hello, i noticed youre also a fan of wmmap ❤️ just want to ask, do you have an opinion or analysis about Claude and Diana's relationship? i always wished that they could be explored more because they are a really gorgeous couple. thanks 🌸💖
Yes! I really love the webtoon and their characters. The art is marvelous and the story is intriguing. I'm also a sucker for magic and well-written MCs, so I can't help but have a high appreciation for the manhwa.
I haven't read a well-translated version of the Korean novel of WMMaP, so my analysis may be biased off of the interpretation of the translator, the webtoon's (mostly Athy's perspective), and some spoilers from those who read the Korean novel. Depending on how far you've read, this may contain spoilers, so I apologize in advance. This is also... a very long analysis/opinion on Claude and Diana's relationship since I'll be going through the mini sneak-peeks we got. It took a while to write because I was cross-referencing some stuff, reading the webtoon again so I don't miss anything, and also because I had to sort through my thoughts. 😅 I hope you enjoy this! 🤩
(For those who have not read Who Made Me a Princess and wants to read it someday, scroll really fast after the break. The actual line break feature isn't working so I apologize if you have to scroll for a while).
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1. Abandoned and Forgotten
In Chapter 2 of the webtoon, we got an introduction about Ruby Palace: a palace occupied by the emperor's harem. In this case, Diana should be living in this palace. She was first mentioned in this chapter, explaining how:
"She drew the emperor's attention and was deflowered by him. But then she was forgotten... and died leaving an infant behind, who was [Athy]. Since then, the emperor has cast [Athy] aside too, his baby girl."
The above was quoted by Athanasia. Assuming by the tone, Athy believes Claude couldn't care less about Diana, who was a concubine, and her who may just be a child born from an accident. In her point of view, Claude is a blood-thirsty emperor who is incapable of love. If he can abandon Diana and kill his concubines, then he can cast his own child aside without much thought, too. Her perspective of this was based on her knowledge of the 'Lovely Princess' and the original book clearly didn't explain how deep Claude and Diana's relationship was, seeing how it focused on Jennette. In truth, Claude being all ilogically cruel and heartless is not exactly the case, and there was more going on behind the scenes.
Athy, biased off of her initial impression of Claude, didn't ask herself why Claude would kill the concubines on the night Diana died. Personally, this kind of action screams "What's the point of having all of you when you can never be her?" That, or he meant is as a first step to truly forget the 'past.' By killing all the other concubines, he's detaching himself from the possibility of falling into the trap - called love - again. It could be both. After all, to Claude, proceeding to live with any reminder of Diana will only end in hurt. But... Claude seems as if he didn't want to forget most things; not completely, anyways.
First, he kills everyone in Ruby Palace but he let's Athy live. The " Amusing. I wonder how long this thing can live in accordance to its name," almost seems like an excuse in case he changes his mind, or at least until something happens that can change his mind (I do have an interpretation of this line in point 2, "Undying"). Ruby Palace is close to his palace. If he really wanted to forget anything that could remind him of Diana, why not send Athy away or send her to live with someone else, and then destroy Ruby Palace?
Second, the Ruby Palace does get funds. It's not completely forgotten. The maids even admit, "His majesty doesn't even think of her but she's surrounded by such luxuries. What a life!" While not enough for extra toys, Athy herself mentions she gets three meals a day and a nice cozy bed. She's not being starved or made to sleep on the floor. She has maids to care for her instead of letting her do whatever it is that's dangerous, like letting her crawl to the stairs and fall. Lilian york, who admired Diana, was also given permission to care for Athy. She is the best possible person to care for her instead of maids who were forced to become a nanny, because unlike them, Lily did care. Claude has respect for people who can stand up against him, to the point he grudgingly admits only two people had ever survived doing that: Diana and Lily. There wasn't really an intention to let her die, or else, Claude wouldn't have agreed to have someone capable to watch over his daughter. I believe Lilian can see this, as somone who saw Diana as a role model, since she tells Athy she's 'the majesty's precious daughter.' Also, you'd think, for a palace who had maids stealing gold, with 'low security,' not one of them who were fired told an enemy "Yes there is a child. You can send an assassin to kill the heir, in return, I want payment in gold." Even if Claude had no intention to acknowledge Athy as an heir, losing a legitimate heir would still mean an end to the imperial line. And if Claude dies? Anastasius Caracks can come in and be emperor, or Duke Roger Alpheus can come fight for their rights to the throne. There's so many moments where Athy could've died while she was still not 'close' to him that could make it easier to move on, but nothing happened. There is something or someone keeping Athy safe. Despite what Athy believes, she - also as an extension to Diana - is not entirely abandoned or forgotten, not until her 18th birthday in the original "The Lovely Princess."
