#(spoilers: I'm talking about the gal Choi Han yoinked during the finale at maple castle)

[ladeedayda]

I've talked abt this with friends before, but the complete and utter lack of any romance in TCF is what really makes it special to me. And what greatly amuses me when reading the manhwa, as the artist made Cale so sexy for no reason 😂

But I can't stress enough how impossibly rare it is to find stories with no romance. Not just between the main characters, but between any characters *at all*. Everyone is in a static relationship, a widow, or single. Romance is a concept that is so alien to the plot, it may as well not exist. And I LOVE IT. Consider me mildly bias as an aro/ace, but it allows the plot to focus all of its attention on the story it wants to tell (namely, Cale driving his family insane).

And at this point? Introducing any kind of romance at all would undermine the entire plot in a way that would be irreparable. I've compared it to a simple office romcom having a zombie apocalypse c-plot halfway through the story. It'd change the story *completely*, lmao.

That being said, the vibes between Alberu and Cale are hysterical. I don't think it started out this way, but at this point? The author is absolutely aware of and playing with it. Alberu treats Cale like he's his exasperated elderly wife that's constantly dealing with her stubborn husband, it's fantastic.

And on that note, if there's romance in part 2? Don't tell me 😂