The big hole is territorial management. Duke Violet's work is overseas business trip. There's no talk about who is responsible in running the management while Alto is out. It's quite obvious his wife is not handling those job, and we never see Serena or anyone talk about the people doing territory management in the house, so they likely separate the residence and workplace.
But this is a very high-society centred story. Typically, these kind of otome story would have episodes like going out to town and see life of commoners, mingling with the people to show how compassionate the protagonist is towards commoner, or how good/bad their family's rule in eyes of the commoners. In this one, Serena, Rosemary, and the other characters almost exclusively only interact with other nobilities or their servant. Assassination episodes are short and in later episodes mostly happens off the screen (in LN at least, maybe they would want to show more action scene in the manga).
Serena not being reincarnated from modern world with its view of equality also made her different.
If asked what is her long term goal, she doesn't have anything further than ensuring her survival (although the taking assassination job may seem contradictory). If her parent sold her out to a political marriage, she will judge it by how much profit and risk it will bring to her and her family. She doesn't understand love, and doesn't see it as important.
Inside, she see all human as equal because they're all the same pile of dead meat when killed. But outside, she took her position seriously. She's not like otome isekai protagonist who bluntly speak out of thing she believe is morally right. She speak out confidently about things she believe is socially right, that includes the social manners because in the nobilities' environment, disrespect goes a long way.
Does she want to return to the street? No, unless she can't help it anymore. For example, if her family is heading straight to the chopping board including herself, she will throw away the family and save her own arse.
About their family... in title, the Violets are Duke, so they're high ranked in title and it gives them standing compared to other families.
But practically... Amaryllis doesn't like going to social events, which means she doesn't build strong connection with other families who would be their allies. Meanwhile, Alto is not one of the nobles who work in the capital palace, so he also not personally close to the centre of power. Their family is known to be wealthy, but their main connection is to the merchants rather than other nobilities. There are even nobles who look at them lightly because they do work like the lowly merchants. It's why later, Alto is really angry to his wife about agreeing on Rosemary's engagement, even though he already told her to consult him before making decision. The Violet house might be wealthy, but they don't have the political weapon needed to survive a full scale faction war in a succession dispute, especially because the 2nd prince's faction is weaker.
In most nobles' eyes, Violets' greatest value is just their rich.
Serena is much more aware about the influence and relationship map (it's part of her education as a lady, and she catch up on details such as how a person act, who they talk to, what they talk about, how they dress), so she move carefully as befitting of her position. She can call people who disrespect her in her position as daughter of a duke's house. But she is careful to not overdo it, show weakness others can exploit, or dangerously pick side. Meanwhile, Rosemary is frustrating her because that sister doesn't know the limit of her position. In fact, it feels like a lot of her narration can be summed as her pointing out the balance of power and nobles should behave as they're supposed to.
The studying are told off-screen, but they do have teacher to teach them, especially later when they're close to their first social debut (the manga's time skip ruined this). Their teacher praised Serena because she took the manner lessons seriously. Meanwhile, Rosemary is frustrating because she conveniently flip between "I'm a duke's daughter" when she need the luxury, and "but I was born commoner" when she need excuse for her unable to learn manner.
That, despite Serena also reminds her over and over again about how saying she's "born commoner" is not just meaningless, she's practically degrading herself and insulting the family if she think she can get off with that in the society.
She also use her "commoner" card a lot to attempt framing people who reminds her of her mistake as arrogant noble who bully people of lower status, mainly on Serena.
Mentioned in the comparison post... Serena is much more sociopath in the LN. The manga made it seem like she warms up to her father, but in the LN she doesn't. When her father said he plan on spending more time to her, her thought is about the risk of him finding out her darker secrets because he is smarter than his carefree wife. She even contemplated on killing him, but stop the idea because it will just result in negative gain (not because she loves him).
So... she have her own unlikeable side. And her attitude can come out as haughty to others as she does look down on people she think is too stupid to move without being aware of their position.
A lot of stories are like that.
Not seeing anyone praising this as peak writing either, it's just pulp fiction.
Outside plot, the LN expand on the WN, but it feels like it has too much padding and repeating the same points again and again. It also has something added, but the original story is not overhauled enough so time over time, it felt like that added element just got forgotten.
Not a peak writing, those need more effort and luck to find.
…not sure. A lot of my comments had added context from already reading the WN and LN. There are details that got skipped by the manga, or still not explained at this point in the story.
