01x06 - Episode 6

[bunniefuu]

You have returned

to get revenge.

You harbor treasonous ambition

of murdering me, no?

Saengbulyeosa.

You have survived,

yet you are no better than the dead.

What will you do now?

Answer me

with that wicked tongue of yours.

What will you do?

Are you suddenly lost for words?

Why are you not answering me?

Say something.

Your life depends on

that despicable tongue of yours.

Upon hearing your words,

I must dare to ask.

Why do you suspect me of treachery?

Because you lost

your beloved friend, Hongjang.

Because despite your desperate pleas

to spare her life,

I chose not to save her.

If one examines closely,

one will always find a way

to save a cornered stone.

The moment you said that

one could always save a cornered stone

by examining it closely,

I deciphered

your motive behind returning before me.

Can you deny

that it is not for a treacherous intent?

It is true that I treasured Hongjang,

but my life is of greater value to me.

Unless one has gone mad,

no one would dare

brew such intent over a single loss.

A friend who trusts and relies on you.

A friend you want to

and must protect at all costs.

The kind of friend

that gives your life meaning.

If such a friend loses their life

to a wrongful death,

one may go mad.

I did not expect you

to acknowledge her wrongful death.

Hongjang's spirit in the Underworld

will be shedding tears of joy.

If you want to live,

examine closely before answering.

That way, you will see a way

to save yourself.

If you still doubt my sincerity,

then k*ll me right this moment.

I will decide to choose

where and when to k*ll you.

My apologies.

I had forgotten for a moment

that you have already

chosen my death once.

Do not ever forget that.

You are dead to me.

I can have you k*lled whenever I wish,

and it would be a child's play.

Do you understand?

Yes, Your Majesty.

I will remember your words.

EPISODE 6

Is Mong-woo still in Yeongchwijeong?

He should be going home soon.

Surely they are not playing

on the first day, are they?

Are you leaving?

Let us wait and leave with Kang Mong-woo.

A feast may be too much,

but a celebratory drink will do.

A celebratory drink?

Are you trying to bribe him

to your side already?

My goodness.

Do you think so little of me?

It is not bribery…

but forging friendship.

That is a suitable expression.

He became the gidaeryeong thanks to me.

Can I not hope for this much?

Do you not agree?

Do not get too close to Kang Mong-woo.

What do you mean?

What a random thing to say.

My gosh.

You said baduk is shared

between two players,

and the two should only converse

through their stones.

Those words

reminded me of the day

when I first played against you.

I was so immersed in playing with you…

that I did not even realize

it had begun to rain.

I have not enjoyed such an immersion

since I ascended to the throne.

All of my companions

were scheming vipers

bent on reading my mind

to use that as leverage

for their personal gain.

So how am I to believe

that you are different from them?

What can I do

to alleviate your suspicion?

Please advise me how.

I will be your patron.

Countless people

will come to you to win your heart.

The court officials,

members of the royal family,

and the ladies in and out of the palace

will attempt to curry favor with you.

They may flaunt their power to coax you,

offer you an unfathomable fortune,

or tempt you with an incomparable beauty

that would easily melt any man's heart.

Does simply imagining these things

make you happy?

No man can resist

power, wealth, and beautiful women.

If you want to win my trust,

you cannot be swayed by anything.

Do not think to deceive me.

The moment I find any deceit,

the Captain of the Special Firearms Unit,

Joo Sang-hwa, will have your head.

Of course, Your Majesty.

Do you have something to say to me?

No.

I am here to serve

herbal medicine to His Majesty.

Give it to me.

- I shall give it to him.

- Stand back, Captain Joo.

It is my duty

to serve him herbal medicine.

It may be so in the King's quarters,

but not here in Yeongchwijeong.

As you are aware,

only a select few may enter Yeongchwijeong

per the King's orders.

So this random nobody can enter the place,

but I, His Majesty's loyal servant,

am barred from entering?

That is correct.

How dare you?

Are you stopping me

from carrying out my duties?

I am merely carrying out

the royal command.

Your duties are none of my concern.

The herbal medicine will go cold.

Her glare was sharper than any blade.

Even I was holding my breath.

