In the last chapters, I was so scared that something bad would happen because I’ve read some of this author’s other stories, and in many of them things don’t turn out so nicely. Honestly, the smut was BEAUTIFUL. I loved the way they kissed, you could really feel their love. I don’t understand why it has such a low rating!
Information taken from a forum where they were discussing the ending of the novel:
So llic and Sayan been together for 20yrs (10yrs then timeskip to another 10yrs)
Ilic doesn't seem to see it as a full romance, he never said I love you to sayan but he knows after so many years that Sayan is his partner.
Now llic has a dream and in the end of the dream Sayan dies, he wakes up.
So at the end of the story he's with Sayan (alive) beside him but he's thinking that all the things in the dream are happening in reality. So to put it this way, its foreshadowing that Sayan is to die sometimes shortly after the ending of the novel. It's also bittersweet because Sayan loves IIic but llic never really seem to be in love but the same he was (its kinda hard put, you would need read the novel to understand). [EDIT: oh I found the perfect phrase for this, it's that llic will never love Sayan the way Sayan wants him to love him despite them being together for so long]
Some say he did die at the end but either way Sayan does dies despite him being alive at the end. It's also mention how he's sick but do keep in mind, at this time they are old
for me, with the additional information from you, I can just see Ilic being in terms with his life with Sayan and being with him is the norm now and feeling like love and etc with how long they've been together is in the shadows, but ofc sayan is crazy so he's diff but I truly am guessing that at some point Ilic does realize he loves Sayan BUT with how long theyve been he never tells it or idk, im making up stuff atp bcs I was waiting for ilic to say ily to sayan back but idk
https://www.novelupdatesforum.com/threads/plaything-the-toy-of-a-grand-duke.117318/page-2 This is the forum where they were discussing it, and even the Korean readers who followed the story said that he never loved him. Here is the author’s Twitter, where someone asks her, and she herself can’t even say that they love each other: https://x.com/i/status/1554109665704718337
Girl, it’s very obvious. Why do you think people are asking whether they loved each other? Why is there even doubt? There isn’t a single “I love you,” nothing. Even the webtoon itself ended with such an open, vague ending, and people are left commenting, “Did they love each other?” Why do you think that happens? It’s because the story leaves that uncertainty. The author could have said yes, but chose not to.
If you're going to go by that logic, half of the BLs (Boys' Love) have characters who don't say the words "I love you."
Roses and Champagne is an example, but you can tell by their actions.
First, Elic ADMITS HE'S IN LOVE WITH THE COUNT'S FACE.
Then, when the Count gets sick, Elic NEVER LEAVES HIS SIDE. Even with the Count telling him to go for a walk, Elic is constantly by his side. There are countless actions by both of them that demonstrate feelings for each other.
But what's most common nowadays are lazy readers with the "I want to read something easy" syndrome.
If you want, I can give you the link to the novel and the pages so you can read it.
The ending leaves a bitter taste, but it's very beautiful. ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ノ~
I’ve read a ton of BL, and even when “I love you” is never said, there’s never any doubt about whether they love each other or not because it’s very clear. But with this story, even the comments are asking whether they loved each other or not you basically have to ask the author if they loved each other, because the bottom never showed anything at all, no love, nothing
If you actually read the novel you’d see that Sayan admits to loving Illic multiple times but there’s uncertainty on Illic’s side. Illic does not love him hence the pain that Sayan feels from time to time thinking about it. Towards the end of the novel he was also making preparations to make sure Illic isnt left alone in the world to fend for himself if his illness does end up overtaking him. Sayan loved Illic but I doubt Illic loved Sayan.
I hate that the top was left anxious and wondering until the very end, and I also hate how the bottom was so cold, like even when the story was already about to end he didn’t care enough to ask anything about the top’s past life with the band lol. I have to say the top is honestly a beautiful baby, and every time he cried I cried too because you could really feel his emotions. I hate that even at the end Mokhwa couldn’t say “I love you.” From season 3 onward it felt like the author didn’t really know where to go with the story. The whole thing about buying the café felt so random and out of place because the previous seasons didn’t have that kind of absurd stuff. I think the author wanted to keep the bottom loyal to his boss until the very end.
Please give it a chance and go read the novel. A lot of you complain that he's 18, but in the novel he's actually 20 (I’m guessing due to Korean age). Also, this ending reaches the conclusion of the main story, but it doesn’t include the extra episodes the author gave us afterward. Personally, I really liked it, it was a calm and enjoyable read, and of course, getting to know the characters’ thoughts better makes you feel more attached, so it hurts even more when it ends. The novel ends with the uke being 28 years old (Korean age). You can read it on Novelupdates










Can someone tell me if it has a happy ending and if the main characters end up together?
yes and yes! (but beware of the toxicity and triggers in the story)
Tyy!!