01x08 - Episode 8

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MEMORIAL TABLET OF YEO-HWA'S

HUSBAND AND SEOK JI-SEONG'S SON

You have never appeared

in my dreams before.

For what reason are you visiting me now?

Lady Cho!

You must go to the shrine right away.

I have returned, Mother…

What is this?

It is a fan.

Do you think I do not know that?

Why is a man's fan in the shrine?

I do not know either, Mother.

Very well.

If you do not know,

then I must find the person

who would dare to defile

my dear Jeong's shrine.

-Bongmal.

-Yes, my lady.

Gather all of the servants

and find the owner of this fan.

Find them by any means,

even if you must flog them.

No, Mother!

What did you just say?

Mother…

It cannot be.

The thing is…

Did you really…

It was…

I am the one who hid it.

What do you think you are doing?

How dare you get involved?

Yeon-seon, wait outside.

My lady,

I have committed a grave sin.

My lady, Lady Cho knows

nothing about this.

That fan was

hidden away by me.

If you are lying to me

with that cunning tongue,

you will not leave here in one piece.

So, tell me.

Who does this fan belong to?

I was walking down a mountain path alone

when I encountered

a group of bandits and was in danger.

The servants ran away,

and the scary bandits approached me

with swords.

"If you do not give us the rice,

something terrible will happen to you."

As they stepped closer,

I was so terrified that I froze.

"Somebody save me. Help me."

At that moment…

Halt!

Someone appeared and saved me.

He dropped that fan on the ground

and abruptly disappeared.

So, you are saying

you do not know who it was?

Must you be thrown out of this house

before you tell me?

It was Royal Advisor Park!

Are you referring

to the second son

of the chief scholar?

Yes.

How could I dare return it to him?

But I cannot get rid of it either.

I see.

Prepare to go out.

-Pardon?

-You are a servant of our household.

Should we not go and thank him in person?

Follow me.

The chief eunuch asked

the eunuch on the long shift at the time.

That night, the finance minister's wife

personally served tea to my father.

If so,

was Madam Oh truly the one who did it?

For a long time, she has stayed

by my mother's side like a shadow.

She was upright

and never once asked for a personal favor.

Why would she do such a thing?

I doubt

that she was working alone.

Fifteen years ago,

she visited the queen's quarters freely.

It is likely then

that she got involved with Lord Seok.

Since the poisonous petals

have reappeared,

the left councilor will try

to keep things in control

by getting rid of the root of the issue.

To prevent the truth

from being buried again,

I will tell my brother

to keep a close eye on Madam Oh.

Why are you not organizing your stand?

They say I am dead.

Can you see me, Head Guildmaster?

You do not look like a ghost to me.

Head Guildmaster.

You know of everything

that happens in Hanyang, right?

They say that every rumor

in Hanyang passes through Myeongdo Inn.

-Ask away.

-Then, do you know

Lord Seok's widowed daughter-in-law?

I do not know her.

-You spoke as if you know all--

-Head Guildmaster!

I have brought him.

Welcome.

It is good to see you yet again.

I heard it was urgent.

Please come inside.

-I have a question.

-I do not know.

About what?

Where are you going?

I did not even ask you anything!

Have you found something

about the finance minister's wife?

Yes.

I was quite shocked to learn of it.

What is it?

Have you forgotten that I was a merchant?

This cannot be bought with money.

What is it that you want?

Will you promise

to give me whatever I want?

As long as it does not break the law,

I promise that I will.

I will take your word for it and tell you.

Madam Oh's mother secretly gave birth

and abandoned the child.

That child…

was Kang Pil-jik.

Why would she abandon her child?

At the time, Madam Oh's mother

was mourning her late husband.

If a widow gave birth,

it would not be strange

for them to k*ll the child.

The two of them were siblings?

Kang Pil-jik suddenly became

a guildmaster and gained power.

At around the same time,

the insignificant Yeom Heung-jip

became the finance minister

and partook in all sorts

of shady business.

There is no way

the finance minister's wife knew nothing.

Thank you.

That is helpful information.

Why did you ask me

not to tell Lady Cho about any of this?

This is far more dangerous than you think.

It is better not to know.

You are worrying about Lady Cho again.

It is the right thing to do

as a Capital Guard superintendent.

