BL Library - Historical

Manhwa Review | Heat of the Moment by Yensha

Title: Heat of the Moment

Author(s): Yensha

Artist(s): Shin Yuri

Yeo-heun is a goblin. He's a half-goblin, a creature that lives beyond the average human lifespan, can carry a pregnancy regardless of gender, and is known to seduce and trick humans. They're feared and hated, so when Yeo-heun was small, his mother scrounged every penny she had to have a seal cast on him. Unfortunately, as a poor, single mother, she couldn't afford a complete seal, and though it sealed away the goblin part of Yeo-heun, it, unfortunately, sealed away his voice and parts of his memories, too. And, despite her best efforts, his identity as a half-goblin is still clearly visible. It can be seen by the color of his eyes: one gold and one violet. And by the color of his hair, streaked with gold. As a result, he and his mother have lived as outcasts on the outskirts of their village, avoiding everyone who wishes to bully and harm Yeo-heun.

All of that changes, however, when the new, young emperor, Ju Hee-yeon, is on the hunt for a goblin. Hee-yeon has been sickly, chronically so, to the point it is impeding his ability to lead. It's all due to his bloodline, which carries the blood of dragons. It has manifested in Hee-yeon with fevers and painful scales along his back. It's said that only by lying with a goblin that he will be healed. So, Hee-yeon sends out a small group of soldiers who successfully hunt down Yeo-heun and bring him back to the palace, leaving his sickly mother alone. The two lie together, and, as expected, Hee-yeon's fever and pain subsides.

But beyond the newfound freedom Hee-yeon has gained thanks to Yeo-heun, Hee-yeon finds himself entranced by the half-goblin. He wants to know more about this beauty and is determined to find a way to remove Yeo-heun's seal. All the while, however, Yeo-heun longs to see his mother again. But when Hee-yeon sends out a party to find his bedmate's mother, there's no sign of her anywhere. Just what secrets lie in Yeo-heun's locked memory? And how will Hee-yeon keep the wily goblin by his side?

Title: Limited Run

Author(s): Eeej

Artist(s): Eeej

Yeon-oh is not just a struggling actor. As the eldest son in his family, he is compelled to try and pay off his father's neverending gambling debt, constantly compounded and recurring thanks to loan sharks who willingly lend him money. They know his father can't pay it off, but they also know Yeon-oh will do what he can to pay it off, including providing them sexual favors. His life is a neverending rat race, and he sees no end to it until he gets invited to speak to the CEO of the conglomerate Haekang. There's no doubt what a CEO wants with a struggling actor. It's a sponsorship, which equates to a celebrity being showered with gifts and opportunities in exchange for, often, sexual and physical favors. Yeon-oh initially wants to refuse, but after being pressured by his father, he decides to go.

The CEO, Jaehyuk, decides to make the offer. But Jaehyuk tells Yeon-oh what he expects. He doesn't want just simple physical pleasure, though that would be part of it. He wants Yeon-oh to use his acting skills to pretend to be his boyfriend in public. As it turns out, Jaehyuk is determined to rebel against his grandfather and tear down the upper echelon of Haekang's public image. The ultimate goal is to ruin his grandfather, though for what reason Yeon-oh doesn't know. The two start off rocky, with Yeon-oh struggling to put on a front in public, but over time, it grows easier, and as lucrative work starts coming in, Yeon-oh's life takes a positive turn. Neither Jaehyuk nor Yeon-oh realizes that there is a growing target on Yeon-oh's back, not just from Jaehyuk's family but all of the people watching Yeon-oh.

Meanwhile, Yeon-oh is beginning to struggle not with acting or being Jaehyuk's bedmate. He's struggling with his own feelings. What started as an act is slowly beginning to feel like reality. While he knows Jaehyuk has no intention of being with him for real, Yeon-oh can't help feeling hopeful that Jaehyuk cares about him as a real lover somewhere deep inside.

