Perle

Description

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Once a thriving sovereignty, the Joachim Empire was now on the path of decline.

Gin Erhard, who was once an escort boy in a ducal house during his childhood, returned there as a successful capitalist. Having become the adopted son of the Erhard family he once worked for, Gin sought to incite a revolution in the country. At the same time, he was searching for his mysterious benefactor, known as “Little Pearl,” who supported and cared for him when he was an escort boy, but whose identity remained unknown.

One day, Gin encountered Maximilian Joachim, the Crown Prince of Joachim, at a banquet. For some reason, this indolent and promiscuous Crown Prince knew that Gin was once an escort boy……

Associated Names
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펄 (Perle)
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Chaise a la Reine (3)
Into The Rose Garden (3)
Three Thousand Nights (1)
Bloody Moon (1)
Purple Heart (1)
Antidote (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. My fav
  2. If you need to cry
  3. BL - Seme protagonist
  4. (KR) European Ambience BL
  5. Kr novel

Latest Release

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Review
4 Reviews


EvelynAinsworth
EvelynAinswo
Aug 07, 2023
Status: Completed
Translator here, beware of bias and promotion- just kidding, I'll be as objective as possible (probably) !

Perle is one of the most mentioned KR BL works when it comes to the Tragedy genre. Written by the famed Cherry Manju-nim - author of Part-time Partner, One Night Mate, Cannot Help It - Perle took a different route from others, with Western historical concept as the main theme. Despite being a one-shot work, Perle possesses an unchanging rating of 4.8/5 stars with over 7000 votes on the original platform, causing pain to... more>> generations of readers to come.

Disclaimer comes first, I guess. This novel will probably NOT be suitable for people who are seeking:

    • A lighthearted read (yes, please look at the Tragedy tag)
    • Deep and detailed growth or romance (this novel is honestly quite short; it was a one-shot originally after all)
    • virg*n leads (uhm yes, both the MC - the gong and the ML - the shou have quite the messed up pasts; they are far from being innocent)
But this novel is probably worth a try if you're seeking a fresh take on Western historical with a revolution theme, a short yet impactful and hauntingly beautiful story, and... some Tragedy pain, of course. The novel has a lot of foreshadowing, metaphors and symbolism running through the plot and scenes like a drama; one could say that there is no useless detail in this novel.

The novel isn't much eventful; rather, it focuses a lot on the characters. With Gin as the center, the characters are portrayed from his point of view, and it's not to the level of Unreliable Narrator, but sometimes Gin's perception of a character may be wrong. So it'd be best if you stay patient and follow as the story unfolds.

And through Gin's POV, there were a lot of portrayals about Maximilian Joachim (Maximin), the shou and ML of the novel. He is the most mysterious and amazingly built character in this novel and also the one causing the most breakdowns to readers. I don't want to give out many spoilers, but I could bet that every reader of this novel would be impressed by him the most. Maximin is beautiful, mysterious, tragic and extremely noble, unlike what he may show outwardly - but this was only explored down the end of the novel.

There is no shou's POV in this novel; everything is strictly the gong's POV, so please keep this in mind while reading. <<less
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JustSomeHappyReader
JustSomeHapp
Feb 22, 2025
Status: Completed
This book is beautiful. That’s the main thing. It’s as tragic as it is breathtaking.

It doesn’t hold back—it lays bare the harsh realities of exploitation, societal decay, and the personal cost of ambition, all woven into the story of two of the most unforgettable tragic lovers.

Gin Erhardt and Maximillian Joachim—God, they stick with you. Everything about them feels real. Their choices, their sacrifices—none of it is exaggerated or dramatized for effect. You get why they do what they do. But that doesn’t mean you can fully relate, because they are...... more>> extraordinary. Deeply flawed, yet noble in a way that feels almost impossible in the real world. Especially Maximillian. Poor baby. I don’t think I’ll ever get over him.

Spoiler

"My little Pearl. My darling Gin"

I am so bitter about the ending, oh my God. But like... I can’t even complain because it fits—it’s tragic, it’s poetic, it’s beautiful—blah blah blah, whatever. I get it. But also, WHY.

Maximillian, my sweet baby, my shayla, my emotional support sexy baby boo. WHY was the world so hell-bent on breaking you? You did not deserve this. You deserved a nice cottage, a warm meal, and maybe a stress-free afternoon with your Gin where nobody was actively trying to ruin your life. BUT NO. Instead, you got suffering. You got pain. You got death. And for what? FOR WHAT.

I’m pacing around my room like a Victorian widow. I’m wailing. I’m about to write strongly worded letters to absolutely no one because I have nowhere to direct this rage. I just... I need a moment. Or ten.

This book ruined me. 10/10. Would recommend.

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And the symbolism? Haunting. Melancholic, but eye-opening. Every little detail slots into place, and when you finally piece things together, it hits you with that strange, surreal kind of realization. You can tell the author had a vision—this wasn’t just a story, it was something she needed to say. And she poured everything she wanted to share into this one tragic, beautiful masterpiece. <<less
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eardun
eardun
Sep 25, 2023
Status: v1c5
I've read only 4-5 chapters and I really liked it. Too bad it got taken down. There's a manhwa with the same name though, for anyone who is interested.
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Ancia_Rocente
Ancia_Rocent
Aug 14, 2024
Status: Completed
The story flows wonderfully. Since it's a short novel, the flow is quite fast, yet not rushed. Rather, just enough details is written for the novel to be coherent and comprehensible, instead of dragging it out like some other annoyingly lengthy stories.

The story is told entirely from the Top's (Jean Erhardt) POV so the complete big picture is not explicitly depicted, though there was just the right amount of nuance so that the readers can deduce the circumstances wholly themselves, including what's happening from the crown prince's side (the bottom).... more>> That said, you kinda see what is coming while reading the novel, yet, still not readily accept it once you reach the twist. (It's like this gut feeling telling you that the way everything's going is so wrong, but you can't stop reading because it's so good).

And then, after a heck of an emotional ride, you are left with a void from within upon reaching the ending. It's immensely sad, yes. But again, we all know it's destined to be that way, and I can't ask for a more beautiful ending.

For a story told from Jean's POV, it speaks volumes when the impression of crown prince is strongly imprinted on the readers towards the end. So, if you're okay with a little emotional breakdown, this masterpiece is totally absolutely recommended. <<less
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