Third, Claude still keeps a picture of Penelope in his room! An ex-fianceé who did the hanky-panky with his ambitious, sleazy older brother while still being somewhat engaged to him! He keeps a lot of things he should be forgetting very close to him. (I do have a theory about this in connection to Claude's love to Jennette in "The Lovely Princess, but this analysis is not about that, so maybe next time).
In conclusion, despite what Claude tells himself, there is a part of him that doesn't want to let go of a lot of things, and that part prevents him from fully abandoning and forgetting Diana and Athy.
Diana has a lot of guts, and a ton of faith. It seems that Athy's name is significant to understand how Diana and Claude's relationship worked. In chapter 2 of the webtoon, we learn that it wasn't Claude who named Athy, but Diana.
How bold of Diana, considering emperors are the ones to give an immortal name to the heir. Now, Diana didn't do this to mock Claude, whose name - 'crippled' - was given by his own father. It was almost like a challenge. It's not impossible, as based on a few scenes, it seems Claude and Diana enjoy challenges. In Chapter 7, Claude invites Athy for tea. Finding no entertainment because Athy wasn't speaking, he found the situation boring. It turns out, Claude was testing Athy's character. That casual mention of Diana's limbs being ripped off if she survived the labour because she named her daughter an immortal name? We know that wouldn't happen. Claude wanted Diana to live, as seen from flashbacks. He was deliberately presenting such a cruel persona to Athy. Will she flee from fear, like what she initially wanted to do, or face her fear head on? Athy didn't disappoint, and Claude saw something worth prolonging. Another instance of there being a challenge was Chapter 19 wherein Diana was crying and Claude confronted her. Claude mentioned "he lost" in a stupid game of emotions. It's like they had a bet on who will fall for who first, as if all this time, they were only playing a game of push and pull only for the other to fall. It is more believable for Claude to find something in Diana that other concubines wouldn't have, allowing her to get closer. It wasn't just Diana's beauty and enchanting dance skills that captured Claude's interest, but also because Diana had the guts to challenge him when no one else did. After all, someone who knew of Claude's path to gaining the title of emperor should be cautious for their life, but Diana is so free-spirited and stubborn (Chapter 12 and chapter 19), that fact wouldn't have pushed her away. So soon in his gain of power, when the 'death' of Anastasius is still fresh and the betrayals are still sore, someone approached him, broke his walls, and reached him. And right when he found that someone, he'll lose her. He loses her because Diana didn't choose him. In his life when no one ever put him first, the one he believed would finally do so, didn't. No wonder Claude didn't go near Diana until Athy was born. He couldn't face Diana because Diana stubbornly wanted to give birth. Claude couldn't change her mind. If he ever visited her afterwards, he'd have to look at her and think about how there won't be a next time. It's like a constant reminder that everything he held dear will only vanish; his nanny (Felix's mom), his mom, Penelope, and now, Diana. This kind of loneliness is not so obvious, but there was a scene in Chapter 16, when Athy fell asleep next to Claude. Claude might've been awake and was listening to Felix and Athy talk about her wanting to see Diana. He made her fall asleep and see a memory wherein he was reaching out his hand towards Diana who was walking away. It's similar to when Athy had walked away from him at the debutante ball, smiling. He also reached out his hand after her. It might've been a subconscious reaction because he felt Athy was 'slipping away.' It appears Claude has a fear of being left behind. In this regard, Diana might've meant for Athy to be an undying 'constant' in Claude's life - someone who'll always be there for him when no one else will. It's a parallel scene meant to promise better things, because in this life, whereas Diana left, Athy will be the one to stay.
