ladyjlb's manga / #Manhua/Manhwa(2239)

** Rate 3.5 - Too short; needed more plot development / explanation.

Read ch 81 as of 05/10/20

** INCOMPLETE - Read ch 13 as of 27/5/20. ( 4 star rating subject to last 4 chapters yet to be uploaded )

Ch 115 as of 12/08/22 - Rate 3.5 so far ** some really bad translation - 16th Princess Vivian Hesse, the 18yo “forgotten princess”: lives a simple life alone and disguises herself as a maid called Lucia. She was brought into the palace when she was 12yo. - FL has had prophetic dreams since she was 12yo and wants to avoid being sold as a 19yo bride to the abusive Count Metten when the King dies. - With knights returning at end of the war, FL has an idea. - On the 5th and last day of the victory celebrations after gazing at him from afar each day (he knew), FL proposes a contract marriage to Duke Hugo Taran (ML), the great military commander. She promises never to fall in love with him and she’ll give him complete freedom in his personal life. It also helps pass on his title to his son as one must be married to do so. - FL is genuine, determined, unwavering, earnest - ML is known as inhuman, arrogant, heartless, selfish, self-centred, decisive, cold, indifferent. - ML hates to waste emotions and won’t fall in love (even though he is promiscuous). He always has yellow roses sent when breaking up with his lovers (as the FL saw). Countess Falcon yet to be sent roses (finally sent 2mths into their marriage), ML w/ her for a year but also saw other women. - Despite this there’s no divorce or breaking of an engagement in the Taran family. FL does worry about ML eventually meeting the lady he married in her dreams, and if she cut him off from his fated person. - When ML pays a surprise visit to FL at her side palace, his admiration grows slightly for her strength and perseverance while living under trying conditions alone. - FL is moved to the Rose Palace before she’s married. She refuses to see the King when summoned as she knows he only wants to see the Duke’s fiancé, not her. - FL and ML have an informal wedding, no guests. Marriage is just a formality for ML, who doesn’t enter his estate w/ his bride and FL dines alone on her wedding night. - That night, ML and FL sleep together (after she got drunk on wine and stripped off her clothes). She was a virgin. He’s pleasantly surprised at how sexually compatible they are. He can’t get enough of her. She calls him “Hugh” which is actually his real name. - FL offers to go w/ him to his territory in the North, rather than be separated by staying behind in the capital. ML expects to be there for 2yrs. He heads there 1st after receiving an urgent msg. - NB: Empire has several ancient gates used for transporting over long distances. - “Social rank doesn’t determine skill.” FL impressed the escort knights w/ her knowledge of their rules (from a dream where she had an arms workshop). - FL seen by staff as kind, firm, gracious, wise, gentle, considerate. Everyone likes her very much. - Author Norman (female): close friend who FL shared her noble experiences with to inspire her books. - ML butler Jerome and aide Fabian (twins) - Crown Prince Quaise Hesse: friend of ML - ML subordinate, Knight Roy “Mad Dog” Krotin. Left behind in the capital to guard the Crown Prince. - 8yo son and heir of ML, Damien (at boarding school). - ML sees himself as merely holding a place until Damien takes over. Damien is actually the son of ML’s brother Hugo and their half-sister who died in childbirth. - Tragedy in the West Tower: ML had a twin brother Hugo who killed himself, after killing their parents (past Duke, Duchess). ML was sold to mercenaries as a baby but was brought back as he was deemed to have stronger qualities to be heir. The original Hugo killed everyone to stop having his and ML’s lives played with. - Ancient noble magic bloodline of Tarans was half human. When 2 Tarans conceived, it would be a boy. When 1 Taran and 1 human conceived, it would be a girl. In this way the Taran house had been inter-marrying to preserve the bloodline. - The Tarans seen as “Masters of the North” - While 18yo Duke Hugo was away at war, the local lords arranged a petition to the King to overthrow the Tarans. ML returned and purged the rebellion. - ML hates the Taran blood in his veins but has to live with it as he can’t bring himself to die. - ML returns early after a month away purging rebels (it was meant