Seeing how she tried to force her way in

with the herbal medicine,

Court Lady Dong

must have been intrigued by you.

But then again,

you may become His Majesty's confidant.

No wonder she was curious about you.

By Court Lady Dong, you mean…

Your guess is correct.

She served the late king

and now serves the current king.

She seemed to have bad blood with the

Captain of the Special Firearms Unit.

How could she not?

She is the reason the whole nation

is pointing fingers at His Majesty

for being depraved.

As Captain Joo's duties include regulation

and management of the rumors,

she is a big nuisance to him.

I see.

I must say, I would feel deeply wronged

if I were Court Lady Dong.

His depravity

is through no fault of her own.

Do you not agree?

What?

Are you a good drinker, by any chance?

Forgive me.

Having spent days preparing for the games

without sleeping or eating properly,

my energy is depleted.

I must return home immediately

and get some rest.

Then forget about tonight.

How about tomorrow?

My duty from now on

is to be at His Majesty's beck and call.

Thus, it would be difficult

to arrange a schedule in advance.

If you will excuse me.

I shall see you tomorrow.

Goodness.

What do you think of Mong-woo?

I find it suspicious that a traitor

would return of his own accord.

I have ordered my men to tail him

and look into his dealings

for the past three years.

Until then,

please refrain from admitting him here

and keep an eye on him.

He lived well enough

without ever disclosing his real name.

Even if your men searched

every nook and cranny of this nation,

they would not be able to find

a trace of a man named Kang Mong-woo

that matches his description.

May I ask why you have

let him enter Yeongchwijeong

though you are aware

of his questionable background?

It is entertaining.

It is clear as day

that this post will bring him doom.

And yet, he feigns joy

and stands before me

as if he is unaware of the fact.

Do not make that face.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

- Whatever may have prompted his return,

I will not let him sway me.

Report to me immediately

even at a hint of suspicious activity.

Do you understand?

Yes, Your Majesty.

What about the other matter?

As you ordered, I have arranged a meeting

before the gisinje.

GISINJE: MEMORIAL SERVICE

FOR THE KING OR THE QUEEN'S DEATH

Good work.

You may leave.

Yes, Your Majesty.

"The gidaeryeong is as good as chosen."

Did you not assure me so?

Yes, I did.

My men were referred to

as masters of calculation and baduk.

You said it was as easy as Guan Yu

beheading the leader of his enemies.

What will you do now?

Please do not be enraged

over such trivial matters.

It does not matter

who became the gidaeryeong.

We still have the most certain option.

Summon Kang Mong-woo

and make him an offer.

Just as Prince Deokseong did,

Kang Mong-woo

will not refuse your patronage.

As if the King would be happy

learning that I summoned him!

Have you forgotten how he banished

the First Senior Consort?

It is not that complicated.

You can summon him in secret

while His Majesty is away.

I will

arrange a meeting.

Gosh, my lord!

Why are you coming home so late?

We have already cleaned the pot.

I hurried over to be in time for dinner.

Am I too late?

Of course you are.

We already finished

every single grain of rice there was.

There is no helping it then.

Do not worry about me.

By the way,

how did your work go today?

The baduk.

I won.

You should have led with that!

Jageunnyeon!

Put the pot on the fire again!

All right!

I will return to save you.

Do not worry and wait. Do you understand?

As you did not return

past the expected hour,

we got jumpy and even considered

barging into the palace.

My goodness! My lady!

My lady!

Your Majesty.

Please spare Hongjang's life.

Hongjang did not say a word.

So please,

spare her life.

This is the final request

of your manghyeongjiu.

I am no longer an ordinary man.

I am the king of this nation.

A king

only has his subjects

and political enemies.

He keeps no such thing as friends.

I guess you understand

the gravity of your sin.

I do not care what nonsense

comes out of your mouth.

Lady Hee-soo cannot go back to the palace.

- Jageunnyeon.

- Stay still.

I am going to explode

if you provoke me further.

We will all regret it if we stop here,

including her, me, and even you.

Bollocks.

Regret it or not,

my feelings are none of your concern.

Enough, both of you.

I only fainted from

staying out in the sun for too long.

