Try Begging

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The cruelest way to take down an enemy is to make them fall in love.

“Sally, you smell good.”

Captain Leon Winston, a vulgar monster clothed in the skin of a stoic and elegant noble. He was a pathetic bastard who only raged at the smell of blood from the torture chambermaid.

However, as soon as her name came out of the revolutionary army spy’s mouth with a scream, he became a pathetic dog in heat.

“I can’t bully a good child, so I endured it… But I don’t have to endure it anymore. Thank you, Sally.”

When Leon Winston stripped off his noble skin…

“No, Grace.”

Grace asked him.

Did she meet or create a monster when she was young?

In the end, she agreed to a disgusting deal with the enemy to protect the revolutionary army.

“Beg.”

“F*ck me harder.”

He vowed every time she begged for her life miserably from the enemy…

…One day, I will make you miserable.

So, try begging.

All you’ll get is regret.

Associated Names
One entry per line
내게 빌어봐
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
Please Forget Me (5)
The Confinement Ending I Loved (2)
Beast of the Frozen Night (1)
Odalisque (1)
Cunning Fish of the Forest (1)
A Caged Bird Doesn’t Cry (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. [Dark romance] (KR)
  2. to read / tbr
  3. Dark Romance ( red or black)
  4. reccc
  5. You can read it

Latest Release

Date Group Release
07/31/25 Belle Reservoir c181 part2
07/29/25 Belle Reservoir c181 part1
07/24/25 Belle Reservoir c180 part2
07/22/25 Belle Reservoir c180 part1
07/17/25 Belle Reservoir c179 part2
07/14/25 Belle Reservoir c179 part1
07/10/25 Belle Reservoir c178 part2
07/07/25 Belle Reservoir c178 part1
07/03/25 Belle Reservoir c177 part2
06/30/25 Belle Reservoir c177 part1
06/26/25 Belle Reservoir c176 part2
06/23/25 Belle Reservoir c176 part1
06/19/25 Belle Reservoir c175 part2
06/16/25 Belle Reservoir c175 part1
06/12/25 Belle Reservoir c174 part2
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Review
10 Reviews


nobodyelsebut_elle
nobodyelsebu
Oct 10, 2024
Status: c200
A Dark Romance or just Dark? (AN EXTREMELY LONG REVIEW)

Content Warning: This review contains graphic descriptions and discussions of s*xual violence, ab*se, and disturbing themes, just like the work it's about. Proceed with care but know this: the manhwa/novel in question had no such consideration for its audience. I read it so you don't have to, I'm being generous.

Let me get this out of the way: I like dark romance. I like morally grey characters. I like stories that dig into the messy, raw parts of people whether it's... more>> jealousy, obsession, betrayal, vengeance, pain, redemption. I don't need my characters to be saints. I don't need the relationships to be healthy. I don't need neat bows or fairytale endings. But I do need writing. I need nuance. I need emotional stakes. I need narrative purpose.

And Try Begging offers none of that. Instead, it offers one of the most grotesque, soulless, and badly written stories I've ever read. It could have been a story about trauma, vengeance, regret, manipulation, or even twisted love but it fumbles everything so catastrophically, it ends up being a 200-chapter trauma kink masquerading as romance. This is a nonstop, graphic ab*se fantasy dressed in faux-angst and stale tropes, with no plot, and no growth.

One of the most troubling aspects of Try Begging is its portrayal of the male lead. His actions often described with terms like "animalistic" and "depraved" are at odds with any notion of a redeemable character. Throughout the series, he resorts to extreme measures to assert control, including threats, physical violence, and repeated assaults. The story's insistence on his possessive love as a form of affection is troubling, as it sends a message that such abusive behavior can somehow be excused or even romanticized under the guise of passion.

He's less a character and more of a vehicle for every unhinged sadistic fantasy the author could cook up. What's passed off as "possessiveness" and "obsession" is in reality calculated torture. He is not dark. He is not conflicted. He is not "damaged but loveable." He is abusive, controlling, violent, and irredeemable. He's introduced with violent, predatory thoughts about the FL before he even realizes who she is. We're supposed to believe this is the man who would love her? But all we're shown is him treating her like an object, a liar, and eventually, like property.

