A Barbaric Proposal

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“I already have a child with another man.”

It was a lie made in order to refuse the proposal of the leader of the most feared mercenary company in the entire country. But his response was unexpected.

“It doesn’t matter who the child is. You can just give birth. In exchange, I’ll take you, Princess.”

She couldn’t understand.

What could this man possibly want with the princess of a failing nation?

Associated Names
One entry per line
ABP
야만의 청혼
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Political Marriage With a Friendly Enemy (4)
Under the Oak Tree (3)
Predatory Marriage (3)
Flowers Are Bait (2)
Undercover Infiltration Duchess (2)
This Book is Not Available for Subscription Under the Age of 18 (2)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Romance fantasy
  2. BG romantic enemies
  3. Romantic novels
  4. Comfort novels
  5. Fictional Men who make me swoon.

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Review
24 Reviews


Skite
Skite
Jan 04, 2022
Status: --
I feel the FL's exhausted frustration acutely.

She is the ruler of a tiny kingdom which has been ravaged by a 20 year long drought. Her people are starving, they have no resources, and her parents died when she was way too young. She has been trying her best to keep it all together when she is ready to shatter apart, and the @$%*ing side characters are bloated leeches. Their purpose in life seems to be to make a horrible, untenable situation even worse for everybody. They backtalk and disrespect the... more>> princess, second guessing her every move until she spends so much time trying to get them out of her way, that she's exhausted. They're blowhards who try to cause national incidents for their hollow pride. They steal from the starving people the second our FL scrapes up any amount of money or aid to help her citizens, and are just selfish cows.

She is tired. She is battered by circumstance. And she has no help.

So when our ML lays siege to her kingdom and demands her hand in marriage, she has no options but to accept.

Our FL has gone without help that is helpful for so long that she nearly tears up in relief at the ML doing something as simple as noticing she is having difficulty alighting from a carriage and helping her down. She just about cries when she realizes he is offering real, helpful aid, and helping her shoulder her burdens with a quiet backup and small kindnesses (and smouldery kisses, but that's a bonus).

As a modern day human in these terrible times, I think I felt that in my soul. We all need someone like the ML.

While this fic relies on many frustrating misunderstandings, especially early on, I like that the ML has decided to trust FL unwaveringly in spite of them all, and FL (though she is put in some impossible positions between Scylla and Charybdis by the useless ticks acting as her advisers and guards) wants to return that faithful sentiment in kind.

Why some may not like this story:

Spoiler

Dynamic-wise, FL is a born soft, naive, sweet, marshmallow cinnamon roll who has had to be hardass against her nature for a very long time. ML is a gentleman, but very toppy (omg, so toppy), though always respectful. They kind of come across as that one couple you know who says they're really into 'traditional gender roles'. It works for them, they have amazing chemistry, but it's a touch D/s ultra lite.

As the story goes on, it comes to light that the ML is essentially the One True KingTM. In response to this, the FL, whose dedication to her country was a main pillar of her personality, is almost eager and relieved to hand over the responsibilities and her role as ruler to him immediately... because she feels bad their predecessors were mean to him. It feels very anti-feminist that she doesn't fight for her position, or try to at least aim for co-ruler (he is the one who pushes for that), because of something as weak as second-hand guilt. Where is her pride in everything she accomplished? When she does assert herself, it is like she glances over the ML to ensure he's got her back and she has his permission.

It is pretty apparent that she is a born consort, not Queen Regnant, which is hard to accept in our modern Girl Boss world. You can tell she'll thrive as the soft touch consort who charms public opinion and does philanthropic works, acting as counterbalance to the firm hand the ruling ML will use in wiping out the uppity, conniving nobles and making the difficult decisions of reigning. It just chafes and you feel tad disappointed in her because of it.

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trinketbestboi
trinketbestb
Jan 03, 2022
Status: c84
This is a slow burn angst to the highest degree. The beginning chapters are filled with misunderstandings, pain, and heart pounding tension, but man oh man, if you can stick it through, the pay off is absolutely wonderful. The chemistry between the leads is incredible, both romantic and sexual. And the best part is that the tension doesn't feel contrived. I can understand both of their reasons for contributing to it.

Don't listen to people who are rating this poorly based on barely reading the first few chapters or basing their opinion solely on the premise alone. You're allowed to have your tastes, but just because it's not your tastes doesn't make it bad. It's just different. Rating things poorly just because it goes against your personal bias is just being a bad reviewer and doesn't actually help anyone coming along looking for story deets!