It will not happen again. I promise.

You need to take your herbal medicine,

so keep the talk short.

He threatened to k*ll you

if you sought a patron?

That must be why the King

had Prince Deokseong k*lled.

I wonder who his patron was.

Surely it was Park Jong-hwan,

the Principal Director.

Had it been Oh Wook-hwan or Min Ji-hwan,

they would have died

along with Prince Deokseong.

Park Jong-hwan is his uncle

and has his mother's support.

Thus, he only k*lled

Prince Deokseong as a warning.

It is a warning not to have

the Queen Dowager as your patron.

The Queen Dowager and Park Jong-hwan

will propose an offer

you will not be able to refuse.

And if you do,

they will find whatever fault they can

and exploit it to harm you.

The King foresaw this

and issued an empty threat

under the pretext of suspicion.

It was not an empty threat.

He said I was already dead to him

and that k*lling me

would be a child's play.

I tried to take the initiative,

but I neglected the fact that

the King was a skillful tactician.

I let my guard down

when he promised to spare my life.

He outplayed me right then and there.

Do not beat yourself up.

It is only the start.

We have a ways to go.

I must reassess.

KANG MONG-WOO

Your Majesty.

What has you so deep in thought?

It is nothing.

Your Majesty, I have a request.

What is it?

Please grant me access to Yeongchwijeong.

Do you not know

what kind of a place Yeongchwijeong is?

I am well aware

that you established the place

to play baduk in peace

without any interference.

I will provide you with extra comfort

should you grant me access.

Please grant me your approval.

I will not.

However, Your Majesty--

I already gave you my answer.

Your Majesty.

Have you perhaps

forgotten the promise you made to me

three years ago?

I cannot handle

such an important duty.

I shall grant your request

no matter

what it may be about.

I believed in your words back then

and risked my life for you.

And I continue to do so even now.

Have I ever forsaken that promise?

Have I ever not granted your request?

No, not even a single time.

Thus,

I have no doubt

that you will grant my request this time.

Fine.

I am most grateful, Your Majesty.

However,

I have clearly stated

to the court officials

that only talented baduk players

may enter Yeongchwijeong.

As I cannot make an exception for you,

I shall grant you entrance

when your skill has become proficient.

But Your Majesty.

Captain Joo has access to Yeongchwijeong

despite his ignorance in baduk!

Sang-hwa…

carries his sword around.

If you feel wronged,

challenge him in a fight and win.

Is anyone outside?

Yes, Your Majesty. Did you call for me?

As I skipped today's afternoon study,

I shall have nighttime study.

Summon the Nightshift Royal Secretary.

I shall, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Did you use me as an excuse

to Court Lady Dong again?

She requested access to Yeongchwijeong,

so I had no choice.

You are the best excuse

that I can use against her.

Has Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo

come to the palace yet?

He has not.

Order him to come to Yeongchwijeong

as soon as he does.

Your Majesty.

You have a morning assembly

at the hall of governance today.

Right.

Order him to be there

as soon as the assembly is over.

I will, Your Majesty.

You may await His Majesty's orders here.

Could you do me a favor?

Please speak.

This is the list of officials

awaiting promotion.

You shall write up

their official appointment letters.

Yes, my lord.

So it seems Yoo Hyun-bo

will be returning to the court after all.

Where are the petitions for His Majesty?

Did I not order you to remove this one?

My lord.

This pertains to an urgent matter

at the border region.

I believe it should be

reviewed by His Majesty.

It is against our treaty with the Qing

to repair collapsed fortresses.

An envoy from the Qing will be here soon.

If the matter causes a diplomatic issue,

will you take responsibility?

However, His Majesty should be informed.

Do you think he is in the dark?

Do not be pompous

and lay low as if you were dead.

Never forget that

there are people ready to drag you down.

Do you understand?

Yes, my lord.

What is it?

The gidaeryeong

has asked for a baduk table.

What shall I do?

You take care of it.

Gather the petitions and follow me.

Yes, my lord.

I did not expect you to come yourself.

Did you not ask for a baduk table

to see me?

Even if that had been my intention,

you could have chosen not to come.

Why did you return?

Was the pain from three years ago

not enough?

