I love how people simplify women’s love of Mr Darcy to “oh you just like him because he is a brooding asshole and girls always go for the bad guy”
Women love Mr Darcy because he was able to self reflect and recognise where his faults were stopping him from connecting with people he respected and decided to change his habits; not to win a woman, but to improve himself. He may have hoped that Lizzy would love him for it, but he did it without alterior motive and offered her a choice, A NO STRINGS ATTACHED CHOICE to be with him.
Not “I’m such a nice guy, I changed for you and helped your family so now I deserve for you to love me”
He did it because he recognised he could improve as a person.
I don’t love Mr Darcy because he was an ass to start with. I love him because he GREW as a person and became someone better, for himself, and was able to fully enjoy love because of it.