YMMV / The Monstrous Duke's Adopted Daughter

• Catharsis Factor:
  • Marquis Speràdo, his wife and his eldest daughter Ellie are such vile bastards and commit such horrible things, not just against Leslie, that every bad thing that happens to them is deserved and enjoyable. It comes to a head in Chapter 126, when Marquis Speràdo is trapped in his burning manor and literally Dragged To Hell by the spirits of the children who were killed in the Speràdo family's horrific rituals.
  • On the other hand, whenever something good happens to Leslie to make up for her terrible childhood, it makes a reader happy for her.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: The Emperor has gotten great reception in his introductory chapter. Fans really like him for going against the evil emperor stereotype and being portrayed as a genuine human being with down-to-earth flaws and having a likeable, sensible personality. His friendship with Duchess Salvator only boosted his newfound popularity.
• Moe: How can you not squee over Leslie's cuteness? Everyone in the Salvator family can't resist how cute she is In-Universe. Even the scanlators can't help but fawn over Leslie!
• Moral Event Horizon:
  • It's easy to say the Speràdo family in general crossed this line so much that it's not about when they did it, but how they continuously and repeatedly do it at every other story beat as everyone but Leslie and an estranged brother of the Marquis no one knew survived dives off the deep end of selfishness, greed, and homicidal indignant rage alike.
  • The queen dowager Medea, who despite her compromised and almost prisoner-like existence manipulates the Speràdo family from afar, specifically has Ellie trapped under her watch for four years just to break the girl's will and pride, and then has a maid falsely accused of embezzlement in the imprisonment whipped at Ellie's command solely to play up sympathetic appearances in the long con. And then fully plans on having either Ellie or Leslie gaining the mysterious Elpeltis so they die by the supposed illness protecting it, and she can steal it for Prince Arlendo to use as a powerful weapon. At this point the character goes from simply a manipulative schemer to the new Big Bad.
• Realism-Induced Horror: Many of the more disturbing elements in the work have nothing to do with dark magic, but rather systemic abuse becoming normalized, lack of help from outside, Parental Favoritism, gaslighting and runaway narcissism.
• Sweet Dreams Fuel: For all of the crap Leslie goes through, it's easy to be extremely happy when something finally goes right for Leslie. It helps that Leslie herself is adorable, and the Salvators go out of their way to treat her the way she deserves to be treated: like a normal girl.
• The Woobie: Leslie's life with the Sperados was hell. As the latest of the children intended to be sacrificed for her elder sibling she was routinely setup in circumstances intended to burn her alive. No one in her family wanted her there, not even the servants. Even after escaping their household she was subject to more attempts to kill her or to return her to their abusive care.