... more>>
Spoiler

I see that a lot happening on this site but in this case, talking to you "sai123" and "mustakarhu95", rating poorly the entire novel just because the FL doesn't fit your preferred character archetype or because you read the summary and got mad is asinine.

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Spoiler

If you're curious about when the FL comes clean about the pregnancy, it's chapter 58, so YES. We are already passed that part, so if you were worried about having to wait, don't worry. And she was mostly keeping the secret towards the end because she was afraid of hurting him. Not only would she have to tell him that she lied, but also that she lied because she was afraid of him, which is something he has vocalized that he doesn't want. But I have to say, people yelling at her to "be honest" is kinda unfair considering the author was laying hint after hint that the ML wasn't being 100% truthful either in his interactions with her. He never once lied, that's true, but a lie of omission is still a lie. He had good reasons for keeping this truth from her because he knew it would only hurt her and cause her pain, but still. However, in his defense, he really liked her and was afraid that if she knew the truth, she would view being with him as an obligation for the sake of atonement, and he didn't want that. It's so important to him that she wants to be with him. I understand both of their motives and fears, which is really nice.

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Which leads me to another point; the misunderstandings. Anyone who places the blame purely on the FL is outright wrong. I don't often say that about people's opinions, but in this case, they are objectively wrong.

Spoiler

The FL makes her decisions out of fear; fear of the ML, fear for her nation, fear of her own uselessness and inabilities, etc, etc. She's terrified, and a lot of her decisions will be based in that and sometimes don't make the most sense because of that. Even her initial pregnancy lie feels more like a knee-jerk reaction from her to try and escape rather than something she carefully thought out. If you have anxiety or suffer from timidness, you'll probably be able to see a bit of yourself in her, as I certainly did. As for the ML, he comes into their relationship holding all the power. He has military strength and personal strength over her, so she has no choice but to skirt around him for fear of what he might do to her or her people should he become angered. The author gives the reader assurance that he means her no harm early on, but it's important to remember that the FL doesn't know what we know; so although we know he cares about her and doesn't want to hurt her, all she knows is that he is an unknown individual whose name she isn't even clear on, much less where he came from and what his plans for her are. For all she knows, his kindness and affection could all be a lie to trick her, and the fact that her ex-lover was once kind to her as well drives home that very real potential reality. But even after she found out how much he was hiding from her, she did not blame him, instead trying to understand his perspective and even attempting to act like she didn't know anything because she knew that's what he wanted from her; even coming clean on her own lie in lieu of him telling her his own truth.

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Spoiler

Meanwhile, the ML very explicitly hides things from her, including his identity and everything in relation to the past they share. He goes behind her back, trying to manipulate things behind the scenes to stop her from ever finding out. Even after she did find out about it by a third party, his gut thought was 'How can I fix this?' and about what he could've done differently to prevent her from ever finding out. His reasons for doing so are understandable, but continue to perpetuate the FL's confusion on what the best course of action would be. I mentioned this above, but a lie of omission is still a lie and boy, does this this man omit things like crazy. If he feels like the FL doesn't need to know something, then he just won't tell her, although most of that is just out of protection.

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But at the same time, that's part of makes the early misunderstandings well written in my opinion, they are both at fault and are acting out of fear. None of the misunderstandings outlive their welcome in my opinion and everything feels like it happens for a reason.

Spoiler

Oh boy, but their relationship is so golden and sweet once everything is cleared away. It's so much more profound than anyone is giving it credit for. Once the veil of all the mysteries has been completely removed, the tenderness of their relationship is so good. We're talking; forehead kisses, holding hands, casually sharing a bed, feeding each other, like hello? The ML even lovingly tucked the FL into bed after she passed out from exhaustion from a long day of work. And the best part is that it feels earned. The pain of the beginning lends to those sweet moments having so much more meaning behind them. Like, they had to put work into their relationship, and now they're just reaping the benefits. And the s*xual tension is so well written! I feel the longing and mutual pining so strongly and I just want them to be married already! The casual domesticity of their interactions is an absolute goldmine, too. I'm rambling, but you get the point. They're so hec cute!!!

