Chapters 1-30: Navier is a punching bag, the ML arrives. Everyone hopes that Sovieshu dies a dog's death, what an asshole.

Chapter 30: Rashta's old slave owner blackmails her and she begins to participate in politics with a friend (?) advising.

Chapter 45 (ish) : Rashta becomes pregnant. It's made clear to her that the child will not be a part of the royal family, and she starts getting desperate. An attempt is made on her baby's life and people start really investigating her background.

Chapter 65 (ish) : Sovieshu figures out Rashta's secret and who tried to have the baby killed, and comes up with a very (very) stupid plan to legitimize it that involves divorcing his current wife, raising Rashta to become empress until she gives birth, and then marrying Navier again. Everyone hopes that Sovieshu dies a dog's death, what an asshole.

Navier learns of the part of Sovieshu's plan where she's being divorced, triggering the actions that eventually lead to the scene in chapter 1, which I believe actually happens around chapter 80-something or so.

Surprisingly, I find myself really sympathizing with Rashta the more I learn about her. She's not a shallow white lotus villainness who does malicious things for petty reasons, but instead a character who behaves like what her background has molded her into. Habits that served her well as a slave don't do her much good as a concubine (aside from evoking pity). She doesn't mind using her body and beauty, which she probably learnt as a slave, but she has dreams of being loved and is starving for affection and attention. She's incredibly protective over her children and only really trusts herself with them. It's still unknown if she's hiding more malicious intents, but so far she seems to be more or less what she says she is.

But in this case a bird hahaha

Soviet is actually not all that blind, he knows everything about Rasta being a slave and a bit*h and is just covering it up because he needs the baby, which leads to his downfall because he wanted a successor more than his wife (but tbh it was a tough decision because there is no one else to succeed the throne). He keeps complaining that Navier is infertile (I'm guessing it's not true I think the marquis asking repeatedly "how are you sure (she's infertile) " is a foreshadowing, but he is convinced that he/she/both are infertile because they ate abortion cookies when they were kids (which Navier almost ate everything)) but like maybe they just haven't been doing it enough? Seriously he hasn't touched her once except that time on her birthday (which didn't follow thru because Navier got disgusted and he was sick), and he didn't even wonder or care about Rasta being a non virgin (does he even know the difference)... and Navier wouldn't be that shy seeing a naked man's body when she sleeps together with Soviet but she's like a virgin lady (or Heinley is just too hot). But yeah things wouldn't have escalated so far if Soviet and Navier were just honest with each other, the whole point of the divorce is to make the baby a legitimate heir, also because he feels threatened because Naviers brother used abortion pills so he thinks Navier and her family will hurt the baby. Soviet actually planned out a lot, he wanted to reinstate Navier to empress after a year, he never planned on letting her go, he kept all the dirty shady evidence against Rasta to divorce her after a year but he didn't tell Navier anything and didn't know how deep her relationship with Heinley was. It's Soviet's loss in thinking he can keep her as an abandoned empress. Navier thinks that Soviet is head over heels in love with Rasta and is doing everything (false charges against her brother) to divorce her, so she gets panicked and asks for Heinley's help. But sadly Navier doesn't love Heinley yet, she just kinda asked for his help as a friend (which hurts because he is whipped). At this point, it's still possible for Soviet to win her back and remarry her (since she admits to loving Soviet, but hasn't told anyone yet, and yes Soviet loves her and doesn't actually love Rasta)... but ofc I am rooting for the bird king... though Heinley has more chances with Navier in his bird form tbh XD archduke is also a tremendous cutie pie who needs a girl XD

so the MC empress maybe doesn't know she likes the emperor? Anyway the emperor is a bastard and one of those tropes ML that would do stupid things for love to prove their 'powerful' or maybe because they became stupid falling in love ugh

It's actually interesting how there are some moments where she doesn't really express any ill-intent towards Navier. There are times when she sincerely expresses her admiration for Navier. She just wants to secure her place in Sovieshu's side.