- #1
I like it.It's your basic "big, scary, 'misunderstood', villain guy tames himself for his cute, tiny, shy wife, who uses her know-how to improve his situation and life."The good: he is not a major AH like other husbands in this genre, nor has he mistreated her in any way. He DID show up to their wedding a couple hours late, covered in blood, but that was business, and he's been pretty decent and even kind, otherwise, though he's the type who looks like a villain when he tries to be nice and smile, poor darling.They also seem to be willing to make an honest go of things, very refreshing. There's none of that nonsense about waiting years and years for no reason, and both agreed to the marriage willingly.The set up is reasonably believable. He's about as socialized as a guy who grew up in an all-guys, fighting environment would be, and his "villain" reputation is both earned and realistic (he IS a mercenary, who takes on unpleasant, brutal jobs, and is very good at it. No silly curses, super extra-ness, or dumb misunderstandings about why he's "bad") Her marrying him because of her circumstances makes sense.Our MC is a bit atypical, in that she's a painfully shy introvert, who dislikes big social parties, and who has suffered some pretty big blows in her life, though she remains determined and eager to do what she can. (I do suspect her husband's mu*der-skills will focus on avenging her crappy situation, in place of fulfilling his original plot function of bad guy's dog). She's mainly a stand in for any shy, bookish audience member to insert themselves, which isn't a bad thing.The meh: this is presented as an Isekai, where the MC was born in the novel world, but one day remembered her past life, where she read a book containing this life's plot. I don't really see the point of this detail. They would have enough drama and conflict without it. But I guess it's there so we see the irony of her trying to exit from the plot, only to wind up married to the antagonist on accident, while adding tension that she knows everyone is going to die horribly.I find their inability to sit down and talk frustrating. These are a pair who literally meet for the first time at their wedding, with no prior communication. He's got questions on why a beautiful young woman from one of the highest families in the capital would agree to marry the "beggar baron, " and she was under the impression she was marrying a cripple. One would think a clearing of the air and saying "hi, I'm MC, my favorite color is blue, I like long walks in the beach"--you know, the basics, would be prudent. However, it's only been three days into the marriage by page 8, and 'drama' things keep popping up to get in the way, so I'm willing to pause judgement on that for now.I have the sneaking suspicion our MC is going to get a touch Mary Sue. They sometimes slip up and make her more social than they said she was, and the underlings all universally adore her already, without her saying a word. Plus it's going to be her job to transform the economic situation of her husband's land, as well as guide him into being a nicer person, big asks for anyone. It'll be a bit difficult to pull all of that off without her skewing at least a little Mary Sue.It reminds me of Under the Oak Tree, but our MC doesn't have crippling self esteem issues, the ML doesn't have an inferiority complex, and (so far) it's PG.
