@otakukc
I wouldn’t call her hopelessly in love, though. She got caught completely off guard, and was faced with a heartache she thought she had overcome long ago. (Kind of like being overwhelmed when something random reminds you of someone dear that died a decade ago.)
That backstory seems to stupid. Starting a confession with "my most loyal servant" ... I don't know; that dude just seems shit (and his initial plan to just use and discard is unforgivable anyway ^^), and her just being "yeah yeah I'll live for you" ... that's the opposite of romantic.
I wanna tell Astina, although you have your past life memories, you are a different person than Martina. You must live your life without being dragged by the past. Let the memories be memories
Hmm, the initial chapters made it seem like Martina died of old age. Meanwhile she executed Theodore while she was in her 20s. She had time to come to terms with his death, but it appears that she either couldn't or wouldn't. It's possible after she abdicated the throne to Althea she died soon after? That seems unlikely.
@degenerateafro from what I could understand she never got over it, that’s why she never married or had children. The second ML’s (past-life?) was with her until the end and she still did not respond to his feelings. I also think she didn’t live long after abdicating the throne, and yes, she was old.
@sqrt9, I think he thought that he will become like his father and brother because of their blood and thus he deceided to be killed gy his loved one and clean their empire from that filthy blood
@theapprentice I think that will be Astina's struggle moving forward in this story; if she can reconcile her previous life regrets and feelings over Theodore to start anew with Thereode and live as Astina, or if she's going to let her past ghosts get in the way because she thinks losing them means giving up on her attached identity as Martina.