
how will diana respond to this foresight???
will she actually back out and listen to helios against hess' expectations? OR WILL SHE DIG IN HER HEELS AND INVEST MORE CAUSING INCREDIBLE LOSS TO THE IMPERIAL FAMILY THAT WILL CAUSE STRIFE BETWEEN HER, THE EMPEROR AND THE PRINCE? WILL SHE DRAG MORE NOBLES THAT BACK HER INTO IT???
please tell me it's gonna go down so bad for her pleaseeee

it's so trivial lmao. like girl was really willing to debase herself bc the prince had a "different expression"
the most ironic thing is she berates the other girl for thinking this is all a game when the other MLs' actions are easily influenced by mere game mechanics/cheats like a godforsaken flowerbed (that she also utilizes and constantly references to characterize everyone she interacts with). it doesn't lend any credibility to their autonomy as non-game characters when the author is trying to create/ resolve the conflict halfheartedly like this.

-"(...) so worn down by loneliness that you can't hide your joy from even the smallest display of kindness"
CUT TO: heejae falling over and over again for a stranger he's never even met in person for the tiniest scraps of kindness thrown his delusional way
-"(...) clearly hurt by my actions, yet you still try to save face by telling an obvious lie"
CUT TO: heejae moping over sesam, stalking, and tracking him down, transparenly hurt and heartbroken when he was ghosted, lying through the skin of his teeth that it's for revenge and not because he misses seyeong
aight buddy, sure.

"(...) my wife."
[THE READERS LIKED THAT]
and honestly????
i'm fuckin down for helio acting like this because (1) i love messy drama, (2) i love kael but dear lord you know we thirsting for him to be just a lil more forward considering all the chasing Hes did in the first half and this will spur him on, and most importantly (3) i like that this shows Diana's hold on Helio is loosening bc she's gonna be unrepentantly patronizing and obnoxious as long as the Prince of the kingdom is on her side. so yeah, i wanna see more shit stirred in their relationship, i need to see them doubt and compare their partner to people who made infinitely healthier relationship decisions than them

bro this chapter hit hard
like
once you know the inescapable shackle of a contract, debt that's way past anything you make, and the desperation that comes from it... god, it's honestly insane how he's still able to pretend to be chill about it in front of the others. and he's literally just a teen at this point. there's just something so raw and moving about a normally arrogant Top archetype outright saying, "I'm scared."
:'(
i'm willing to bet past taewon couldn't get out of this deal even when he became successful because mcFuckin Kim still had his sexuality to blackmail Taewon with and Taewon knew how that would implicate Yusung as the "famous gay idol's secret lover" so he tried to create a scandal to tank his career and escape from his contract. But then in the end Kim still stabbed him in the back and laid the blame on Yusung
i'm so sorry your parents suck :'( live well regardless of their failings