Let me now tell you what I want.

Please do not meet with Lady Cho anymore.

What will you do now?

This is all your fault, my husband.

This happened because Yeon-seon

looks after me in your place.

If anything happens to Yeon-seon,

consider your memorial meals gone.

We were just on our way to see you,

Royal Advisor Park.

Who, me?

She is one of our household's servants.

Have you met her before?

Yes, I know her.

I heard that you helped her

when she was in a difficult situation

and lost your fan in the process.

We came to return it

and to thank you for your help.

This…

is my fan, I see.

I was wondering where I lost it.

I must have lost it

while I was helping her.

Thank you.

She belongs to our household,

so we will not forget your kindness.

Also, you do not have to worry

about there being gossip

about the nation's royal advisor

being involved with a lowly commoner

when he is from such an esteemed family.

I will make sure

that no one hears of what happened.

How can it go against the customs of class

to help out and worry

for a fellow human being?

If the girl were to ever be in danger,

I would gladly help her again.

Regardless, I apologize for making you

personally return my fan.

Forgive me, my lady.

It is all right.

I shall get going now.

Please return safely.

Let us go.

Yeon-seon.

The royal advisor?

I wondered since that time

in the mountains.

How do you know him?

Is that important right now?

What will you do from now on?

We somehow managed

to get out of trouble this time.

If Lady Yoo catches us again,

both of us will be as good as dead.

Do not worry.

I will not let you die,

no matter what happens.

Why are you being so serious?

Then, I will be serious too.

-I will follow you to the grave, my lady.

-Do not say such a thing!

No one is going to die.

I will not die, no matter what.

My lady…

So, why did Royal Advisor Park

say the fan was his?

For what?

You should go to the shrine now.

What did you just say?

What about Park Su-h*?

He was brought

to the chief scholar's home,

and they barely managed

to save him from his injuries.

But that happened

15 years ago.

Exactly when was it 15 years ago?

It was on the day

that the former king passed away.

What?

Could he be the child from back then?

That is impossible.

There is no way Im g*ng's son is alive.

I found it, sir.

EDIC

Let us go.

What should we do now?

I am sure

Park Su-h* does not recognize us.

He could not be so calm in front

of the ones who k*lled his parents.

For now,

we must thoroughly check if it is true.

Please do not meet with Lady Cho anymore.

I will ensure that Lady Cho stays

out of dangerous matters,

so I ask you

to consider her a stranger, sir.

How can I do that when I already know her?

You ordered her to stay

within the walls to avoid danger.

Do you truly not know

how painful that is for Lady Cho?

Do you wish for her

to slowly waste away within those walls?

If not,

will you free her from her confinement

so she can live a normal life?

There is nothing you can do

for Lady Cho, sir.

What would you like me to do?

Yeon-seon.

Where has she gone?

-Yeon-seon?

-What are you

-doing here, my lady?

-Goodness.

I was on my way to the main house

to talk to Mother.

Lady Yoo left early this morning

with Lady Jae-i.

Is that so?

But why did you stay behind

instead of escorting Mother?

And have you seen Yeon-seon?

Lady Yoo told me to take Yeon-seon's place

and asked me

to stay right by your side at all times.

What?

What is it?

Is Lady Yoo inside?

She has gone out.

Madam Oh has sent a message.

She did?

She is asking to see you, Lady Cho.

What should I say?

What else can be said?

I must not keep Madam Oh waiting

and go immediately.

-Wait here. I will get ready.

-Wait.

Where are you going

without Lady Yoo's permission?

Did you not just hear?

Madam Oh wants to see me.

Still, you must get permission first--

Madam Oh personally asked to see me,

and if I rejected,

she would be angry.

If Madam Oh gets angry,

the queen dowager will hear of it.

If the queen dowager finds out--

All right.

Let us go.

I will escort you.

Hello, Mister.

Hey, there…

Wait a moment!

Are you running away from me?

Please do not follow me.

An esteemed royal advisor

should not be acknowledging me.

Stop right there.

Should you not explain to me

what happened yesterday?

PUB

-Alewife.

-Yes, sir?

Give me the most expensive one.

Coming right up.

What are you doing?

Since you are good with numbers,

you must know

this is a very reasonable price

for yesterday's events.

