I abdicate the title of empress is the better version of remarried empress
First let me introduce you to the main characters
The antagonist and the protagonist
ML and the antagonistic emperor
Everything about this story including the villains are better solely because of their economic background.
No slave character is the main villain here.
Diane the female antagonist comes from a noble family and ML doesn't fall for MC at first sight simply for breathing.
The male villain is also refreshing in a way that's a bit different from others. He's written to be hated but his actions make sense but the author doesn't try to excuse them either.
No punching down on underprivileged characters like Rashta.
The FL Adelaide is not an unfeeling uncaring empress and she cares for her people instead of just catering to the nobles like Navier. She knows she's not perfect and tries her best to sympathize with Diane and her situation while acknowledging Diane's faults too.
She's also a maze like Navier but unlike her, her magic isn't stolen from common people and she actually goes out in the field to help her people.
She's not image obsessed like Navier but knows how to play political games
She knows she's the third person between Diane and Karl as Diane was there first and Karl's first love. (Funny how the fandom still hates Diane despite her not breaking a home. It really tells you those Rashta and Diane antis suffer from MC syndrome, no media literacy).
Her family relationship with her mom is turbulent and her mother reminds me of Navier in a way. She is very cold and calculative like Navier and to her, nobles and politics and image comes first then the people which ultimately drove a wedge between them and she forced her daughter to abdicate and marry her off to a foreign emperor.
Adelaide as an MC has earned my respect. Is she perfect? No. But her choices and actions are explained. Like Diane, she too is trying to survive and for that she also acknowledges Diane's struggles and tries to give her leniency many times.
As for Diane, she comes from a count's family and is very much aware of the political games. She's even aware of the emperor's messed up obsession with her. She's very vindictive and capable and ambitious. Her mistake was to go against Adelaide. She never hid her intentions from Adelaide.
She's sometimes outright crazy and I love her for it. Like yes! Give us a capable deranged villainess who's deranged in the head! Thank you author!
When her inevitable fall appears, she doesn't go down alone, she takes the emperor with him and that alone made her hundred percent badass in my eyes. Like yes girl! Don't let that man get away after screwing you up and she kills the emperor herself.
Dude is all about mommy issues and it's very messed up. He falls for Diane as she reminds him of her biological mom who died and he was raised by his step mom who was forced to raise him by his father. He basically sees his mom in Diane and she's very much aware and plates the game well.
But Karl's mommy issues don't stop there. He sees his step mom whose affection he sought as a child in Adelaide.
Basically both women in his life represent his bio and step mom. He never really loves either of those women and in the end tries to go after Adelaide's heart and Diane makes sure to take revenge on him by killing him with her. Diane is basically yandere herself 😂.
And I loved their toxic ending. They're entertaining and refreshing. I wish Rashta took Sovieshu with her too. But unlike Sovieshu, Karl is inept as an emperor as he often ignores his people's needs and yells at Adelaide for helping them just like her mom. He basically is the male version of her mom and probably why she hates him too.
Sovieshu had many faults but he wasn't this messed up in the head and definitely didn't have a weird thing for his mom. But I said Karl is refreshing in a psychological way. He's bad but new, instead of being the typical falling for MC for no reason, he sees his step mom in her and falls for her.
And he's a very bad emperor as he doesn't do his job well either. Sovieshu was a workaholic but he's mommyholic. 💀
The story really focuses on how parents can mess up their children in a gigantic way.
He's not emperor rather the brother of a Duke. Unlike birdshit, he actually cares for the wellbeing of the people. And he doesn't fall for Adele at first sight. He admires her bravery, good will and doesn't act like catty little bitch like birdshit. Unlike heinly's fake ass, Lionel is actually a puppy but capable. He slowly falls for MC even though their relationship started as fake to distract the emperor.
Funnily enough he too was a concubine to Adelaide like Diane was to Karl. He doesn't plot to harm others for the greed power. His relationship with Adelaide is cute.
Anyways, I loved the story and the battle between two badass ladies.
Adelaide won fair and square and Diane went out with a bang. And I love that.
It's not perfect but it's way better than TRE.
Also ignore the Diane haters. They can't appreciate a good villain even when it's thrown on their faces.