BARONESS GOES ON STRIKE VOL. 1
Writer & Artist: Song Yeseul
Original Story: Ko Eun Chae
Publisher: Crossed Hearts (print)
Editor: Aurora Aurealis
Adaptation: Nikita, Aurora Aurealis
Publication Date: Oct 26, 2025
Rating: Teen
Genre: Romance, VSC (S. Korea), Manhwa, Webtoon, Slice-of-Life
The first volume of Baroness Goes on Strike released in print on October 26, 2025, by Crossed Hearts. It is written and illustrated by Song Yeseul and is based on the story by Ko Eun Chae. The ongoing series was available digitally on Tapas first, and this volume collects the first 17 chapters! I thank Crossed Hearts and Song Yeseul for sending me a copy. As always, below you will find my honest review.
From the life of a nobility as a count’s daughter to being married off to a commoner, along with a title and a remote, barren land as compensation, Cassie’s life has been full of ups and downs. Well, mostly downs. Her husband Zetes, once a commoner mercenary and war hero, now a baron, rushes off to a new conflict zone every chance he gets. Whereas Cassie is left to tend to the house and govern the land, all the while battling a terminal illness. Her only solace is their two young, lovely kids.
Right when she thinks she can finally find comfort in the embrace of eternal rest, she wakes up to the morning of their first night together. No amount of praying saves her from the harsh reality of having to relive those horrible ten years all over again, but she can at least turn the tide in her favor and live for herself this time around!
The first half of Baroness Goes on Strike was a bumpy ride for me. There is a lack of consistency in the worldbuilding, and some details find their places in the narrative later on, while others remain as inconsistencies. My approach isn’t through the “historical accuracy” lens; neither the series claims to be historically accurate, nor is the accuracy in fiction discussion a neatly tied-up and resolved one. However, I do look for consistency within the work itself.
Here’s an example to illustrate my point. In Baroness Goes on Strike, we learn that Zetes was to be given a high-ranking noble title, but due to backlash from the members of the aristocracy, he was given a rather small piece of land and the title of Baron, and Cassie was, in her words, “sold off” to Zetes. She also adds that the Emperor saw her fit when he had two grown daughters himself. She clearly resents being sent off this way. This tells me that this fictional universe is one that still treats women as commodities that can be traded or gifted at will.
However, Cassie can also easily entertain the idea of getting a divorce, without any backup plan of sorts. She already resents her father; will she be able to return home? If not, how will she survive financially? Will it even be possible for her to annul their marriage, which was initiated by the Emperor? Does the universe uphold a similar set of patriarchal values, or simply borrow the fashion and architectural aesthetics without the societal dynamics? It is not so easy to critique, as I don’t know whether the novel this series is based on lacks this inconsistency or there have been cuts/omissions made when adapting.
There are certain inconsistencies with what Cassie thinks and what shows on her expressions or the way she acts as well. To Cassie, her first night with Zetes was one of the most horrible nights she’s ever experienced, but she looks more aroused yet abashed, instead of scared or resigned. This is not a big spoiler, but we later find out that she was attracted to Zetes when they first met. That first night should’ve been all the more disappointing for her.
She curses the gods that send her back in time for her to experience the agony once again, and a life that ends with a painful death where Cassie wishes not to leave this world “with [Zetes’] wretched face etched into [her] final memory.” Yet she still squeezes the line “Even if you’re handsome, I still hate you,” while cursing Zetes for tormenting him even after her death, since she’s just returned in time and assumes Zetes followed her to the afterlife. The color palettes, expressions, and delivery are too colorful and cute for what the narration and Cassie’s lines convey in the first half.
There were other details that I had found odd, but they fell into place as I continued to read, and the series settled on an interesting dynamic, placing the tension between the intersection of class, gender, and status in the center. I should note that this is more of an angle than a full-on politically conscious commentary for now, but I still think it’s an interesting and more thoughtful approach to the commoner x noble romance.
From the romantasy webtoons I’ve read in the past, I anticipated that Cassie’s opinion of Zetes would be a personal account rather than the whole truth and she was about to discover the real reasons behind why he did the things he did. It was pleasant to find out that it was related to Zetes’ appointed title and its implications.
Due to his commoner background, Zetes is neither concerned with nor places weight and meaning on the title he’s been given. Despite wanting to treat Cassie right, he’s lost (and I assume, feels emasculated) for not being able to provide the comfort and luxury she’s used to in her family home. Since nobility also comes with a set of rules on etiquette and strict hierarchy, both within an estate and society, Cassie and Zetes’ difference in status causes discord that’s hard to put into words and openly talk about. Both end up doing what they think is best or guessing the other’s needs, and resent the other when theirs aren’t met.
And that’s why Cassie’s second playthrough is bound to be a better experience than the first. Not because she decides to laze around and not care about anyone else than herself; one of the first things she plans to do is to give birth to the children she loved so much and she ends up thinking about finding ways to liven up the economy and trade. She is, in fact, not lazing around.
What sparks change this time is Cassie going up to Zetes and being upfront about her boundaries, feelings and expectations. This in turn urges Zetes to reflect on his behavior, clear up misunderstandings, and think of solutions or make amends if needed. They have a long road ahead together, but they’re already taking steps for the better.
I don’t want to break down every tiny detail in case some readers haven’t gotten a chance to check the series out, so I’ll leave it at saying I ended up thoroughly enjoying this volume despite the rough start!
Crossed Hearts has kindly sent me the limited edition of Baroness Goes on Strike, so I wanted to talk about the set as well.
The volume has a nice weight to it, has a sturdy cover with French flaps. I appreciated that each chapter is clearly separated by a title page and some chapters have cute journal papers at the end. I’m an anti-book scribbler, but if you enjoy journaling, it might be fun to decorate pages on the actual copy!
Additionally, there’s a character vault at the end of the volume, along with a K-drama-style sneak peek of what awaits you in the next volume. There’s more info on the characters and notes from Song Yeseul on what they focused on or wanted to highlight when creating the character designs. These are all in the print volume, whether you get the regular edition, which is the book itself, or the limited edition.
The add-ons in the limited version are the large print of Cassie and Zetes. There’s also a small envelope stuck inside the back cover. The character card and the pop-up card are inside! They make a pretty set and if you haven’t decided on what to gift your webtoon-obsessed friend, or yourself, Baroness Goes on Strike is a great contender!
Overall, the first volume of this series ended up a fun read with potential! If anything I mentioned above works for you, and you enjoy reading romance series with leads from different classes, please give it a chance!
Baroness Goes on Strike Vol. 1 by Song Yeseul is available in print on Crossed Hearts’ website and other retailers.