to be for 6 mths). He can’t stop thinking about FL. After he’s cleaned up, ML finds FL in library where they kiss. Then they spend the night together. They spend their nights together this way for a mth. (Eventually ML told by doctor to limit to 5 nights to allow FL to rest for her health). - FL is given responsibility for a provisional internal budget (separate to managing the employees and the running the castle), so initially she wants to use it to improve the garden. She also says she’d like to learn what she can and can’t do as the Duchess. - Countess Corzan (Madam Michelle), known as the Godmother of high society in the North was procured by ML as a teacher for FL. - As Madam deems FL fine on etiquette, she suggests social activities next and aim for holding 2 parties per mth. - FL is introduced as friends w/ her niece, Kate Milton who likes to give advice on love. She visits often and they become close quickly. Kate suggests going horse riding w/ FL. - FL hosts her 1st tea party, Jerome sends flowers as gifts on behalf of ML. FL and ML have sex on the terrace where the tea party was held. - FL’s infertility is due to her taking mugwort for long time. She didn’t know what her menstrual period was and ate mugwort to stop the bleeding. In her dreams, a wandering doctor (Dr Phillip) prescribed a cure to FL which was the method used for human women to conceive a Taran daughter. This doctor was also the family doctor of the Tarans for a long time. - Dr Phillip and ML are only ones still alive who know the truth of what happened at the West Tower. The tragedy is related to Taran House existing solely for the preservation of the noble Taran bloodline. - Dr Anna, FL’s doctor, has been researching a cure for FL’s infertility and comes to know Dr Phillip. She visits him regularly to share knowledge but she’s forbidden from involving FL with him. - FL and ML have an argument that started with her infertility and health then blew out from there. Neither can be honest with the other. So ML avoids FL instead and she blames herself. - They eventually make up with each other but can’t admit they love each other yet. - ML is away to defend the borders from intruders. - He has a very tall and mature 8yo Damien visit the estate in the meantime. At first Damien is wary and suspicious of FL. - FL is charmed by how much ML and Damien are alike. - Kate Milton visits FL and gifts her a baby fox. FL introduces Damien to her and they go horse riding together. Later Damien helps FL by giving the name Aisha to the fox. - On the way back in the carriage, Damien asks FL why she doesn’t hate him. FL tells him that she knew about him before she married ML and recognising Damien as the heir was one of the conditions. Damien says he respects ML because he’s strong. FL assured him that he’ll become strong just like ML one day. - ML returns and FL wants the three of them to get along. - Garden party: held by FL to introduce Damien to the noble ladies of the North. Countess Wales, an influential figure in northern society who doesn’t get on well with Countess Courzan, loudly disapproved of Damien’s inclusion in a ladies only event. Because of her, most of the ladies remained silent and turned the party into a ruined event. - FL refused to give in and left the party in anger while Damien remained outside observing everything. At the end, FL issued a warning to all of the ladies that they’d insulted the future Duke and their children and grandchildren would pay the consequences. - Later Damien apologised to FL and she said he had nothing to apologise for. She cried and said sorry to him for going ahead with an event without thinking it might hurt him. He was happy she called herself his mother and it was the 1st time anyone had cried for him. - At dinner, ML noticed FL’s swollen eyes and found out what happened from Jerome. He took FL away to their room and comforted her while she cried her eyes out. She was letting out all of the pain and suffering she’d endured since her mother died. - Damien is officially naturalised on the Taran family register, with ML listed as his father and FL listed as his mother. - Damien decides to return to the Ixium Academy earlier. He wants greater power to protect the people he cares about, like FL and what happened at the garden party. - He tells ML that he’ll become Sita, the leader of the Association which holds much influence at the Academy.