Right.

Well…

Thank you for helping me

and I apologize for causing you

a needless misunderstanding.

I am the one

who is needlessly misunderstanding.

Are you in love… with my brother?

Pardon?

What on earth do you mean?

If not, then why did you have his fan?

Was that the superintendent's fan?

I bought the fan for him as a gift.

But did you not even know whose it was?

Well, that is…

In that case,

the person who had my brother's fan…

must not have been you.

It seems like the person you are hiding

is the same person

that my brother is hiding.

Pardon?

I am very curious as to who that is.

Please do not be curious. I beg you.

-Never.

-Is that so?

Did I not say

that I would look for your brother?

Did you find something?

It seems your brother

was involved

in a secret affair inside the palace.

What do you mean by that?

I apologize.

I cannot say anything further.

Please tell me a little more.

I promise not to tell another soul.

I have not found anything

for the past 15 years.

Whatever it is,

if it is a clue

to help me find my brother, I must know.

Long ago,

on the day of the former king's passing,

the capital was

filled with many strange

and scary happenings.

The general of the King's Guard had

his family massacred,

and several of the king's guards vanished.

And I heard

one of them had received

a secret edict from the former king.

Are you saying

that my brother was one of them?

Just what kind of edict was it

that made him disappear for so long

without a word to his family?

Almost no one knows of this,

so it will likely be difficult

to find your brother's whereabouts.

Then what should I do?

Who knows about what happened that day?

The queen dowager?

His Majesty?

They may not even know

that any soldiers

of the King's Guard vanished.

Then who would know?

At the time,

the chaos in the nation was ended

by the left councilor, Lord Seok.

Do you mean my father-in-law?

He told me that he would try

to look for my brother.

He cherishes his daughter-in-law

more than anyone,

so I am sure

he will do his best to find him.

However, even if Lord Seok knows

everything that happened,

he must fulfill his duties

as the left councilor.

So, he may have

a justifiable reason not to tell you.

Yes, he must do.

I apologize for causing you

unnecessary trouble.

I will return home now.

I am sorry that I only know this much.

There is no need.

You have been of great help.

Thank you, Madam Oh.

That should have Lord Seok sitting

on the edge of his seat.

RENTAL BOOKSTORE

Are you telling me

to protect Minister Yeom's wife?

What do you think is

the most effective way

to completely silence someone?

The truth of this case cannot be buried

with her futile death.

So, you are saying

that those who wish to harm her

are the same people behind everything

from the assassination of the former king

to the m*rder of my parents?

That is right.

At the very least,

until we find the guard who vanished

with the former king's royal seal,

we must protect Minister Yeom's wife.

-All right.

-This is an order from His Majesty.

You must not do anything carelessly.

I understand.

It just came in today.

No.

But this is…

Do you feel better now, Mother?

After getting some fresh air

and observing the people,

I feel much better.

While we are here, should we buy

some sticky rice cakes to take home?

Are you thinking about Brother again?

I get angrier the more I think of it.

How dare she bring

another man's belongings

into my brother's shrine?

Why did you not punish her?

I do not wish to speak of it anymore.

It is nearly impossible

to see Superintendent Park.

I wonder where he is and what he is up to.

What if he is working by himself in secret

to take all the credit for himself?

Oh, please. He is doing no such thing.

I believe he is in love.

-In love?

-In love?

Whenever he gets drunk since then,

he says, "I am dying to find out

what kind of a person they are."

So, the rumor that he has a lover is true.

Could it be

-Lady I-gyeong?

-Lady I-gyeong?

It is not Lady I-gyeong.

It is someone else.

Superintendent Park…

is not such a bad choice.

How can I shake her off?

This is the best thing I have ever tasted!

See? I told you it was delicious.

Master Kkon-nim.

There is plenty here, so eat up.

Give us five more.

Yes, sir.

It is all right.

Just this one is enough for me.

These are not just sticky rice cakes.

It is a bribe to ask you

to take care of me.

Then, can I take five pieces to go?

I have a mother at home,

and she is a bit ill.

Give me ten pieces.

No, give me 20.

Yes, sir.

My mother also loved the sticky rice cakes

I bought for her.

Your mother?

She was so lovely

and beautiful.