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If anyone is getting antzy about the whole 'forced marriage' plot, I get it, it's a little uncomfy and I personally was fully prepared to toss the ML into the dumpster when I started reading, but he's so sweet actually. Aside from that initial forced engagement, he never forces himself on the FL. He always asks for her consent before touching her, even explicitly asking "Can I kiss you?" before their first kiss, and while many of the readers slam the FL for being naive and useless in her situation, he recognizes the pain and sacrifices she's made to protect her people against the tide of sh*t the awful nobles send her way. He even called her amazing, which is my jam. He's in total awe of her and you can tell how much he just wants to be with her and be her rock.

And for the people complaining about the FL's development being slow, I will agree but also disagree. In almost 80 chapters, she's still very uncertain and naive at times, though I find it charming personally since she's very cute. However, by my estimate, though it feels long for us, only roughly a few weeks have passed in the story. For example, 3 major events happened back to back, but it was only around 2 days in canon.

Spoiler

But at this point in time, she's definitely speaking her mind more because she has a support system now, which is always a helpful thing for nervous people to have. When she told off her shitty ex after he still was trying to cling onto her, I was just like YES! Get 'em. She's getting bolder little by little, which makes sense that it would take time. She's been living as a puppet for so many years, forced to make concessions for the sake of her people, and forced to give up parts of herself for the sake her role for so long. That's why she stayed in a toxic and probably abusive relationship with her ex for so long because she needed his power to protect her people. Obviously she's not going to become fierce within a matter of weeks. They even say explicitly in the story that it's going take her time to get used to her new normal.

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Anyway, read this. It's a very rewarding read :) <<less
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lellian_lily
lellian_lily
Dec 23, 2021
Status: c75
I almost didn't read this cause so many ppl were ragging on the FL, but I should know better than to trust this site that likes to sh*t on anyone who isn't a super genius that dunks on all the haters. So Imma just say this, I LIKE the FL. Is she scheming, conniving, or biting?? No. She's a little naive, kind hearted, sweet, and the biggest ball of anxiety, and that's what makes her an effective protag for this novel and its plot.

The entire first half of the story... more>> is kind of a mystery. No one knows who the f*ck the ML is and the FL has to constantly live with the confusion of who he is and what exactly it is that he wants from her, while also dealing with this mental battle she has with the nobles that don't support her (she's a figurehead, the royal family has no power because of a civil war that happened) and a lover that betrayed her. If she were more headstrong, the mysteriousness of the ML would be basically pointless because then she could bluntly and probably s*upidly just confront him. But instead she anxious and scared, and why wouldn't she be?? This dude basically bust down her door and forced her into an engagement, so ofc she's a little bit nervous around him, def too nervous to bluntly ask him questions.

And she's all on edge bc she's never had anyone on her side before. She took the throne when she was a teenager, the nobles all conspire against her because they didn't respect her father, and her former lover basically turned on her when she said she didn't want to be with him anymore. Trust issues to the MAX with this one. Even before that, her people were dying cause of an epidemic, there was a drought, and all this other sh*t came in that she had to deal with and she had ZERO clue how to handle all of it by herself. She's not used to having someone on her side to support her, so when the ML comes along and acts all supportive and kind, she's OBVIOUSLY confused because, the f*ck? Didn't he kill like, a sh*t ton of ppl when he came in? (Which reminds me, the beginning half with the angst and tension??? Supreme 10/10 all on its own, 100% agree with TheEthicalCorrupt, sumo thigh level tension, I am n ervous!)

I definitely relate to her in some ways bc she's the type to need 100% confirmation to feel secure, which as someone with anxiety is the BIGGEST mood. That's why you might feel annoyed with her at times bc other people would be able to make decisions with less information, but she just needs a little bit more than that. Even a little bit of uncertainty is enough to send her spiraling. I can see why that might be annoying to others, but I just see that as very relatable cause that's the anxiety vibe, and so it just makes me feel bad for her. This kind of heroine is very real to me. (Also she lowkey reminds me of Princess Nyna from Fire Emblem so maybe that's why I'm biased??? Love her)

and Im gonna need everyone who gave this 1 star cause of the premise to SIT DOWN. It's super obvs that the point of the story is that the ML is gonna come in with the worst possible impression only to be really kind and caring in order to make things more complicated for the FL. Literally at least read the novel first??

