also to those saying that chloe's too much of a "damsel in distress", come and catch these hands (๑•ㅂ•)و✧
But back in the days of the time setting this story takes place, "hang their heads at the gates" are pretty common strategy? You hafta to get rid of all the royals, especially those of royal blood to make sure the probability of someone claiming the throne later, or rebellion force trying to put someone on the throne is as low as possible. It is a military strategy and in the case of the archduke, it doesn't seem like he personally get his rocks hard at the strategy either. To him, that was the course of action he is supposed to take, moreover if we consider that his father is an usurper himself and they really couldn't afford some royal blood to survive and be a thorn in the future of their newborn empire. I would flip tables if he decided to spare the blond royals (the one holding the most right to the throne of Elpasa) in the early chaps because that is just a bad call for a supposed amazing commander. He has to nip the potential buds of rebellion before they can even grow. Don't be a shit commander and left any royals of the kingdom you forcefully conquer alive. Bad idea to leave any threads loose if they want their empire to thrive.
Probably the reason I didn't see his shift of attitude as weird because there is a difference between him as a commander and him as a person, and we are now exposed to both sides. He doesn't recognise Chloe as Beatrice and since she is just a slave in his perspective, he probably thought that the shift of power is not affecting her. After all, slaves are at the bottom of the hierarchy regardless of who is in power, so there shouldn't be much changes to a slave's life when the power shifted, as opposed to the changes in the nobles' life. It actually made sense he is so confused on Chloe's fear of him because as far as he knows, he is being a decent master to a slave of war, of which assumingly has received worse treatment from her previous master back before Elpasa was conquered.
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Ya'll got me fucket up tbfh. How can you portray the ml as a cold hearted "hang their heads at the front gate" type of person one day then go fluffy uwu "she looks like a chipmunk ahaha" the next day?! DO YOU REALIZE THE TRAUMA OF CHLOE FROM THEIR FIRST FUCKING ENCOUNTER?!! I WOULD BE PETRIFIED IF I EVER SERVE MY ALMOST MURDERER EVERYDAY (╯°Д °)╯╧╧ IM AS FRUSTRATED AS THE ML WONDERING WHY SHE DOESNT OPEN UP TO HIM AAAAAAAAA keep going sweetie you're doing great