. That’s why she decided to use her head instead of her heart to choose Carcel in this final timeline. The story never condemns her for choosing Oscar. It was plainly and simply a bad choice. Ines also admits she loved the power and reputation she would gain from marrying Oscar. So, she never blames anyone but herself for being seduced by the power she sought.
I need spoilers on the "true first timeline" I've been searching for morsels of spoilers to feed myself my there's still too much holes in what I know of,
So in this case, timeline goes like this: original timeline, Ines and Carcel died, one due to illness and the other on the battlefield, now my question is: If this is the original timeline, how come Ines isn't wed to Oscar? It was mentioned in the Crown princess and Poverty timeline that Oscar will be first choice unless external forces allow her to steer a different direction. So I needed to know, other than the memories and the cunning plans Ines has, does the other characters remain the same? Is Oscar obsessive over her in the true first timeline? How about Ines's brother? He seems to be nowhere on her deathbed.
Onto the 2nd timeline (Crown Princess) why was Ines made to forget everything from the first timeline but not subsequent timelines? And why did people say it was her own choice to be wed to Oscar? It didn't seem like she had much of an actual choice because though Empress didn't like Ines, the first choice was always to wed her to Oscar unless there was a reason not to.
Extra: What about Oscar's brother? It's mentioned that Ines in this timeline knew who he is and planned to use him strategically but I've not seen him being mentioned anywhere on the 2nd or 3rd timeline. Not only that, but since he's and illegitimate heir, why was he even given the chance to compete with Oscar for the crown? Other than Oscar's obsession with Ines in the current timeline, there's no mention of him being an unfit ruler so I find it hard to believe they would disinherited the legitimate heir this easily, especially allowing a illegitimate heir to take his position as King.