Here are some of the things he does, and keep in mind, these are canon:

Spoiler
  • Sticks a lit candle inside her g**itals and demands she "put out the fire" by squirting.
  • Forcefully imp**gnates her, then plugs her to stop the s**en from escaping after she begs him not to.
  • Hangs her by the neck during s*x until she passes out, then slaps her awake and resumes to assault her.
  • Films her, threatens to sell the footage, and tells her she'd make the perfect s*x doll.
  • Threatens to kill her with a gun. Multiple times. Often during r*pe.
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Please note that these are just some of the things he has done this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Try Begging really fails to give the male lead any meaningful growth, instead doubling down on his violent tendencies as the primary means of interaction. And yet the narrative still tries to push this delusional idea that he's doing it because he loves her.

She doesn't even get space to grieve, to hate, to rage, to even survive. Her trauma is weaponized for the male lead's angst or used as a prop in the next graphic scene. There's even a scene where he tells her to take care of her own body, to which she responds along the lines, "My body? Was it even mine to begin with?" This exchange comes after she has endured horrific experiences. She never gets to take her body back. Never gets to own her voice. She just suffers until the narrative decides it's time for her to fall in love with her rapist. Because of course.

But you might wonder why he acts this way, right? They must have some unresolved issues from their past. In their backstory, they met during childhood, and he developed an attachment to her. She told him her name, but it turned out to be a lie. At some point, something tragic happened to the male lead's family though I can't recall the specifics, it likely involved a relative dying due to actions related to the female lead's family. Essentially, she deceived him, and he views her as a traitor. When he discovers that the maid spying on him is the same girl he liked as a child the one who betrayed him he begins to reveal his darkest aspects, no longer seeing her as a human being.

Does the backstory justify the violence? Not in the slightest. Does it give Leon depth? No. It just gives him a paper-thin excuse to be even more vile. Someone even said, "Leon has PTSD." Sure. If that's PTSD, it's the worst representation I've ever seen. It's just sadism wearing a pity hat.

Let's be real here: the writing is atrocious. It's lazy. Formulaic. Emotionally hollow. The same scenes play out again and again with minor variations in setting or position. There's no pacing, no rhythm, no emotional build. Just shock after shock after shock, stacked like bricks made of despair. From chapter 64 to chapter 100+, even going to chapter 200, she was just repeatedly assaulted. The emotional beats don't land because the story isn't interested in emotions. It's only interested in power and degradation. And once the shock factor wears off, you're just left with nothing. And for a story with over 200 chapters, it's astounding how nothing actually changes.

Some might ask, "But you read the synopsis, so why did you keep reading?" The answer is that I do read dark romances, and I'm usually fine with the genre also I have no problem with people enjoying this type of story; that's perfectly fine. I'm not here to shame anyone for their preferences. However, I do hope that readers can acknowledge and recognize the harmful elements within this novel and refrain from justifying them by simply labeling it as dark romance. Also, please don't try to defend the male lead he is, by definition, a rapist. Fictional or not, his actions are sickening, and the depths he sinks to are beyond comprehension.

It had potential. It had the bones of a dark story about betrayal and obsession and trauma. But it butchered every opportunity to build something powerful, choosing instead to drown in fetishistic violence and paper-thin justifications.

If you read it and enjoyed it? Fine. Read it if you want. But don't lie to yourself about what it is. <<less
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pinchegaviota
pinchegaviot
May 13, 2023
Status: c204
I don't know how to leave a review that will help others have a better understanding of the story. All I can do is list/explain what I liked. I enjoyed the fact that everyone around them weren't completely infatuated/in love with the FL and the ML. The FL has a ... more>>
Spoiler

tragic backstory that she's not aware of until much later.

