Before I start my review I absolutely recommend people to watch the drama because though there were a good amount of flaws it was also and amazing one of a kind drama.

So getting to the review honestly, I enjoyed the drama, but wow—every single character here is a hypocrite. Let’s take the final segment as an example: the FL’s “little sister” gets beaten to death by her lover. Was it cruel? Yes. But was it also the right thing to do? Kind of, yes. because this same “little sister” poisoned the previous king for two years, leading to his death in a much more painful way than being beaten. Then, in her final letter, she has the audacity to claim she has “no regrets” because it was all in the name of love. And yet, the FL calls the ML “too cruel” for it. Like, girl—if he hadn’t done that, and instead exposed the “little sister’s” crime, she would have had to take responsibility, and both of you would have been dragged down with her. This is just one example of the hypocrisy that drove me nuts. The FL herself was another frustrating character. She’s way too trusting! The 8th prince abandoned her, but as soon as she’s recovered and in a good position, she asks him if he wants to run away with her again. Excuse me, what? Let’s not forget this is the same 8th prince who orchestrated the genocide of the 10th prince and his entire family, and yet the FL has the nerve to beg for his life.
By the end, I also found myself feeling bad for the ML. I didn’t like him much throughout the drama—he made plenty of terrible decisions—but by the end, he was left completely alone. He had no one to rely on or open up to. All his brothers were either dead or gone, his lover abandoned him and he abandoned his lover, and even his mentor-like figure left him. All he had left was the position of the king
Despite all this, I absolutely loved the drama overall. The character relationships, the intricate political scheming, the music, and, most of all, the ending were all phenomenal. For me, the ending is often the defining factor for a drama—it can either redeem or ruin it. Here, the ending was beautifully written and truly saved the story I felt they managed to give a very satisfying ending to all the characters.