If you wish to discuss

the pain I experienced then,

you should ask for my forgiveness first.

You forged an attestation

that I had never given.

I do not need

your forgiveness.

I only did what I had to.

You have become rather brazen.

I must say that it is quite a relief.

To go against the King who has mastered

all trickery and deception,

such brazenness would be necessary.

What do you mean

by going against the King?

You asked why I have returned.

I have returned to bring down the King

who tricked his way onto the throne

by fooling the world

with his wicked wiles.

I shall offer you an opportunity as well.

The opportunity to get revenge

on the enemy who slayed your father.

Will you join hands with me?

I thought you might have run away in fear

after our conversation last night.

Is that why you ordered

the Special Firearms Unit to follow me?

It would be a waste to lose

my precious baduk opponent, would it not?

Do not be concerned.

I will not run away of my own volition,

not unless I die or am expelled.

That means there is something

you want from me.

What is it?

As you are aware,

I only play baduk when there is a bet.

You dare to suggest

a game of baduk gamble?

If you win,

you may decide my fate

however you see fit.

If I win,

I beg you to grant me a wish,

whatever that may be.

You want me to retract my promise of death

should you get a patron?

Your Majesty,

I will not beg you to spare my life.

It all sounds like

I would be losing out greatly.

All right.

I shall approve of your proposal.

Thank you, Your Majesty.

It would not be proper to withdraw

all the stones for a fresh game, would it?

You should have

made your proposal earlier.

My apologies.

So…

who won?

As we played while calculating

10 to 20 moves ahead of each other,

the game did not progress much.

It will take a few days at the least

to see who wins.

Will Kim Myung-ha join hands with you?

It will take a few days for him as well.

What about Yoo Hyun-bo?

We must get payback for Se-dong.

Go collect all his winnings

and leave nothing behind.

Hey.

Why do we not

leave this much as their cut?

The order was to collect everything.

Everything?

All right then.

Hold on now.

Where are you guys off to?

Damn it. Did I not tell you?

I said we needed to give them their cut.

Halt.

What is going on?

These lowly b*stards were being shameless,

so I was teaching them some manners.

Who are you

- to teach them manners or fault them

-My lord.

- for being shameless?

- My lord…

What are you staring at? Get lost.

Let us leave. Come on.

Man-bok was right to cut in.

Why did you let those lowly brats go?

I did not want to let them go either.

Then why?

Do not tell me that

it was because of the onlookers.

Were you worried your promotion

would be withdrawn

if the Special Firearms Unit

were to find out?

My lord.

Why do you think those brats

placed their bets on Kang Mong-woo?

What do you mean why?

They just got lucky.

They placed their bets

knowing he would win.

And how would they have known?

As they work for him.

Do you now understand why I let them leave

with their lives intact?

Do you mean you did so

to win Kang Mong-woo's favor?

Still, it was too much.

Is it not a waste

to give them all that fortune?

Why would you think that is a waste?

Once you become Kang Mong-woo's patron,

you can make him cough up 10 times,

or even 20 times the amount.

That is easier said than done.

In return for your efforts

to bring me back into the court,

I will bring Kang Mong-woo

and make him kneel before you.

Have a drink.

By the way,

did you ever commit

a discourtesy to the Principal Director?

He made up all kinds of excuses

to go against your promotion.

I barely got his approval

only after spending a hefty sum.

I can only wonder in question

at his disapproval of me.

Principal Director, have you been well?

We have not conversed in a long time.

I wish to visit you often

to seek your counsel.

Since you speak of my counsel,

I shall offer one for you.

Please do.

Your promotion

was only approved

thanks to the Great Lord's plea,

despite your performance review being

marked out by His Majesty multiple times

to be reinforced for further inspection

and disciplinary actions.

If you get caught by the

Special Firearms Unit and dismissed,

the Great Lord will be in a pickle.

Therefore,

you had better sever ties

with your indecent business.

I am referring to the gambling den.

I will heed to your words, my lord.

Just ignore him.

Myung-ha.

Even the lowest Royal Secretary

must enjoy some prestige.

You look very well indeed.

Such cheek from a mere traitor's son.