Mentioned in the comparison post... Serena is much more sociopath in the LN. The manga made it seem like she warms up to her father, but in the LN she doesn't. When her father said he plan on spending more time to her, her thought is about the risk of him finding out her darker secrets because he is smarter than his carefree wife. She even contemplated on killing him, but stop the idea because it will just result in negative gain (not because she loves him).
So... she have her own unlikeable side. And her attitude can come out as haughty to others as she does look down on people she think is too stupid to move without being aware of their position.
Personally I do kinda wish she’d end up opening up her heart to her family after they show her tons of love. Call me a sap but I like it when a mentally scared person gets better and has a happy life they weren’t able to get in a previous life.
Sociopath characters are hard to do so it’s no wonder why the author dropped the series. It’s hard for a person with empathy to convincingly write a character without empathy and not make them come across as a really unlikable character. The Red Mist has this issue as I dropped it after I could no longer tolerate how shitty the MC is. Had the same issue with Weed from Moonlight Sculpture. Hopefully the MC in this is better than those characters but I won’t hold my breath based on what you said.
…not sure. A lot of my comments had added context from already reading the WN and LN. There are details that got skipped by the manga, or still not explained at this point in the story.
I never even read the WN or LN, but to me since the beginning of the manga, it was clear that Rosemary was a scheming one. Serena attacking the dog was only for self-defense. And Serena might be a stone-faced kid, but her mother is also at fault here, as instead of solving the problem, she ran away from it by adopting another child. The father also noticed this
Because there's no time skip, Serena is still 6 years old. Also unlike in the manga, she still get trained by Rick before they decide she is capable enough to take a job.
There's no elaborating the job like in page 1, it goes straight to the murder.
The baron's wife is not killed immediately. She's killed when trying to run away, thinking Serena's attention is distracted to talk with her husband.
Her talk about value of human life is longer in the LN. Good it got summed up.
As in the previous story, Alto's dislike for Rosemary is much more obvious. He shows more preference. He told Rosemary he have to go, but still have time to hug his wife before departing.
In the manga, he only tells Serena she can talk if she had problem, he will try to deal with it for her. But in the LN, it's more extreme. He said he will do what he can to find a more comfortable place for Serena if she feel this house is too difficult for her to live in.
from page 11-12, the manga really made Serena more sympathetic. In the LN, she doesn't have this kind of thought about Alto being a better parent, or wishing for a happy life.
Because there's no time skip, Serena is still 6 years old. Also unlike in the manga, she still get trained by Rick before they decide she is capable enough to take a job.
There's no elaborating the job like in page 1, it goes straight to the murder.
The baron's wife is not killed immediately. She's killed when trying to run away, thinking Serena's attention is distracted to talk with her husband.
Her talk about value of human life is longer in the LN. Good it got summed up.
As in the previous story, Alto's dislike for Rosemary is much more obvious. He shows more preference. He told Rosemary he have to go, but still have time to hug his wife before departing.
In the manga, he only tells Serena she can talk if she had problem, he will try to deal with it for her. But in the LN, it's more extreme. He said he will do what he can to find a more comfortable place for Serena if she feel this house is too difficult for her to live in.
from page 11-12, the manga really made Serena more sympathetic. In the LN, she doesn't have this kind of thought about Alto being a better parent, or wishing for a happy life.
So gonna just call it and say the little sister is some type of isikai or another person who died and came back. Also really bitch...why would she want your necklace..also to be calling someone father who hasn't accepted you is already to fucking far for me
…not sure. A lot of my comments had added context from already reading the WN and LN. There are details that got skipped by the manga, or still not explained at this point in the story.
Wow, she even killed the baron's children. I'd at least assume the kids were innocent of whatever their parents' crimes were but I guess her cold and callous logic dictates she must eliminate witnesses. Another psychopath killer loli murderhobo daughter to the list.
It's only chapter 2 and I'm already seeing resentment in Rosemary's eyes. She'll definitely come into conflict with Serena at some point. It would be nice if she only becomes an annoying bratty sister instead of a manipulative and dangerous scheming sibling but I can already feel she'll be the latter.
I kinda feel a little bad about the dad now having an immature airheaded wife, a scheming adopted daughter he didn't want and a biological daughter who he loves but doesn't know how to love him back. Not so bad in the grand scheme of things 'cause it can certainly be much worse, but it's also not the happy family he thinks it to be.
