The debacle is merely the small prelude to the sentence imposed on the Lombardi family. The empire, nobility, and expulsion are just some trials Florentia must face. The worst part is that death cannot be avoided once the catastrophe has occurred.

One of the manhwas I've been reading for years is "I Shall Master This Family." This is a drama, fantasy, and romance story that unveils thousands of intriguing events. Above all, it stands out due to the solid composition of the central plot surrounding the protagonist's story.

I remember that the first episode begins with Florentia's life after the fall of the Lombardi family and the death of her grandfather, Patriarch Rulac. In this part of the story, Florentia was the one handling all the affairs and business of the Lombardi family. However, her grandfather never considered her as his heir due to her shy personality, and on top of that, Florentia was mistreated by her cousins. She was seen as a bastard child.

In the early episodes, we see how Florentia's life falls apart after the downfall of the great Lombardi family and the rise of Pérez Brivacheu Durelli as Emperor of the Lehmbruk Empire. Everything changed and collapsed quickly. All this leads to Florentia’s death, only for her to open her eyes again in the past.

The story begins with a regression that, as it progresses, sets the stage for Florentia Lombardi. A girl with an intellect superior and more advanced than her grandfather Rulac Lombardi. Can you imagine going back to the past? Florentia gets that opportunity, and her goal is to prevent her uncle, Viese Lombardi, from taking control of the family and destroying it.

Currently, the manhwa has 167 episodes and is released weekly (I've endured the breaks between seasons). The original story is based on the novel written by Roah Kim, while the art and editing are by Ant Studio, Mon. The first thing I must highlight about this manhwa is the art—it’s stunning and beautiful. It makes you want to read it and connect with every dialogue of the characters.

There are manhwas where the conversations are too long, and that can strain the eyes. However, with I Shall Master This Family, that’s not the case. It might seem like a simple plot to many, but in reality, it’s one of the most popular manhwas in the romantic and dramatic genre: shojo.

Another aspect that surprisingly catches attention is the structure of the story. Florentia Lombardi’s development begins when she opens her eyes and strives to solidify her position from a young age in her family. She helps her father, Gallahan Lombardi, to have a voice and vote in the family, to overcome his shyness, and to become more independent. Additionally, she makes Clerivan Pellet appear as her teacher when, in reality, she is the one controlling all the business, and Clerivan acts as her representative.

One of the parts I love the most about this story is Gallahan’s fatherly love and what he does to protect Florentia. In this new opportunity, Florentia’s main mission is to prevent Gallahan from dying of a deadly illness; those were the hardest scenes to watch. The way the manhwa developed was impressive, especially with the emphasis on fatherly love.

What I like most about this story is how Florentia becomes a businesswoman in an empire where women don’t have significant influence. Business is mostly run by aristocrats or male merchants. Moreover, what’s most impressive is how a young girl’s ingenuity is shown in making money (it’s all truly surprising).

One of the first things Florentia does is save the oppressed second prince, Pérez Brivacheu Durelli. The boy, who was constantly poisoned by the empress, received a drop of kindness from a girl of the Lombardi family. Is that all between them? It’s not. They become friends, and something more develops, but you’ll have to read the manhwa to find out.

I love how Rulac created a state of overprotection with Florentia, which makes one think he considered her his successor. But I recently discovered that it was more of a grandfather’s affection and not a consideration as the patriarch of the Lombardi family.

There are many things I’d like to mention about this manhwa, as I really enjoy it. However, I believe the best thing is for each person to read it and experience the journey themselves: discovering it, connecting with it, and becoming captivated by each event. Will Florentia become the matriarch of the Lombardi family? I don’t know, but the one thing I do know is that she is determined to ensure her family is never torn apart. After all, they are a powerful duchy.

Images: Fandom 1 - Myanimelist 2. Designs Canva. Content by @neruel. English translation and grammar correction: Chatgpt - DeepL - Languagetool. Disclaimer: This is a personal opinion and does not reflect the facts or official views of the manhwa.

Posted Using INLEO