Holy shit. The other reviewers are correct. Like, damn.
I'm so confused. How is the ML the master of such a badass, spooky and powerful "secret organization" yet he can't protect himself against this wily woman? Whom he's 100% fully aware is a trickster? At this point, I think it's his fetish to be taken advantage of by her otherwise it just...I don't get it. He's incredibly submissive to her.
I don't like this kind of ML at all. I skip over the scenes that have only the two of them together. Strangely, it makes the story easier to follow. Or maybe it's not so strange, their relationship had almost NOTHING to do with the on-going family and political drama so skipping their romantic scenes doesn't affect the story.
I'm visiting different sites to read the comments and...and I am now thoroughly bewildered. People actually like this kind of incompetent, paper tiger ML? He hasn't really done anything to be worthy of being so feared in-story. We're just TOLD he's this awesome, powerful and ominous guy but every time we see him he's suffering, weakened and sick. In almost every instance where he could have shown off a little the FL comes back to save him or take the spotlight.
The only good thing is the FL being incredibly self-aware. She acknowledges on-page and to herself that she's a cold, unfeeling and remorseless person who rarely helps others out of the (clinging to life in the ICU, on oxygen) goodness of her own heart. She's flippant and messes with people because she can.
We need more FL's like this! BUT we must have an equally conniving, equally assertive ML to make her really shine. As it is the ML here is...ugh, "pathetic" is too harsh and somewhat inaccurate but I can't remember the word I need. He constantly needs to be coddled and protected.
Which, sure, men are allowed to be delicate and distressed, of course! It's just it's not very well matched here. I feel like I'm reading a BDSM kink story with a Mommy Domme and a Little Boy sub.
Although I really like the yaoi mess with the ML's 2 male attendants/bodyguards/advisor/audience stand-ins. They're kind of funny. Not enough to make this worth it though.
What. The. Fuck. Starting around chapter 125-ish this devolves into a "childcare" genre and no longer romance.
The child is a tiny piece of the ML's soul that takes the form of a chibi. No, NOT a child but a super deformed munchkin thing that is often used for comedic shorthand. Now FL is playing and caring for it as if the ML really did physically regressed into a child. This is such an annoying genre change.
Yeah. I gave it 127 chapters. I'm out. Wasted an entire day of my life on this.