THIS IS SO GOOOOOOOOD. The “villains” have their traumatic/tragic upbringings brought up as a way to explain why they acted the way they did, but our MC is so intelligent AND kind that she picks apart their traumas and makes them sound- pitiful but not evil.
Also- FUCK the prince/emperor/guard theyre gross men. I hope she ends up w the empress, or one of the other AMAZINGLY COMPETENT ladies she has by her side.
Though I am an Inept Villainess ~Tale of the Butterfly-Rat Swap in the Maiden Court~