
His past has to be freakishly bad for me to accept him as ML

Well his mom did make him cross-dress for most of his life to protect him from the rest of his family. Also, it looks like he may have had trouble securing non-poisoned food given how he just stole a dumpling from a street vender. (I am about 80% certain that the rude beggar girl is actually the crown prince.) Even if it wasn't him, it sure looks like his past will be pretty bad.

Nah. For a royal? His past is too normal. Doesn't warrant the psychopathic ways of his. Umm which one was it. Forgot which one but there was another turning time back webtoon. N in this one the ML was forced to kill his biological mother before finding out it was his mother. And only afterwards did his bitch step mother tell him she forced him to kill his biological mother. So it gotta be worse than that. If not I can't pity/sympathize with his sociopathic ways. Nope.
Ernon my love