Spoiler

Where we are in the story right now, the FL knows exactly who the ML (after nearly dying and kidnapped, took all that to get the truth smh) is and they're very comfortable in their relationship right now (knock on wood, hope it lasts jkfahsdkf) and she's starting to come out of her shell a little bit. I'm also sups glad shes not blaming herself for sh*t that wasn't her fault anymore bc dammit, she was a whole ass child at the time

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meyuh
meyuh
Jul 19, 2021
Status: c78
The translations are chef's kiss, and the Barbaric word made me internally curse because I thought this would have the cliche characters, especially an ice-block, psycho, misogynist, and chauvinist pig ML paired with an idiotic, weak, and push-over fml; but wait a minute, it's not like that at all (maybe.)

I'd like to disagree with the reviewers karoshiSama and Sai123. Firstly, the imbalance of power between the princess and the villain noble family has reasons already implied from the start and other possible variables such as being a "puppet monarch"... more>> — she has the position as the princess of their country; however, the power she has is being controlled in the shadows by a specific noble. Yes, it is frustrating and incomprehensible to think that the royal family has no CONTROL over their constituents. Still, if you tread carefully, you'll see the crumbs being dropped by the author on why the villain family (which a name I forgot) and those who held power have no respect for the current royals. Secondly, to sai123, I believe it's only 3 chapters you've read, so don't judge that ONE flaw and the ml's poor and offending actions because, honey, he is redeemable and far better ML than any other related novel like this. Now, on to my real review:

In all honesty, I'm 50-50 about Rienne — not too smart, lacks confidence (understandable), poor decision-maker (given with her unfortunate circumstances too), and oftentimes a poor judge of character (again, it all equates to her having no support system). She's too sweet, too pure, too naive, and too forgiving; just like a description of a saint, in which I can understand her values and beliefs but it kind of leads to being a pushover. She is indeed pitiful, and to begin with; it's not entirely her fault why her country is barren and didn't have the respect that she deserves. It's just that the choices she made were the only options she can do when no nobles supported her, and as I've pointed out before, you'll know the reason soon why she gets treated like sh*t by her former lover's family and the people around her. She can be relatable and frustrating to read most of the time because she's flawed, vulnerable yet strong when needed, but then she crumbles on her feet again. Rienne is your epitome of an ordinary girl thrust into the dirty world of aristocracy and politics. She's not your OP female lead and she definitely does not have the cunningness to squash her enemies with one move. In short, she basically needs a solid support system in contrast to her softness in dealing with pests in this story. In my humble opinion, Phermos can help her educate in terms of political maneuvering 101 if she wants to step up her game in the court. If you find her justice saint-like, Black wields the iron hand.

Black, the ml, didn't give a positive trait at first. He seemed aloof, cold-blooded, and a ruthless barbarian that dared to ask the fml's hand of marriage, but what I like most about the ML is that he didn't coerce anything that she didn't want except for the marriage, so that's a downer. But he respects her; there is CONSENT, always. He listens to her quite well despite being awkward and a little cool of an attitude — he didn't also undermine the fml's capability. Instead, he supports her to the point that he's willing to bend his "usual" way of dealing with enemies for the sake of not aggravating Rienne's morals. Most importantly, he never LIED about his motivations and why he's willing to marry her, though he concealed his past and didn't do much to explain why he's doing this so far. He has good traits to be praised about but in the early chapters, he's quite a difficult man because he's not as receptive to Rienne's complexes both as a woman and an acting princess in the country. He has little grasp of emotions and feelings than her; even sometimes jumping to his own conclusions and when Rienne is trying to express her part, he instantly turns into a block of rocks forming defensively. Both of them are beginners and at a baby level when it comes to forming a relationship, much more properly communicating, so reading their character needs patience and open-mindedness. Black is the one who strikes their common enemy with a threat of violence and bloodshed and Rienne is like the 'beam balance' of punishment (even I think that Black's way of dealing is more of my tastes than Rienne) so to say that they are kind of yin and yang is quite accurate. Actually, from the first chapters, none of the characters are trustworthy because all of them have their own secrets to hide, and I liked it because you'll question yourself what's their true motives. Specifically, Weroz, the trusted aide of fML (this man is MIA and the author seems to hint that he's already dead because up until where I read, there's no mention of his whereabouts.) The plot is slow in progression so if you're the impatient type of reader, your patience must be tested along with the characters' equally infuriating development. I can't say much about the shady politics since it hasn't much delved into the level of alarming danger yet, but the s*xual tension between Rienne and Black is something else. As you passed the unveiling of secrets and lies chapters, you'll be rewarded with the beginning of coming into terms with their baggage and how their relationship is going more profound. Edited 12/31/21 <<less
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Dreamyryme
Dreamyryme
Sep 25, 2021
Status: c49
My only two comment are
1) the story is sensible given FL personality and her circumstances. However,

2) if you don't like saint-like FL, who is bit too forgiving and timid, this one is not for you.

