So I haven't read this story yet, not even a single chapter. Does it have rape between the...

kidnapped, drugged, raped all combined. In my opinion, no. It's not worth it but it does have a story behind it which i dont care about and still hates the whole story

Oook kind person, thank you for telling me. Then I won't be wasting my time reading this.

Yeah... Don't bother.

If you read the summary, it already hints at rape scenes - it literally says obsession knowing no bounds and breaking the MC’s will. Since it’s still ongoing, nobody knows for sure if it’ll turn into a Stockholm syndrome type of relationship. But honestly, with my years of reading BL lol, I’d put money on it either going that way or ending with one (or both) of the mains dead.

What keeps me hooked is that the ML’s black flag actions aren’t just random shock value or pure gooner material. There’s actually depth behind his behavior, and little by little the reasons are being revealed. He does some awful, awful stuff (not just sexual), and there were points where I straight-up hated him. But as the story unfolds, the narrative keeps peeling back layers of his character, and it leaves me with more complicated feelings than just pure hatred. That’s why I think the writing is so strong, as the author made him extremely disturbing, but still weirdly compelling.

And just to be clear, liking the story doesn’t mean I’m excusing him. For me, it’s about how the author builds tension and layers his motives. The characters don’t exist in a bubble; their choices hit other people and have consequences. The dread even builds up in some of those scenes until I’m whispering under my breath, “no, please no…” Low-key still traumatised by one very specific incident.

At the end of the day, it’s faaar from a comfortable read. Imo, the author does a pretty job of making you feel conflicted, unsettled, and curious about where and how it’ll all end. Side note, the ML’s behavior and backstory also feel inspired by the darker realities of imperial courts. A lot of toxic, black flag characters in Korean historical fiction take cues from figures like Prince Sado. If you’re into history, definitely look him up! His story is really interesting but also tragic.

Okay FatherFcker.

Preach!

Forgot to say. Agreed with the whole thing, not surprised with how things are especially it makes a bit sense when in a historical period. There’s many men who take in male lovers, tragic or just unknown endings.

Thanks for chiming in, Morii! In the Joseon period, male lovers were not accepted because of strict Confucian values. Ironically, Confucianism itself came from China, but Joseon Korea enforced it far more rigidly. That’s why the MC describes it as filthy and even says such acts are what only beasts would do. That particular dialogue reflects how society saw it at the time, and why it carried even greater weight for the ML as emperor to engage in it.

And you're right about tragic and unknown endings too. Unknown, because records were expensive and selective, as only certain lives were preserved, while others were lost or deliberately erased. And also tragic, because within the imperial court, even the smallest slip, suspicion, or falling out of favor, could end in one's (and often the entire bloodline's) exile or execution, as we've already seen a number of times in this story.

By contrast, Chinese imperial courts were more open in some respects. A few emperors were openly recorded as having male favorites, such as Emperor Ai with Dong Xian (the “cut sleeve” story) or Emperor Wu of Han. If you’re into the history side of things, those are worth looking up!

I love people like you. So nice and objective. People who don't get blinded by their likes or dislikes and still manage to convey their feelings adequately. I loved your explanation and can see that it's a more complex story than I initially thought.(づ￣ ³￣)づ

Oops, yes I was thinking of Chinese historical period.
They were a bit more open as you stated, and I have read about the famous cut sleeve story.

I really don’t like the tragic ones. I wish there were more endings without vagueness, no open ended ones please. I wish time traveling existed, it would be eye opening to see how lives were back then through experience and not just writings.

But I guess that doesn’t exist for a reason. Too many people would mess with history. Some say history should be left untouched.

Thank you for explaining history to me. It is a bit ironic and funny that, despite creator of Confucianism, China was more gay in historical times, still are more open today than S or N Korea.

How come Korea followed Confucianism more thoroughly than its origin?

Thanks, that means a lot! I try not to get too caught up in personal likes/dislikes and just share what I notice. Once I start typing though, the words just keep pouring out

Morii, you’ve raised some really interesting points and a great question. I’m trying very hard not to write an essay here haha.

Firstly, on the records of history, I also wish time travel was possible. Though if it were, I’d want it in a way where we could only observe and not actively interfere (imagine accidentally messing up the entire future or present of humanity lol). Over time, I’ve come to realise that no historical record is ever 100% accurate. Have you heard the phrase, “History is written by the victors”? I think that holds true, because the victors reshape the narrative, altering or erasing the parts that cast them in a bad light. A good example is Wu Zetian, the only female emperor of China. Most surviving records describe her as extremely cruel and power-hungry, but misogyny played a huge role in that portrayal. Yet archaeological evidence and policy records show she was also an effective and progressive ruler, especially toward women and non-aristocratic classes.

As for Korea, it’s interesting how they enforced Confucianism even more strictly than China. When the Joseon dynasty took power, replacing Goryeo (which lasted about five centuries and had heavy Buddhist influence), the new rulers adopted Neo-Confucianism as their state ideology, partly to distance themselves from Buddhism. In China, Confucianism coexisted with Buddhism and Daoism, so it was applied more flexibly. But in Joseon, it became the foundation of political legitimacy, social order, and cultural identity. Over time, Korean scholars even saw themselves as “true guardians” of Confucian orthodoxy, especially when they viewed China as having strayed. This stricter enforcement shaped everything from court life to gender roles, and explains why things considered taboo in Korea (like male lovers at court) were sometimes openly acknowledged in China.

Apologies for rambling on, but I am a huge history nerd if you couldn't already decipher lol. That’s why I love when authors sprinkle real history into fiction, it adds so many layers to the story!

This entire comment section is such a cool history lesson. Loving it!! Thanks @Fatherfcker (love the name) for sharing these infos. I find these interesting and will look more into it<3