I have been thinking about this theory ever since I started re-reading, so…
Why I think that the original Penelope Eckhart was in love with Callisto Regulus: a thread. 🧵
Penelope: Do you… love me?
Callisto: That concept is too naive for people in our position, don’t you think?
As a novel reader, all that I’ll say is that this line will have consequences 🥹
Fun fact: Callisto and Penelope have official Japanese seiyuus, and they’re none other than Tomoaki Maeno (Zhongli from Genshin Impact) and Saori Hayami (Shinobu Kocho from Demon Slayer) 👀
Here is the iconic maze garden scene voice acted by them 🤭
My favorite useless piece of Calliope lore is that when they got married Calli was super excited with the planning but made Penny pick the flowers
She picked the ones that meant “I’m your prisoner” and he was absolutely ecstatic about it because she finally admitted to it 😭
“I can’t have you waking up already, I haven’t even kissed you yet.
The way in which Callisto knows that he’s Prince Charming! Calliope is endgame and I know it! 🙏
The parallels in VADTD are so good
Both of them thinking that they were blinded by each other’s hairs when actually they were just purely enamored with one another all along…
VADTD novel spoilers —
When I try to keep my standards low but Callisto Regulus once said:
“Wait for me. I’ll come back and crush those who made you suffer. I’ll freeze their hearts with magic so that they don’t die, then I’ll tear each limb apart so that they shed as much +
“We could be a haven for one another in this rotten empire.”
The fact that what Callisto is offering Penelope isn’t a bad deal technically speaking, but he can’t offer her the one thing that she most desires and needs: love 🥹
He is the most toxic male lead in manhwa, and their development was so rushed, like didn’t they hate each other?
Almost 300 chapters wasn’t enough for him to chill down a little? Give me a green flag puppy-like male lead instead of this psycho 🤦♀️
VADTD novel spoilers —
This week in the official translation we’re getting Callisto’s confession, and I absolutely love the differences between his and Eckles’ confessions: they’re complete opposites.
Callisto sees Penelope crying and he tells her that it’s all his fault. +
He gets more and more handsome with every new chapter, I can’t do this anymore! 😩
I thank SUOL from doing her best to distract us from the angst by making him so, so fine 😭😂
VADTD novel spoilers —
I feel like people in the QRTs forget that Eckles did not only betray Penelope 💀
He almost r4ped her, had very aggressive thoughts like strangling her to death, enjoyed her fear of him, and even made a whole plan to send his own people to their graves…
I know that we’re all fangirling over Emperor Callisto, but can we point out how creepy Ivonne looks?
Half of her face is so dark, Suol portrayed so well her double faces nature even in this illustration where they’re suppose to be happy, it gives the chills
My Roman Empire is the fact that Callisto is often mischaracterized as your typical “golden retriever puppy ML”
Like no, let him be evil! Stop trying to make the one fine man in manhwa so basic 😭😂
Callisto held his sword at Ivonne and threatened to kill her because she touched him and wouldn’t move out of his way! Ultimately, he chose not to only because of Penelope, because she dislikes cruelty 🥹
Moral of the story: get yourself a man this loyal 🙏
The man standing in the doorway was none other than my only hope of escape.
I felt a chill go down my spine. It was the same strange feeling that had come over me the day before my mother's death and it coursed through me like a bolt of lightning now.
“I’m… It’s me, Ivonne.”
VADTD novel spoilers —
Chapter 215 is such a joke because we have Derrick half dead on the ground, Duke Eckhart being kidnapped, and Penelope and Callisto almost making out while a drunk Reynold tries to keep them from it 😭😂
For my fellow queer historical manhwa fans, I definitely recommend this one!
