machiabeeli

This isn't a wholesome, clean romance. Expect both characters to be incredibly flawed people with toxic traits and abusive tendencies, motivated by their own selfish desires.

I've seen a lot of very valid criticism for this manhwa and I agree with most of them. For the sole purpose of giving you the full disclosure on what you can expect to see in this manhwa, this review will have multiple spoilers. Granted, the story is basically porn with some (if you put your glasses on) plot but delving into the specifics may help you decide if this is for you or not.

Characters

Oh god. The people here are also incredibly fucked up it's not even a joke. The male lead, in his interest to get rid of his FL wife, neglects her and starves her in order to force her to agree to the terms of divorce. Women in this world have little to no value outside of being marriage bargaining chips so this essentially spells out a social and physical death for her. What man would want a woman who they perceive to be 'spoiled' by another man? 

And the Duke knows that this is the case but he doesn't care about her at all.

She asks for a condition to choose another lover before their divorce gets finalized, which is reasonable because the ML hasn't shown her a whit of affection since their marriage. The Duke then manipulates things to his advantage, by pretending to be her concubine and hiding this information from her despite having sex with her almost every night. He slowly falls in love with her and realizes he made a mistake in getting rid of her after the copious amounts of sex they have. Sigh.

So, that's the male lead. He gets a little better later on but I don't think his actions later absolve him of all the trauma and pain he gave the female lead; it doesn't erase the fact that he couldn't apologize or own up to his actions despite her confronting him about it.

The female lead is a heartbreaking character. She's been thrown as a bargaining chip from man to man, unable to decide on her own life and to be loved the way she deserves. She tries to take back what little freedom she has by deciding to explore her carnal desires and letting loose all the horny she's pent up throughout the years. Unfortunately, the possessive and prideful ML gets in the way of this. Sigh. I just want her to punish him and leave him forever to suffer the consequences of his own actions; not every apology, no matter how heartfelt, merits forgiveness.

Plot

The plot is basically the porn mixed in with an unhealthy dose of trauma and conflict. I do say that the sexy scenes were done quite well, giving us enough of the smut while still incorporating some of the story. The manhwa also incorporates a host of characters that help flesh out the world a little better outside of the FL and ML. I went in for the fantasy smut but then stayed because I wanted

However, it's basically just an entrapment operation of the ML, figuring out how to retain the FL by his side by getting her to fall in love with him and his Rod of Youthful Power (*cough* *cough*). I personally root for the FL. I went in for the fantasy smut but then stayed because I want to see the FL be freed from the shackles of this fucked up relationship so she can finally gain happiness of her own with someone out there or with herself, which is why I keep reading. Like, you go girl, you don't need no man!! 

Art Style

Art is a hit or miss for most people. I don't know on the back-end what the situation is but you could tell that the style changes a couple of times - I'm not sure if it's a change in artist, deadlines, or direction but it's definitely visible. If you're bothered about it, stick around until the first 10 - 15 chapters. If the story still doesn't grab your attention or the art detracts from the experience, I would say that that's the hard limit already.

One other thing - this is clearly stylized. The art is drawn as lustfully as possible and this means sometimes suspending your belief that some parts and features are sized realistically. They clearly aren't. Just embrace the horny and temporarily suspend your disbelief at how some characters are drawn. 

Final thoughts:

Definitely don't read this expecting that the characters will somehow get a redemption arc or be punished for their sins. I honestly think that the ML will be redeemed by the author (idk how just yet) so he'll be 'forgiven' for all the horrible things he's done to the FL. The way that the story is progressing, the victim will end up with her abuser through some strange plot twist concocted to frame him in a better light. 

If you're okay with all of this, then it's okay to give this manhwa a try. 

Reviewed at Chapter 41.