How to Hide the Emperor’s Child

The story is good, entertaining and Astelle (the FL) is smart and isn't a pushover. I like her character growth and the story does show a lot of promise. The art is amazing and consistent too.

My main gripe however is Kaizen (The ML). He's more of a villain than a ML. I utterly despise him.

To start: he betrayed Astelle just hours after their first night of marriage (And them doing the deed), essentially breaking both her heart and trust. Convicted her and divorced her even though she did nothing wrong.

Then poor Astelle had nowhere to go and chose to live in solitude with her grandfather because her own father disowned her after Kaizen divorced her. She also finds out she's pregnant with her and her ex-husband's child.

Then 6 or 7 years later, she's living a content life as a villager but suddenly she's being hunted by knights sent by Kaizen because of some documents. He takes her and her son (Whom she disguises as her nephew) against their will.

He keeps them at the palace, again against Astelle's will who just wants to go back to the life she's built over the past 7 years with her son.

Kaizen also constantly ignores Astelle's authority over the child as he tells the boy grandiose stories and promises to take the boy outside against his mother's wishes. Even takes the child out to hunt bears without consulting Astelle causing FL to panic.

Anyway, he does have some redeeming qualities but they're outshined by his shi*** behaviour. I just wish anyone else was the ML over him.

Anyway, awful ML aside, the side characters are wonderful. I love the support the FL gets from her grandfather and her maid and the relationship between her and her son is very wholesome. And It's funny seeing how she handles things thrown at her from both her toxic ex-husband and her father. A very smart and capable FL all in all. 

Overall: Story is about 3 stars because it's really dragged down by the ML. Read it for wholesome mother-and-son interactions, and for how smart Astelle is.