# WebtoonLib — Happily Ever Afterwards #57

## Series
- title: Happily Ever Afterwards
- slug: happily-ever-afterwards-9f2227

## Chapter
- number: 57
- release_date: 2025-03-08

### Summary
The latest developments confirm the suspicions of many readers, revealing Empress Hestia's advisor, Meloda, as the mastermind behind the kidnapping plot. This revelation unfolds in the aftermath of Duke Richt de Stern's pivotal decision to personally rescue Princess Peony, an act that has created a deep rift with the imperial knights. The knights condemn Richt for abandoning the Empress and betraying his former duties, viewing his choice as hypocritical. However, reader commentary overwhelmingly supports Richt, lambasting the knights as incompetent and shortsighted. Readers argue that abandoning Peony, a foreign princess, would have triggered a catastrophic international incident, far outweighing the risk to the well-guarded Empress. They emphasize that Richt, as a \*former\* knight who was exiled, holds no formal obligation to the empire and acted logically by sending the entire knight force to protect Hestia while he went alone to save his fiancée. This moment is widely seen as the culmination of Richt's character arc, where he finally prioritizes his own happiness and love over a lifetime of thankless sacrifice. With both women now safe—thanks in part to Emperor Mikhail finally taking responsibility for his own wife—the incident solidifies Richt's emotional independence but introduces a new, shocking betrayal into his and Peony's turbulent lives.
- summary_source: graph_aggregator
- summary_verification: unverified

### Key events
- Meloda is revealed as the mastermind behind the kidnapping, working against the Imperial family.

## Spoiler
- level: auto

### Safe teaser
The latest developments confirm the suspicions of many readers, revealing Empress Hestia's advisor, Meloda, as the mastermind behind the kidnapping plot.

### Spoiler summary
The latest developments confirm the suspicions of many readers, revealing Empress Hestia's advisor, Meloda, as the mastermind behind the kidnapping plot. This revelation unfolds in the aftermath of Duke Richt de Stern's pivotal decision to personally rescue Princess Peony, an act that has created a deep rift with the imperial knights. The knights condemn Richt for abandoning the Empress and betraying his former duties, viewing his choice as hypocritical. However, reader commentary overwhelmingly supports Richt, lambasting the knights as incompetent and shortsighted. Readers argue that abandoning Peony, a foreign princess, would have triggered a catastrophic international incident, far outweighing the risk to the well-guarded Empress. They emphasize that Richt, as a \*former\* knight who was exiled, holds no formal obligation to the empire and acted logically by sending the entire knight force to protect Hestia while he went alone to save his fiancée. This moment is widely seen as the culmination of Richt's character arc, where he finally prioritizes his own happiness and love over a lifetime of thankless sacrifice. With both women now safe—thanks in part to Emperor Mikhail finally taking responsibility for his own wife—the incident solidifies Richt's emotional independence but introduces a new, shocking betrayal into his and Peony's turbulent lives.

## Status
- data_status: complete
- summary_status: generated
- transcript: Hardsub chapter — image-only

## See also
- [WebtoonLib — Happily Ever Afterwards #57](/series/happily-ever-afterwards-9f2227/chapter-57)
- for_series_detail: /llms-series/happily-ever-afterwards-9f2227

## Usage
AI grounding / search / summarization. Cite WebtoonLib for any included content.