Whenever I called for her,

she came to me with a bright smile.

Just like that.

My dear…

Mother? Goodness.

Something has come up, so I must go now.

Novice Joo!

Wait… Is that…

I do not think this suits me.

Lady Cho.

We must hurry.

Was… Is that… Squire?

Lady Cho, one moment.

Please wait right here.

Mother, what is the matter?

Are you all right?

Where…

Bongmal!

What are you doing here?

The thing is…

Well…

We came out for a short while,

but Lady Cho has vanished.

My lady?

What is the matter?

My lady…

MYEONGDO INN

-Are you all right?

-What on earth?

-My hair!

-What is the matter?

-My hair!

-Your hair?

Why are you doing this?

I mean, I apologize…

What on earth?

Is he unwell?

Lady Cho.

Hello, Kkon-nim.

Is Lady Jang inside?

The head guildmaster stepped out.

I see.

There is a strange man here.

He opened up a stall here recently.

His name is Mr. Joo.

So, this is the infamous man

with the unknown identity?

Let me introduce my--

Tell Lady Jang I will be back.

He seems very ill, so be careful.

Yes, my lady.

My lady.

Allow me to introduce myself.

Where are you going?

At least tell me your name!

Novice Joo!

How dare you ask my lady for her name?

Master Kkon-nim.

Who on earth is she?

She is Lord Seok's daughter-in-law.

Lord Seok's…

Is he really unwell?

I did not get to see Lady Jang.

And who was that lunatic?

Why are you out alone during the day?

Do you fight in this outfit too?

I almost did.

Just here, do you…

Why? Does your head hurt?

No, I mean here…

It looked as if your hair got messed up

while you were fighting.

I would grab a sword

rather than hair in a fight.

Why did you bring me here?

How goes the investigation

of Minister Yeom?

Is that why you brought me here?

I told you not to get involved with that.

That was my intention…

but Madam Oh recently told me…

-Never mind.

-What did she tell you?

It seemed like she was

intentionally trying to tell me something.

Never mind.

You said to leave

the investigation to you.

What exactly are you trying to say?

Surely, a mere woman like me

could not have found out anything crucial.

But Madam Oh has asked for me often

lately and tells me many things.

It is likely that something she says

would be of great use to you.

I still stand by what I told you before.

Do not get involved in anything dangerous.

I think it would be best

if you kept your distance from her.

Is getting close to Madam Oh

a dangerous thing to do?

Are you saying

she could be the true k*ller?

Well, that is not what…

That is…

If you do not tell me the details,

I cannot tell you anything either.

Please think it over.

What is it?

What on earth am I supposed to do?

I am curious as to

what Lord Seok's daughter-in-law will do.

Why would you do such a thing?

You should look into escaping

to somewhere like Qing.

Why are you trying to create more issues?

If Lord Seok truly gets angry,

do you think either of us will be safe?

What is it? Do you fear death?

To cover something up,

you must hide a hundred other things

in order to barely conceal one secret.

However, I have struggled for so long

to hide the hundred other things

that I can no longer even remember…

the one secret I truly had to conceal.

This is not the time to be so calm.

Is that one secret…

the fact…

that you are the child

my mother secretly gave birth to?

Or could it be

the fact

that I k*lled my b*stard of a husband?

If it is not even that,

then is it that I k*lled the former king?

Have you lost your mind?

And to think

I endured all of that suffering

just to hide such measly secrets.

My lady?

Do not get up.

I heard that you collapsed in the street.

What is the matter?

It is nothing.

My lady,

please tell me what caused this.

It was

our dear Jeong.

Were you thinking about our son again?

Our Jeong…

I miss him so dearly.

I miss him as well. Of course.

However, drowning in your sorrow will

only harm your health.

Jeong would not want

his mother to be in pain.

We should have just allowed him

to marry the girl he was in love with.

No, we should not have let him travel

to Qing in the first place.

If I knew I would never see him again,

I would have fed him

his favorite taro soup

that morning before he left home

for the last time.

Physical fatigue seems

to have weakened your heart.

Tomorrow, I will buy you something…

My lord.

Could you search for him one last time?

I would not be so upset and vexed

if we had at least found his body.

An accidental death in the mountains?

That cannot be true.

Who knows?

