
i am bit confused so help me here pls
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1. what's the story of the 1st empress? is she a look alike of Shuli? then why would crown price take love interest into someone who literally looks like his MOTHER??
2. who is the ML actually? I can already see Nora, jeremy, crown prince like her.

spoilers
1. Shuli looks like the first empress by chance. The Marquis used to like the Empress and when he met Shuli, he thought of the 1st empress. He married her because he didn't trust his siblings with the estate and his children and groomed Shuli into being the head of the house until Jeremy comes of age.
The first empress had made a reckless mistake in court (IDK what it was) so she died.
2 Nora is the male lead. the first prince is fucked up mentally and Jeremy does like Shuli but since she is his stepmom he never confesses to her and he ends up with a nice girl.

1. The Prince has mother complex... That's why he fell in love with someone that looks like his mother or someone that gives motherly vibe. Since his mom probably died when he was young, he's probably yearning for that motherly figure in his life. Seeking it in others like in Nora's parents and Shuli...
Most certainly he is not aware that attraction and yearning he has for Shuli is not romantic but yearning for motherly love he so eagerly lack and want to experience. But if I have to guess, I think when he visited Shuli and the kids and saw how much they are a loving family he wanted to be part of it too. Like part of a normal loving family. Since ofc he's dad and stepmom don't treat each others like family and Nora's parents are spoiling him out of obligation.

Spoiler
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Also Johannes (The guy that married Shuli when she was young) was in love with the empress. I can't remember if I read it right or the raws are reliable but apparently he picked Shuli when she was young bc she looked like the empress.
To summaries 1st empress was like the noble girl heroine in webtoon that from very young age enchanted several youngsters bc she was different (was tomboyish & activist). And was the first crush/love of the emperor, Marquis and duke(johanes).... Apparently she died of childbirth after 3 years of reign. The 2nd empress hates 1st empress because she didn't want to be the next empress but was forced too. Reason why she also didn't like Shuli bc of the resemblance but later ( after Jeremy's trial) she startsiking shuli^^
miss Fatima is the definition of gold digger