Diana did probably mean for Athanasia to live a long and prosperous life under Claude's care. But what kind of life did she imagine Claude and Athy will live after her impending death? Diana must've been confident Claude will think of Athy as his heir, as her name suggests. It doesn't seem as if Diana is after riches, or else, why not just choose Claude instead of giving birth to Athy after knowing the consequences? If she was after the life of luxury, had things went well, her and Claude could just try again for another child in better circumstances. Is she like Penelope, hoping her child could live the life she never had in their stead? Doubtful, or she would've worked harder to persuade Claude to love their unborn child instead of letting him have his space. It's almost as if Diana just trusts the possibility of Claude changing his mind and coming to accept and love Athy on his own. She won't force him to love Athy. But, she will give Claude something to hold on to - a family he can come back to that is all the more meaningful because of Athy's name. It's like a rebirth of the past. Instead of thinking about an 'immortal' family that treated him like dirt, here's someone new who would treat him better, has more reasons to love him, and can help him feel connected with his lineage. Diana is betting for Athy to become Claude's hope. Diana then appears to be sentimental, giving weight to the importance of family. After all, Claude can't possibly live forever with his past holding him back. He has to move on if he wants to be happy in the future.
It's not as if Claude was angry at Athy because Diana gave her a name he couldn't will never have. In fact, he acknowledged Athy's name when he saw her for the first time at Ruby Palace, as well as in the royal garden. However, he was angry at Diana leaving behind a spitting image of her. Claude loved Diana so much, he convinced himself that Athy was the cause of Diana's death. It felt better than thinking Diana would rather die than stay by his side. It was easier to blame someone else whom he felt less close to. That kind of thinking does pass in later chapters as he spent more time with Athy. Claude didn't think that with the name "Athanasia," Diana had the guts to 'say' she will still be with him, not through Athy's appearance, but her name - an undying memory. That even after her death, there's a reminder of what they had in the form of a child. Whereas Diana challenges Claude's ability to change and his capability to love through Athy, Claude challenges that Athy's existence won't change him. To Claude, changing himself would mean he'd be forgetting all he ever learned to survive. So, when Claude tells baby Athy "I wonder how long this thing could live in accordance to its name," he was indirectly challenging Diana's belief. Considering this, Diana is actually very smart. She isn't telling Claude to look at Athy and see 'her', but telling him to remember what they had through Athy's name, an extension of their daughter's individual self. You'll see this growth within Claude in the webtoon. At the start, Claude can't help but see Athy as a mirror image of Diana. He then notices that Athy also has personalities that may be similar to Diana, like her brazenness (Chapter 11, I think?). Claude still sees Athy as a spitting image of Diana in Chapter 20. Then, on Athy's debutante ball, he comes to the conclusion: despite whatever similarities Athy may have with her mom, she's still herself.
Athy's name is basically Diana and Claude's legacy combined. Athanasia is someone whom Diana left behind as a living piece of herself. By giving her daughter such a significant name, she was reminding Claude and Athy that while she may have passed away, she's still a largely important part in their lives. Athanasia, as the royal lineage's naming tradition, is also an acknowledgement of Claude's family as well as the responsibility that comes with it. Diana probably knew she can't give Athy anything more than that, everything else in Athy's life would be left to Claude's parental guidance. Athy's name was supposed to be undying in a way Diana and Claude's love would live on as long as their daughter lives. Athy's existence is their legacy, the fruit of their love. It's why I believe the reason Athy was made to stay at the Ruby Palace was not a punishment, but a way to build her up. It was symbolic to Athy being a positive, a light, in a world surrounded by darkness and death. It was so that she could grow up with the reminder of her mother and her importance. It may be one of the reasons why Felix and Lilian were insistent that Claude wouldn't have minded giving her a memory of Diana. After all, Felix who was close to Claude, and Lilian who knew Diana, would know how Claude may react better than anyone. Claude may have also agreed to Lilian caring for Athy so that she can tell her stories of Diana. It was almost as if Claude was telling Athy to fight for her right, because in their world, no one was going to make it easy for her. So, Athy's positivity and earnest disposition despite being 'ignored' helped greatly to get close to Claude. It meant she'll survive if he let her close. It meant Diana was right in her hopes for Athy's future and she proved him wrong. Besides, Claude knew the "forgetting spell" he used had a flaw. "One more year and I would have forgotten that wench." And yet, he still let Athy close. He must've been waiting for that chance for Athy to come to him and change his mind about completely forgetting them, deep inside.
