01x11 - Episode 11

[bunniefuu]

Now that it has come to this,

we must inform the King

before the Principal Director does.

That is the only way

to prevent the Grand Prince

from being suspected by the King.

I understand.

I will confess everything to the King.

If you tell him a lie

to hide your treacherous heart,

he will only grow more suspicious.

Leave it up to me.

Please look after

the Grand Prince for now.

Are you saying

you will take all the blame?

Just how much are you planning

to disgrace me?

If you cannot bear this much,

you might as well give up the plan

to ascend the Grand Prince.

The King

will have you ex*cuted.

One must sacrifice something

to protect another.

If my life can salvage our plan,

we should consider ourselves lucky.

Lord Park.

Are you entering the palace

at this late hour?

I have come to report

an urgent matter to His Majesty.

It seems I have underestimated you,

Sixth Royal Secretary.

What do you mean?

Princess Jangryeong.

How will you handle

the consequences of such an act?

What is the matter?

Why are you hesitating?

Is it regarding your identity?

No, Your Majesty.

It is not about me,

but Her Highness.

Her Highness?

Do you mean Princess Jangryeong?

The one who is on her way

to the Qing to marry Prince Rui

is not Princess Jangryeong.

It is one of the court maids

who serve Her Highness.

Seeing as you are aware of this,

are you the person

who orchestrated her substitution?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Who ordered you to do this?

I did not do it on anyone's orders.

I did it on my own will.

My decision

to have the Princess wed Prince Rui

was to maintain the repatriation system

for the w*r captives

and prevent another w*r.

Why did you substitute the Princess

despite knowing this?

It was for that very reason

that I thought I had to help Her Highness,

even if no one else would.

Her pain and loneliness

from having her plea denied

and failing to protect her loved one

is something I understand

better than anyone.

How did the Principal Director find out?

A court lady of the Queen Dowager

noticed Bun-yeong's absence

and reported it to her.

Is Bun-yeong the court maid

who replaced the Princess?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Who else knows about this?

Me,

Her Highness, and Bun-yeong,

the three of us.

Grand Prince Munseong is unaware?

The Princess would not have hidden

such an important matter

from her only brother.

Well…

Is Kim Myung-ha aware of this?

Speak the truth!

Is Kim Myung-ha aware of this or not?

I have plotted everything.

I convinced the unwilling Grand Prince

and the Sixth Royal Secretary into it.

The crime you have committed

is high treason against me

that would call for an execution.

So why are you confessing?

Did you think

I could not take your life anymore?

Did you expect me to forgive your crimes

because I am in love with you?

Is it wrong to expect as much?

My crime against you

does not render my love for you false.

Is there anything else I should know?

Do not leave anything out and tell me.

Your Majesty.

It is disturbing to bring you this news.

I must report to you

the treacherous subjects

who dared to go against the royal command

and deceived you and the court.

Whose and what kind of deceit

are you talking about?

At Grand Prince Munseong's behest,

Sixth Royal Secretary Kim Myung-ha

substituted Princess Jangryeong

with a court maid.

The Qing's Chief Envoy, Podan,

was enraged by the fact

that he stopped his journey

and now stays in Gaegyeong,

awaiting your arrival, Your Majesty.

Substitution?

Are you certain?

I went to Byeokjegwan myself

and confirmed it in the afternoon.

We must interrogate the Grand Prince

and Kim Myung-ha before daybreak

and arrest all those

who were in league with them.

Should you go to Gaegyeong after that,

you will be able to soothe Podan's anger.

I will interrogate them myself.

Heed my order, Sang-hwa.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Please give me your command.

Send the Special Firearms Unit

to the Grand Prince's quarters

and prohibit servants from entering.

And arrest Sixth Royal Secretary

Kim Myung-ha and bring him here.

I shall carry out the royal command.

Eunuch Kim,

summon the Chief Royal Secretary.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

I shall gather the Border Defense Council

and prepare for the interrogation.

Wait.

Before that,

there is something

I must confirm with you.

Listen up.

You will head

to Grand Prince Munseong's quarters

and bar the servants from entering.

- You will follow me.

- Yes, my lord.

You should serve His Majesty

for the time being.

Yes, Eunuch Kim.

So it begins.

Are you all right, Your Highness?

- Your Highness.

- What insolence is this?

Principal Director.

What is all the ruckus about?

I am here to convey

Her Royal Highness's final regard.

She seems to have startled herself

while attempting to avoid me

for some reason.

