Hi! I was wondering if you knew if this drawing from ORKA exists or if I just made it up in my head. I swear there was a school au that was drawn by ORKA and Shuri was wearing a white top with like a green skirt.. I wanted to see it again but I couldn’t find it IS THIS REAL?!
Hi!!! I know exactly what you're talking about!
It's this image from the Official A Stepmother's Marchen Limited Edition Collector's Set! The special edition artbook has a section called "What if 'A Stepmother's Marchen' was set in modern times?"
Here's what we know about the AU (note: Translations are from what little I could find online. Translations may not be 100% accurate. If anyone has real scans of this book, I can offer more accurate details!)
Shuri: A 3rd year student at Gold Highschool with excellent grades, outstanding athletics, and in the advanced class. She lives in the city with her aunt and she's neighbors with Jeremy.
Nora: A 1st year student at Silver Highschool in the art club. He has outstanding athletics and while quiet, he gets along with his peers. He seems to be attracted to Shuri, who he met by chance.
Jeremy: A 1st year student at Gold Highschool. He is great at sports, but doesn't have a lot of hobbies outside school. He just floats around because he doesn't have any goals. He bickers a lot with Shuri.
Theo: A 3rd year student at Infinite Highschool and the student body president. He has excellent grades and plays the violin. His nickname is "the Prince of Infinite High" and he has a secret fanclub.
Ohara: A 1st year student at Infinite Highschool and the student body vice president. She has excellent grades and plays the violin. She strives to go to the top college in the U.S.
Elias: A 2nd year student at Gold Middleschool whose hobbies include gaming, going to arcades or computer cafes. He dreams to become a pro-gamer. He's going through puberty and he has a mother-complex.
Leon and Rachel: They are 4th year students at Gold Elementary School. They have a cat named Cherry. They are strong and healthy kids and Leon, who loves books, wears glasses due to poor sight. The two attend Alberon's Taekwondo gym.
Maximillian: Chairman of a large corporation and a self-made businessman. He is a perfectionist and often argues with Elizabeth, who has an opinion against all of his matters.
Elizabeth: A politician with a fiery personality. Her skill is wrestling and her hobby is wrestling. She is great at her job.
Richelieu: Part of the legal team at a large corporation. He graduated school early and as soon as he did, he joined Maximillian's company's legal team.
Wolffe: A senior year college student in the law department. He's overwhelmed with assignments, applications, and essays. He dreams of joining Richelieu's legal team after graduation.
Albert: A diplomat that deals with internationally famous politicians and often travels to different countries. He's sad that he can't see his family due to his overseas business trips.
Heidi: A traditional tea shop owner located in a small alley. She's very shy and quiet, but passionate about her tea.
Everette: An interior designer that focuses on giving people a warm and comfortable home and accommodating to their customer's needs. She is a hard working interior designer in Shinchang.
Alberon: A Taekwondo instructor that's large in size and blunt in personality. He practiced consistently and refined his skills to become a national representative, achieving great results. Children often fear his large size, but the twins take him aback with their fearless attitude. He opens up to them and becomes very popular.
Johannes: A resourceful businessman. He spends more time abroad than he does at home. He sponsors Alicia's creative activities. They got married for their mutual beneficial business relationship.
Alicia: She is an artist that works as an art museum curator and a writer. Thanks to Johannes' sponsorships, she's become a well known creator.
Shuri's Family: They own a noodle shop in Shuri's hometown. They work somewhat diligently and business seems to be going well.
Do you have any headcanons about the story or the couples 👀 I really love your account btw
hehe thank you very much 💖💖💖
Hmmm, I'm not suuuuper creative when it comes to headcanons I'm afraid... I've been mulling this over for SO long it's criminal. I am SO sorry you had to wait so long for my dumb answers.
Here's some of my stupid ideas, they're not really very strong but it's all i got!
I think Shuri likes how big Nora is and she often forgets how much he dwarfs her in comparison
not really a HC but I find it so funny that 1st TL Nora was probably thinking "she's so bad" watching Shuri eat up on the dance floor in her black gowns. LOL
this is a guilty pleasure and people already hate me for this but I DO think that Richelieu does find Shuri at least physically attractive, bcos why is he always imagining her so beautifully, even while planning her death?
