I'm a Martial Art Villainess but I'm the Strongest! - Chapter 98

Saying something negative about a character people like often gets downvotes. I hope if you fully read this, you’ll at least understand my perspective, even if you don’t agree with it. And I do like Gunwoo, the male love interest. BUT…

I get that readers are supposed to feel sympathy for the possessed Gunwoo, who is vulnerable and in a tough spot with emotional history and the whole hell god thing. And the writing will likely redeem his issues or fortify his confidence later on. But right now, in this chapter: seeing this frustrates me a little.

He claimed he understood he was pushing her away and would trust her when they were talking through doors only a few chapters ago.

Despite everything she’s literally done for the male character for as long as this series has been around for, he wavers in that trust for her at every interaction — including right now when he needs to keep a literal god of war under control so he doesn’t kill the female protagonist or interfere in other ways. She literally slashed at the ex-fiance in what I can only assume is a brutal manner during the tournament arc two chapters ago — brutal enough to make Namgoong cry.

And before the tournament arc, she chose to continue to kiss Gunwoo to placate him by keeping the ex-fiance waiting for an audience. It doesn’t get clearer than that, in part because the female protagonist keeps her words very sharp when dealing with the ex-fiance. At some point, this level of insecurity walks into the domain of straight-up emotional manipulation.