Before I start the review, let's be clear about something. That Ancient Times tag is there for a good reason so there are a lot of elements in this story that seems bad if we look at it with our modern sense of morality. Yes, the MC was sold to the ML as a s*ave and he does end up having s*x with her but not in a way you would think from the summary.

Now to the actual review. This may be a Smut, but it is more of a... more>> plot with smut rather than the reverse. The actual penetration scenes only happen in 90 chapters and everything prior is the build-up to the sex. The ML doesn't take the MC against her will and the act is consensual.

Now that think of it, it is quite ironic that a novel with word "Rough Man" in the title has one of the most lovable ML compared to the stories with the word "Gentleman" on it.

The story itself only has the Female Protagonist tag because we see the FL's perspective instead of the ML's when they are not together which happens very few times across the entire novel. Most of the story is told in the 3rd person perspective so there's that.

Now onto the characters

The MC is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty who was the daughter of a Minister in the Emperor's court but her parents were killed in a coup and she escaped death by a narrow margin and was forced to live in the streets. She worked at a brothel for a while before escaping and getting caught by human traffickers. She scarred her face badly to avoid whoring herself out but that cost her value for the s*ave traders who abused her physically (Not sexually) until she met the ML. After the ML bought her, she becomes his wife and gradually grows past her fears and becomes a strong person. (Her scar never healed but neither she nor the ML cares)

The ML is the best point of this novel. He is hands down one of the best MLs in such novels in my opinion. He is a hulking 6.5 feet tall man with the body of a bodybuilder and a 14-inch Magnum Dong to match. Even so, he is gentle to the FL and yet firm when the situation calls for it.

Spoiler

He spanked her ass multiple times when the FL didn't follow his order to wash his clothes like a wife ought to but nonetheless doesn't hit her in any other shape or form, physically or verbally

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He is really open with his desires and is fiercely loyal to the FL and never forgets to reiterate how beautiful she is even with the scars. He could have just taken her and be done with it but choose to slowly but steadily gain her heart and her body which was fun to read.

He is also a really sweet guy despite his looks and isn't a hypocrite.

Spoiler

He was genuinely surprised that the FL was a virgin since he knows how difficult it is for women to survive on the streets.

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That aside, there are several 18+ actions like handjobs and fellatio throughout the earlier chapters but all of them are vanilla asf. There is no NTR anywhere (More like the ML is uncuckable with how good he is in bed) and the ML and FL are only attracted to each other, not even fancying someone else.

By no means is this a masterpiece in terms of the language used, but it is quite a good read nonetheless. <<less