
Everyone, at this point I'm pretty damn sure, about 99.99999% sure that Ashuelot is the ML. apparently this is also a time-travel fix (and boy am I disappointed about this)
But I love the forbidden love trope, it's clear MC was in love with her used-to-be guardian, but never expressed it, and their relationship turned really bad (enemy-like? idk). In the end she couldn't let him be sacrificed and reset time to save him. The blond was probably in a one-sided love with her, he was the emperor/prince who had the ability to pass down memory, so he put all memory in the form of a book and pass it to small FL in the form of prophetic dream. Dark girl is the evil dragon or whatever who hitched a ride on the fl on her journey back time.
Anw I'll continue to read it of course, it's getting interesting. But whoever complains that this is grooming or it's gross to fall in love with someone who raised you, please stop reading. I don't wanna hear you being surprised and disgusted and complain when the time comes and there is romance involved.

Is he betraying all of the protesters?? his friends?? Please someone give me a bit of spoiler or I'll just be here swearing at Raymond until kingdom come!!!

Okay more spoilers
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Ray would betray the movement to gain more favor from the princess’s father. Henry was not caught by the king’s men but raymond chained him in a room.
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Basically one of the maids would discover ray and ian’s rendezvous and report it to the princess so the princess would have ian kidnapped and sold off in what looks
Like a slave trader. But ian managed to save himself when one man was buying an artist. He started working at the man’s workshop
Of ray was devastated to find out that ian was missing
Ray’s sister saw one of ian’s painting and showed it to ray and he immediately went off to look for him.
Their reunion was dramatic.
He left Ian in the small village while he settled everything with the princess and the rebellion
On their wedding day, Ray betrayed the princess and the royals and let in the rebels in the estate.
The ending scene was him and ian eloping somewhere with his butler driving (lol) the carriage
This is not grooming ppl, but totally wholesome guardian-and-child relationship. She trusts and depends on him, he's protective of her, end of story. And if many years in the future they develop romantic feelings, ok that'd be really weird, but since it's a fantasy story and if they live for hundreds of years until they reach that point, then fine.
You want to know what's really grooming in popular culture? just take a look at Jacob and Bella's daughter in Twilight, THAT, that is grooming, and just plain gross. I'm sorry my mother played that movie on netflix today and I was watching with her, and I have to vent here because why, why such a vile thing is so popular... I just shuddered at the part where the girl was sitting so close to Jacob and he just looked at her and then looked at Edward and asked: "So should I call you Dad now?" Σ(っ°Д °;)っ
That's Stephenie Meyer for you