I stumbled upon this and oh boy am I glad I did. It's a sweet story with endearing characters and intriguing setup. It's a short read too, only 8 chapters, which makes it even more impressive. The plot is actually simple, almost straightforward, with two rivaling kingdoms and their representatives that are meant to be wed. I can do with a little bit less of the fake marriage; I think it overstayed its purpose, but the rest feels surprisingly heartfelt, with the story somehow capable of telling so much in a single volume. I think the main charm lies in the two main characters. Aside from theirvisual appearances, they are shining in their earnestness to improve both their homelands.

I absolutely adore Naranbayar, the male MC, for defying common tropes for this genre and looking more like a scrawny commoner nerd with messy hair and perma stubble. Sarah, the female MC, is a sweet and kind princess, a type of character that's bit more common in this kind of story, but even then I still find myself charmed by how much she tries to do her best when all things are stacked against her.

Their attraction and affection do develop rather fast, but it doesn't feel unearned. The fake marriage beginning ends up becoming more of a solid bridge to connect the two. And while there are some misunderstanding about it, it doesn't detract with their relationship--or the main plot.

That being said, I do think a lot of the finer details in the narrative could have benefitted from one or two more chapters. It doesn't help that this story is one that uses indirect phrasing and veiled insinuation, but the scanlation I read is kind of clumsy with its phrasing. Still, I end up finishing the story feeling warm and full and that means something.

Now...let's talk about the obvious part, the Diversity Win™.

I think it's sweet to see everything about this story, especially when juxtaposed by the many RoFans that flooded the manga world. Here, we have a plus-size princess, a scrawny male lead, and the setting is visibly inspired by Middle-Eastern culture for one and Central Asian culture for the other. Those are VERY rare story elements to include, much less so when combined into one.

The execution might feel a little bit awkward at times, though. There are some potentially caricaturish portrayal, like the assassin with a burqa, and Sarah's scenes are often tied up with food in one way or another. Also, there are horrible figures in both kingdoms, and some of those portrayal may run amok with national caricatures. Readers beware.

But even with all my critique above, I still think it's a net positive. This story is at its core, a story about unity, about two different cultures learning to drop their hostilities and embrace the other, and I think it delivers.

And again, my heart is warm and full. That should mean something.