Spoiler: Ergy Ergy came to weaken the eastern empire for Henri. Ergy has a reputation of being a play boy and that women tend to fail around him though. Henri asked him to help weaken the Easter empire by manipulating the noble through the woman. We don't know who was the original victim(possibly Navier but she wasn't dropped on her head as a child). Rashta was a surprise but a better tool since she had a special relationship with the emperor, was vulnerable, and had a inferiority complex that could be manipulated. So ergy basically friended her and helped her mess with Navier in order for the empire to loose their excelling empress. But ergy didn't like her at all, apparently Rashta reminded him of his father's "mistress" and that mistress was at first Sovieshus fathers mistress. So when she got kicked out of the eastern empire she wounded up to his country. Also by weakening the empire he could help his country by reaping some of the wealth. Which he did with Rashta by her stupidly giving him a extremely profitable port.
The princess looks a bit like Navier but with glasses. She presents the image of a scholar but her mind is a delightful mess LOL! I saw Elgy's backstory with Alaysia. How did she become the mistress of Duke Claudia in the first place? Duke Claudia obviously didn't like her and was just using her. He got furious when he saw that Alaysia enjoyed being the fake duchess, had the audacity to propose he replaced his wife with her and he even told her to scram! However, in the current timeline, it was as if they were lovers. However, I do understand Elgy's hatred towards Alaysia- he welcomed her as a friend and treated her kindly, but she later told him she wanted to take his mother's place. I would get batshit crazy at that sort of betrayal. ps: I find it weird that Sovieshu ended up bringing in Alaysia 2.0 (aka Rashta) as his mistress when in the past, he hated Alaysia like crazy.
It wasn't that reason. Ergy has a deep hatred for Sobiech due to the events with the concubine who was expelled from the Orient and went to his country. Because of this, he and Henry made an alliance to undermine the strength of the East, but there was no "ah, the deal is to seduce woman x do y" plan. It just happened that they had the same goal. So much so that Henry backtracked and Ergy continued. There was no fruit, he didn't get the port in the end, it was just revenge
When you say in the current timeline, does this mean the author changed something in their backstory again? I’m always curious as to why some readers think Ergi is Heinley’s lackey. Or Heinley had a plan from the beginning to destroy Stupidshoe’s marriage and somehow Stupidshoe is not the one who made the decision to divorce Navier all on his own. The fact is, no amount of scheming on Ergi’s part led to Stupidshoe divorcing Navier. Stupidshoe imagined that he’s a puppet master and decided to come up with an idiotic plan to divorce Navier to legitimize his heir then have Navier come back as empress-mother to a child she repeatedly told him that she would never like nor wanted to have anything to do with. I think Heinley fell for Navier without any premeditated plan. He was probably curious about the rumored “cold” empress and he showed up just in time to see all of Navier’s vulnerable sides because the trash husband kept putting her down and disrespecting her. How could he not be affected when he sees this side of the empress that not many people saw. No wonder he eventually fell for her because not only is she beautiful and clever, she has a fun and vulnerable side as well. He saw it all. Plus Heinley seem to like Navier’s cold side as well. He’s probably somewhat a masochist.
The mistress was the concubine Alysia, Technically Rashta wrote something up to promise the port, but since like Henris wedding Sovieshu(when he called out Henri for it) has known that Ergy came to the eastern empire with a motive. He might not be an exact lackey but I don't think he would of done all of this by himself. Sovieshu handled the promised port deal with the fact that Rashta was of slave status or something. Ergy did have revenge because thanks to Sovieshu, Alysia was able to come into his life and start crap. But the war that Henri was planning was a huge factor for all of this. Girl he might be a M from how much he simps for her. But I think they explain that Henri did fall in love with her by accident when he was scouting the eastern empire. I think his original plan was to ruin the entire royal family at first but then he started to change it when he fell in love with Navier. I think later on in the novel in the western empire the citizens are impressed with how hard working and capable Navier is. And when she married Henri, he understood that she was a workaholic and helped her with it especially during her pregnancy. He didn't lash out at her or got into his feelings. He communicated properly and they worked on it. Which was respectable and a nice change for our girl.
