I just discovered this comic with this update! I love it. I'm glad you're back and I got a chance to read it! I'm totally hooked, I love the characters~
Ugh I'm not here for the "forced sex because we're married now" trope. No matter how good the story is, opening with that one always makes things icky for me.
Elgy is definitely sus, but I think he's working with Heinley to undermine the East. I think this started off as a ploy to destabilize the country and turned into actually falling for the Empress... Maybe.