
Kinda disappointed in the ML who so boldly declared "this woman is mine" a few chapters ago and now he's avoiding her...? Ofc no one is blameless in this scenario but doesn't he have more to explain? Plus she has to ask permission to do a sleepover and whatever, how can she be the one who breaks the contract when he holds all the authority.

Them suddenly being nice freaks me out a bit. It's not that it's unrealistic, setting bounderies and respecting yourself also makes people treat you better (I doubt it would work with a cheating bastard like Ian tho). But this is such a crazy story, it just makes me wonder wtf is going to happen next?? Aaaaaaahhh

I'm starting to like Annie more and more. She's so simple and true to her desires. She stays with Aria because it benefits her. So many maids in other stories just blindly follow and devote themselves to the heroine for no aparrent reason, they just feel like puppets. Aria and Anne using each other feels more realistic and actually more fair. Even if Aria has the upper hand, she rewards Annie and gives her a chance to rise in society.
I'm getting a bit tired of the "saving the girl from thugs" trope. It's nice that someone would stand up for you, it really is admirable, but in stories it's often used as a way to force the girl in debt to the guy or force her closer to him. It's a hindrance to her independence, it makes it seem like women need a man to get by in the world. That kind of dependent relationship is no different from her marriage of convenience to that other guy. Feeling safe in a relationship is about communication and respect, not brute strength. And him constantly ignoring her bounderies isn't cute. I initially found this story interesting but think I will drop it.