[collapse]

Even at her worst the FL doesn't come across as pathetic for what she has to endure. The FL's tenacious nature gives so much to the story. I mean
Spoiler

her own allies give her up multiple times, abandoned her to die, the ML constantly tortures her in attempts to break her, she discoverers that her whole life as she knew it was a lie.

[collapse]
She griefs and hates but she never gives up on herself. She truly won me over.

The ML makes the worst decisions of his life. I hate the sh*t he pulls at times such as
Spoiler

tw s*xual ab*se

Spoiler

when he freaking hangs her then freaking lets her go. Only for him to save her last minute to then continue f*cking her as she is trying to catch her breath/regain conscious after almost dying!!! Or when he r*pes her with a gun that she truly believes will go off in any second.

[collapse]

I understand that this is a dark romance novel. I don't hold it against the story or romance. Those were just scenes that really got to me. I really wish we could have gotten more sweet romance moments between the FL and ML. To make up for all the ab*se, give me that pain but then wrap me up in toothaching sweetness come on. There are some but just not enough for me personally.

I really really enjoyed the irony (?) that they both thought that other was lying. Grace thinking Leon is lying about the rebel group using her. Leon believing Grace wanted to be there and was lying about him being her first love.

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.

I could honestly go on and on about this story. It really just did something to me because, I could only MLT to ch204, but as soon as I caught up to the last chapter. I reread the story back to back three times.

I hope if you give this a chance that you are able to enjoy it as much as I did. <<less
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manjitk
manjitk
Sep 29, 2022
Status: c37
A very dark story with non consensual s*x. Don’t read if you feel uncomfortable with such subject matter. Story line is quite ‘unique’ with ML, captain Winston, being a very unlikeable character who enjoys ‘torturing’ his prisoners while FL is a spy working undercover as a maid. ML develops a strange fascination for the Maid and then finds out that she is the daughter of the person he holds responsible for death of his father.
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Juleee
Juleee
Aug 31, 2024
Status: c73
They say people only write reviews when they absolutely love or hate it. And I absolutely HATE this novel. The worst, bottom of the barrel and I have read a lot of angst/dark romance and none has made me this mad. It is so repulsive. Not even worth that one star. It should be minus.

I picked this novel because the art for the manhwa is really pretty and the reviews were not so extreme so I expected the red flag to be in the range of 'Bastian', 'Apollo's Heart'. Like... more>> can it get worse than that? I was so wrong. The whole character of the male lead and the plot felt like some kind of disgusting mu*der/r*pe fantasy of author. What was the author thinking? The ML almost has the same characteristic, behaviour and monologue of a serial killer. He likes blood, torture and sexually humiliates and dominate fl. Why isn't he in jail? Why is he the ML and not a disgusting villain? Why do FL stay with her ab*ser in the end? Just looking at that happy family cover of the novel infuriates me. Why do authors insist on making such disgusting men the ml? Why do FL always go through rough, humiliating shits? Why is there always some sort of s*xual ab*se or non-consensual s*x involved? How can author call this a romance? I am sorry but it is concerning that someone was writing these violent, disgusting stuff in such detail. Every scene is so graphic and the r*pe parts were just hard to read. Absolutely disgusting the way author wrote almost 2000 words for just one scene alone. Then it keeps on going for more and more chapters of her confinement, torture, r*pe, humiliation.
Spoiler

He tries to r*pe her even before he found out she was a spy and thought she was just an innocent girl. But just as he is about to put it in, his mom opens the door. So no excuses for this shit. He is just a disgusting monster and FL deceiving/betraying him is not an excuse. Then when he finds out she is a spy, he violates her in front of her colleague and she begs him to at least cover the eyes. He locks her in torture chamber and the r*pe continues until she finally escapes and that's about 100 chapters of torture later. He ties collar on her and treats her like a dog, r*pes her unconscious, puts gun, lighted candle in her v*gina and forces her to get pregnant. And maybe the plot is well written but that's if you can get beyond the first 100 chapters of intense torture and humiliation of FL. F*cking sick bastard.