After Alisia told the Duchess from Heinry Kingdom 'my husband is saving a pirate girl, I let her in cause I pity her but my husband seem to like her cause she looks like me, so if there is another woman who claimed to be my husband wife, then it means I'm already kicked out from my house'. Ergy father got furious when he heard that and after they got home, he told her to leave, Alicia threatened him that he couldn't kick her out cause some people believed that she is his wife, but Ergy father didn't care, then Alicia tried to appeal to Ergy saying she has no choice but to do that because Ergy didn't agree she is acting as his mother, Ergy rebuked her why is it his fault, he treated her friendly but being his mother was a different matter, so Ergy too told her to leave. When Ergy mother visited Alisia chamber because of the commotion, Alicia left the room after that Alisia set the fire, Ergy thinking his mother trapped in Alisia room run to save his mother, after that Alicia came out of the room holding Ergy with her face burned acting pitiful 'Please save my son'. At the same times, a Duchess from Heinry kingdom worried about Alicia, visited the mansion, when she saw Alicia holding Ergy, but no servant helped her cause they know she is not the real mother, they don't know what to do, she got furious and took Alicia and Ergy to her guest mansion. Ergy father softened when he heard that Alisia save his son, he still treated her coldly but he has no choice, many people know about the incident and treated her like a brave hero, if he kick her out people would be saying that he kick her wife out cause her face got burned. Ergy keep telling the people that Alicia is not his mother, but no one believed him saying he was in shock and feel guilty. That's when he met Heinry, and Heinry believed him, Heinry even say that Alicia maybe the one who started the fire, but Ergy didn't believe him cause he ran out on his won, he should ask the butler first if his mother already left. Ergy hated Alicia, but he feel he should repay her for saving his life. Ergy father loved her wife, he didn't even spare Alisia a glance at first and treated her coldly, but maybe after the accident, due to gratitude and pity, he opened up to her beside Alicia look like his wife, and Alicia is Rasta with a brain, she is cunning and shameless, it wouldn't be hard for her to seduce Ergy father. When Navier got the silent treatment from her people, Ergy look more hurt than her, when he said 'people only remember the last', I think he is talking about his father and the people who easily took Alicia side after the incident. I honestly don't know, Ergy seem didn't care about his own kingdom, when the King of his country told him to give the port back cause he don't want to angered Soviet, Ergy refused, also when Heinry told him that he gave up his plan for Navier, Ergy still continue with his own plan. If it is really true that Ergy manipulated the paternity test and Gloriem is Soviet real child, I got mixed feeling about this, sure Soviet is wrong, but Alicia is not innocent either, Alisia hated Soviet for looking at her with disgust and contempt (tch, what do you expect you homewrecker) so she purposely frolicking with Soviet father in front of him, and when later Soviet comforted his crying mother saying after he became the Emperor he would punished his father and his concubine who makes his mother cry, Alicia who overheard that became furious and had the audacity to threatened Soviet saying that 'children die easily, it's still a long way for him to became Emperor, anything could happened, so she would make a lot of brother'. I could understand why the next day Soviet framed Alicia saying she give abortion cookies to his mother, though there is many holes in Soviet claim but his father believed him (in this case he is at least better than Soviet who believed his mistress more than his wife) and expelled Alicia back to her own country, Alicia parents feel ashamed, leave her in the boat and she got kidnapped by the pirates and later escaped and rescued by Ergy father. No matter how much I hated Soviet and Rasta, but Gloriem is innocent, it feels unfair that Alisia who is more vicious that Rasta got happily ever after but Rasta got punished for something she didn't do.