Title: Master's Pet

Author(s): Shroomi

Artist(s): Shroomi

Marquess Joseph Howard has been trying to grow out of his gambling and cheating father's shadow. Unfortunately, that becomes immensely more difficult when his younger half-brother, his father's love child, is brought to his home. The mother of the child requests compensation for raising the child, named Collin, as was promised by Joseph's father before his death. Still compelled to escape his father's past promises and debts, Joseph agrees to pay off the woman, who then leaves young Collin behind for Joseph to raise. Joseph isn't interested in his half-brother, but unlike Joseph, who looks nothing like the long history of Howard Marquess before him, Collin is a spitting image of his deceased father. Joseph is immensely jealous and feels Collin is just a physical representation of his inadequacy as the new marquess.

But Joseph is determined to better the Howard name, so he reluctantly takes in his half-brother. Joseph prepares the young man for his noble education but finds that he is traumatized and wild. In order to make things a bit easier, Joseph brings in another servant, an enslaved man named Ein. He intends for Ein to get close to Collin and help him integrate into his new life within the Howard household. But Ein has a painful past, one that still haunts him and that he openly fears. Joseph is willing to help Ein escape his past forever, but at a cost. During the day, Ein serves and teaches Collin, but Ein acts as Joseph's bedmate at night.

Ein wants to serve in hopes of one day finally breaking free from his past, but when young Collin falls for him, an intense love triangle threatens to tear everything apart. Ein is willing to give his body to his masters. But will he end up giving over his heart, too?

Title: The Boy Who Stole From the Fairy Lake

Author(s): Sudong

Artist(s): Sudong

Hyosin is a runaway — an adult runaway, but a runaway nonetheless. He hails from a noble family, but he just doesn't fit in, so when he gets the chance to buy his way onto a boat and escape, he does just that. Unfortunately, due to his privileged upbringing, Hyosin has a tough time surviving out in the wilds of this foreign place. But luck shines upon him when he happens upon some clothes waving in the wind on a tree branch. Needing some new clothes, Hyosin wastes no time to snatch them up.

But just when he's thanking the gods for this stroke of luck, he finds a pool of water where a beautiful naked man is bathing. The man's name is San, and he isn't alone. His seven aunts, fairies, are also bathing in the pool, and as it turns out, a thief has been stealing their jewelry while they're in the bath. San is immediately suspicious of Hyosin, his appearance being far too convenient as things are being stolen. Hyosin is quick to claim his innocence but also quick to beg for help from San. San lives nearby, and having spent far longer out in the cold than he would like, Hyosin wants nothing more than to stay with San for a while.

San is hesitant, untrusting of most humans as a half-fairy himself. However, after some gentle pressure from his aunts and pitiful pleading from Hyosin, San agrees to let Hyosin (who introduces himself as Chung) stay with him. Things start off rocky between the pair, but over time, they find that opposites do, in fact, attract. But Hyosin is still a runaway, and his brother is right on his heels. As Hyosin knows, his brother will stop at nothing to get Hyosin back — dead or alive.

Title: Bongchon Bride

Author(s): Gaepi

Artist(s): Gaepi

Soongap is enslaved. The child of a concubine, when his mother died, he lost his place in the household, passed on to another master, and was raised by his grandmother. Alongside him, he had a childhood friend, and as they grew up, their friendship evolved into a romantic partnership, which allowed them to plan and hope for the future. They wanted to work and buy their freedom, then move away to have their own farm and home together. Unfortunately, before they ever get the chance, Soongap's lover, who has been chronically ill since childhood, ends up bedridden. No matter how hard Soongap tries to save him, he inevitably passes away.