Where are you going?

I am on my way to Yeongchwijeong.

Why do you ask?

Yoo Hyun-bo has returned to court

as the Third Minister of Rites.

If you go this way,

you will run into him.

I have no reason to avoid him.

No one avoids feces out of fear.

One does so because of its filth.

There is another route to Yeongchwijeong.

Follow me.

This must be that famous peach tree.

The tree that the late king planted

with His Majesty in mind.

Reviving it would be a challenge indeed.

Head straight this way,

and you will find Yeongchwijeong.

You have not given me an answer yet.

It is best to stay silent

to a ridiculous proposition.

Please reconsider.

My answer will not change,

even if I do reconsider a thousand times.

What is the reason?

Since you are being deliberately obtuse,

I shall point out the flaws clearly.

The goal that you dream of

is difficult to achieve

even with a just cause, suitable means,

and a blessing from the heavens.

Why would I risk my life

for something that will clearly fail?

While I cannot move the heavens,

if I prove to you that I have the plan

and means to reach my goal,

will you trust me?

I shall arrange an audience

with Grand Prince Munseong

and Princess Jangryeong.

You would need approval

from Her Royal Highness to that end.

Do you think she will grant her approval

when I am a thorn in her side?

Furthermore, even if she did,

Principal Director Park Jong-hwan

would not sit back.

You can wait and see.

Here comes His Majesty!

Your Majesty.

What are you doing here?

We were on our way to Yeongchwijeong.

With so many inquisitive eyes

on the gidaeryeong--

Hold your tongue.

The question was for Mong-woo.

As I have not yet mastered

the ins and outs of the palace,

the Sixth Royal Secretary was aiding me

to find my way to Yeongchwijeong.

How amusing.

You dared to enter Yeongchwijeong

when I did not even summon you?

I had not thought it through.

I beg your pardon for my foolishness.

I do not want to see you.

Go and wait for my command.

As you wish, Your Majesty.

I see it now.

The two of you conspired

and had Kang Mong-woo

apply to become the gidaeryeong.

That is not true, Your Majesty.

Until I was ordered to play

baduk against him

at Chundangdae upon your command,

I did not even know he was alive.

You once boasted about

your close friendship with him.

There was a time

when I sought to

become close to Kang Mong-woo.

However, ever since

the incident three years ago,

I had long forgotten him and moved on.

As for Kang Mong-woo,

I am certain he has a grudge against me.

And…

you do not have any grudge against him?

Despite my unforgivable crime,

you have shown me great kindness

by sparing my life

and giving me a government post.

My only wish is that

bygones can be bygones.

Have you found a way to save the tree?

I have made countless inquiries

and found a few promising ways.

And?

Some suggested replacing the soil,

and others suggested

replanting the tree in fertile land.

What shall I do?

You may not replace the soil

or replant the tree elsewhere.

Find another way.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Has His Majesty summoned me

to Yeongchwijeong?

No, my lord.

He commanded you to return home.

Your Majesty.

An urgent matter requires your attention

regarding your travel for the gisinje.

My ears are open.

I apologize for saying this,

but many offices have petitioned

for the reduction of the troops

to be mobilized for the said event.

Do not generalize and state clearly.

Who discussed what and where?

During a meeting at the Ministry of w*r,

some raised concerns about the high number

of troops being mobilized for the event.

What do you mean high?

Some may suspect

that you are inspecting the troops

under the pretense of traveling.

That is what the Ministry of w*r

is concerned about.

And who would dare raise such suspicion?

The Qing's envoy is arriving soon.

"Do not do anything that may arouse

suspicion from the Qing's envoy."

Is that what you are implying?

Your Majesty.

That is not what I meant to convey--

What else did they say about the matter?

Your Majesty.

I apologize,

but the cost of your travel rises

in proportion to the number of troops.

The officials at the Ministry of Taxation

also warned

that the costs might not be met

without levying a tax for your journey.

The purpose of my travel

is for the first gisinje of the late king

after the three-year mourning period.

If we cut the number of troops,

the people will think

that I lack honor for the late king.

Thus, the offices' petition

will not be granted.

However,

I will ride a horse

instead of a royal palanquin.

