The Vanished Duchess

The art is really pretty but the plot is not good. I only continued reading to find out the ending. If you are considering to start reading this series, I suggest you don't bother. Might as well spend your time reading something else.

This story could have been easily solved, but revolved around a severe lack of communication. Do not use this as a good example of relationships for the work place or romantically. You will not do well.

Oh my, oh my oh my... I didn't think it would be quite like this, although I was warned. It was written that the FL was a dumb char... But boy, I did not expect her to be so terrible, so incredibly stupid. She really takes the cake of the worst manhwa heroines ever (so far). If this was a manhwa that wanted to show us how a majorly emotionally and psychologically damaged person does all the wrong choice in life, does not know how to communicate, and slowly heals and learns to remedy her errs of the past, then this would work, and Maybell would actually be a solid character. But, in order to make it work, you would need to show just how little self esteem, little capacity for rational tough she has, and why did she becomes like this. Maybe her parents neglected her, maybe the society at large harmed her, maybe she was bullied. But no, this manhwa does not go that way. This manhwa just takes Maybell at face value as a normal, smart woman who was trying to do her best in strained circumstances. WTF! I habe literary never seen a more incompletent, stupid, uninteresting FL, even, and I have read a variety of things.

No, Maybell is something else. Her complete lack of communication skills, her tackless actions, her prudishness, her selective memory, her unhinged behaviour... Are all treated as perfectly fine for a heroine. Which, trust me, they are not. IMHO, Maybell is the main antagonist of this story. She singlehandedly caused to much problems for the ML it makes me sick. and ML, who is a superbly drawn and well written char, simply falls flat since he devoted to Maybell in an almost sick and twisted way. Simply so, so so bad. Plus their son, Patrick, is a boring cliche juvenile character who didn't give anything to the story.

All the good things here are overshadowed by Maybell. The very nice art style (although the fashion is overtly fluffy for both men and women). The perverted obsession the Queen has with the DUke, and the complex relationship between sisters and brothers was actually a pretty good plot point, but as I said, completely useless in the end since I'll remember nothing of this manhwa EXCEPT the superbly underwhelming FL.

Overall, skip! The FL will grate on your nerves and you'll want to kick her in the shins from panel one to panel last.

Please, by all means, do tell everyone exactly how you feel about the female lead Baka-Udate editors.

I've never seen all of those categories in one listing before. Should've recognized and believed the signs. I have no one to blame but myself for my disbelief that "this can't be that bad". I understand the errors of my ways now.