Hakar rescues Kassan and reprimands him for the shame he brings upon their family, by being intimate with their most despised enemy. The gruesome details fo the clan's massacre are revealed and Kassan is urge to make an impossible choice. Our hero is torn between guilt and love. Nevertheless, to be able to defeat such a strong enemy, sacrifices must be made. Will Kassan manage to fulfill his brother's wish to avenge their family? Is this the end of the love affair between Master Igen and his slave, or just the beginning of a grueling battle of wills.
I really, really love this manhwa series. I just don't care for the translations. Using words like wanna, guy, jerk, idiot, etc. feel too modern-day for the historical period of the story itself. At least in volume 2 we see all the action happening and there are no missing gaps between chapters like in volume 1. But I did struggle to understand what was happening in Igen's flashback sequence until Kassan later summarized the plot for his own understanding.
No matter how cruel the seme is, I love him with the uke. You can tell he's in love, even though he vehemently denies it. And the uke knows he loves the seme but wishes he could hate him. And the cast of secondary characters, mostly servants, is also wonderful. The only character I actually dislike is Kassan's brother, who treats him terribly and then demands he carry out his dirty work.
The art is just stunning. All the clothes are gorgeous and the scenery is beautiful. I love that it is a perpetual winter but everyone still goes around baring their chests. lol And they all have long, beautiful flowing hair. Best of all are Kassan's facial expressions. He is the epitome of a weepy uke and what the kids today are calling a "precious cinnamon roll." XD As is pretty typical of Korean comic art, the bodies can be a little disproportionate but they are just so beautiful I don't even care.
Volume 2 ends on a cliffhanger. Kassan is torn between his loyalty to his family line and his love for his master, while Igen openly states again and again his only goal in life is to torture Kassan...but he never truly does, because it's apparent he's in love with him. I can't wait for volume 3. It's going to be an eternity until March!