I guess this story was written by an author during a previous trend (angel/saint/blonde hair/big blue eyes/ flowery word) before villainous FL is popular. Well now we live in new era where FL is a tough cookie or on the way of becoming a bloody one, so it is understandable if this timid kind... more>> of FL could feel frustrating

I personally don't like saint-like FL, but I think the author has done a job conveying this storyline and setting up the conflict.

Hope we could give this story a rating base on the writing, not our preference though. <<less
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November27
November27
May 25, 2021
Status: c14
Well nice to see a gentleman ML after a long time. FL is brave but I’d love if she tell black soon that she lied to him about being pregnant. Looking forward for their development. Great translation (5star) 🥰🥰 guys please read this. Actually it’s sooo goood and feels nice 👍🏽.
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tangerinedee
tangerinedee
May 07, 2021
Status: c8
Still early to rate but the translation is amazing and the story is quite interesting so far. Quite excited to see where the author takes this story!

So far our ML jus knows he wants her but doesn't know what his feelings are >-< while the princess is scared and is always questioning his actions, I mean I would too if I only knew about the ML through rumors

Spoiler

I love the rumor where he's apparently gay omg cant wait to see that come up again in the story.

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Airawrrr92
Airawrrr92
Jan 24, 2022
Status: c85
The translation is amazing and very smooth. I love how the novel is written. The way the author frames behaviours and how they discuss character reactions. Some are very realistic given the circumstance and psychology of the characters.

Also I dont understand why ppl say the FL is a pushover. She is more assertive and can hold her ground better than Max (Under the Oak tree) tho I love Max either way. The story isn't overly angsty like Under the Oak Tree. The misunderstandings get resolved quicker I might say compared... more>> to other novels tho the pregnancy thing did get me a bit impatient but just ride through it. It wasn't a horrifying ordeal to wait for tat misunderstanding to get resolved.

I love how there is ALWAY consent from the ML, minus the being coerced into marriage that is. Other than that, he was very respectful and does treat her like she can't do anything. On the contrary, he respects her authority and would always leave it up to her to decide on matters of state. He'll only assist in making her will happen.

Anyway I'd put this in folder along with Predatory Marriage and Under the Oak tree. I love them all. <<less
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bunniesandboba
bunniesandbo
Oct 14, 2021
Status: c56
AstralMech is the best translator I've come across when reading fan translations. Their translations are better than some licensed ones I've read. AstralMech does such an amazing job that I wish they would translate everything I read. A Barbaric Proposal is angsty, dramatic fun for me but the translation quality is what makes the story shine. (Is this essentially a review to fangirl over AstralMech and Ghost? Yes.)
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TheEthicalCorrupt
TheEthicalCo
Sep 25, 2021
Status: c49
First of all, the quality of the transalation is just... *chef kiss* Astralmech & Ghost, y'all phenomenal (throws a million hearts aggresively)

Also, don't let the title fool you. Actually, no, please be fooled. At least the surprise of the content will absolutely melt you like it did me (am in total liquid form now, I REGRET NOTHING!)

And even if it's too much of a request, I want my own Black (ML). Please. I beg you.

Not gonna lie, sometimes I want to shake the f**king senses out of the... more>> FL but I get it, our gurl got issues. She has character development, great. But goddamn! it is taking way too long (cries in heartache for poor ML)

And damn, meyuh took the words right outta my mouth. I second everything meyuh said 🙌

I wished there were more stars so that I could give this masterpiece a gazillion stars out of ten but let's not be excessive *cough*like-the-ML's-overly-abundant-gentleness-and-affection-for-the-FL*cough*

Needless to say, if y'all want angst - oof, there's aplenty.

And if y'all want tension so thick like dem sumo thighs - then say no more fam.

Lastly, if you'd like to bless your eyes with healthy doses of chapter illustrations of our hot af ML - then look no further.

