This was a slow start drama that really takes a while to build up (with annoying flashbacks every two scenes and internal monologues galore), but overall, it had interesting characters and a decent storyline. I had doubts about both the ML and FL at first, but I ended up liking both of them in the end. If you're like me and like morally grey characters, you'll probably also like the ML, who is, honestly, pretty unhinged (pls get this man a therapist).

The romance part was more of an aside for me, as I wasn't really buying it between the ML and FL. The side characters were constantly mentioning how the ML and FL acted differently towards the other and how they must love the other, that the whole thing just felt forced, as if they were trying to convince the audience of this fact rather than letting their actions speak for themselves.

I probably wouldn't ever rewatch this but this was an enjoyable drama. If you like palace politics, you'll probably like this as well! Nice OST, good acting, and satisfying ending.