[collapse]
Why isn't he treated as the criminal and FL as victim? Because that's the only thing they are. A criminal and a victim. I can't bring myself to see them as anything more than that and no amount of backstory will change my mind on ml. These kinda trope seems to be getting more and more common with Korean novels and with the current news coming out about Korean men, the problem seems to be glaringly obvious. I know the moral bar is low with smuts from any country but I don't think these novels are advertised as "smut" alone. But rather as "dark romance" targeted towards young women. In the end, all these novels are doing is normalising ab*se of women and telling them this is love. But let's be honest, reading chapters and chapters of r*pe, torture and humiliation of FL then looking at the happy family in the novel cover is like a huge mockery. Respectfully, that tag "r*pe victims becomes lover" should be banned. "Dark romance" is not an excuse for the r*pe fantasy of the author. The pov of ML when he r*ped FL for the first time is this
Spoiler

"The tears filled with the pain of being conquered by him were so sweet that it was dizzying."

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It is all about power, dominance, humiliation and a vile wish to break a person. This is not romance. This is horror. <<less
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Rac1248
Rac1248
Sep 23, 2024
Status: --
Everything is well written, the only part that I hated was the gr*pe parts. I despise the male lead and I don’t like how he wasn’t held accountable at all. The author was like okay she was graped by her ab*ser but now let’s give her a happy ending the male lead (grapist/abu$er) he is so infuriating, I hate him so much. If anything I thought she should’ve at least ki//ed him slowly or got her revenge but no she had to have a happy ending with him.... more>> And are we supposed to be rooting for this guy not only is he evil but a noble and he’s corrupt he thinks just because he got his little feeling hurt when he was a kid by the FL that gives him a right to treat her that way he is really petty he’s like one of the guys that cheat on women because he got cheated on in middle school or elementary school and decided to be a terrible person because of that. The male lead is so pathetic and I can go on. I feel so bad for the female lead and I really wanted her to get her revenge. People really need to stop romanticizing gr*pe I am fully aware that this is a dark romance, but still if anything I read it because I wanted to see her get her revenge also her fiancé is tr*sh also. <<less
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blackPantherQueen
blackPanther
Sep 22, 2024
Status: --
So here's the Thing People who like story have the right to have their positive opinion about the story. But they should stop insulting other people who are giving critics about certain events in the story or the characters. It' s become very imature and fragile that they can't accept critisim by telling them that you did not read the novel when they accually red it or by telling them to leave and don't comment. The stories are in Public and people have the right to comment as they pleased... more>> without getting disrespected. <<less
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jijiAngel
jijiAngel
Sep 13, 2024
Status: --
okey This is not a hate but constructive criticism. I want to say if the writer want to write Torture scenes that's fine but don't tell me a psycopath, a serial killer will switch like a push-up bottom from a serial killer to a lovy dovey teddy bear it did not make sence for me at all while reading it, also it's a bad message =Bad ending. While reading it I was expecting a good revenge plot for MLby holding him accountable after all the amout of torture he did... more>> to FL. He's unredeemable he's a criminal of R*pe which is not justified if the writer wants to make some kinks and BD*M I would love to but they have to be consensual if the writer want to have the ML doing them. Please I would like to see more accourate psychological ideas for each charactere. Yes it's fiction ! But even in fiction movies they have some sence in villain characteres. The manhwa Art is beautiful That's why I'm going to give two stars. So readers now you have the idea and spoilers so you have been warned read at your own risk and enjoy. <<less
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annn09
annn09
Mar 23, 2023
Status: --
Spoiler
[collapse]
The plot's really really well-written!! Pretty underrated lowkey, the characters feel genuinely fleshed out and their past (from spoilers) is particulary unique as well

The fl's situation and true character is particularly interesting as well, enjoyed it lots to find out about everything and wish more people would check it out

ML seems kind of crazy at the start, well actually he IS pretty crazy but genuinely loves FL im pretty sure, hes pretty well grounded too
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Kyrina
Kyrina
Nov 04, 2024
Status: Completed
This is actually a pretty good story for mature audience and could have been more appealing if only it didn't cross the line of "acceptable" ab*se. It has solid plot, good writing, and well developed characters, but some r*pe scenes went too far. Reader discretion is advised; there is clear difference between obsession and love. Read this if you enjoy the plot and dynamics, it's getting more exciting after 90-ish chapters, but as mentioned by the other reviewer, this is not a dark romance, just dark.

