I think it boils down on ---- FML doesn't have a choice but both of them lived in an era with a mentality that wasn't ideal for the FML while ML was strictly raised by those values. FML would do anything to have money. She can't just not go outside because of bad reputation or just because someone likes her. She needs money for every, for them not to get hungry, and for ML to go to school. As for ML, he was educated in that era, it wasn't easy for him to be open minded so he just couldn't understand why FML was so desperate (one of his education is that scholar shouldn't smell of copper). Maybe he kind of get it, but it's complicated on him, especially with everyone talking about it. Speaking honestly, ML without the dream was a child desperately sheltered by FML. He throws tantrums at the FML while at the same time wanted to prove himself. So FML seeing herself as ML's sister instead of a love interest is actually quite logical. Before getting the dream, ML is an insecure child displaying a false pride. He throws a fit a FML whenever he felt humiliated and deny her being his bride. He can't speak out of his honest feelings directly and rather be explosive to vent on FML. I agree that none was their fault. It actually made the story more heartbreaking because it was due to circumstances. They didn't want to be like that, what happened was beyond simple misunderstanding, it's the way the society works that's affected them. It's not that they never appreciated each other, heck they always think for each other's sake, it just that their view are vastly different. In a different perspective, as shown in the dream, they were two people with ambitious ideas and very dominant with contrasting view, a pair that wasn't suitable to each other at all. FML was too bold, ML was too bent on being a textbook scholar. And then the story show that they can be also the perfect combination. If you read the extra, please spoil me too. I didn't went to read further cause I get tired when they started arranging marriage with their kids. My heart also couldn't take the suspense as FML was arranging marriage for the son while ML was trying to ready himself if the son was really gay. I feel like I might get my heart broken.