It is only natural.

Why would she welcome you?

Yet you are forcing her to receive you,

which must be why she is avoiding you.

I will leave after I give my regards.

Lord Park!

You are putting me

in a difficult spot.

If your impudence to Her Highness

becomes known to Prince Rui,

he will be infuriated.

I understand.

Then Vice Envoy Jung,

please give this back

to Her Highness yourself.

Your Highness.

Please allow me to apologize

on his behalf.

Please forgive him

for his discourteous behavior.

Thank you.

My lord.

What is going on?

What is the matter, Lord Park?

Please let me know

if this is something I should know.

There is no issue here.

You may return to your duty.

Yes, Lord Park.

My lord.

Your words convinced me

that she was substituted.

But that does not seem to be the case.

She is a substitute.

Were it not the case,

she would not have tried so hard

to hide her face.

However, Jung Je-pyo

saw Her Highness's visage.

I fell into my own trap.

The substitution must have taken place

before Jung Je-pyo

delivered the wedding gifts.

What will you do now?

I will report this to His Majesty

and punish those who replaced

the Princess with another woman.

But you were not able to see her face.

Would your case stand

without any evidence?

If I could not see her face,

that means no one else could.

So no one can confirm it

even if you insist

that a substitution took its place.

I am only reporting

to plant a seed of suspicion

in His Majesty's mind.

Once it takes its roots, it will grow

by absorbing the blood of others.

When the interrogation begins,

they will die whether they confess or not.

From Grand Prince Munseong,

Kim Myung-ha, to Kang Mong-woo.

Even if I interrogate

and execute all the nuisances,

no one would dare try to prove me wrong.

Is there anything else I should know?

Do not leave anything out and tell me.

Jung Je-pyo was granted an audience

with Her Highness by the Queen Dowager.

Bun-yeong had replaced her then.

Jung Je-pyo will not suspect Bun-yeong.

She understands

what is at stake in this matter.

She would not have shown her face

to the Principal Director.

As such,

if the Principal Director

reports that he saw Bun-yeong himself,

he is deceiving you.

Principal Director.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I am curious.

You said that you confirmed it yourself

at Byeokjegwan earlier today.

Does this mean

that you have seen the Princess,

I mean,

the court maid…

yourself?

I…

Have not seen her face myself.

Jung Je-pyo found out

that she was not the Princess

and informed Podan.

How could he confirm that it was not her?

He has never even seen

the Princess's shadow.

Principal Director.

I apologize,

but I do not know

how Jung Je-pyo found out.

I have never heard you say

that you do not know.

I thought you knew the royal family

and the court's matter inside out.

Your Majesty.

How can I know everything?

Then I should summon someone who does.

Is anyone outside?

Did you call for me, Your Majesty?

Summon Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Tell me what you have seen and heard

about Jung Je-pyo.

While you were away from the palace

for your hunting trip,

I witnessed Vice Envoy Jung Je-pyo

enter Her Highness's quarters.

I later learned that he received

Her Royal Highness's approval

to greet Her Highness

and present her

with the bridal attire from Prince Rui.

Were you not aware, Principal Director?

I beg your pardon

for my negligence.

Thanks to Gidaeryeong Kang's testimony,

it is now certain that Jung Je-pyo

knows of the Princess's visage,

thus assuaging your suspicion.

Gidaeryeong Kang.

I am truly grateful.

Your Majesty, please excuse…

Stop right there.

If Jung Je-pyo had realized

that the Princess was replaced

before Podan did,

he would not have informed Podan.

It would have been his prime opportunity

to impress Prince Rui, whom he serves.

Why would he inform Podan,

a man who serves the Emperor?

Do you not agree?

Your Majesty, forgive me for saying this,

but how shall I know

what Jung Je-pyo is thinking?

I have no choice then.

I will summon him and ask him myself.

Are you outside, Sang-hwa?

Your Majesty, did you call for me?

Head for Gaegyeong immediately

and bring Jung Je-pyo here.

If he refuses to come with you,

convey my message to Podan with respect.

Then…

he will send Jung Je-pyo to me.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Please wait.

I shall

answer the question you have asked me.

Please order the others to leave.

You may leave.

As you have trusted me

and confessed everything,

I shall trust you in return…

and not make this an issue.

Your report

is a lie.

It is not a lie.

I am certain of the Grand Prince

and Kim Myung-ha's crimes.

If you do not believe me,

please head to Gaegyeong this instant

and confirm it yourself.