PS: I wish NU can... more>> use the original cover image, because it's more catchy and depicting the nature of the novel better. The current cover is from special Christmas side story, and it's bit misleading. <<less
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Nemesis.n
Nemesis.n
Jun 01, 2025
Status: --
I mean, I should applause the author for writing such a masterpiece due to its dark and twisted psychological facts which happen within the story. This comment can be extremely long. so, brace yourself!

And let me tell you something beforehand: this comment may have so many spoils so please be cautious while choosing to read it or not. this is my review from the story, please be opened up to criticism if you wanna read it, if not, It'd be better if you skip it.

1- Leon has PTSD : the... more>> core of this psychological problem's happened while he saw his father get killed. The main core and majority of problems come from this fact. (not just according to something that Grace could do to him)... It's like a starter for Leon's further problems. He gets "Emotional Numbness" which is one of the most famous symptoms of PTSD. When he gets it, he makes himself completely without a shred of humanity left in him, he becomes a very infamous torturer and even doesn't get the sense of guilt ofter doing so. that makes sense in Grace's case. She reminds him of a great enemy, someone who got involved in killing his father. So, it explains simply why he doesn't feel guilty after torturing Grace at all. Because he's obviously numb emotionally. it also explains why he's become that infamous torturer

2- Leon has "hypervigilance" and "hyperarousal"... he's always in the situation of attacking someone, killing someone, torturing someone, so much Paranoia and not wanting to receive any love and affection (the symptoms of a real PTSD)... When he receives affection and kindness from Grace, he always feels uneasy and at pain. Because he's used to not receiving love = not giving love, so it's an oblivious deal for him. In the novel (the first chapters), he always describes Sally with the adjective of intriguing. He laughs almost sarcastically when Sally (Grace in the form of a spy) says she loves kind and handsome men because he doesn't have the first factor and doesn't want to have it at all. Grace is the symbol of "s*xual dominance" for him. Leon, as someone who doesn't get the sense of love, can't give love and affection, so when he feels like he loves Grace, he indicates it with the factor of "Lust" and "s*xual Dominance"... but how? In isolating Grace and not wanting anyone to touch her, kiss her and so on. He always asks Jimmy (in the torture parts when Jimmy gets arrested) whether he kissed Grace or not and even burns Jimmy's lips with his cigarette. So many lovers all around the world would say this is completely normal because he loves her, but in this case is not. We're facing a real mental patient which has tortured Grace for almost a year and now acts like nothing's happened. someone who even threatenes Joe (Grace's half-brother) who hasn't been involved in that rebellion, he washed his hands off of it so many years ago and still we find Leon threatening someone who hasn't even got involved in killing his father. Why? Because he finds it helpful to always threaten Grace for coming back to him.

Leon has "conditional avoidance" when it comes to women but how does it change when it comes to Grace? Just because of love? Of course not. this feeling are burdened in the form of hate and anger but he has s*xual dominance and he shows it with the form of obsessive lust and anger... But this is like a swamp where events and happenings don't end here, but starts!...

and there goes 100+ chapters of this novel where we see Grace getting Stockholm Syndrome and PTSD as well. I don't know if you wanna call me a kid or something like that. I don't care. I just explained everything in the form of Psychology, so if you don't have capacity to handle it just skip it. Don't call every freaking thing love and dark romance. This lable is very different from what we read in this novel. It's obviously about a mental patient who needs real help, and a poor girl who gets stucked in this swamp. Both of them are poor in this case, not gonna blame Leon for everything that has happened... <<less
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