Original subtitles

The perpetrator becomes the victim, and you lose the upper hand.

That's all fabricated!

A sloppy investigation has turned a living person into a dead one.

And then she vanished, like she never existed in the first place.

WANTED: FUGITIVE FOR FRAUD

What do you think made her so sure?

The visible evidence?

SUSPECT

The word on the street?

It's the pattern.

The suspect's crimes follow a pattern.

She cons a large sum of money, fakes her own death,

assumes a new identity,

and sets up an even bigger con.

Did the search warrant include Boudoir's bank account?

-No, I'll apply now. -It'll be too late.

There's a way to check without it. Follow me.

Why did the money come in? Didn't anyone check?

I'm sorry, ma'am.

Call Violent Crimes. What the hell are they trying to pull?

What's going on?

"What's going on?"

You said Boudoir was all a scam.

Then how the hell is money coming in?

What money are you talking about?

The 15 billion won Jeong Yeo-jin embezzled!

The full amount was just paid back.

WITHDRAWAL

I know this is a bullshit ploy to cover up the case.

Why didn't you even freeze the account?

You were so smug raiding that place.

What, did you take a payoff or something?

-You fucking shit! -Ma'am, no.

-Let go of me! -Hold on.

-You! -No, stop.

Is that how you got promoted, asshole?

We can still catch her.

"Catch"? The suspect is dead.

The suspect is still alive!

What?

Hey.

Looks like our cases are really connected.

I'm about to lose it, too, so just hand over Boudoir's bank records.

I'm sure you went over them while tracking Nox's accounts.

Give it to me.

We have less than three days to hold Jeong in custody.

Get this solved by then, no matter what.

Please authorize a wanted notice.

At this rate, we're practically aiding the suspect's crime ourselves.

Please help us bring her in responsibly.

Say we issue a public notice. Then what?

The suspect has been meticulously erasing her tracks up until now.

But she can't erase one thing.

People's memories of her.

There must be someone who remembers her before she took a new identity.

If we find them…

we can identify the suspect.

That's not enough.

A no-name con artist managed to dupe high-society figures everyone knows.

If this gets out, the public will track the suspect down on their own.

It's only a matter of time before we locate her escape route.

And if we lose her?

She won't last.

In the end, she'll lose her cool and reveal herself.

That will be our only chance

to question her about the Jane Doe sewer murder case.

But you just said

you want to do a public search for her as the Boudoir fraud suspect.

Up to this point, we were pawns in the suspect's setup.

This time, I'll lure her into mine.

You want to con the con artist?

And the evidence?

All we have so far is circumstantial.

You have nothing?

And you're asking me to authorize a public search?

The suspect's statement,

no, her presence alone will be the most conclusive evidence.

I'm positive I can get a confession.

Mark my words.

This could make you or break you.

Thank you, sir.

SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY REGIONAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION

This is Park Mu-gyeong of the Seoul Violent Crimes Unit.

Over the years, the suspect has changed

her name, age, nationality, job, and education,

living under at least three false identities.

Due to the crime's severity, a public wanted notice has been issued.

Effective immediately.

If anyone knows or has recently seen the suspect,

please contact the Seoul Violent Crimes Unit.

What's going on?

We apologize. We retract the notice.

We'll have a press conference immediately after our investigation…

What are you doing?

Well, you see…

Sarah Kim is here voluntarily.

Why did it have to be

now, of all times?

Did you gather all the evidence on the list?

-Yes, I got everything here. -Okay.

Make sure you gather everything. Don't leave anything out.

Yes, sir.

Do you think she'll confess?

The suspect came voluntarily.

-Everyone focus, okay? -Yes, sir.

JANE DOE SEWER MURDER REPORT

INTERVIEW RECORDING ROOM 1

Do you know when we find people who vanish voluntarily?

When they decide to return.

RECORD OF STATEMENT (SUSPECT)

Are you turning yourself in?

No. I voluntarily presented myself.

Let me change the question.

What is your name?

It's Sarah Kim.

There's no record of a Sarah Kim anywhere.

No name, birthplace, age, or education.

Let me ask you again.

What is your name?

I already told you. Sarah Kim.

Would you rather not reveal who you are?

It means who I am is not important.

If you see me as a con artist, I'm a con artist.

If you see me as a businesswoman, I am one.

But if you see me just as a person,

then you'd be able to understand me.