If I head to Gaegyeong

and cause a controversy

that the Princess is an imposter,

I would be giving Prince Rui

a pretext to wage w*r against us.

It is a necessary sacrifice

to uncover the traitors' crimes.

Those words are utterly appalling!

Are you saying that you do not care

if another w*r occurs?

Our land will be ravaged

by the Qing cavalry

and our people will bleed to death,

slaughtered by their swords and spears.

Are you saying that is acceptable?

Of course not, Your Majesty.

However, my priority

is to maintain your reign

and punish all traitors.

Let me make this clear.

The Princess…

was not substituted.

I will consider your report unheard.

So do not…

mention this matter ever again.

Even if you silence me,

Prince Rui's ears are open.

If he learns of this incident,

I will assume that you have sent a spy

to Qing to inform him

and have you punished for high treason.

You may leave.

Sixth Royal Secretary.

His Majesty summons you.

Confess your crimes.

Your Majesty.

I am deeply grateful

to be given a chance to confess my crimes.

Captivated by my personal emotions,

I led the Grand Prince and the Princess

down the wrong road,

went against the royal command,

and disturbed the peace

between Joseon and the Qing.

I have also

endangered Your Majesty,

the court, and the people.

Furthermore,

I forsook your generosity

in forgiving my past crimes

and giving me a post at the court again.

My crimes are so great

that I dare not ask for your forgiveness.

You failed to mention a crime.

Despite committing those crimes,

you hid behind Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo.

I will not deny…

my crimes.

I will suffer whatever punishment,

Your Majesty.

You deserve to be ex*cuted

a thousand times over…

assuming that the report

of Princess's substitution is true.

As for me,

I have sent the Princess to Prince Rui,

and the peace between Joseon

and Qing is undisturbed.

So I shall not

hold you accountable for it.

Forgive my asking,

but may I assume

that this is your promise

that no harm will come to the Grand Prince

on account of my crimes?

There is no need for a promise.

If you are…

truly concerned about the Grand Prince,

see to it that such an event

never repeats itself.

Do you understand?

I am grateful for your generosity,

Your Majesty.

What is going on at this late hour?

Chief Royal Secretary,

His Majesty calls for you.

Gidaeryeong Kang has gone home.

I will warn you as the Captain

of the Special Firearms Unit.

From this point on,

it would be wise

for you to mind your actions.

I will entrust you with the task.

I shall carry out your order

with utmost sincerity.

Make sure that the word

regarding tonight's event

does not spread anywhere.

I will do my best,

so you will not be worried.

What you saw and heard

in the hall of governance tonight

shall not be shared with anyone.

If you get caught doing so,

your life will be forfeit.

Do not worry.

I will make sure that the palace eunuchs,

adjunct overseers,

and servants of the court

do not speak of this.

What I am worried about

is your life, Eunuch Kim.

Did you think I was unaware of your

correspondence with the Queen Dowager?

Mark my words.

Do you understand?

I understand.

What happened?

The Principal Director has returned home

and His Majesty is still

at the hall of governance.

What about Eunuch Kim?

He only said

it was no different than usual

and that there was nothing to report.

Was the Principal Director's concern

a misunderstanding?

What on earth is going on?

Summon Senior Court Lady Dong.

Yes, Your Royal Highness.

Inform her

that I will not answer her summons.

You must have lost your mind.

How dare you refuse

Her Royal Highness's order?

Mind your words.

I am a court lady who has received

private quarters from His Majesty.

If you know what it means to be grateful,

you should accept her calling.

That is the very reason

why I have refused.

If I get caught by Captain Joo

while taking orders

from Her Royal Highness

and the news reaches His Majesty,

would that not be a bigger problem?

That is the current situation.

Who knows what will happen

in the future?

Convey these words.

I am no longer

the Senior Court Lady Dong

who put her life at risk

for mere words of promise.

If she wishes to use me,

she must give me something in return.

Did that arrogant wench

truly say those words?

Forgive me, Your Royal Highness.

Your Royal Highness.

It is better

than asking for nothing in return.

I thought she was a fool,

but she just may come in handy.

Your Majesty.

You do not seem well.

Did something happen

in the hall of governance today?

Why do you ask?

Did the Queen Dowager

order you to gauge my mood?

Ordinarily,

you have trouble sleeping

when you are even slightly distressed.

I was only asking out of concern.

You are right.

I do not think

I will get a good night's sleep tonight.

