A 'will they won't they' romance with a perfect balance of sweetness and angst. I loved how matched their personalities are from the beginning. ML's stubbornness and bitterness, letting his hostility be his external shield and his way of hiding his pain, one-sidedly hating the MC for their initial complicated connection with each other but the MC being so patient and tolerant with him, but also being resilient and protective of him. I loved that the romance just started slowly brewing right from the start, subdued but in a steady pace. It's the kind of slow romance I wanted.
Plot-wise, it's not very well established, but I loved the deliberate foreshadowing that was presented in a subtle way. You won't realized something is foreshadowed until you've reach the reveal. I also wished the villains wouldn't have such a quick death. The actual confrontation is spread throughout the story but the death itself felt unsatisfactory. I would love to see the villain's reaction about his victory being overturned just when he's about to achieve it, but he's dead before he could even react. I'm just glad it was at the hands of the person who's deserving of that kill.
Nevertheless, I loved the melancholy vibe of this story. It is the kind of atmosphere where the ending could have gone in a heartbreaking and tragic way.