Depressed and hopeless, Soongap just goes through the motions until he discovers his master's daughter having a secret love affair with another woman. Seeing himself in her, Soongap makes it a point to try and help them be together. Unfortunately, his efforts fail, and he is beaten nearly to death for his actions. Soongap is willing to simply fade away, only to wake up in an unfamiliar house. As it turns out, his master, a miser, sold him to a man who works his fields for fifty sacks of rice. The man is enormous and unkempt, with rumors that he is a murderer or a monster. Yet, he carefully nurses Soongap back to health, resembling a teddy bear more than a monster. His new master is Bongchun, and over time, being doted on and dubbed his ‘darling' to trick Bongchun's ailing mother into thinking Soongap is his bride, Soongap finds himself wanting to live for Bongchun.

Just as his life settles into a comfortable routine, a remnant from his past, back when his mother was still alive, comes to call. It's his younger half-brother, Pilgyeon. Pilgyeon has come to take back Soongap — not as an enslaved person, but as his lover. But Soongap never had any affection for his brother, and that hasn't changed. He has no intention of leaving his new master, and he'll do everything he can to protect his newfound happiness.

Title: Knock on Wood

Author(s): Ga-myeong

Artist(s): Ga-myeong

Eunchae is as superstitious as they come. He wholeheartedly believes in horoscopes and fortune tellers, and when he's offered a backscratcher made of the remnants of a tree that was struck by lightning multiple times for a premium price, he jumps at the chance. Because of the tree, the backscratcher has the power to knock away bad luck, and Eunchae plans to take full advantage. Apparently, the power of the backscratcher is made stronger when performed by someone with the word “tiger” in their name, which means his old childhood friend Jiho fits the bill.

Though hesitant, Jiho comes to Eunchae's house and proceeds to hit him with the backscratcher. After a few days of this routine, Jiho becomes curious. He asks Eunchae to hit him with the backscratcher. Eunchae hits Jiho once, and surprisingly, Jiho moans. Thinking it was just a one-off, Eunchae hits him again, and Jiho moans. But Jiho isn't the only one reacting. As Eunchae hits Jiho and he listens to his moans, Eunchae finds himself aroused. What new kinks is this situation creating for these college friends?

Title: A Painter Behind the Curtain

Author(s): MUNAMU

Artist(s): MUNAMU

Ian is a prolific artist, but no one knows it. His artwork is sold for high prices, prized in exhibitions, and hanging on the walls of some of the most powerful nobles in the kingdom. Yet, Ian lives in squalor, starved and frail. He is a prolific artist, but he doesn't even know it. Ian has had a talent for art since childhood but was forbidden from pursuing his passion due to his family's low standing and poverty. Unfortunately, his work is noticed by a noble, the head of the Bardi family, a family of prolific artists. Bardi wants Ian and is willing to pay a premium for the child.

Unable to decline his offer, Ian's family sells him off to the Bardi family; all the while, Ian is being lured with promises of being able to paint to his heart's content. Ian sees this as a dream come true until the reality of his situation comes crashing down on top of him. Ian has been enslaved. He's kept in a closet where he is broken and beaten, trained relentlessly in the techniques of painting until he can do so without any reference. Once he's completed a painting, the second son of the Bardi family, without any talent for the arts, signs his name to the piece, passing it off as one of his own.

Ian can't even dream of anything beyond this torturous horror he's trapped in, the only comfort being that he can still paint. That is until a mysterious and eager merchant named Raymond comes by, requesting a portrait from the Bardi family. Raymond's coin is all the Bardi family cares about, but once Raymond sees Ian, Ian is all Raymond seems to care about.

Title: One Night Only

Author(s): seowoo

Artist(s): seowoo

Cha Sia is an alpha heiress. With so much prestige and power to her name comes high expectations from her mother. As the face of her company, she's expected to find and marry a highly compatible omega, bond with them, and then eventually produce heirs of her own. All of this is easier said than done, as Sia has a unique disposition. She was once engaged and bonded to an omega she was raised with since childhood. Unfortunately, they broke up, though under amicable circumstances. While that meant her childhood friend could marry the alpha of his dreams, Sia was left instead with a chronic aversion to any and all omegas.

