I'm reposting what I wrote on Reddit:
I don't think Gonda is to blame, but I also think he might not be totally understanding the situation. If he really wants to be there, this might be a situation to be a bit more persistent. She hasn't said she isn't interested in him, what she's giving him...
Whether he ends up being actually good or not, I'm kinda hoping she either doesn't end up with anyone, or maybe at a push the Ice Knight. I think he's pretty clever, and I like his loyalty.
Regardless of whether he should or should not have been ok with it, I think this is the right move for the manga. It was going to easy for Ars in many ways, and him having to deal with the realities of being in charge in a feudal society is important. Whether the manga will follow up on this and...
Man, whatever, I will agree that this is a little dragged out, but I think the theming and character has been consistent in this, and I'm still interested how this will all shake out.
@bananauyu A small sample:
75: " Wow thats fucking gay...The fuck is this pussy shit author i know you must be pissing your pants cuz you made Hori and gaywad into a couple too soon and dont seem to either know or want to write a manga about a couple but thats no reason to pull off all these...
@Lexical No it's totally real. This kind of stuff exists in the West, just not for dating. It's just fan culture. Idk why it is the way it is for dating specifically in Korea, but there are similar things in other East Asian countries. If I were to guess, something to do with conservative values...
I'm down with pegging, but the fact that he can't let her take the lead when they're just making out means there has to be a lot of hand holding before we get there. Fighting against societal expectations is hard.
I know Lady Rachel isn't going to win, but I much prefer her than Arial. Scheming types make better Queens than brash, unthinking types like Arial. Even if Rachel is using Marie, that in itself shows her talent at being able to pick up on who is useful and who isn't.
Genuinely one of the worst manhwa I've ever read. Most of the korean adult manhwa have a better plot and better characterization.
I still want to read another 500 chapters of this trash though. It's kind of fun.
I'm a bit tired of the perverted older man trope. I thought this series was mostly doing well staying from boring tropes like this. It's a little disappointing to have it here.