Summary
Read manhwa The Duchess Lives Only for This Day / 공작 부인은 오늘만 산다
Born from a family where daughters don’t survive until adulthood, frail Frida Harkbourne enters a political marriage with the feared war hero Duke Daniel Richards. Abandoned at the altar and left with a comatose husband, Frida gains unexpected freedom and quietly rebuilds his barren territory. Three years later, Daniel awakens to find a gentle, determined duchess who has transformed his lands through sheer will. As imperial intrigue, hidden enemies, and looming succession conflicts close in, a wary duke and a dying duchess begin a tense partnership that could change their lives… if only Frida can live long enough for it.
Eveaustria
I’m really torn about this. It has parts that seem worth reading to me, but at other times this story makes me angry, especially when cliché miscommunication and such misunderstandings between female lead and male lead happen again (so far these fortunately don’t take very long though)…
I love the female lead, she’s competent and hard working. But her time might be limited. She has developed a barren country even with a very tight budget while her husband has been in a coma for three years after hitting his head directly during/after the marriage ceremony that he was forced to comply to since it was ordered by the emperor.
The female lead is smart and devoted to the people in this country, who like her back, which I love a lot. On the other hand she sometimes acts on impulse too without communicating properly…
The male lead on the other hand is quite weird and contradictory, even though his thoughts and his conversations with people are properly shown, different from other manhwas where male leads are basically side characters with flat personalities.
This male lead once again is not only a grand duke but also an illegitimate prince, and a somehow typical emotionally cold taciturn warrior-type with dark hair too. Weirdly enough he is way too “manly” with a musculous body and fighting spirit – not logical for someone who couldn’t even move for three years. He often spouts harsh words that can be misunderstood, he always seems to be grumpy and in a bad mood, but he somehow also acknowledges the hard work of his wife and even worries about her health. And then again he’s suddenly acting rough with her, and the way he talks to her is anything but kind… So far he isn’t despicable nor insulting or anything, but also not exactly likeable.
I appreciate that side characters also play important roles and their motives als well as personalities are properly representated. Also most of the people in this manhwa have a somehow darker skin tone while the female lead is very pale and this is said to be a sign of a frail constitution and a short life, which is an interesting detail.
sleepy kiwi
Looks interesting 🤔