As a result, Sia has been forced into near solitude, having to go to work hours before she has to be there, leaving hours after she should, and holing herself up at home just to avoid encountering the sickening scent of omega pheromones. This numbing but safe routine can't go on forever, especially when she is expected to attend various public events as the face of her company. At one such public event, after escaping the crowd to hide in her hotel room, someone knocks on her door. Assuming it's her personal doctor or secretary, she answers the door, only to find a young man she doesn't know.

He is Ju Heeyoun, a famous actor and an omega, but for some reason, she isn't repulsed by his pheromones. Things only get more confusing when he propositions her for one night together so he can have a child. Entranced by this odd omega, Sia has no intention of letting him go after just one night. He could just be her cure.

Title: The Lord's Bride

Author(s): Pyoco Asahina

Artist(s): Pyoco Asahina

Shion is part of a powerful family, but as a branching cadet family with no blood ties to the main family, he gets all the ire from all the other branches, but without the power the main family has. The main reason for all of the ire? It's due to a long-held tradition between his bloodline and the head of the main family. Their ancestors were once in love but could not be together due to their differing classes. Unwilling to be without each other, the ancestors performed a bonding ceremony, rebelling against their families and solidifying their love for one another.

Now that Ao, Shion's former childhood friend, has obtained the role of head of the main family, he fully intends to carry on the tradition of binding their two families together through this bonding ceremony. Unfortunately, this needless tradition has caused immense fury amongst all of the other family members, all of it directed toward Shion, who doesn't have the power Ao does to defend himself. Shion never wanted to go along with this stupid tradition and, as such, fully intends to escape as soon as he gets the chance. Ao, though, has no intention of letting Shion go.

On the surface, it may seem that Ao is just going along with all of this for the sake of tradition, but there are much deeper reasons that even Shion can't fathom.

Title: Married to the Dragon God

Author(s): Shogo Ikegami

Artist(s): Shogo Ikegami

Tsuwabuki, the illegitimate child of the head of the wolf family to a lion-dog mistress mother, is a lion-dog. His life as a young child starts out well enough with the protection of his mother, but when she dies, his worth to the family severely declines. Though he's related to the legitimate children of the family head, he is treated just like any other servant, except by his half-sister, who bullies him incessantly just because she can. Tsuwabuki does his best to ignore her taunts, serving the wolf family as best he can while honoring the god of the mountain they live on, just as his mother taught him when he was a small child. He's perfectly content with his life, though he secretly longs for a bit more freedom and the affection he lost when his mother passed.

The members of the wolf family are considered the divine messengers of god, so it only makes sense that they are called upon to offer a bride to the god in order to heal him of his impurities. The god specifically requests the youngest child, who happens to be Tsuwabuki's cruel older sister. She doesn't want to marry the god and is disgusted by the idea of having to cleanse the impure god, as it requires having sex. Instead, she demands that they offer Tsuwabuki, as he is also a child of the wolf family. Without a word, Tsuwabuki accepts his new role.

After being taken underwater, a gateway to where the mountain god Shuro resides, Tsuwabuki is married and bedded. Though Tsuwabuki doesn't feel worthy of being Shuro's bride, Shuro assures him that no one else could be worthy enough to be by his side. Still, Tsuwabuki is sure that there is a better bride for Shuro. As it happens, his elder sister is sacrificed to marry Shuro after the wolf family is destroyed. Tsuwabuki is sure his sister would be better for Shuro, but deep inside, Tsuwabuki loves Shuro and wants him all to himself.

Does Shuro really need Tsuwabuki? And even if he doesn't, can Tsuwabuki let Shuro go?

Historical

Manhwa Review | Limited Run by Eeej

Manhwa Review | Bongchon Bride by Gaepi

Manhwa Review | Knock on Wood by Ga-myeong

Manhwa Review | One Night Only by seowoo

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