Shall I prepare some warm tea?

Yes.

If Prince Rui learns of this incident,

I will assume that you have sent a spy

to Qing to inform him

and have you punished for high treason.

Kang Mong-woo

must have persuaded His Majesty

to cover up the matter.

I am certain he came up with the idea

to replace the Princess.

Continue to speak.

I shall find evidence

that Kang Mong-woo

and Kim Myung-ha joined hands

to plot this incident.

That matter is already in the past.

We need a new crime

to report to His Majesty.

Something like

conspiring against the king, per se.

Please leave it to me,

my lord.

Everything almost fell apart.

However,

the King trusted your words

and covered up the report

from Park Jong-hwan, his own man.

I cannot believe it.

I was lucky that the Principal Director

made a mistake.

They will keep a closer watch

on you and the Sixth Royal Secretary.

From now on,

I will meet him outside in your stead.

Is Her Highness safe and sound?

Se-dong and Jeomine escorted her safely

to the hideout outside the capital.

Upon daybreak,

they will head to Master Choam's house.

Her Highness will head to a place

of the King's choosing.

Where might that be?

I am here to escort Your Highness

upon His Majesty's orders.

Where are you taking me?

His Majesty has specially commanded me

to ensure your well-being.

We are going to a safe place,

so please do not worry.

I have a royal command for you.

Should rumors about Her Highness

spread in the capital,

you can consider your lives forfeit.

Do you understand?

Of course, my lord.

I will not speak a word.

Here, take this.

His Majesty has bestowed this upon you.

All right, let us go.

I am not sure

if we should let her go like this.

What do you mean?

Think about the rumors of poisoning.

I am just worried

for Her Highness's safety.

Come on now. That is just a rumor.

- What?

- And do you not know Lady Hee-soo?

Do you think she would

place Her Highness in danger?

That is true.

- My goodness.

- Are you not coming?

Wait for me!

Wait for me!

Goodness, look!

Your Highness, the gidaeryeong is here.

Greetings, Master.

You look unwell, Your Highness.

He has not slept a wink

crying over the Princess.

That is not true.

Believe me.

Your Highness.

I really did not cry because of that.

Here comes His Majesty!

Your Majesty.

I was hoping to play baduk with you

instead of the gidaeryeong.

What do you say, Grand Prince?

It would be my honor.

You do not have to follow us.

Return to your post and await my orders.

Yes, Your Majesty.

You have improved very much.

I merely followed

the teachings of the gidaeryeong.

What do you think is the duty of the king?

It is to govern his people well.

You are right.

It is to help them live

without any concerns.

To that end,

what should one be wary of?

One should be wary of a w*r.

Correct.

Preventing w*r ahead of time.

That is the king's most important duty.

It is because the people suffer

even if the nation wins the w*r.

Do you understand

why I am telling you this?

My sister is not at fault.

I plotted everything.

Did sending the Princess to the Qing

make you feel wronged and resentful?

The fact that I had no power to help her

when she had been my devoted caretaker

agonized me

and made me feel terrible.

Do you think…

I would not understand

the agony that you two feel?

She told me

that you were once taken

as the Qing's c*ptive

on behalf of my late father.

That was why my heart ached even more

as I knew I was deceiving you.

I am glad you have learned a lesson.

Mark this incident in your heart

and do not ever forget it.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I will keep your words in mind.

Your Majesty, shall I escort you

back to your quarters?

Your Majesty.

Shall we head to Yeongchwijeong?

Please tell me

where you have taken Her Highness.

I do not know what you are saying.

My lord.

Do you wish to be ex*cuted?

Do not ask and do not seek to know.

It is His Majesty's orders.

It seems you have absolutely no trust

in His Majesty.

Why do you think

His Majesty gave you, a traitor's son,

a position at the court

despite the objection

from the Principal Director?

I do not know.

Do you?

It was because you risked

the court's disapproval

to stand by the people

despite the precarious position

that you were in yourself.

I must dare to say

that I find your words hard to believe.

You simply do not wish to believe them.

The Principal Director has summoned you.

Where is he?

I appreciate your assistance

earlier at the hall of governance.

I almost committed a serious crime

against His Majesty,

but I averted it thanks to you.

I am flattered.

Only a few seemed to know

that you are the baduk gambler

from three years ago.

It is not something to boast about.

I was going to spare your life back then,

but His Majesty insisted otherwise.

He said you were a necessary sacrifice

for his ascension to the throne.