Also on Tapas as “The Ideal Relationship” - Smut is totally censured / blanked out (Ch 33-35) - Story and relationships seemed really clumsy - Uke and his best friend: what was the point of this? Felt unresolved and stupid. - Uke was wishy washy and annoying. - Ending felt incomplete. This story had potential but was such a let down.

Read ch 42 as of 04/08/21 - The place of Luce and it’s people are annoying. If this story is just about gods being stupid, then I’m dropping its ass. - FL is Lian the miracle healer at the Temple of Lemde. - She fell into another world while following her own red string of fate 5yrs ago. The red string is a sign of death. FL can see and remove them, feeling the pain from each one. - This world is in a reverse harem novel, with Saint Lucia as the heroine who has the same ability as FL. There are up to 5 male interests. - FL saves a badly injured stranger one night. - A red string of fate appears connecting his heart to her wrist. This indicates their lives and deaths can affect eachother. - The next day the stranger visits FL at the temple. He is Abel the reaper, one of the male interests. He is half immortal, has a killing aura and is a villain in the novel. Only Lucia can make him immortal. - Abel takes FL to the temple of death to be his personal healer. Every night he returns injured, and she heals him. They get closer as their concern for eachother grows. - Cain, loyal colleague and friend of Abel. Another male interest. Abel gets jealous when FL heals him. - Abel shows FL where his heart is hidden. While tempted, she doesn’t cut the thread. - (Out of frustration his feelings aren’t reciprocated by a dense FL), Abel throws a tantrum in the temple, causing destruction and badly injuring himself. Only when FL accidentally poisons herself with a bow and arrow, does he stop and take her away for the antidote. (Poisons of this world don’t affect FL as she’s from another world.) - A rebellion in the temple of death is underway. FL takes Abel’s heart and runs away. Abel fights the rebels while Cain protects FL as they leave him. Cain reveals his true form as an Angel (the Holy Sword of Luce) to face more foes. FL continues to flee but decides to turn back as she promised never to leave. She sees Abel in the thick of the fighting. She is injured when she moves to protect him from a magic strike. He unleashes an almighty force that levels the temple of death. - FL revives an unconscious Abel with a kiss. - They go back to FL’s temple of Lemde. - Abel gives his heart to FL for safe keeping. - Abel expresses his jealousy, possessiveness and concern for FL. - They go to a street celebration for FL’s return. - FL and Abel decide to travel in search of a new temple site (and look for Lucia). - The head priest asks FL to let him know if she comes across his son. A red string appears when she is shown the son’s picture. He says she has the power to change fate, hers and those around her. - Caesar / Apocalypse with Asura interrupt FL and Abel to take them to the realm of the Dark Lord (the novel’s main villain). - FL meets Valcan the blind dwarf. She asks him to make her a magic shield in exchange for his eyesight back. - FL is summoned by Asura to heal injured troops. - She heals Silver Wing, the guardian of the desert. - She heals Demian, who she learns is the son of the head priest. Demian is also one of the male interests. - FL gets jealous when she sees Kali the full moon goddess with Abel. - FL initially rejects Abel’s feelings due to his fated relationship with Lucia, her own short lifespan, and her eventual return to her own world. Abel says that she’s by his side for now. During that time he asks her to always be honest with him. - They have sex for the first time. - While with Silver Wing to get sunlight to cure his depression, FL spots a very badly injured Cain. She brings him back and convinces the Dark Lord to let him stay while she heals him. Cain starts to confess his feelings to FL but he’s interrupted by Abel. - Cain betrays Abel by revealing his Angel form and kidnapping FL. He thinks she’ll be safe in Luce away from Abel. FL is badly hurt when she falls to the ground to find Abel. Cain carries her to Luce for a healer and Lucia offers her help. - The Dark Lord had already heard that the hero Assand’s seal was broken and Lucia had awoken. FL and Abel were free to go. - FL meets Assand and Lucia in Luce. Their characters are different to the novel. Assand is a pompous bastard. Lucia seems insecure and threatened by FL. FL reveals her ability to see the red strings when she heals Cain who saved FL from a fall. Sola the god goes out of control and Lucia faints from trying to hear the oracle …

- too much drama and cheating - seke only happened in last chapter - rate 3.5

** (While I empathise with FL and her trauma, she’s so painfully shy and extremely fearful that it’s really hard to read without feeling frustrated and annoyed.) - FL has ability to see when people change to bad (dark) - This led to trauma in high school when she was sexually harassed by her teacher who denied it all and said it was her fault. - Now in college, she doesn’t socialise and lives on her own when she meets the pink hair ML. He was in an accident and needs ongoing treatment / meds. - A sunbae stalks FL and harasses her but is caught - ML ex visits him to end things and return ring. Turns out her current boyfriend is hitting her. He’s arrested after breaking into ML place and injuring FL. - (not sure why, as I sure as fuck wouldn’t) FL makes up with her parents and undergoes hypnotherapy to recover her memories - ML is a cop and was in accident with FL but she doesn’t remember. Caused by runaway kids. - ML mum had dark aura ability. She left her family behind but spoke to ML again after his dad died.