I will reduce the number of officials

and court ladies in attendance as well.

The officials traveling with me

shall do the same.

Would that soothe your concerns?

What a wise answer, Your Majesty.

We will follow your commands.

I am done here.

Everyone here shall sh**t an arrow

before they leave.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

I mean,

what is so bad about placating the Qing?

Why would he rage over a petition

seeking to prevent trouble?

I cannot seem to wrap my head around

what His Majesty is thinking.

His Majesty is placating the people,

not the Qing.

The people?

Despite Joo Sang-hwa's efforts,

the rumors about His Majesty

continue to spread across the land.

The public sentiment will only worsen

if they find the gisinje lacking.

How could he not get enraged

to see his court stirring up trouble?

Principal Director.

What do you think about

Minister Min's opinion?

Let us speak in privacy, Great Lord.

You have enraged him

with your nonsense, Minister Min.

Pardon?

But that is…

Why?

Can you not do it?

Of course I can.

I will speak to Her Majesty.

Then I shall convey this

to Her Royal Highness.

You want me to summon

Kang Mong-woo, the gidaeryeong?

His Majesty would be furious

if he were to find out.

I cannot do it.

I have nothing to ask of the gidaeryeong.

Father.

If you want to become

the patron of the gidaeryeong,

please find another way.

Your Majesty.

I would not have brought it up

if that had been the case.

Is it…

the Principal Director's command?

No,

it must be Her Royal Highness's command.

She could just summon him

to her quarters instead.

It is to avoid His Majesty's wrath

when he finds out.

They need a scapegoat.

They only sent you to me

to prevent me from telling His Majesty

that Her Royal Highness is behind it

like the First Senior Consort did.

Am I wrong?

Your Majesty.

Just consider this your duty

as a daughter-in-law to prevent discord

between a son and his mother.

You have been waiting for this,

have you not?

Thank you, as always.

It is nothing.

What about the herbal medicine

for Her Majesty?

It will be ready soon.

Her Majesty takes herbal medicine?

Her chronic migraine has come back.

- What happened?

- Is it not obvious?

Her Royal Highness is forcing her

to carry out a distasteful task.

She was forced to do so

when the First Senior Consort was exiled.

She went to plead with His Majesty

upon Her Royal Highness's orders

and earned his ire for no reason.

I will skip the morning assembly today

and inspect the Directorate of Training.

- Lead the way.

- Yes, Your Majesty.

His Majesty is away

to visit the Directorate of Training.

Tell the Queen

to carry out my order today.

Yes, Your Royal Highness.

I am writing to you

as an urgent matter came to my attention.

Last night,

Her Majesty's illness worsened.

According to the female physicians,

it is due to Her Royal Highness.

Gidaeryeong Kang,

Her Majesty has summoned you.

As you have told me to send word

should Her Royal Highness make a move,

I send you this letter just in case.

Your Majesty.

Gidaeryeong Kang is here.

Let him enter.

Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo

at your service, Your Majesty.

Please wait.

The person you should

offer your services to

will be here shortly.

Your Majesty.

Forgive me,

but you seem distressed.

You have keen eyes.

I am distressed.

I have a way to rid you of your concern.

Would you like to hear it?

Just how would you know what concerns me?

Is it not because Her Royal Highness

is coming to your quarters to see me

while His Majesty is away?

How did you know?

His Majesty has left the palace

on purpose.

When Her Royal Highness comes to see me,

His Majesty will rush here

at that very moment.

What…

What could I do?

At this rate,

His Majesty's wrath will be upon me.

I have an idea.

We have no time,

so allow me to ask a few questions

before I share my idea.

Ask me anything.

Your Majesty, Her Royal Highness is here.

Is the Grand Prince inside?

Grand Prince Munseong

left for the Royal Garden earlier.

Do you know where he is

in the Royal Garden?

Gidaeryeong.

You may raise your head.

My goodness.

How come no one told me

he was such a fine-looking young man?

My apologies.

It was my first time seeing him today,

so I could not inform you.

I was not talking to you, Your Majesty.

Just stay silent.

I apologize, Your…

Royal Highness.

You may sit comfortably, Gidaeryeong.