He is quite impressive

but at the same time, terrifying.

For what reason are you telling me this?

Do you know Lord Kang Hang-soon

by any chance?

Though His Majesty

regarded him as his master,

even he was abandoned.

The same applies to you.

His Majesty is someone

who easily abandons his subjects

after taking advantage of their loyalty.

Do not forget that.

Watch where you are going.

They are there, just not noticeable.

Look closely.

Ten steps away. Now, fifty steps away.

Now, 100 steps away.

My men are on duty

while keeping their distance.

You should be careful.

What had you so deep in thought

that you did not notice me following you?

Tell me about Bun-yeong.

She lost her parents during the w*r

and was raised by her stepparents

before entering the palace.

As she is bright and respectful,

she will easily adapt

to the Qing royal family.

I made arrangements to have the Princess

looked after while in Beijing.

The caretaker

will look after Bun-yeong as well.

Is that person trustworthy?

I trust them more than myself.

The king should be protecting his people,

but the people are protecting the king.

I am reminded again

that a nation and its king

cannot exist without the people.

I thought you were angry at me.

I am indeed angry.

However, my anger is not directed at you…

but at myself.

I repeatedly pondered over your words

that you helped the Princess

because of the pain you suffered

three years ago.

Not only did I make you suffer

despite your innocence,

but I also made you suffer

the same pain again.

I could not hold back the anger

I felt toward myself.

Your Majesty.

Are you implying

that you believe my words

that I did not falsely attest back then?

Did you not say three years ago

that you had not given

any attestations about me,

be it true or false?

I have never…

doubted those words.

But why did you…

A king

only has his subjects

and political enemies.

He keeps no such thing as friends.

He said you were a necessary sacrifice

for his ascension to the throne.

He is quite impressive

but at the same time, terrifying.

I do not know what to think of your words.

In this moment,

I sit before you

as an ordinary man who loves a woman

and not as the king of this nation.

I have made you suffer

and I understand

that pain is still lingering.

I know…

that you have returned to me

because of that very pain.

I hope…

a day will come when I can tell you

about all the past events in honesty.

But in the end,

what I offer would only be excuses.

I am aware that I do not deserve

your forgiveness.

What do you wish to hear from me?

I will be the king

until the end of my days.

I cannot dare to neglect this great duty

that I must uphold.

That is why…

I may end up

causing you

pain again.

Do you still wish to stay by my side?

I will wait patiently

and not press for your answer.

When you have made up your mind,

come to Yeongchwijeong.

Since when have you been tailing me?

I went to escort you home

as I was worried.

Mong-woo.

It looked like you had been swaying

since that day.

I have misread the situation, have I not?

- My lady.

- I cannot believe

that I am thinking this way.

But I wonder

if the King perhaps

has his reasons I am not aware of.

You are well aware

that it is the King's tactic.

I trusted the King once,

but I was sold to the Qing.

Your father was taken

to the Qing in his stead

as he was also deceived by such tactics.

How are you so certain

that it was the King

who sold you off back then?

The Qing official

who plucked my eye out kindly told me.

He said if I confessed

my visitation to the Ming,

the Qing Emperor

would summon the late king

and have his brother, Grand Prince Jinhan,

ascend the throne.

Those were the Qing Emperor's words.

That does not prove

that the King was the spy then.

Then how about this?

The King ex*cuted Lord Kim Jong-bae,

who accused him as a spy

and punished you for false attestation

and silenced the spy incident.

The person who rose to the highest place

from the most dangerous one.

That person must be the spy.

Am I wrong?

Seeing as you cannot answer,

I shall have my way.

If you assassinate the King,

Principal Director Park

will choose a king to his taste

and the plans we seek to achieve

will not be able to see light.

Is that the kind of revenge

you seek?

The kind of revenge I seek

is the death of my sworn enemy.

I will let you know when it is time.

You can have your way then.

Can I believe in your words?

Have I ever forsaken a promise?

A word from Master Choam

arrived this afternoon.

He received an official appointment letter

as the Inspector General.

He will arrive at the capital at daybreak.

Greetings, Your Majesty.

Kim Je-nam at your service.

Welcome.

Now that I see you in court,

I cannot contain my joy.

I promise to do my utmost

to advise you to the best of my ability

and combat the evils of the court

to establish discipline and order.

From this point on,

I will see through your eyes,

listen through your ears,

and engrave every word of your advice

deep in my heart.

Why does it have to be Kim Je-nam?