He may have survived

and is alive somewhere--

My lady.

You already know

that I checked many times.

I went to Unjong Street today

and saw a man

who looked exactly like our Jeong.

His shoulders, his back,

and even the way he walked were

exactly the same.

Even the slight glimpse

of his face looked like our Jeong.

It cannot be him.

Yes, of course, I know that.

How could I not know that?

It is only because

I wish to see him at least once,

even as a ghost.

I convince myself that I am all right,

but then there are days when I miss him

so much that I cannot breathe.

How dare you dishonor

the reputation of our family,

which was built over hundreds of years?

No matter what you say,

I will marry that girl, Father.

As long as I am alive,

I will never accept a blue-eyed woman

as my eldest daughter-in-law.

She will be my wife,

not your daughter-in-law.

She will live with me,

so do not get involved.

If that is what you want,

then leave this house and never return.

I will never return of my own accord,

so do not worry.

Do as you please.

However,

I will not allow this family to fall apart

because of a fool like you.

You are dead to me now.

If you ever return,

I will get rid of you myself.

Father.

I know that you are

more than capable of doing so.

My mother…

My goodness!

How is Mother feeling?

What words can comfort a mother

who longs for her child?

My apologies.

I heard you have become close

with Madam Oh recently.

Yes.

She summons me sometimes

to keep her company.

How kind of you to do so.

However…

I think it is best if you do not visit

Madam Oh too often.

The people call Madam Oh

the living embodiment

of Instructions for Women.

If the people found out

that such a person fostered

personal relationships as a widow,

nothing good would come of it.

Moreover, I worry

you will be gossiped about

since you did not even go

to guard your husband's grave.

Yes, Father.

I realize I have been careless.

All right.

Go inside now.

Father.

Is there something you wish to say?

I apologize for asking,

but I am curious if there is any news

about my brother.

I am sorry about that.

I left no stone unturned,

but I could not find anything.

Could something have happened

to the king's guards

in the palace that night?

What do you mean by that?

Is there something you heard?

No.

We heard nothing at our residence,

so I wondered if something had happened

at the palace.

Did I not tell you

that I meticulously looked for any trace

of your brother in the palace?

-Yes.

-He finished his shift as usual

and left the palace,

after which no one heard from him.

That is what you told me

the year I married into this family.

However,

after some time passed,

I began to wonder if my brother was just

an ordinary soldier of the king's guard.

A soldier

of the king's guard is nothing more.

Why do you say such an odd thing?

He went to the palace often

when it was not his shift

and was suddenly summoned in the night--

You must not have known much

as you were young at the time.

Your brother was just an ordinary soldier

of the king's guard.

Do you wish to say anything else?

I apologize.

I seem to have had foolish thoughts.

It is late. Go inside now.

Yes, Father.

Why have there suddenly been instances

related to my brother?

One thing is certain.

My brother's disappearance is related

to something very important.

What if this note was sent

by someone dangerous?

They likely do not know

what a dangerous person

Lord Seok's daughter-in-law is.

Are you not going to tell

Superintendent Park?

What on earth

am I supposed to do?

I told him to think it over,

so I will await a reply.

I must go and meet with Lady Jang.

ROYAL SEAL

EDIC

If you had handed over

the edict and royal seal sooner,

your sister would have had a better life.

Rest in peace now.

I will take good care of your sister.

It is not your turn to stand guard today.

I am urgently needed at the palace.

I will be gone for a few days.

Where is Father going at this late hour?

Who is that?

It is such a shame

that I cannot even serve you a cup of tea

when we are meeting

at such a lovely pavilion.

I knew you were a bold person,

but that is inappropriate attire

for a woman who lost her husband.

I am so bored

by only wearing mourning clothes.

You were different in the past.

I remember that it was my boldness

that you were so fond of.

I kindly told you to leave quietly.

Have you decided to stay

and complicate things?

I only said

a few things to your daughter-in-law

out of worry for her brother,

but it seems to have

greatly complicated things for you.

What on earth are they talking about?

Surely, you do not believe

you will remain unscathed.

If I cannot remain unscathed,

then I will simply die.

However, when I think

about the events in the past,

I made a significant contribution

fifteen years ago.

I would feel too wronged to die alone.

Did you forget

your contribution allowed you

to live as the finance minister's wife?