That's all folks, enjoy this roller coaster 👍 <<less
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znukhsoc
znukhsoc
Sep 08, 2022
Status: c40
The main characters of this novel feel SO robotic that I can't feel any personality or warmth from them, the promise is very forced too. Writing feels like... things happening but you are hearing from the 14th person. There is no emotion in actions.

-FL is too much of a Mary Sue. I also didn't like how she calls a person she didn't even like "a lover". The lover and barbaric words were used so frequently that it bored me. She's either lying to herself or being low-key racist. Yeah, alright,... more>> the story is about those times but it still bothers me. She, being a pushover also didn't help.
-ML is a talking wall and absolutely nothing else.
-Skimmed through 30-40 chapters and the lying about pregnancy continues. If a couple can't build absolute trust by 40 chapters I don't find this novel worth reading.

Sad to realize this is a huge letdown, I was looking forward to a good story with pretty illustrations.

(I also don't like the fact if I had read this to the end I'd have to join a discord group and copy-paste passwords for each chapter. It's a pain in the bum system, sorry translator. Also not cool that novels don't update in this site because of half-reasoned excuses. It's shady.) <<less
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Chiqi322
Chiqi322
May 08, 2021
Status: c8
Storyline is just beginning but we are already getting a sense of the character’s personalities. I’m pretty sure he knew her previously and that’s why he’s so adamant in having her but I guess we will see further on. Ik it’s too early to rate but I will adjust if necessary. In regards to plot, character building and translation (which is very smooth), I rate a 5. Love the fact tl has notes at the end to clarify and info. Def. Worth a read.
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karoshiSama
karoshiSama
Jun 21, 2021
Status: c22
i don't know what the author is thinking and after 22 chapters, now I don't care. The story at the beginning, was interesting but now... it's boring. it is even not credible.

Spoiler

how, where in the world the royal family is controlled by the money of the an only man ? Why Maslow keeps his job when he works for the Linden family ? Why doesn't she treat them as traitors or assassins ?

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I'am really fed up and I really wish good luck to Black.
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Sai123
Sai123
Jun 16, 2021
Status: c3
I'm not seeing why so many people are calling him a gentleman so far.

Its not gentlemanly at all to force a woman to marry you. No matter the time period. If there was a reason behind it he should have been up front about it, and NOT killed her soliders.
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SoICanReadStuff
SoICanReadSt
Dec 21, 2022
Status: Completed
This was a very easy and quick read, with a range of characters. It's not very mature and the intimate scenes we do see are much more fluff than smut.

The story has a good mystery, trying to figure out who the ML really is, and although it was quite interesting. I do have to say I did get a little lost in it all. The FL isn't the usual strong, straight forward protagonist like you see elsewhere, but she's kind and pure and you really start to root for her... more>> to regain control of her country.

The translation is also amazing, and portrays perfectly the feelings of all characters, it immerses you in the experience and is a big credit to the final story.

Overall, a good story, with an excellent translation and illustrations that you won't be able to stop looking at :) <<less
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TeaPlease1717
TeaPlease171
Jun 19, 2022
Status: c50
If you like kickass FLs who are confident, don't need no man, and make the villain pay for their crimes, this novel IS NOT for you. However, if you are just looking for a good read with a ML who will love the FL no matter what, then full steam ahead!

Overall, my feelings about this novel were a mixed bag. The premise was good, translation excellent, but I came out feeling this was written for women who think of themselves ordinary but dream of finding absolutely unconditional love in a... more>> hot man without putting any work into the relationship themselves.

Characters:

I didn't mind the FL. She is logical, smart, and is as strong as her circumstances allowed her to be.
Spoiler

Basically, she was a puppet monarch, by no fault of her own. Her father had signed a treaty with the leading families that gave them the power to oppose the monarch. The FL's father then passes away early, leaving the FL in charge of the country. However, she has no one on her side; there isn't even a royal faction of the aristocracy. She just never had anyone on her side to help her during tough situations and ended up being forced into a corner where she had to make bad choices in order to keep her people safe. But because of this, the monarchy was basically left even more toothless than it was already. Anyways, due to navigating politics on her own, the FL had grown distrustful and thinks everyone has a hidden agenda. So it makes sense that when the ML came and demanded a proposal with no strings attached, the FL couldn't believe him.

As for the ML, what I like about him is that he is extremely protective of the FL and the tension between him and the FL. He also isn't as saintly as her, nor does he conform to her standards unless given a good reason. As for his motives of why he proposed to the FL and came to her country in the first place, it comes to light later.

