Girl, hold your horses....because in the webtoon, this was clearly not the case. Rashta was definitely a victim…
Honestly, you can’t really blame Rashta for her naivety and ignorance. She has a child-like mindset because she never had the chance to grow up due to the slavery and torture she endured. I truly believe she might have turned out completely different if she had received genuine care and guidance. You also can't blame her for wanting power given where she came from. On top of that, she was constantly manipulated by everyone around her—the King, Viscount Roteschu, Duke Ergi, and the rest of the nobility. She simply didn't know any better. That said, it doesn't change the fact that once she actually got power, she didn't use it for anything good, though she was also illiterate and completely uneducated. I just feel like the author didn't do her character justice because she was written purely to be the protagonist's rival.
Girl, hold your horses....because in the webtoon, this was clearly not the case. Rashta was definitely a victim…
First of all, I’m not a girl. To elaborate on what I mean: yes, Rashta was a victim of the system, and everyone played a role in pushing her to that point—including Navier. That doesn't make Rashta’s bad actions right, which is precisely why I say almost everyone in this story acts like a villain in their own way. Navier directly played a part in Rashta's trajectory by subtly bullying and icing her out, treating her as beneath her from the very start rather than extending basic empathy to someone escaping horrific circumstances. When I talk about "spine vs. simp" and independent agency, I'm referring to how the narrative treats male motivation. In this story, a male lead is only framed as "ideal" if his entire world, moral compass, and personal goals submit completely to Navier. Heinrey is a powerful ruler, but his character identity dissolves into pining over her. The moment a male character displays independent ambition, boundaries, or self-serving goals that don't prioritize Navier's feelings—like Sovieshu pursuing his own heir—the narrative instantly codes them as an irredeemable antagonist. Instead of writing real, complex men with distinct priorities, the story reduces them to two extremes: completely subservient "simps" for the lead, or villains.
It only took me a few episodes to realize this whole drama is a mess. All of the characters are either simps or villains. Navier is a classist elitist who views slaves as filthy and barely human. Yet, the author portrays her as an omnipotent, flawless figure who can do no wrong—the perfect empress without whom men are completely incompetent and unable to govern. The narrative tries to convince us that these powerful male leaders are helpless fools unless Navier is there to direct them. But ironically, while the story frames her as the ultimate savior, she is actually the one constantly being saved—by Heinrey’s obsession, by her noble status, and by plot convenience whenever she faces actual consequences. Meanwhile, innocent Rashta just wanted to be her friend and build a connection, but Navier immediately saw her as a threat. While I understand Navier’s initial discomfort, the situation was never Rashta’s fault—it was the King’s. In fact, the Empress actively pushed Rashta into becoming the villain she eventually became. As for Sovieshu, he is a manipulative prick who uses everyone around him for personal gain, yet crumbles into total dysfunction the moment Navier leaves. Heinrey is no better—he's a warmongering simp whose entire identity revolves around Navier. He has no backbone or pride as a man, and he is essentially a stalker, but the story excuses it all because he’s handsome. Ultimately, any man with a spine or independent agency is framed as a villain, while spineless simps are presented as ideal partners. Navier undergoes zero character growth or development; as a ruler, she does nothing to abolish slavery or actually help the common people—all she cares about is her own status and the nobility.
Same here, is my fav manhwa so i kinda scared to watch aaaaaaa
It was initially the other way around she actually respected and looked up to her but the empress looked down on here because she was a slave navier is a villain a big one at that
OMG DUDE, THE ENDING OF EPISODE 2 GAVE ME GOOSEBUMPS! So the ML is the BIRD? 😭😭😭🤌 OMG, that was so…
So slaves aren't humans ?and you're a fool of you don't see the FL as a villain a classist villain at that the SFL was an innocent girl but the queen was not only mean and rude to her she bullied her instead of facing her cheating husband yet you're siding with her ? She looks down on her because she's a slave that tells me everything I need to know about her the whole drama is a shit show and all the leads are just as bad as the other
News 
You also can't blame her for wanting power given where she came from. On top of that, she was constantly manipulated by everyone around her—the King, Viscount Roteschu, Duke Ergi, and the rest of the nobility. She simply didn't know any better.
That said, it doesn't change the fact that once she actually got power, she didn't use it for anything good, though she was also illiterate and completely uneducated. I just feel like the author didn't do her character justice because she was written purely to be the protagonist's rival.
To elaborate on what I mean: yes, Rashta was a victim of the system, and everyone played a role in pushing her to that point—including Navier. That doesn't make Rashta’s bad actions right, which is precisely why I say almost everyone in this story acts like a villain in their own way. Navier directly played a part in Rashta's trajectory by subtly bullying and icing her out, treating her as beneath her from the very start rather than extending basic empathy to someone escaping horrific circumstances.
When I talk about "spine vs. simp" and independent agency, I'm referring to how the narrative treats male motivation. In this story, a male lead is only framed as "ideal" if his entire world, moral compass, and personal goals submit completely to Navier. Heinrey is a powerful ruler, but his character identity dissolves into pining over her. The moment a male character displays independent ambition, boundaries, or self-serving goals that don't prioritize Navier's feelings—like Sovieshu pursuing his own heir—the narrative instantly codes them as an irredeemable antagonist.
Instead of writing real, complex men with distinct priorities, the story reduces them to two extremes: completely subservient "simps" for the lead, or villains.
Navier is a classist elitist who views slaves as filthy and barely human. Yet, the author portrays her as an omnipotent, flawless figure who can do no wrong—the perfect empress without whom men are completely incompetent and unable to govern. The narrative tries to convince us that these powerful male leaders are helpless fools unless Navier is there to direct them. But ironically, while the story frames her as the ultimate savior, she is actually the one constantly being saved—by Heinrey’s obsession, by her noble status, and by plot convenience whenever she faces actual consequences.
Meanwhile, innocent Rashta just wanted to be her friend and build a connection, but Navier immediately saw her as a threat. While I understand Navier’s initial discomfort, the situation was never Rashta’s fault—it was the King’s. In fact, the Empress actively pushed Rashta into becoming the villain she eventually became.
As for Sovieshu, he is a manipulative prick who uses everyone around him for personal gain, yet crumbles into total dysfunction the moment Navier leaves. Heinrey is no better—he's a warmongering simp whose entire identity revolves around Navier. He has no backbone or pride as a man, and he is essentially a stalker, but the story excuses it all because he’s handsome.
Ultimately, any man with a spine or independent agency is framed as a villain, while spineless simps are presented as ideal partners. Navier undergoes zero character growth or development; as a ruler, she does nothing to abolish slavery or actually help the common people—all she cares about is her own status and the nobility.