I agree it’s one of the best historical romances ever, if not the best. The complex story is superbly written. Especially in the beginning, you will swoon and fall in love and feel the chemistry. It’s amazing.

Then major stuff goes down and this is where it got a little dicey for me. I took away a star because of the portrayal of abuse and violence as part of their love story. FL was still swooning over him and literally clinging to him even as he made it clear he hated her and was a violent and dangerous person. He went on a killing spree, pushed her, choked her, tied her up and gagged her, watched her get hurt without caring, kidnapped her, and even said multiple times he was going to kill her. All the while FL still wouldn’t get over him and even told him I want you to kill me, which lets face it, is um…disturbing and sick. Exactly like an abuser and someone codependent on them. Their entire dynamic was unhealthy to say the least and sets a horrible example. I'm usually pretty lax when it comes to offensive things in kdramaland and give dramas a lot of leeway for the sake of entertainment. But this was a strange choice from the writer and I’m surprised it didn’t offend more reviewers.
It’s still a solid 9/10 drama for me. Highly recommended, just be prepared for the abuse in the middle.