Thank you for your kindness,

Your Royal Highness.

I am told that you are

exceptional at baduk.

I hear His Majesty is quite satisfied.

Tell me, how does it feel

being the gidaeryeong?

Some may praise my skill,

but it is nowhere close to His Majesty's.

I head to Yeongchwijeong daily

hoping to learn from him.

I finally understand

why His Majesty is so fond of you.

I apologize,

but I am unsure of his affections.

He has not summoned me

for the past few days.

If he does not like someone,

he does not hesitate to exile them

and never sees them again.

I believe

he is in the process of molding you

into the companion of his liking.

Your words are putting my heart at ease,

Your Royal Highness.

Is that so?

Then we should see each other often.

I would like to

become a dependable patron for you.

What do you say?

I am very grateful,

but the offer is excessively generous.

It is not excessive.

Do not read too much into it.

As it is something I cannot handle,

I must beg you to withdraw your offer.

How dare you decline

despite my repeated requests?

I wonder why you are being so arrogant.

Tell me.

Here comes His Majesty!

Welcome, Your Majesty.

Do not walk away.

Did you just return to the palace?

It is quite disappointing

to learn that you would come here

before visiting my quarters first.

I went to your quarters first

and came here

as the court ladies directed me.

What brings you all the way

to the Queen's quarters?

I came by to give my regards

after hearing that she was unwell.

That is quite strange.

You have never masked your discontent

at the news of the Queen's ailments.

And yet, you came

all the way here to see her?

Also,

what brings you here, Mong-woo?

Your Majesty, I--

Her Majesty must have summoned him.

Am I wrong, Your Majesty?

Did you summon the gidaeryeong, My Queen?

Yes, I did.

This is becoming even more strange.

You do not know how to play baduk

and are not even feeling well.

So why would you summon the gidaeryeong

who should only answer to me

while I happened to be away?

I wanted to discuss the matter

of Grand Prince Munseong with him.

And what could have

prompted you to discuss a matter

regarding the Grand Prince

with a complete stranger

like the gidaeryeong?

Well…

Because…

I was going to inform you in advance,

but I failed to do so.

I was not aware

that you were out of the palace.

My goodness.

Seeing as she cannot speak straight,

she must be very ill.

Let us leave so she can rest.

Mong-woo, you answer me.

Why did the Queen summon you?

I do not know why Her Majesty summoned me,

but I will inform you of our conversation.

Her Majesty questioned me

if I would be willing to teach

baduk to Grand Prince Munseong.

And what did you say?

I replied that I could not do so

without your approval.

And how come you sought

a baduk tutor for the Grand Prince?

The truth is,

Grand Prince Munseong asked me

to get him a baduk table a while ago.

I assume

that the news of the gidaeryeong

sparked his curiosity.

Mother,

did you happen to hear their conversation?

I did not.

It must have taken place

before my arrival.

Is that so?

Is anyone outside?

Did you summon me, Your Majesty?

Bring Grand Prince Munseong immediately.

As you wish, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

Surely an offhand request

for a baduk table from the Grand Prince

cannot be so important.

Depending on his answer,

this may become an important matter.

If he answers

that no such request was made,

it means the Queen and the gidaeryeong

have both lied to me.

And if so,

I must find out…

why they have done so.

Your Majesty,

Grand Prince Munseong is here.

Welcome, Grand Prince Munseong.

Grand Prince.

Have you ever asked the Queen

to get a baduk table for you?

Yes, Your Majesty.

I have indeed asked her to get one for me.

How come you turned to the Queen

instead of me?

I wanted to inform you

after learning the basics of baduk first.

I thought you might then find joy

in my interest in baduk--

It appears the Grand Prince

wanted to win your heart over with baduk.

No, that is not--

How dare you talk back?

Is that all you have learned from me?

I apologize, Your Royal Highness.

Your senseless meddling

ended up leading to trouble!

Your Majesty.

If Her Royal Highness gets angry,

beg for her forgiveness

and ask to be punished.

That way, His Majesty's wrath

will not fall upon you.

Please forgive me.

This happened due to my foolishness,

so please punish me

and do not condemn Grand Prince Munseong.

