So it’s that time, finally… the time to pick up the infamous webtoon known as The Abandoned Empress! You know, I really struggled over whether I should read this or not. If you’re familiar with the webtoon world, then you’d know that The Abandoned Empress is rumored to be no less than a trashy story, demeaning to all women by the way the main character was treated.
Spoilers about future volumes below—
From what I’ve heard, (and again, beware of spoilers) the female lead ends up with the same shithead who killed her child in her previous life, her dad and eventually her too. She was reborn for a reason! To enact revenge on this same piece of trash! But what does she do instead? She ENDS UP WITH HIM AGAIN! I mean, that’s what I’ve heard. And I hold no doubt that that is what actually happens. So why am I reading this when I know it’s shit? Well, you’ve asked a very good question. In all honestly, I just wanted to see what all the talk was about, and maybe I just felt like reading a trashy story. Then you may also ask, since you’ve admitted that this is trashy, why are you rating this volume four stars and not one? Again, good question. I am going into this trying my best to pretend that I don’t know how the story ends, even though I obviously do. Considering that, I will rate each individual volume honestly, based off of what I currently think it deserves. So far? I’d say this volume suggests the story has potential, seeing as the female lead does not want anything to do with the male lead again. I know that’s not how it will end, but had I been reading this not knowing that, this is what my rating will be, so I will leave it that way for now. What I rate the last volume does will not have anything to do with this rating.
End of future volume spoilers—
And so, what is the story actually about? Artistia (Tia) la Monique was assumed to be a child of prophecy, born to be the empress to the crown prince of the empire. When it is revealed that she is not the child of the prophecy, she is dethroned to an imperial consort. The prince marries the true prophesied maiden who takes her place as empress. Ever since she’d been betrothed to the prince, he treated her with no respect, and continued to look down on her. Out of jealousy, I assume. Even when she was empress, he never acknowledged her. After she was dethroned, she still did all the work of the empress due to the incompetence of the current empress. Even when she did nothing, the male lead physically abused her if she so much as looked in the empress’s direction. He is a true asshole. But you know what else he does? He rapes her. Yeah, you heard me right. A man who is supposed to not be attracted to her, and who literally abuses her out of hatred of her, rapes her despite having another women as his equal. HE RAPES HER! THIS DISGUSTING PIECE OF SHIT, WHO DETHRONES HER AS EMPRESS, STILL HAS SOME NERVE TO LAY HIS HANDS ON HER, WHETHER IT BE THROUGH FORCEFUL SEX OR ABUSE! And guess what, of course the asshole didn’t care to use protection, because he knocks her up. What does he tell her after he finds out she is pregnant? That her child will never be considered an heir to the throne, and only the empress’ children belong to the line of succession. As if she cares to have that kind of power, BUT WHAT INSOLENCE COMING FROM THE ASSHAT WHO RAPED HER IN THE FIRST PLACE! Believe me, I am not one to swear that often, but this scum truly deserves to be called the worst of names. What’s worse is that, due to this treatment, the female lead does not believe that she is someone of any value, and her self confidence is shattered at being treated that way by someone she apparently loves. Loves him for what I don’t know. But yeah, this dumb bit** loves him despite the way he treats her.
Anyway, she’s pregnant. The emperor and her at some point hold a conversation, I don’t remember about what, but she was about to faint due to fatigue from the pregnancy, and almost falls. The emperors catches her, flustered that she almost got hurt. I mean… what? EXCUSE ME??? So the asshole apparently worried about her. Well you’re funny if you think I’d change my mind about him just because he caught her on instinct. Rather, I hate him even more for what he does right after! The empress walks in on them and misunderstands, and he shoves Tia away to go after her. She trips and takes a bad fall, causing her to lose her child… REALLY? REALLY??? COULD IT GET ANY WORSE? You asked a great question because THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS! He notices and summons for a court physician—I don’t care! I still hate his guts! SO MUCH! So she ends up losing her child, and later on finds out that the empress is now with child. Of course, because the ugly bonehead can’t keep his cock to himself clearly. She falls into a depression, and her father, out of worry for her, expresses his true feelings towards her. That he regrets ever bringing her to the palace, and will bring her home to live back with him. This brightens her spirits. The fact that her cold-hearted father, who was only loyal to the emperor, put her first and had loved her all along. She was so overjoyed she didn’t even care anymore about everything that the crown prince (or emperor in current time I guess) did to her.
But the empress is ambushed, and loses her child in the process. Who gets blamed? Her family. More specifically; her father. Despite her begging for mercy, her father, the only person she has left, is unjustly killed to pay for a crime he didn’t even commit. She becomes infuriated, and in a moment of craziness, stabs the emperor. I mean… my QUEEN. YOUR MAJESTY! I DID NOT REALIZE YOU HAD IT IN YOU, BUT NEVER HAVE I LOVED YOU MORE DURING MY ONE HOUR READING THIS VOLUME! At this moment, she was a true queen. No one can convince me otherwise. Even if she is executed for her attempt, I don’t care. SHE STILL GOT HIM TO FEEL SOME OF THE PAIN HE SUBJECTED HER TO ALL HER LIFE. If only he died… but he doesn’t, and she does, at his hands. We all know that already, since it was the first scene in the volume.
But so she is given a second chance. She goes back in time 7 years ago, to when she was 10 years old. Yes, you’re right, she was 17 in the main story. Meaning, the disgusting emperor WAS ABUSING AND PREYING ON A MINOR THE WHOLE TIME! I have never hated a character more than this, at least within the last year. But anyway, the first thing she does is check that her father is alive. AW. Despite being educated on manners and proper etiquette and all that, and storms out in her pajamas to the training field and hugs her cold-hearted father, yelling out papa! He is flabbergasted, to say the least, and so are the rest of the knights and maids who laid witness to this event in history. Her father becomes worried at her behavior, and we found out that he… loves being called papa! How adorable!! And we also found out that he was a super hot dude… not that he wasn’t super hot during the main story but still. Please excuse that comment. ANYWAY, after that he’d grimace if she called him father like she usually did, so she started permanently calling him papa.
She is summoned to the palace because apparently a prophecy granted her a divine name, which somehow makes her a threat to the imperial family I guess. She doesn’t feign ignorance, and rather advises the current emperor (the douchebag’s father) of a current political and economical issue, and her proposal is enacted. I don’t want to go into further detail because it would take too long, but if you read the volume you know what I’m talking about. She also reveals to the emperor that she does not desire to be empress, even though they believe she is the child of a different prophecy, the shitty one that started this whole thing. They say she will be his fiancé in name for now, and they will end their engagement later. This was all at her suggestion I believe. What a smart girl! I wish her past self was this smart too.
So much happens in this volume, because I’m not done talking yet. She meets the chancellor’s genius second son, who becomes infatuated with her and proposes to her at first meeting. Yes, a 13-year-old proposes to a 10-year-old. You are not imagining things. Her possessive father (HAHAHA) hears this and disapproves immediately! He announces that he needs to learn to be good with a sword and not just his brain if he wants to go anywhere near his daughter, and only as a friend at that. The chancellor’s son takes on the challenge because he really wants to marry—I mean become friends with our female lead. How cute, HAHAHA. Of course, I’ll take anyone over the dipshit crown prince. I’ve run out of names to call him at this point.
But that’s what happens in this volume. A whole lot. It was hilarious to read to be honest, and infuriating at other points. However, as long as I enjoyed myself, it should be fine. I’ll give the second volume a shot.
When I can get my hands on it, that is. Because I sure as hell am not buying the damn thing :)