I also like to think that Nora adores Shuri's color palette in a poetic artsy way. And it's especially meaningful because while everyone else was attracted to the features that resembled Ludovika, Nora is the one that likes the features that make her different
What do you think of Albrecht and Heidi's relationship? I think their relationship is good and it is considered a little better than other relationships.
Albrecht and Heidi have a great relationship! Albrecht might be a bad dad, but he's always been a great husband to Heidi and vice versa. But mostly, Albrecht does SOOOO much for Heidi, he's really the token 'wife guy' in the series that puts her before everything. They might be the healthiest "established" couple in the series.
Heidi has been described to have a weak constitution all her life and was criticized by the Nurembergs for being unable to procure a child during the early stages of their marriage. And Albrecht, who usually falls prey to his father's (Nora's grandfather) abuse, is actually willing to defy his father to be with Heidi.
"[Heidi], you come first. Before a child."
Even during events where Albrecht probably needs to socialize as the chairman of the nobleman's committee, he does leave early if Heidi wasn't feeling well.
That's not to say that they never fight though. He has gotten angry AT Heidi for risking her health to stalk Nora, but I think that comes from a place of worry (not that it makes it right, but it's understandable).
It is interesting that Albecht values Heidi far above anyone else, even his own son. Meanwhile, Heidi seems to value her child above her husband... as she's usually coming to Nora's defense (even if it's against Albrecht).
This kind of writing is super fascinating because it's also seen in real life, where a mother and father have different values over who in the family they value most. Neither is necessarily the wrong answer, but it makes for an interesting family dynamic.
TLDR: their family is all types of fucked up, but Albie and Heidi are a great couple.
I can’t get a good screenshot of the panel, but am I tripping or is the field of monkshood Elisabeth talks about also the field where we get teenage Johannes walking towards Ludovika?
More of a side note, but with Theobald’s longer hair and something about the way he smiles, I keep thinking he looks like Richelieu.
GIRL! I was just thinking the same thing when I saw that panel!! There were so many weird and sinister callbacks in the latest chapter and looking back at that scene-
this is actually the same exact shot of where Johannes and Ludovika stood, down to the pattern of large trees in the back.
Then Shuri saying "I'm not particularly fond of being compared to a flower" after we know that Johannes saw Shuri as a flower that must be uprooted. AND Ludovika also having her reference to the banned lavender colored roses. There are so many layers to unpack this chapter.
and YES, there's a soullessness to Theo's recent appearances that we haven't seen before. Whether this is the affect of Cardinal Richelieu's brainwashing teachings or his mommy/daddy issues showing its ugly head, I'm not sure. It's certainly eerie to see everyone all grown-up and behaving more and more like their 1st timeline selves.
Not Shuri fussing over the kids appearances because it was one of the only times her mother was gentle with her, but Stella only did it so Shuri could look her best in order to get a husband while Shuri does it because she doesn’t want the kids to be uncomfortable THE LATEST CHAPTER HAS ME IN MY FEELS OKAY 😭😭😭
It just KILLS me knowing that all of Shuri's good memories of her mother were just Stella grooming her to become the perfect bride.
Like Shuri desperately clings onto this image of her mother that was kind and gentle, saying "this must be her unique way of loving me, and that I was within the bounds of that love." Like how sad is that?
Shuri thinks that she's not good enough to be loved by her mom and these are the moments that reassured her.
Remember when Stella reminded Shuri who it was that gave her beautiful dresses to wear? And when she cared for Shuri's bruised ankle?
It really rewrites the narrative on Stella's character, because she was totally just doing this to ensure that Shuri was maintained to secure the family's future.
It really sickens me how her family objectifies her.
I'm sorry I made a mistake I mean chapter 118 A reflection of Elizabeth and Max appeared to me. Was there really a kiss between them? Because their reflection appeared and he was also touching her cheek.
This is the reflection you're referring to, right?
