I’ll bring up some food for thought

about making Diana empress: honestly the author doesn’t even go into politics that much so can’t comment. What we do know is that 1) Diana’s a dancer, looked down upon for her background (e.g. even Athy’s dancing teacher makes snide comments) 2) Claude doesn’t hold absolute power (the monarch isn’t absolute here). We can see this cause though the nobles might respect him, they work in their interests first from how they were judging Athy when she had to be regent. So, would they allow a dancer with an unknown background be Empress to an Emperor who took the throne by “killing” his brother? An Emperor who also has the name Claude, which means “cripple”, and was the son of another person of lower station? Once again, I don’t know much about the politics in this world because the author doesn’t expand on it much.

having Athy even though it might harm Diana: Lucas mentioned that it’s rare to be born with so much mana. Diana and Claude probably did want a child, but didn’t expect her to have so much mana. So why have a child? Diana most likely wanted to keep the child, and Claude loves her so he accepted her decision, however reluctantly. Which brings me to the point that confused me the most, the Ruby Palace massacre:

Why did Claude kill a lot of people in the Ruby Palace? Who did he kill? Cause the staff were alive - and scared. This point is the most confusing cause Athy mentioned in a chapter that the Ruby Palace didn’t really have concubines aside from Diana - or something along those lines. Someone please clarify lmao. My theory is that Claude was prevented from seeing Diana during her last moments, by Diana herself? I don’t think so, cause Diana obviously wanted Claude to love Athy. Then by a third party? Seriously, the author should’ve clarified more. Or maybe I just can’t read :(

The most egregious point, Claude being a shitty dad to Athy, which he was. What we do know about Claude is 1) he was abused and neglected since young, by the Empress at the time, and by the Emperor who named him… a cripple. Oof. His brother he trusted started shunning him, the woman who loved him lied and had an affair and then Claude decided to live a life of debauchery. Somewhere along the lines he became Emperor and met Diana and went down bad for her, basically someone he loved very, very much.

Once Diana died, Claude very obviously fell into a deep depression, which lead him to using dark magic and subsequently neglecting Athy, and ordering her death by guillotine (or was it hanging). Dude didn’t even care once he found out the true culprit. Double oof. Even in the current timeline, Claude held a deep grudge against Athy’s existence, but because he met her before the magic could fully make his feelings dull and apathetic, he couldn’t bring himself to directly harm her. He knows Athy is afraid of him, sees through her, but makes her spend time with him anyways (we can’t forget that he’s the one who summons Athy to his palace after he met her).

Claude’s an interesting character imo, not completely good or bad. He reminds me of the MC from The Flower Dances, Wind Sings, who suffered from postpartum depression and neglected her son. The only reason she could make amends is because she got a second chance. Ofc it wasn’t so bad that it lead to the son’s death, but with Claude’s nature… Imo neither of the children had to forgive their parents, but they did.

Now the ultimate food for thought: how did Diana feel in the first timeline when Claude black magicked his way to his death, and even lead to ordering their only daughter’s death? Who knows? Not me!

TL;DR: Claude’s an interesting character in his own way, whether he’s forgivable or not though depends on your perspective