I love Sokkong and from what I can tell from their stories and stories they like, they really love toxic and obsessive relationships, especially when it's heavily imbalanced on the shou/bottom's side. I wished they just stuck with RomCom because they really excel in satirical storytelling as can be seen in DMJ and Error World. And even their more fucked up works like Manager and Crown of Thorns have moments where it's so ridiculous and out there that it's actually funny if there wasn't such a serious tone. I don't think they really think much of the implications of the "immoral" plots/characters they are writing. They understand it's a fucked up thing in the real world, but they are fiction writers/artists, and they seem to have a perfect separation of both. Which I wished a lot more readers especially on this site was able to do. I myself am not a fan of Crown of Thorns, but I don't take it seriously and that's why I can laugh about it when I read it now.
DMJ was Sokkong's first long multichaptered series and I think it perfectly showcases the kinks and tropes they particularly love. It's percect if it's right up your alley, and it is for me. And I wish their next work is an even more polished DMJ-esque story with a perfect balance of comedy and fucked up. But I think it'd be better if you just blacklisted Sokkong now because their works are really not meant to be taken so seriously, the story is just a means for them to draw out their kinks, and if you're expecting anything else... hais, sorry and good luck (and I say this as someone who loves them. I can admit their works are very one-dimensional, although they are trying to do more with CoT.)
Also Sokkong is actually a sweetheart because I had DM-ed them on twitter about the missing text panels in ch.24 and they replied so sweetly and even said they will talk to Lezhin about it. Also I purchase almost all of their works cause I am a huge fan so I used SS from the actual purchased chapter on the lezhin website and not pirated uploads btw.
I don't believe in "separating the art from the artist" (or at least the internet's interpretation of it), but I do think it's shallow to think they write this way just because. Sokkong has expressed before that it's a way for them to relieve their stress and we should think more about why KR BL creators (esp as most if not all of them are women) have a concerning pattern of depicting SA and "fucked up" tropes and why that's a stress relief... (4B might explain why)... But for my peace of mind, it's just fiction at the end of the day. Just find something you like, and if you don't, for your peace of mind, just find something else.
The (former) Elder Priest's past is just a sob story; we learn he was kicked out in earlier years due to his low birth--despite having had the charm and compiling the Grand Catalogue--and was manipulated and threatened into killing people by a royal who wanted to become the next emperor. Now we learn more about how he was looked down upon, and how he had saved people in the past--but go figure, the guy he saved is also the guy who exposed him and the reason why he was SA'd, stripped of his title, sent into exile, etc. It's heartbreaking that he had to work his way up, only to be thrown into a terrible situation. He was even a good Elder Priest! And this whole "you promised if I took the blame for you, you'd be mine" is such a random thing. I imagine we'll hear about it in the next part, but that feels so random rather than discussing it earlier--and there was really no need for it; blackmailing the Elder Priest (even though the priest also had something to lose, technically) was enough to make him obey. Saying "you promised you'd live for me" isn't really necessary and seems to be Sokkong's way of validating the relationship.
I wouldn't hate this couple if the new Elder Priest didn't ruin the former's life and made him feel worthless. I'm unsurprised the author was interested in adapting "A Crown of Thorns."