
but it seems that the emperor only becomes a tyrant AFTER jae-ryun dies... like bro was perfectly acceptable before. They're acting like he was killing ppl left and right his ENTIRE reign. But that doesn't seem to be the case. So like... why not try keeping jae-ryun alive???
Like all this bullshit about making the emperor a "sage emperor" yada yada like bro it ain't that deep... just ensure jae-ryun stays alive. It really isn't that deep. Make the emperor a sage or whatever... tf is that gonna do if jae-ryun dies anyways??

this should honestly be tagged horror
and if it's viewed from a mild psychological-horror view... it's actually pretty good. like, bro faked it til the end so like props to that. and it seems at least ML will treat MC well this life and in the next and so forth--like he learned his lesson. That to get what he wants... he has to be good to MC. And the final chapter indicates that he's changed, at least a little bit. He did shady ass sht on the side and manipulated MC but at least MC is happy? in what's basically a false reality but still, like, MC is genuinely fulfilled and happy... let him be happy
pretty dark but probs the best possible outcome in a way i really enjoyed, and the author doesn't try to twist it otherwise
like at least the rape wasn't played off, the MC's depression and downward spiral and everything in his past life was totally legit. his present life fear wasn't downplayed either. he was just outplayed (unfortunately (??))
i've come around to this season 2 storyline. i don't like it but i get it.
First: MC tried to kill ML. He realized he couldn't because he'd caught feels.
- in a delusional world (i want this world), ML and MC would have had a happy ever after. Which i would have loved cos i wanted a lovey dovey healing arc but...
- in reality, ML has killed anyone whose ever attempted to take his life. He's a ruthless psycho who easily kills. MC is the first one he let live. So in a sense, all his goodwill was expended entirely on holding back from killing MC. It was one thing to suspect MC had it out for him--ML probably found it funny--but it's another that MC actually tried to kill him (and ML would have actually let MC go through with it). Especially with the context, where the two had gotten close and emotionally intimate.
So MC trying to choke him was now a betrayal. And ML is pissed that he even let himself grow so soft. And obviously they can't go back to how they were before so here we are in purgatory. Rape rape rape.
Plus ML killed MC's whole family (and i rmbr the reasoning being that his father wasn't even a criminal. he was a good man who supported the wrong faction)... and it's really hard to get around that (i don't like this fact anymore than you i swear).
so i'm sending thoughts and prayers to the plot i'll let this marinate and come back when it all ends