@lembayung , didn’t Rasta’s crimes involve embezzlement, hiring assassins to kill Navier’s parents (high ranking nobles), stabbing Arian almost to death, framing Delise and cutting her tongue in half, hiring an assassin to kill Levetti, etc? It’s not like she shouldn’t be punished for those things even if her child turned out to be Stupidshoe’s child. And at the end of all these things, she still thinks she didn’t do anything wrong. That’s the scariest thing of all because it shows she doesn’t have a conscience. The commoners who supported Rasta also got an earful in the trial court about how she abused her power against the commoner maids. By the end, even they were appalled by her deeds. It was funny though how she said Stupidshoe was a eunuch instead of saying he’s infertile. She used the wrong word but in the end, she and Stupidshoe turned on each other. I like how Navier attended the trial incognito and simply left afterwards knowing that none of this really has anything to do with her anymore. She came to see what happened to the person who hired an assassin to kill her parents. She came quietly and left quietly except this time when her carriage was leaving for the West, the commoners lined up along the road waving red flags to wish her well. I still think Rasta was a brainless idiot because she could have lived a pampered life if only she wasn’t so covetous. I repeat, who has secrets to hide and push themselves in the limelight? She should have lived quietly in the palace but thankfully all her actions led to Navier’s divorce so I’m quite glad she at least got Navier out of that marriage. I don’t feel sorry for her at all. I feel sorry for Ian and Allen. Those are the two I feel for the most.
This is the best summary I have seen about Ergys past. Alicia was a noble before so I guess she understood more how to handle high society. But dang she was able to save her butt.
Thank you for this good summary! Really interesting, sad for Ergy mom, and this Alicia is ...."if Rasta was a noble" heh. Do you know if Ergy will get his revenge till the end against Alicia?
I think it was to "cover up" her past as a slave since he knew her when she was. But to also to make sure he wouldn't spill about the assassins. And from what the inner dialog in Rashtas mind seeing that guy worship her gave her a boost as well. Seeing how her beauty can control men and that it was all that she needed.
No, that's why I said it was unfair. Alisia live in the main house while Ergy mother confined in the shabby old cottage without a servant nor maid, she couldn't even get a proper treatment, also Alicia often lying that his mother is in critical condition and Ergy would then run back home in hurry (She is psychopath I'm sure). Ergy mother was physically weak since she was a child, after her parents passed away, she live in the countryside to recuperated, that's where she met Ergy father, they fall in love. Ergy father was a Second Prince, that's why the King who wary of Ergy father gain power through marriage, allowed them to marry, even though she is weak and a fallen nobles. After marriage, Ergy mother health become worse, dealing with the nobles affect her mental health as well, so she stayed at home most of the time, there is no problem till the Queen return to her home country, and they need someone to lead the high society, and rumors began to spread, that's why Ergy father rescued Alicia to act as his wife in public, when he brought Alicia home, Ergy welcomed her, young Ergy was very innocent, it's clear he was raised in a loving house, and also his father adore him so much, Ergy even cried when his father told him that Alisia was kidnapped by the pirate, Ergy promise to protect her and treated her friendly. But she back stabbed him, Alicia keep saying she just want to live when in fact she enjoyed the attention and the luxury, I guess it's not enough acting as Ergy mother in public only, she came up with all that plan, she succeeded and became Ergy mother even in the mansion, unlike Rasta who get her position due to Soviet stupidity. Ergy hated Alicia for taking his mother place, but he hated his father even more. Because Alisia saves his life once, he think he need to repay her, the people in the mansion think the fire was the servant mistake, but what they didn't know, Alisia purposely use Ergy doll made by his mother to lure him into the room. When Soviet confronted him asking 'what Rasta did wrong', Ergy asking him back 'What Alisia did wrong to him', I don't know maybe he mess with Soviet to repay Alisia and also to punish him. After Ergy fled from Easter Empire, he come back to his home, Alicia run down the stair, acting like a doting mother 'my son you are back, blah blah' Ergy pushed her away, His father then scolded him, Alisia begin Rasta patented white lotus act, while clinging to Ergy father, crying a river of crocodile tears 'Honey, it seem our son hasn't forgive me, blah blah blah'. Ergy ignored them and visit his mother who lives alone, his mother couldn't even recognize him now, she just stare into the air, only when Ergy say 'Mother, do you want to hear the story of another husband who abandoned his wife for his mistress, of course they been punished', only then his mother look at him and smile. When Allen sister tried to push him off the stairs, Ergy thinking 'it's not too bad to die in her hand, but not now I still have my mother to protect'. He want to cure his mother, since it's a mental and physical illness, he need the healing wizard but to do that first he need power so he could get his mother out of that damn house, his father won't allowed people to come to the house nor he would allowed his mother out of the house since he care so much about honor, he already flawed as a Second Prince, so he didn't want to add any more flaw. Heinry advised him to get help from Soviet, Ergy just laugh thinking Soviet is the most unlikely person who would helped him. Ergy even lost the port later.