That incident put the nation

in the palm of your hand.

All I got was being

the finance minister's wife.

No matter how I think about it,

it simply

does not add up.

They say a mantis will try

to stand in the way of a wagon.

How dare the likes of you stand in my way?

Someone like me could not dare

to stand in your way.

All I am saying is

that I will not let things end

in such vain as this.

What?

Madam Oh?

Your daughter-in-law is very smart.

As long as I can safely stay at my home

-and continue the work I do…

-What?

-…I would have no reason to talk…

-Why is Madam Oh here?

…to your smart daughter-in-law

about her brother anymore.

Do you believe

that will be a threat to me?

You have become so vulgar.

Father!

Hyeon-jae.

Sir!

Let us go.

Sir?

Please wake up, sir.

Sir?

Sir!

Please wake up.

Sir!

How are you feeling?

Are you all right?

What happened?

You fainted.

I nearly died carrying you here.

I told you that you would be indebted

to me one day.

How could you be so confident

when you could not even handle them?

Thank you

for saving me.

You saved me once too.

Anyway,

do you know where they came from?

Seeing how they checked my scar,

I am sure they know who I am.

Since I am holding

your secret against you,

I will tell you

a secret of mine to repay your help.

No, thank you.

My secret is a burden enough.

Why would I bear another's secret?

Is that so?

If you insist,

pretend that I am a wall

and talk to yourself if you wish.

Sitting alone all day in the shrine,

I also share

my inner thoughts with the wall.

It is quite relieving.

I am someone

who should not be alive.

My warm mother,

father,

and nursemaid…

My loving family were

slaughtered before my eyes.

Thus, 15 years ago,

one day without any forewarning…

I managed to survive alone

in that bloodbath.

Not only did I survive,

but I cannot clearly remember…

that awful day.

I am the perfect example

of someone whose crime is being alive.

Just being alive condemns me as a sinner.

So, this is my way

of not giving up and surviving.

-What I meant by that was--

-So…

do not worry too much.

My conscience is not clear enough

to use your secret as a weakness.

I shall go now.

Thank you

for today.

I am the perfect example

of someone whose crime is being alive.

I should not have listened.

CAPITAL GUARD

Captain Hwang.

You are here early.

Yes.

Where is

our dear Superintendent Park Su-h*?

Well, I think…

He must have caught a cold.

He is feeling unwell.

What?

Our dear superintendent is sick?

Where is he now?

Are you feeling very unwell?

Captain Hwang.

You are ill, so do not get up.

Were you having such a hard time

that you fell ill?

I am fine.

You are not fine.

You look so thin and haggard.

This is usually how it goes

with lovesickness.

It must have been difficult.

Of course, I know it is difficult.

I will wait for the right time

and speak with her,

so do not worry

and focus on getting better.

What… are you talking about?

There is no need

to feel shy about it with me.

We will take care of the project

to dig the waterway for Cheonggyecheon,

so get some rest today.

Me, sir?

Yes, you.

Captain Hwang.

-Rest up.

-Captain?

If you wish to hear about your brother,

give this book to the person

who visits you in five days.

There are so many pretty items.

How about this fine-toothed comb?

Did you enjoy the book you received?

Yes, I did.

Wait here.

-I will get the book.

-One moment.

If you come to this place,

the one who you must give

the book to will be waiting there.

I apologize for asking to meet like this.

Please forgive me.

Your brother was a soldier

of the king's guard 15 years ago,

and you are

Lord Seok's eldest daughter-in-law,

Cho Yeo-hwa, correct?

Can you promise

that you will not speak

of this meeting to anyone?

My lady, this is about the life

of your brother, Cho Seong-hu.

It is very important.

Can you make that promise?

If you cannot promise me,

then I cannot tell you anything more.

Who are you?

Do not turn around.

Why are you looking for Cho Seong-hu?

I have come

to speak with Cho Seong-hu's sister.

What do you wish to ask her?

May I speak while this man is present?

I am looking

for something Cho Seong-hu left behind.

What is it?

I cannot tell you that.

I came to ask

if he had left anything to his family

or contacted them at all.

Do you know

why Cho Seong-hu disappeared?

Do you know

that reason?

Answer my question.

Now!

Step away.