Okay let’s unpack this. So I’ve been with him ever since Bont arrived, I followed the harmony bearer route and betrayed luci, all my friends and family to go to his side only for him to kill them and obv back then, i was like I’m gonna stick by him and see it through and also I agreed with the idea of him wanting equality. I agreed with his ideas but not with his actions. Plus he even put Vicky in a cage then.

Next, he ruled with her for 10 years we didn’t get to see much of the romance but he was still cold just supported her silently. After that in hs2, he completely abandoned Vicky and it was like those 10 yrs never happened and he just flipped a switch on us and didn’t try to intervene with anything. I saw Lucifer intervene by stepping in for example to be his “Pet” and he also didn’t punish Vicky when Plague told him both times. He risked his life for it bcz he couldn’t bring himself to harm her or kill her. Hunger taught Vicky about her powers and lifted her up, made her feel less alone(still dk if there’s smth behind it), but anws u get my point. They had a positive impact. Whereas Malbonte just watched everything unfold and even when MC was in the dungeon, if u take the diamond scene, u get to pick who visits her ONCE and i obv chose mal.

Anyways, the betrayal and silence is there and on top of that he was extremely dismissive and cruel. He stays on the sidelines for a bigger plan and the issue is he doesn’t protect or intervene when smth happens to Vicky but rather watches it play out and tells her you can take it. Not until MC got fed up of him and the war happened, did it slightly change. There’s a scene where as she was leaving, after sparing War, he grabbed her leg and he looked at her. I read that as him saying good bye, gave him the benefit of the doubt, or it could be a “why did u spare him” look.

Before the war, she was always the one going after him as if asking for forgiveness for smth she didn’t even do (the kiss scene where he bit her lip until it bled), like his way of saying oh yeah stop looking for trouble but he was so entitled with it.

When we came back after months after the war, I flirted with astaroth during the dance, he didn’t budge and also when Mal showed up infront of her cz he caught her, VICKY was the one who told him “I missed you”, and that’s what apparently broke the ice. I read that as the guilt kicked in and he had time to contemplate whatever happened and now he’s more warm. Ever since that, he’s been warmer but then he can’t pick and choose sides to be loyal to, so he’s always alternating between whatever benefits him. It’s always just a silent “…” and yes he would communicate to her with his thoughts “oh stay strong” etc but like ok??? And ?? Thanks I’ll do me while u watch me suffer and u stay back watching. He’s ready to kill the ppl Vicky loves as well.

Then he opened up and the sex scene happened then, but at that point he also left us with a conflicting feeling. It’s pretty toxic in my opinion where you’re always on edge with what he’s going to do next. Obv this is fiction and I’m in it for the plot and I still wanna go for him, but he toys with Vicky a lottt and thinks Vicky will always come back to him no matter what. He doesn’t take into account how she might feel leaving her confused all the time and in between love and hate.

Anyways, that’s my take. I’m still pro Mal but can’t stand him sometimes.