The orphan that Navier sponsors and was almost killed by rashta, is a healing wizard. I wonder if she will have a side story as well.
Kay, only putting this on here because there isn't a discussion board. But, does Duke Elgry actually like Rashta or is he solely using her. And besides helping his buddy (our favorite 2ndML who actually broke the 2nd ML barrier), is there another reason? I think sometimes the language used doesn't give me a concise understanding on what the characters are thinking, which is probably because things are lost in translation. Which happens because different words/expressions change slightly because of cultural context. Or some languages need more/less explaining for certain ideas to get across to the readers. Example of where this may happen: Ch.222 "Over Rashta’s shoulder, his expression resembled that of a sated beast." -When I read this I think of a man having amorous/lustful feelings for someone and content with how they made them feel/got them to react. Like a guy making his girl knees weak while they kiss. -However, I can potentially see this as an expression as more sinister. Like she's falling in his malicious trap and all is going according to plan. And for the scene, it makes more sense. But if that's true the expression "sated beast" doesn't quite. Because sated is like full/content/quench/fill. And a word relating to calculation/manipulation/plotting should have been used. Ex. Shrewd Beast, Calculative Beast, Predator Circling its Prey Part of me really hopes he doesn't actually like Trashta and that this is really just all part of a plot. Some clarification would be super helpful/
@cmonson , erm, I think “sated beast” can be a sinister meaning. A serial killer can act like a sated/satisfied beast after mutilating his victim. It’s a very appropriate expression for a twisted murderer who can be also called a beast because beasts don’t have conscience of wrong or right. So, the second meaning can be appropriate for Ergi if he sees Rashta as a prey or pawn for his machination. I don’t think he has “romantic” feelings for her. I don’t know if something changed yet again in the side stories though. About second male lead, I actually see Heinry as the male lead. His romance with Navier is more shown. Even their first night is covered. In contrast, we don’t see physical affection between Navier and Stupidshoe. I think the author was very careful about that. The author started the story with the estrangement between Navier and Stupidshoe so we only really get romance between Navier and Heinry.
The Ergy's backstory isn't over yet right? I hope his mom got a happy ending. The fact that she got abandoned in such a way is so sad, especially since she's not physically or mentally able to protect herself. But the blatant identity theft by Alaysia is seriously evil. Somehow, I can understand why Ergy became so twisted. Imagine growing up adored, happy and carefree. Alaysia took advantage of his sweet and innocent nature to take over his mom's identity and life. He keeps telling people that Alaysia is not his mother but no one believes him. His dad who is supposed to protect him and his wife ended up enabling the lie. It must be like living in a nightmare. No wonder he became close to Heinly, the only one who understood and trusted him. p/s: Regarding Heinly, even as a child, he was very sharp and shrewd.
Got! I'm so sick of such men like Soveishu and Duke Ergy's father. Soveishu got his share of regret and moping around, it's Duke Ergy's father's time now.
Can somebody please tell me the perspective of why Navier has to be the 'messiah' or savior' of people like Rashta or this expectation of breaking slavery? Like, does the novel or nay material have any indication that she had the opportunity, authority and power to do so? So, far I haven't seen any but if there is and I missed it, could somebody point it out? I'm getting some posts that she is like Danaerys (GOT) or something but I don't really see it?
Hmmm. I had no idea that people expected Navier to save Rashta or abolish slavery. Interesting. I’ve never watched Game of Thrones so I can’t speak about the comparison. As far as Navier’s take on slavery, I get the impression she takes the perspective of the law at the time. It seems that slaves come about from people who broke the law. I don’t know what kind of crime or alleged crime the individual commits in order to become a slave as well as their children, but it also seems that there was a way to get pardoned out of slavery. Navier said that several slaves are pardoned every year and released from slavery. I assume people were enslaved when they broke certain laws because they could have also been imprisoned or executed for their crimes. From the novel, I never got the impression that the monarchs wanted to abolish slavery especially since it was more linked to people who committed crimes rather than say, when people are enslaved through conquest or sold into it against their will. So, it’s kind of surprising to hear that some readers wanted Navier to do something about it.