
Spoiler alert! I'm on ch 57. And could someone please explain to me what it means?
Maybe I'm just too dumb to know (lol), but what did the painting mean? Was it a depiction of the Empress Regnant (the late emperor's mom)? What did that imply? And Oedipus complex???

From what i got the Empress Regnant was the only adult women the Emperor loved. The painting was of her and some of the little girl he had relations with. However the mother was in the center of the painting and basically the focus. The ED was upset that he threw her away after she grew up and only did his pedo mama's boy thing with no regard for her.

Ah damn he really was trash, wasn't he? But I do remember that in the next chapters, Jinshi asked ED if it really was the Empress Regnant that the late emperor drew, hinting that it could have been ED in the center. Especially since she always wore yellow (turmeric family business) and the lady in the painting wore yellow.
Also, what was up with the late emperor trying to go to young Jinshi and being stopped by the Empress Regnant and then by his mom?

But notice also the look Jinshi said ED had on her face. Complete disgust. Their family dynamic seems better than most royal families I've read. But to be honest it seems like the yellow would just be the Emperor mind placing pieces together. He was gone in the head for a while or from the beginning. I think that the ER was the main cause of suffering for all those young girls. But then again the Emperor may have loved the younger ED and her becoming a woman ruined his mind(sicko!!) And that's what ER meant by she cursed him.
Ohmygosh I literally binged all the series in 1 day and I have so many feels!!! So many thoughts!!!
1. My heart goes out to our Grandpa/professor. He's obviously a broken man, but was brilliant when he was younger. I think his research was on atomic bombs (he said smth so small and Noah said it can wipe out the capital). He's grumpy bc he's broken and scared and unsure, it just makes my heart hurt to see him like this. I hope his heart gets soothed soon, and that his research will be used for good causes. (Altho he's probs a pain to deal with rn lol)
2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE OUR MAIN COUPLE. SO SO MUCH. I adore how crazy they both are for each other, how they can get on each other's wavelengths, and how smart they both are! It's so refreshing to see their dynamic and great trust in each other!
3. I adore Diana. A lot. I like that her character is so different from your usual FL, and how smart she is, esp in dire situations. I like how she has remained kind despite her situation, how she can stand up for herself, and never adopted a victim mentality. We see her great character in contrast with the recent maid who had to be taught to learn how to receive help. I also like that she genuinely doesn't care about a lot of things lol, she's literally so chill.
4. And ofc, I enjoy our crazy-and-nearly-psychopathic Duke! He's like, so frighteningly strategic and cold, but he's humane in all the right ways. He makes you afraid of him but he also wins you over because he's vulnerable in the best ways.
I also find it interesting how he constantly said he couldn't feel emotions when he was a child, but he has also become obsessed with Diana. You can see him actually feel emotions during the series when he's with her, and I. Am. Here. For. This. Character. Development!!
5. CAN WE GET SOME APPLAUSE FOR OUR SERVANTS WHO MADE EVERYTHING WORK PLS Molly, despite being a double agent, is actually quite loyal to Noah and Diana. Plus, she saved her before. Leni is in a similar boat, but she has taken good care of Diana! And she was so adorable when she was crying bc of the opera! And Vincent, my man, props to you for plowing through all of those papers and for working over time! I can only imagine how difficult it must be to serve a ruthless mad lad like Noah lol
6. I'm actually curious what will happen to Mastif and his new maid/lover. Will he learn to feel emotions with her, just like Noah's character dev, or will he continue to see her as merely a pawn? The romantic in me wants him to be with her and learn to channel is sadistic instincts to something more productive & less destructive (≧∀≦) but who knows what the author has in mind?
7. Damn. Just when I thought Admiral Claire couldn't get any worse, he did lol And not to mention his daughter. I hope karma hits him back.
8. I'm...honestly irritated at Celine and Arita. I pity them, yes, but I'm more irritated that they would waste away their beauty, power, intelligence, and network--ALL FOR A MAN?!?!??! Who don't even spare them any glances?!?!?!??!?! My dears, you are worth so much more than that!!! You deserve to be loved! Treasured! Adored! And treated well by the right man who can love you properly. Sigh. But I guess they... they're just that much obsessed ig
Damnnn u really analyzed this, but I agree w everything you’ve said
Hahaha I guess I was just too immersed in the story!