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So, although the premise is good, and I liked how rationale the FL is, as well as the tension between the FL and ML there were too many things I wasn't too fond of with this novel which made me end up deciding to drop it at chapter 50. Spoilers ahead.

  1. Spoiler
    • It was a little annoying that both the FL and ML fell in love so fast. It literally hasn't even been 15 days within the novel and yet the FL and ML are madly in love. Which I think I could have overlooked if it was only this problem but...
    • The FL did things that, if I was the ML, I would find MAJOR SUS and yet, every time he forgave her. He never even demanded an explanation half the time. He just let it go. And the one time he does get upset, he forgives her within 10 minutes of them being together because she voluntarily touched him... It's not even explicit touching, just helping him wash. -___-
    • As said above, the ML basically fell in love with FL at first sight. And, although I usually am all for the love at first sight trope, this time it didn't work for me. The ML is portrayed as an emotionless mercenary leader that has never been into women before, and yet for some reason he found the FL irresistible? I think I could have been a little more lenient with this if he ever had thoughts of why he liked the FL, but he doesn't. All he ever thinks is that he can't take his eyes away from her when she is in the room. I don't know. It just made me feel like he only loves her for her looks and doesn't care what her personality is like.
    • For the FL, she did very little to make the ML fall so deeply in love with her. She distrusts him the whole story and, although I fully support her distrust (I would be distrustful too!) she does very, VERY little to make him fall in love. In fact, she uses him most of the story. Because of the ML, she has constant protection and is able to finally stand up to the nobles. I do like how she acknowledges that she is using him, but I still don't see her putting any effort into their relationship.
    • And my last, complaint is about her "pregnancy". It goes on too long in my opinion, and, as said before, it makes sense why she lies about being pregnant but she could have come clean earlier in my opinion and it wouldn't have affected anything.
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Overall: 6.5/10 <<less
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Ruby_078
Ruby_078
Sep 13, 2021
Status: c38
Whoever said that ML forced MC to marry her because he love her and that it is disgusting blah blah blah. No, that is not his intention. His original plan is to protect her and really did not think anything about it. For context (slightly spoiler),

(You have been warned)

... more>>

MC country is in financial crisis and her fiance is a terrible person and is going to squeeze everything from that crumbling country to its brink. If ML did not propose to her then wealthy men who desire MC is going to and that will be much worse than if ML propose to her. So yeah, ML isn't a piece of sh*t and I love the novel. So you can try it if its suited your taste. <<less
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Mustakarhu95
Mustakarhu95
Aug 25, 2021
Status: --
Idk why I tought this could be good but I cant stand the MC or the ml. You dont fall in love with someone that forces you to marry them ect. Stockholm syndrome is not a real thing. I cant for the life of me think that he siegein her home and forcing a her to marry him will lead to anything but if it does the FL is really s*upid
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j3ssi
j3ssi
Aug 11, 2021
Status: c20
the translator did an amazing job translating this, but damn this is my first ever review because I legit had to register my account to vent out my frustration reading this novel.

deciding to drop this bc to me the author makes the FL too nice for me to feel sorry for her. She’s too much of a pushover, reading her conversation with the villains is so frustrating. Im sure it’s logical to some extend, but I dont enjoy seeing the FL continuously being trampled over with in the same ass... more>> setting with no changes. I understand that the author’s goal in making her appear like a saint is what keeps the story going as it creates conflict, but at the same time, it’s also making me losing interest.

admit that 20 chapters is just too soon to judge the story, and so I decided to skip to the latest chapters (32-37) and her personality doesnt change at all.

i might come back to this novel again one day to see how the story progresses and if her personality changes, but for now, dropping. <<less
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tinkerbel99xmn
tinkerbel99x
Dec 22, 2021
Status: c63
Nahhh, I don't like the Female Lead at all. Not one bit. She's a pushover, idk why people think that being overly, turbo, mega kind to others and not yourself?? and being timid and dumb should be a starter pack for you to get the status of FL. What? For sympathy? Oh c'mon it's too overused. I had to read it up till ch63 because I like the plot and the male lead but.. the way the author is projecting the FL to readers is just too unbearable. I am... more>> gnashing my teeth on her more than the villains, for the love of God. 😩🙄 I thought there could be chara development for her but till here, NONE. Just romantic development rofl. DROPPED. BYE. <<less
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