What if I can't understand you?

Then you will never know me.

THE ART OF SARAH

BOUDOIR

Feel free to say anything you want.

You can tell me a convincing lie,

as you did to others until now.

You think you know me when all you've seen is my ankle.

You're the person who created Boudoir.

I am.

I won't deny that.

Are you admitting to the fraud charge?

It wasn't fraud.

I did plan and produce Boudoir completely.

Anyone can make a bag, but not everyone can build a luxury brand.

I accomplished that.

So why would I deny that?

Everyone's the same once they're in that seat.

They end up resorting to pathos.

I want to be wealthy for a day before I die.

A reduced sentence is her only way to survive.

To me, it wasn't a con. It was a matter of survival.

The world is kind yet indifferent.

On one side, a lavish party can be underway

while someone freezes to death on the other.

Is that why you used other people's money to buy luxury goods and live lavishly?

CHEONGDAM GODDESS RESALE SCAM INVESTIGATION REPORT

Oh, this case.

Yes, I've heard of it before.

But I remember hearing

that the suspect committed suicide.

So that's not you?

I'm alive, aren't I?

Then I wonder how this person

wrote a Boudoir product review before the brand even existed?

Who knows?

The dead tell no tales.

But wasn't this case already closed due to lack of prosecutorial authority?

The suspect can't even be punished unless she comes back to life.

This isn't what's important, Detective.

You haven't even come remotely close to what I'm about to say.

Luxury brands became luxury brands

because they discarded what mattered most.

Clients.

The more you ignore them, the more they want you.

That attitude is what makes you a luxury brand.

Which is why I discarded myself.

So that I could start over from scratch…

in a place where no one asked my name.

Fuck, this is why I didn't want to be the first pick.

He wouldn't keep his fucking hands to himself.

Hey, move.

What are you glaring at?

Well…

I'm a follower of yours.

I took your advice and tried the eyelash extension place.

-Really? -Yes.

I'll follow back.

Here.

How long have you been doing this job?

This is just a temp gig for me.

I'm quitting once I save enough to start my business.

"A temp gig"?

It's temporary for you, but it's a lifetime for me?

So?

How much have you saved up?

Not that much.

You didn't take an upfront payment, did you?

Idiot.

Don't just look at how they spend money

but at how they earn it.

Like school, regional, and blood ties?

But you can't have those things even if you try.

Of course you can.

Just find yourself a sucker,

and he'll get you a new identity.

Is this a real diamond?

Not a chance.

But everyone will think it is if I put it on you.

I even sold my soul just to get into that world.

-I didn't realize the look until today. -That's what I mean.

I'm all dressed up too. Look at Eun-jae. She's dressed so nicely.

Honey, you're…

The moment I entered that world, I suddenly had some serious pull.

Aren't you being too rash?

The world was on my side.

I just realized everyone here went to Oxbridge.

Oh, really?

They say drinking makgeolli on the campus lawn

is a fond pastime of a Korean college.

But for us,

it was gulping down muddy water when our punts capsized.

These days, I do miss the taste of that muddy water.

I wondered when he'd bring that up.

Seriously.

Eun-jae, I take it you've never gotten a failing grade?

Oh, I guess I haven't--

So, regarding the thing you mentioned last time…

He's no fun, is he?

No, it's just that…

I actually graduated thanks to a ghostwritten thesis.

My attendance was appalling too.

You seem genuinely nice. No sneaky side.

Let's meet up without the husbands next time.

I'll take you somewhere fun.

Where?

Somewhere with guys in a hot pool, not those who gulp down muddy water.

Isn't life ironic?

I tried so hard to look like them…

Shall we say…

…but they make an effort to look like who I used to be.

It's like a web made strictly by introductions between associates.

-Is this your first? -Yes.

Being so young, you must feel cooped up at home.

Actually, I've been working on a business idea

to bring in a luxury brand here.

But I don't know the geography of Seoul well,

so I'm not sure where to open the store.

I have a building in Cheongdam.

The location is good. Want to take a look?

Yes, Chairwoman Jeong, you should help her.

I'll rent it to you cheap,

and you can raise the building's value for me, Eun-jae.

For some reason, every tenant goes bust and leaves.

I know, right? It's right in the main area too.

145, CHEONGDAM-DONG, GANGNAM-GU, SEOUL

It's in the luxury district.

Hi.

It's been a while.