Grand Prince Munseong.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Do you really wish to learn baduk?

Do not mind him, Your Majesty.

He does not know what he is saying.

He only feigned interest

as a means to an end.

- Is that not true, Grand Prince?

- Speak up.

Do you want to learn baduk?

If you would allow it,

I would like to learn.

All right then.

I will get you a baduk table,

so learn from the gidaeryeong.

I am very grateful, Your Majesty.

That will not do.

You will only spoil him

if you grant his request easily.

With you in charge of his education,

what could possibly go wrong?

Though that is quite true…

You must teach him with all your heart.

Of course, Your Majesty.

I will try my best to become a good tutor.

Was involving Grand Prince Munseong

your idea or the Queen's?

As Her Majesty was distressed,

I merely showed her a way out.

However, I did not fabricate

the Grand Prince's interest.

How come you helped the Queen?

Her Majesty and I

were about to fall into the snares

that the two most noble persons

had prepared for one another.

I could not sit back and watch.

I simply helped her as it was the only way

to ensure my own survival.

Are you certain that is all?

Yes, Your Majesty.

That is all there is to it.

The Queen Dowager, the woman

who gave birth to me and raised me,

will not admit defeat so easily.

Nor will she excuse you

for helping out the Queen.

She will do whatever it takes…

to have you groveling on your four

while begging for her forgiveness

with tears flowing from your eyes.

How do you plan on avoiding her wrath?

I have no means to avoid that.

However, risking her wrath was inevitable

to uphold your command regarding patrons.

All I can do now

is turn to you for your help.

Do you still expect help from me?

Do not worry.

You are the gidaeryeong and my person.

As you have adhered to my royal command,

I shall protect you too.

Your Majesty.

Forgive me, but may I ask you a question?

It seems like you have much to ask for.

What is it?

How come you granted

Grand Prince Munseong's request?

I learned baduk when I was his age.

I granted his request

as it reminded me of my past.

Do not dream of using

the Grand Prince's tutoring

as an excuse to neglect

your duties as the gidaeryeong.

Am I understood?

Of course, Your Majesty.

Gidaeryeong Kang Mong-woo

at your service, Your Highness.

This is the gidaeryeong

I told you about, Sister.

Greetings.

Where is the baduk table?

It is in the pavilion. Let us head there.

Myung-ha?

Your Highnesses.

Have you been well?

I apologize for the belated greetings.

Please forgive me for failing my duties.

No.

Do not say such things.

Your Highness,

do you not remember him?

To speak the truth,

I do not recognize him.

It is natural you do not.

Did I not mention that Myung-ha

became the Sixth Royal Secretary?

You did.

When will you teach me baduk?

We have no time.

Her Royal Highness

only granted an hour of learning.

Let us begin now.

Let us stop here for today.

As you wish, Your Majesty.

I will head to Yeongchwijeong.

Summon Kang Mong-woo.

Your Majesty.

The gidaeryeong is currently tutoring

the Grand Prince at the Royal Garden.

Yes, that is right.

It slipped my mind.

It did not slip your mind.

You are simply too engrossed

in a single matter.

On what, exactly?

The gidaeryeong you keep summoning,

Kang Mong-woo.

Enough of that nonsense.

No one shall follow me.

So?

Have you reached a decision?

My answer is no.

I cannot put Their Highnesses at risk

solely to achieve my goal.

I doubt that is your true reason.

You are afraid

that the incident three years ago

may repeat itself.

Losing your kin again for aiding me

would be a tragedy you want to avoid.

If that is how you feel,

I will not insist.

You are right.

I am afraid.

I am afraid…

I might hurt you again.

Will you join hands with me?

I will.

CAPTIVATING THE KING

The story in itself is trivial,

but it is rather strange.

The Sixth Royal Secretary and I

do not share a bond worth repairing.

Kim Myung-ha seemed

to want a strong bond with you.

What a mysterious man.

He is hogging His Majesty's attention.

Sever all your emotional ties

to Kang Hee-soo.

The King is already suspicious of us.

As he has returned to me alive,

I intend to protect him this time

no matter what happens.

How do you…

sever your feelings for another?