This scene directly follows a charged conversation between Elisabeth and Max, where Elisabeth stresses how much she will always resent Max and how promiscuous he is/was. Meanwhile, Max claims that Elisabeth is his "only woman" despite us knowing that Ludovika was also once his "only woman." This is probably him trying to prove his dedication to her, albeit in a more physical than emotional way.
Now, I can't really confirm exactly what happened in this scene because it cuts off, but I'm willing to bet that they probably kissed and "made love." If you're below 18, do not read ahead.
In visual language, you can view the changing screen as a physical and mental barrier between the couple, with Max sitting on the couch and Elisabeth getting undressed from the celebration, in her nightgown (lingerie, for this time period). Elisabeth changing is her being in a "vulnerable" state as she voices frustrations that she normally keeps hidden away.
By the end of their argument, Max walks into her private space, which is more sexually suggestive that the cheek touch looks (he's also actually caressing her neck, which is a super intimate behavior). In a way, they are now vulnerable together, with no boundaries left between them.
Also, a common euphemism for inexplicit sex scenes in manga/manhwa is a (melting) drink, symbolizing the passage of time as two people have sex. Not to mention the suggestiveness of sweat = condensation, whiskey being an adult's drink, and yada ya.
This may seem "not right" because Elisabeth doesn't really like Max and Max isn't really in love with Elisabeth, but they're a married couple with mutual views and this is not the first time they've had sex. At the end of the day, they don't love each other, but they need absolute loyalty from each other.
What I find so hilarious about the tale that Stella is currently spinning in the trial is that she is playing into Shuris hands perfectly. Now, Shuri can pull out every receipt and proof that she was in fact not at her mothers birth giver's place. Stella just didn't have to be so specific about the date lmao. She is so screwed now!
God I hope it's just that easy. I wanted to do a deep dive on exactly when and what Stella is referencing.
Stella claims to have evidence of Shuri pounding on her door one rainy winter night on year 1115.
According to my approximate* timeline of the series, this could be two very peculiar moments that could reveal some real craziness.
Possibility 1: The Necklace Incident
The night Shuri returned from watching an opera show with Everette, aka the night Johannes accused Shuri of cheating, it was a dark stormy night. But here's the important part. Albrecht was seen leaving the Neuschwanstein Estate with a haunted look on his face.
Surely he can testify for Shuri's innocence... right? But exactly how can he testify, without providing a reason why he met with Johannes that fateful night? It's heavily suggested that Johannes told Albrecht about the mysterious necklace and love letter Shuri was hiding. Is this going to be brought to light? Or will Johannes' abuse finally be uncovered to the family?
And what if Shuri can't testify? Throughout the series, Shuri always freezes in fear remembering the way Johannes abused her. She recalls the night as "the night when the gates of hell opened." Even in the first court case, Shuri's trauma prevented her from making a clear testimony. Her weak testimony may just add more strength to Stella's.
It's also worth noting that the preceding events leading up to this moment is a member of the Church peeping on Johannes' coughing blood in the Parliament. Did Richelieu plant this evidence this far in advance? I'm not sure...
Possibility 2: Stella visits Shuri
Shuri has a memory from the 1st timeline of Stella visiting her following the death of Johannes. She orders Shuri to remarry for the sake of her own greed and Shuri ends up in a contractual relationship.
We can assume that this meeting transformed into the face-off between Shuri, Stella, and Lucas. Maybe Stella will try to twist this story into something that fits her narrative? It's not my strongest theory, but it's worth mentioning, given that Shuri still traded letters with her Mom around this time.
*Entirely based on Jeremy's birthday and character ages. Events in my timeline may be off about 1 year give or take.
I have a question, is Elizabeth considered an older or younger sister? so I can determine a period of time and determine if it was possible for her to be friends with Heidi, Ludwiga and Max in the past? But her father is very strict, I don't expect him to care about such matters. He is definitely only concerned with his daughter's first appearance in noble society?
Elisabeth is Albrecht's older sister!
According to the manhwa at least, it's unconfirmed whether she was a part of the Max/Johannes/Heide/Albie/Ludo group, but based on this flashback panel, Elisabeth wasn't included in their circle.
L>R: Young Johannes, Ludovika, Maximilian Albrecht, Heide
