100% agree with you
Just because she hasn’t learned magic or swordsmanship, developed special powers, fought in a war, or seized political power through social warfare doesn’t mean she’s weak. Compared to most FLs, she has very little to work with.
No special powers/skills, no allies, no friends, no supportive family, ostracized by everyone in the social sphere, no access to her own money (to escape or live on her own), and no comprehension or experience in what it means to be treated well. She’s also been gaslit so hard that the duchess’s death was her fault, so she carries that unnecessary guilt around with her. She could scream her head off and fight tooth and nail, but it would change a thing. Even if she succeeded in getting rid of her engagement with the prince, she would pro promptly get reengaged to someone else who would likely treat her the same or worse.
Even if she tried to run away, her family would just hunt her down and drag her back, but she knows all too well how difficult it is to survive as a commoner. The pain of constant rejection may hurt, but not like the pain of starvation. More importantly it never occurred to her to resist at all until someone showed her that she could have a better life. She’s taking extremely difficult steps to recognize and validate both her trauma and inherent self worth.
That path is not laid out for her in some prophetic dream, time reversal, or novel plotline. The universe, plotline, and other characters are not forcing her to grow, she’s doing it all on her own and I think that makes her a lot stronger than a lot of other FLs who only reach that state after being forced to.
istg you worded everything so perfectly ╥﹏╥ given her current environment, I’m so proud that she has made it this far!
SOMEONE GAVE THIS A ONE STAR BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THE FL IS WEAKAND ANNOYING. THAT’S BEING IGNORANT OR STRAIGHT UP BLIND. She has been abused almost all her life and that’s your fucking take? Even if it’s fiction, that’s pretty fucked up.