The story reads as pretty modern, but I think this is a good thing. It's a riff of your typical 'wounded girl saved by the Duke of the North' premise... different because here, that aforementioned Duke of the North is naught but a facade. The story definitely goes for a much wilder swing and reaps the rewards all right. I find Oscar, the ML, in his real, non-acted self to be quite amusingly camp. His actual personality is a roguish prankster, a rakish young man who enjoys dressing up and scaring others instead of brooding and stewing in his emotions, a playful flirt who's at the sametime very open and expressive about his feelings. The moments where he bares his (fake-ass) fangs do feel dokidoki-inducing.

In some ways he looks way more like a ML from a modern shoujo than a RoFan, but this is exactly why I enjoy him a lot. His offbeat-ness is not only unique, but it actively enriches the story. He feels very refreshing in the seas of perfect crown princes and stoic dukes of the north.

Meanwhile Freya, the MC, is a bit more common in premise; that of an abused girl who is discarded by her family and is now being pampered in her new home. Much of her character doesn't deviate much from the typical Japanese OI protagonist mold. She's kind and generous, she's determined yet shy, and she always cares for other people. Her efforts throughout the narrative to overcome her trauma does set her apart from many of her peers, but it's not enough to make her fleshed out. Her inner narration is aplenty, but they rarely attempt to dig deeper through her character.

But I enjoy the execution for portraying a certain trait of abused people, namely how they struggle to accept care and love from others.

Despite the heaviness of MC's situation, as well as the plots following that, this manga reads off surprisingly easy and gentle. There's a certain playfulness in the narrative that somehow is capable of respecting the MC's pain while still keeping the narrative light. It is brighter, sweeter, faster, filled with stories where Freya either helps others or is helped by others. I can say that the narrative focuses less on tempering Freya into a strong figure and more on letting her enjoy this new environment with its ups and downs.

The pacing for both the romance and MC's recovery are steady and unhurried, knowing when to slow down and adopt a slice of life pacing when it needs to.

I'm impressed by how both the main cast and the narrative itself wants Freya to recover. There are so many times they stop and give Freya the final say, slowing down at the height of drama to let her react and decide what she wants to do with the situation ahead of her. The story wants her to grow and recover more than anything.

This gets more noticeable to me because Freya is molded more in the mold of OI manga protagonists as opposed to manhwa protagonists. She is a sweet, helpful girl who easily blushes at the slightest provocation. She doesn't become an instant genius, or a badass girlboss who no longer takes shit from anyone. And yet, I think the agency she possesses can and does shine brighter than some of these girlbosses.

And this attempts to give Freya agency also extends to the romance. While the fake romance side of the story is played in a more straightforward manner, with Freya initially questioning the sincerity of the gestures and later angsting over 'what if Oscar finally finds someone he truly loves', the narrative doesn't just want Freya to quickly fall in love with Oscar. In fact, their initial bond feels a lot more...like friends. He teases and prods Freya, a lot, and he does protect and support Freya in times of need, but he and the narrative never pushes her towards a decision. When it comes to the important decisions he actually acts more like a bridge than a shield, opening the way and waiting for Freya to take that step forward.

Behind the playful prankster is a considerate man who always leaves an escape route for Freya to walk away if she so wishes, and it's always so sweet when Freya decides to meet him in the middle.

Again, I can't help but note how modern it is, like I can easily see their dynamics playing in a modern shoujo romance more than an OI. But it works. These anachronism only adds to Oscar's offbeat characters, and it also adds an extra benefit of balancing the power dynamics between Freya and Oscar. The carefulness is appreciated, especially given the (IMO very unnecessary) age gap between them.

I also love that the story takes time letting MC build new bonds with the people in her new domain. Oscar's two maids and driver are not treated as recurring decorations but treated as part of the team, independent characters with their own personality, dynamics, and clear glimpses of life outside Freya and Oscar. These enriches the world, makes the society they're around more alive than otherwise.

I also appreciate how the narrative keeps showing moments where Freya are treating her workers and maids kindly. It's such a small gesture, but it's so warm and nice to see.

While the side characters aren't exactly 'special', they are still more than just living backdrops.

Overall, a very enjoyable read.