Male lead is the fucking worst. He's just a psychopath that hypnotizes everyone and mistreats the MC just to see how much she "likes" him. She's only around because she thinks her life is on the line and she takes his abuse to the point where it's negatively affecting her future. ML's sad backstory is somehow supposed to justify being a crazy fucker that'll kill anyone and everyone that gets in his way? Like Jesus, his only redeeming qualities is that "he doesn't wanna be mean, but other people are mean to him
" Fucking Christ, I'm so sorry that's so sad how could I judge you so harshly, no one's suffered like you my dude.
He also doesn't try to woo MC. Doesn't try to make her like him. Instead he actively tries to fuck with her and test "how much does she love me?" Oh wow. My heart. Such romance. Oh there's a reason why he threw away her tea, it was because it was poisoned! So instead of trying not to offend her or doing any of the sappy romance stuff you normally would see, he opts to force his attendant to drink the poisoned tea because murder is more important than manners I suppose. He also would have literally made her fiance murder her best friend and then himself in front of her. He's a yandere without the dere. Christ on wheels if anyone who reads this thinks that this is romantic then you need help. I kept thinking that maybe they would turn this around but nope, he's just shitty all the way through.