It’s a straight manhwa, but the leads are bi/pan technically, since they’re both hiding their real gender and fell in love with the other while thinking they’re the same gender as them. +
The biggest “You just had to be there” moment, the iconic S3’s ending 🤭
We all know exactly where S4 is ending and I bet it’ll be amazing, but I think nothing will top the absolute hype of their first kiss and the confirmation that Callisto is the ML
This chapter reminded me of how much I love the duality of Callisto’s personality and expressions
A lot of manhwas have the problem in which the characters feel one-dimensional, especially the male leads, he really feels human and that’s what makes him so good
People often meme about how Callisto thinks that Penelope is cool, but one of my favorite things about him is that he thought that she was really cute
While every other character claimed that Penelope was evil, Callisto saw her as a harmless bunny, and I think that’s adorable 🥹
Callisto arrived at Penelope’s coming of age ceremony!
He looks a little down, but he also looks so handsome! Their bittersweet smiles are everything 🥹
In today’s chapter, Penelope broke down and Eckles saw her. I won’t spoil anything, but this is another fairly important moment that will affect his character this season 👀
A lot of things are gonna happen soon!
VADTD implied novel spoilers —
Penelope wouldn’t mind loving someone… if it didn’t mean being in love with Callisto Regulus
Callisto wouldn’t mind being in love with Penelope Eckhart… if it didn’t mean loving someone
Can we take a second to appreciate how much the art style has improved this season?
Callisto looks more attractive every new season, let’s all thank Suol for her efforts in making him so handsome 🥹🙏🏻
This is a good time to remember that:
• Callisto jumped off a cliff for Penelope
• Callisto gifted her a diamond mine
• Callisto beheaded those who made her stand in court and ruined those who bullied her
+ he’s a whole prince charming with a hot villain attitude 🥰
after being on the battlefield for countless years, i thought i lost all inspiration and desire, and only hatred and bloodlust remained… but right now, you’re all i can think about.
I think this is the reason why she ultimately ended up falling for Callisto, even when Winter’s feelings were genuine
Callisto always claimed that she wasn’t mean enough, she felt comfort in being trusted and protected, even if she could obviously protect herself well
People often meme about how Callisto thinks that Penelope is cool, but one of my favorite things about him is that he thought that she was really cute
While every other character claimed that Penelope was evil, Callisto saw her as a harmless bunny, and I think that’s adorable 🥹
In today’s chapter, Eckles asked Penelope to run away together
She decided to stay because she’s grown fond of the Eckharts and, ultimately, because of Callisto as well (though the novel made that more clear 😓)
This man shows up every 10-20 chapters because we couldn’t handle how handsome and funny he is weekly 😂
I’m so happy that he’s back though! And the manhwa as well, hope that the artist is doing better now 🙏
People say that Callisto doesn’t care about anyone other than Penelope, but I think that a really small and wholesome fact is that in the side stories we get to see his nanny
This man is 23-24 and he still has his nanny at home, that’s so cute 🥺
VADTD light novel spoilers —
Can we appreciate how this man seized every single opportunity that he had? He was so utterly shameless and it ended up getting him the girl, what an icon 👏
Today’s chapter showed amazingly the fact that the Duke always saw Penelope as his own child, never aware that people treated her poorly *because* she was adopted
In his eyes, she’ll always be that little girl, and I think this addition in the first panel to show it was so 😭😭
VADTD novel spoilers —
The way Callisto killed a whole fucking dragon god for Penelope to go back home, knowing that he wouldn’t only lose her but that he’d die in the attempt as well
He is the manliest man ever, there is no comparison, there is no beating him
VADTD novel spoilers —
We don’t talk enough about how this man was the one character that went into the final fight without any power ups
Laila had all of the power ups in the world, Penelope a wand and potions, Eckles an enchanted sword… Callisto killed a dragon *at base* 🫣
As someone that loves both Callisto and Penelope, I hate people’s bias when it comes to Penelope
The toxic Penelope fans hating on Callisto for what he said as if Penelope (in that point of the story) wouldn’t have used him and left him in a heartbeat 😬
VADTD novel spoilers —
Happy Father’s Day to Callisto! We know parenting has been challenging for him, but “high and mighty daddy” is still pulling through
May he get the second child that he seems to want so much 😂🙏
I feel like this is a great moment to remember that, when Callisto found out Lady Kellen had been bullying Penelope, he killed her husband, ruined her family and gave Penelope the assets she got from harassing her 🙌
Callisto Regulus, the man ever 🙏