If he needed someone

who lived a secluded life,

I am sure you could have recommended

other more suitable talents.

His Majesty appointed him to his post

without asking for

the court's recommendations.

Who could dare to oppose him?

Please do not be so concerned.

As he is a stickler for integrity,

he has no faction to speak of

and would not even consider forming one.

He will seek a dismissal soon enough.

What about Princess Jangryeong's incident?

Are you planning

to let this pass by

without telling me anything?

The matters I do not inform you of

are matters you do not need to know.

To maintain the bond

between you and His Majesty

as a mother and son,

that is for the best.

Now,

the only remaining task

is to find a spouse for the Grand Prince.

I have already found an ideal partner.

I will have them greet you soon.

I think we should look for

a new queen as well.

Is the Queen's illness

that serious?

For the past few days,

she has not even come to greet me.

Your Majesty!

Are you all right?

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty.

I will visit more often.

Please recover soon.

Your Majesty, the gidaeryeong is here.

Your Majesty, have you summoned me?

Gidaeryeong Kang.

Are you startled to see

how weak my illness has made me?

I was planning to see you

after recovering,

but I have summoned you

as I do not think I can recover.

Your Majesty.

Grand Prince Munseong

visits me several times a day.

He tries his best

to put on a smile to console me,

but the apparent loneliness

in his young face

makes my heart ache for him.

Before I die,

I wish to be of support

to the Grand Prince.

Is there any way I could?

There is a way,

but it is difficult to achieve.

Moreover, if things go wrong,

you and the Grand Prince may be in danger.

As such, I am hesitant to share this.

Please do not hesitate and tell me.

If it is within my power, I will do it.

The only way to protect His Highness…

is to have him appointed

as the Crown Prince.

If he fails to become one,

he will…

leave this world before you do,

Your Majesty.

My lady.

It is late.

You should come in.

Jageunnyeon.

Yes, my lady.

As Master Choam has arrived,

we should go on an outing.

An outing?

Master Choam.

Welcome.

Give us a minute.

Can you take back a move?

Please give up.

Taking back one move

will not win you the game.

I lose.

Do not be disappointed.

You have improved very much.

Is that so?

All right. I should get going then.

Already?

But Master Choam.

I thought you returned

to aid Lady Hee-soo.

That was my intention

until His Majesty

appointed me Inspector General.

I cannot join hands with you.

You are well aware

that I do not possess the talent

of working for different parties

simultaneously.

You seem composed

as if you had already known

that I would back out.

I considered the possibility

upon hearing the news

that you were appointed Inspector General.

This is why I can never beat you.

As you have met the King,

may I ask your opinion on him?

I think you would know him better than me.

Please tell me.

He seemed more resolute

than I had thought,

but softer than you think.

What do you mean?

I expected him to be a mere puppet

of Principal Director Park Jong-hwan.

But I do not think that is the case.

For a tyrant who supposedly

succumbed to temptations

and stole his young nephew's throne,

his eyes seemed far too clear.

In any case,

whether I live or die,

I want to know

what kind of man His Majesty is.

I was joyful

that he became the Inspector General.

I did not expect him to act thusly.

What will you do now?

We do not have the power

to dethrone the King,

and the Grand Prince is still at risk.

Do not worry.

Before the year passes,

His Highness

will be appointed Crown Prince.

What do you mean?

Regardless of the King's reason

behind Master Choam's appointment,

his appointment alone is enough

to intimidate

Principal Director Park Jong-hwan.

When he seeks to claim all the power

he has so far shared with the Great Lord

and the Minister of w*r,

that moment

will be our window of opportunity.

What do you wish to hear from me?

I will be the king

until the end of my day.

I cannot dare to neglect this great duty

that I must uphold.

That is why…

I may end up

causing you

pain again.

Do you still wish to stay by my side?

Your Majesty.

I am here to answer your question.

I will endure any sufferings

that may follow.

I will stay by your side.

Your Majesty!

There is trouble.

Lightning struck the palace

and started a fire.

Where?

Where did the fire start?

CAPTIVATING THE KING

You know who poisoned

my brother to death, do you not?

I will have the two wings

the Principal Director abandoned

become Grand Prince Munseong's wings

and have him become the Crown Prince,

His Majesty's heir.

That can only happen

over my dead body.

The appointment of the Crown Prince

is merely a trick to overcome the chaos

caused by the strange event.

Let the King enter first

and come in a moment later.

I am clueless

as to what to do with my feelings.