I dont think you got it. He said I wanted to be your only one, later he said one day we will both find our only ones and show to each-other, meaning that he was referring to him in the beginning like a lover not just a person close to you. Not saying he had those feelings for him as a kid but more like they grew it being each other’s “only ones”
You read all this story and thats all you think about? I have started to think yall are here only to complain, if you dont like, dont read as simple as that. It was presented to you a story of a 2 yo kid left all alone, beat, bullied, left hungry and do you expect of him to know what a healthy relationship is? “Rape survivors” is a wierd way to put a person who dedicated his whole life to said rapist, even left what he considered “his only one” for his sake.
As far as I'm concerned I'm reading a tragedy. Sometimes I want to read a tragedy.
The back story was interesting and pulled at the heart strings.
Doesn't mean I'm openly accepting a relationship that started and continued with many rape scenes.
Let's not romanticize a forced relationship too much, kay?
If thats all you got from the story its your problem. Sam Myong clearly is troubled bc the time the story sets being homo was forbidden and filthy. He feels that should not happen especially with the king bc of what people will say when they learn. I wouldn’t say someone who is forced into a relationship or is as tragic as you make it seem would feel that way for his rapist. We have his thoughts and we can clearly see we cares deeply for him, he is fighting with himself bc he believes that relationship is wrong and shouldn’t happen especially after they forcibly married him to stay away from the mc. In no way I am defending toxic behaviour or rape but this story is not just that
Rapists rape people who trust them all the time. It happens within families!
Just like you, victims would have complicated feelings about their rapists.
Did we also forget that Sam was CONFINED to the palace. Without out the backstory, we can blame it on Stockholm.
But we are both welcome to our opinions.
I won't converse with a rape apologist anymore, good night.
Tbh I don't think it was meant to be in a romantic way.
It's a historical manhwa, and expressions that may seem romantic today, could be used in different ways, and the traslation could also take a part on it, because through all the backstories it showed Sam-myeong saw their relationship as caregiver-child.
I think this dialogues meant to demonstrate that Sam-myeong wanted to feel like the center of his life like the feeling of importance you feel when someone solely relies on you for something (which is quite literally the situation here, Sam-myeong knew he was CG only-one for basically everything)
It's something that happens to parents too, wanting to be the only reliable source for their child.
It's toxic, yes. But it's also real. Sam-myeong was aware of this, and, being the righteous person he is, he decided to distance himself. (I admit it was a shitty move from him, he could've done better in that goodbye)
And, also, from chapters in the first season, you can see he still believes that's their relationship, because of the way he scolded him and the way he has a soft spot for the CG he remembers, the child he raised. (the author says this too in the author notes)
okay. let's not deny that kang did rape sam. it's something that should be acknowledged. however, i do agree with your point regarding sam harboring feelings of possessiveness towards kang. what i've concluded is that, to a point, he did see kang as just an apprentice - a kid he raised on his own. the line starts to get blurry for him when he realizes that he wants kang to be fully dependent on him, as he mentioned, to be his "one and only". i don't think i can interpret that as just a teacher or an elder being considerate towards his pupil.

Imagine picking up an abused child and raise him like your own just to be RAPED by him?!! The child that you thought was your BABY. But all this time (your child) was looking at you with a different and sexual type of love. Maaan, sam myeong has every right to be acting the way he is rn i actually think he isn’t crashing out enough and we should applaud him for not going into madness. I‘m really looking forward to the next chapters