Unpopular Opinion: Can we talk about how Countess Viola is actually a brilliant social climber who used OG Cale as a shield?
I know the fandom loves the wholesome "happy family" dynamic that Kim Rok Soo inherits, but if we look at the story through a realistic, historical, and political lens, Countess Viola does not sit right with me. The novel tries to paint her as a saintly stepmother just because she isn’t cartoonishly evil, but honestly? She looks like a textbook social climber who saw the perfect opportunity and took it.Let’s look at the facts:
The Timing and the Bankruptcy are Way Too ConvenientCount Deruth was completely broken, drowning in grief after losing his first wife, Jour. He was emotionally vulnerable and unstable. Suddenly, he goes on a trip and comes back married to Viola. Her merchant family wasn't just commoner; they were completely bankrupt and drowning in debt due to her abusive first husband. Seducing a grieving, wealthy Count to pay off her family's massive debts and secure an aristocratic title for her commoner son is a masterclass in opportunistic survival.
Her Obsession with "Luxury" and High Society ReputationRealistically, a bankrupt, merchant-born countess would face brutal ostracization in high society. High-born noblewomen would look down on her, and the Council of Elders would make her life a living hell. This is why she is obsessed with appearances and running high-end art galleries to validate her status.We see her true colors when Count Deruth decides to send Cale to the capital (unlike the original timeline where Basen went because OG Cale was beaten up by Choi Han). Since the healthy Cale is the one going, he smartly quotes a line about art from one of her own galleries to manipulate her into letting him travel with a smaller entourage. She is shocked by his intellect and agrees to reduce the number of guards/servants, but she enforces a strict condition: everything must be of the absolute highest luxury. Why? Because since her son Basen lost the chance to represent the family, she had to ensure that the "trash" heir traveled like royalty. If he traveled simply, high society would whisper that the bankrupt, merchant-born stepmother was mistreating and cutting costs on the legitimate heir. The luxury was her shield to protect her own reputation at court.
She Used OG Cale’s Self-Destruction as a Stepping StoneViola is written as an intelligent, sharp woman. There is no way she didn't notice the pattern in OG Cale’s behavior. Cale was a sweet child who comforted his father during grief, and he artificially created his "trash" persona to protect Basen. If Cale had been a perfect, brilliant first-born son, the elitist elders and other nobles would have absolutely crushed Basen. They would have treated her son as a penniless, low-born intruder.By turning himself into a public drunkard, OG Cale drew all the negative attention to himself, making Basen look like the stable, educated choice for the succession. Viola silently accepted this sacrifice. She didn't stop it because Cale ruining his own life was the ONLY thing guaranteeing her son's safety and acceptance in the nobility.
Her "Kindness" Looks Like Damage ManagementWrapping Cale in absolute luxury and keeping him comfortably distant ensured the "trash" didn't mess up the new management of the duchy, while her own son gained the elders' favor.
OG Cale was an absolute martyr who destroyed his own mental health and reputation to keep his father happy and protect a bankrupt step-family that realistically should have been his political rivals. Viola played the quiet, long game. She climbed to the top of the social ladder on the bed of a depressed widower, managed her reputation through forced luxury, and used the silent trauma of a motherless child as a shield for her own lineage.
Change my mind.