first of all i want to say that my comment doesn't mean that i don't like the game. the game is great: it has beautiful art, well thought out system of empire development, good UI. I thought what you did with the display of character sprites on screen was very unique. i liked the possibility to play on easy and hard modes, the amount of work that was put into making this game (it truly feels like a labour of love) and i like the MC.
however while I was playing the demo, I couldn't get rid of the question: do people even know how to do their job in this empire?
so far, out of all the MC's entourage, it seems to me that only three are competent enough to hold their position: Alexander, her bearded counselor dude (sorry, can't remember the name) and her lady-mentor.
the moments that made my eyebrows go up into my hairline:
1. the spy master who withholds information from the empress (and I'm talking about appointing a stranger as her maid-in-waiting). it doesn't matter if it's important information or not. it doesn't matter how big or small it is. it's his job to notify her which he failed to do. and that would've raised a question for me: what else isn't he telling me? what else won't he tell me in the future and how much potential it has to screw my cards? if I was the MC, it would 100% plant the seed of doubt and the thoughts of a replacement needed. with his network he is arguably the most powerful person in her small council. and if the empress can't trust her spy master, it's the end game.
2. a spy girl who is now our lady-in waiting (I'm bad with names). is she aware that in the imperial setting people easily give up their lives for less than a sneeze? the fact that she is a spy suggests that she either doesn't have a title or it is very minor. we have already seen in this setting how many problems MC had before the coronation and how much she had to do to be put on the throne instead of one of her bastard brothers, which means the world there is quite patriarchal. it's very unlikely that a significant noble house would let a woman who could be profitably and beneficially married off to work in a potentially deadly and difficult job like this. so, basically a commoner insulting the empress to her face (and in a political-imperial-medievalish setting, what she said about the “sheltered little princess” is an insult) without much fear of consequences makes me think that the spy-girl-lady-in-waiting considered herself comfortable enough to do that; at least irreplaceable, and at max invincible. which probably means that she has a protector with enough resources to shield her from the consequences of such behavior. of all the people we know, only our spy master is suitable for the role of such a patron, and, with his previous experience of withholding information from us, the picture doesn't look good for him.
3. claims from the lady-in-waiting-girl that our MC “has never been out there and doesn’t even know what it’s like to be out there in the field.” well, yes? because she doesn't have to. she is a princess, now an empress. she is not obliged to know the exact difficulties her subordinates go through, to know their job in detail, to relate to every single problem of her subordinates, or do their job instead. to climb forests, mountains, infiltrate into dangerous settings and whatever else her spies do. the accusation is childish. for this she has people, such as this spy-girl-lady-in-waiting. if the empress did everything herself, she wouldn't need such people.
4. the fact that MC just let the insult slide. I suppose because it was a closed setting (her personal office) she didn't feel the need for anything drastic. however, benevolence like this often gives people ideas that they can have their way, which often gives example to other people. MC doesn't have to go around beheading everyone left and right to instill the understanding that some things mustn't be said. her lady-in-waiting insulted her, that's enough to fall out of grace and end up in a monastery (in imperial medieval setting) if she is lucky enough, and she doesn't even have a title. I think that a week or two in the dungeon on gruel would be a really nice option.
5. and my favourite, probably - the person who has a title of a DUKE accusing our MC of "being born with a silver spoon". excuse me, duke, was your own spoon a wooden one? bronze? did you eat scraps and wear rags? no? then shut your annoying mouth please. yes, his family had some estates and lands taken away, but it doesn't mean that his life wasn't a life of privilege. the fact that he's accusing MC of growing up in privilege while he clearly hasn't been swimming in poverty is so hypocritical that I can't lol
well, this was my Ted Talk and my rant. I want to state one more time that I liked the game. the fact that some characters caused enough frustration for me to compose a bedsheet means that it has a great potential to keep player engaged.