It kinda felt like her request in place of reparations was a waste, politically speaking. Maybe it's just the phrasing, but it sounded like she gave more of a platitude and we're expected to believe it's going to have real political ramifications. But like...just what part of her words were actionable? What exactly did the king do in response to her request?
I just feel like the logical leap is missing one extra platform.
It seems pretty clear to me that groundwork for Christy being a harem member is being laid out, but...I kinda just don't care.
Setting aside the fact that I'm not a fan of harems in general and an long-lived elf race is drawn to a child age SIX, I can't buy the attraction. He's being framed as a ditzy dense boy while she's at the same time competent and fragile of heart.
It's possible for a lady to be portrayed as those things, but in her case it comes across more as an awkward mesh; she's fragile when we need the MC's "kindness" to win her heart and she's competent when we need to glaze her as an attractive harem member.
The manga skipped a bunch of this but Count Rolan is actually a really big deal in merchant circles. He has driven nearly every foreign trading company out of the Empire and achieved a near total stranglehold. He is so good at not leaving trails that none of the nobles and even the Emperor have anything to use against him. He is extremely unpopular but nothing can be done about it because to do any trade now, you have to go through him or his cronies.
Then suddenly he insults Chris, a foreign noble. If handled poorly this could become an international issue and embarrassment. Chris lumps all the imperial nobles with Count Rolan in one basket claiming that what he does is a reflection of them as fellow nobles. Then she added that a subordinate's mistakes are their leader's mistakes, forcing the Emperor to bow in apology. This shocks everyone, especially since Rolan didn't bow until after the Emperor started talking about how this is the first time he's had to bow since ascending the throne. As a result, the Emperor wants to thoroughly thank Rolan for such an experience.
In the aftermath, Rolan loses much of the influence he held and now his little cartel is slowly being weeded out. This outcome was far more preferable than a one time reparation.
It's not a harem story despite the tag. MC marries and loves only one person. The manga cut Emma pointing out that Chris overreacted to a child entering her room. This isn't normally considered a serious impropriety. This forces Chris to realize that this whole time she has seen Rid as a man, not a child. The purpose of the exchange is to reinforce the incongruity. Physically he is a child but he carries himself in such a way that multiple cast members have said it feels like talking to an adult, an adult masquerading as a child. On the other hand, MC considers himself to be a 6 year old child, just with memories of his past life. That is why he is legitimately confused by Meredy and Chris's perceived overreaction to what he considered a little prank.