It is unfortunate that Diana's challenge failed in the original "The Lovely Princess" and Original!Athy run out of time to change her fate. The spell to forget anything relating to Diana took 6 years before it kicks in. The memories didn't seem to disappear gradually because Claude still knows who Diana is and how much she meant to him (the tiny details, like where she's from means a lot). That, and the memories he can pass to Present!Athy are very clear. Even the feelings Claude felt, Athy felt from the memory. I will assume that once it's the sixth year, all will disappear at the same time. Thus, when original!Athy met Claude at the age of nine, he forgot about her, her relation to Diana, and Diana herself. It didn't help that her gloomy and foggy disposition would have reminded Claude of weakness, one that he can't be and shouldn't have. Original!Jenette, with her bright and cheery personality, would have touched Claude's hope for a happier life, and given him an impression of a strong character.
This explanation mostly derives from an old interpretation of 'wench.' I won't use a modern interpretation because of the author's nod to historical settings - ancient greek clothes (in Claude's part), the presence of concubines, and the violent rule of royal successions - also, because this is literature and not a social conversation.
In literature, one might notice that the word 'wench' won't really be found in modern literature unless the story is set in old times. It is an old-fashioned word, in which its use has been declining since the 1800s (check Google Ngram). It is more common in older pieces of literature, usually poems. The context of wench, as late as the early 1900s, often means a young woman from a lower or working class. In other cases, it means: a female servant, or a sexually loose woman (not necessarily tied to prostitution). Because of the social changes, in modern conversation, it would likely mean the latter. Thus, people often view it as demeaning. Again, the context matters. Dialects can also have different meanings for 'wench.'
When Claude calls Diana a 'wench,' it is more appropriately tied to a young woman of a working class. In a way, it's very literal. Diana is part of the working class, as a dancer. While we don't know of her age, she might be a few years younger or the same age as Claude. Claude can't call her a servant since she's not from Obelia, thus not obligated to serve the crown. She's not a maid either since she's a concubine. Even as a concubine, Claude wouldn't have asked her to serve him, because as felix said in chapter 11, Claude prefers to do everything by himself. Claude can't also call her sexually loose, unless she fornicated or was a mistress to somebody else. Taking all these information, Claude does not mean the word to be demeaning.
Then, why not just call Diana by her name, right? If Claude can spell himself to forget Diana, this is one of those small details of him trying to detach himself from her. If he called her Diana, that would mean he's still obviously keeping her close to his heart. He's a detached person, and doing that would mean admitting weakness. But, call her something else and it helps mask what should be kept under wraps. Unfortunately, no matter how much he tries, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. No matter what he calls Diana, it's what he feels in his heart that matters. Another name to call Diana is just that - a label. As long as he still remembers her as she was alive, it won't change what happened. Maybe someday, he can call her Diana, with confidence.
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Take this with a grain of salt. This analysis is my understanding, observations, and assumptions of Claude and Diana's relationship. And while there may be connections, the author may have a different perspective from me. It would be great if the novel itself could be sold in english. I really wouldn't mind paying if it meant I can get a glimpse of details that were not included in the webtoon.
I might come back to edit this because it feels like I ended up just doing an information dump on point 2 rather than doing a better job of explaining it. In my defense, I spent more time on this today than I should have and my brain short-circuited from switching between the webtoon, the novel, and this analysis. I have so many things to say but my fingers can't catch up to my thought process. At one point, when I only intended to save this to get back to it after a break, I believe it posted itself and I panicked because you'd only see a block of unfinished text. So, instead of a break, I got back to it. LOL. If not an edit, I'll try to add more as we get more glimpses of their relationship in the second season.
I did enjoy this, so thank you for the ask! ☺️