I'm not saying I'm entirely innocent here.

But people pay money for fake degrees.

I just made up credentials I never had.

Who's more at fault?

You never put in fair effort either.

What about you, Detective?

Are you being justly rewarded for your fair efforts?

Your watch doesn't suit today.

Don't you have money?

Or do you not care how others see you?

If it's not that either,

are you pretending not to care what people think

just to hide the fact you can't afford an expensive watch?

You've just admitted

to posing as a Korean American and falsifying academic credentials.

Am I correct?

Yes, I admit it.

While I can be morally criticized for impersonation,

there's no actual law against it, is there?

And falsifying academic credentials is just a fine

unless I'm a high-ranking official.

A fine of 80,000 won, right?

If committed for financial gain, the two charges constitute fraud.

A 50 billion won fraud is punishable by severe penalties.

That's a bit of a stretch.

Who cares about a seller's education and background when buying a bag?

You swindled 15 billion won from Jeong for investment.

Jeong handed over the funds before Boudoir had officially launched.

The timing suggests it wasn't the brand she invested in

but you, with your fake background and education. Is that a stretch?

When Jeong Yeo-jin was arrested for embezzlement,

it seems you wanted to cover it up somehow.

You rushed to repay the full amount.

I think you have it wrong.

All transactions have been confirmed.

No, those were dividends, not repayment of the investment.

If you recover your principal in less than a year,

don't you think that's a decent investment?

It may begin with a bluff, but if it ends with success,

it's business, not a con.

I'll say this again.

I didn't create Boudoir to deceive anyone.

I built Boudoir

so I wouldn't have to do that.

The Boudoir appraisal report has arrived, sir.

I'm sure you know exactly what it says, right?

You sold bags worth just 180,000 won for millions,

tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of won.

Production costs do not determine the value of luxury goods.

People chase the status that comes with the brand, not the product itself.

"I like the brand's heritage." "I like its identity."

That's all bullshit.

I sold the added value of superiority

and set a reasonable price accordingly.

She's admitting to the charges while dodging punishment.

It's flawed logic,

but it makes sense.

How is this possible?

Tell me about it.

He has been outmaneuvered too.

No, he's waiting for the contradiction to peak.

Let's get Financial Crimes.

JEONG YEO-JIN

Would people still have bought them if they had known the production cost?

Everyone knows that luxury goods are expensive because of the brand value.

What if they knew the bags were made in Korea?

This is the import declaration document seized from the Boudoir store.

With this one forged document,

you turned bags made in Sinwol-dong into "Made in the UK."

Yes, the bags were manufactured in Sinwol-dong.

But that document is not forged.

The bags were produced with the top handles detached

then sent to the UK.

Once there, they were reassembled,

then reimported to Korea to get the document.

Legally.

That can't be called legal. You used a loophole.

You could say I did, but it's also not illegal.

Do you know how far I went to make Boudoir a luxury brand?

I deliberately made and distributed counterfeits.

No counterfeits exist without luxury goods.

On the flip side, if counterfeits exist, it must be a luxury brand.

So if I'm a fraud, then every other brand is too.

And as long as they're not frauds,

I'm not one either.

Do you understand what Boudoir means to me…

and what it is you're messing with?

Do you get it now?

I will do anything to protect Boudoir.

Damn.

Proving trademark infringement won't be easy either.

I know.

Is that why you stole the heritage of a luxury brand?

"Crafted for European royalty for 100 years."

"A British Royal Warrant Holder."

How do you justify promoting the brand with a history that doesn't exist?

It wasn't exactly promotion.

It was just word of mouth, I think.

Pass them down.

God is in the details.

-"Bu-do-ire"? -What's this?

"Bu-do-ire."

First time seeing this, right?

Hey, open it carefully.

And this money here…

This one's mine.

This is for promoting. Get on it.

Thank you.

Details amass to build credibility.

Hey.

You should get a new bag.

Why? Does it look weird?

No, it's just that

all the ministers' wives in the next room couldn't stop talking about Boudoir.

They say these days, owning a Boudoir bag is a sign of true wealth.

Hey.

Yes.

Credibility builds into trust.

And when trust grows, it becomes faith.

But I played absolutely no part in that.

So if I'm a con artist,

that would make them accomplices, not victims.

Would you be able to stand in front of the victims

and call them accomplices?

There's no reason I can't.

But…

has even a single victim come forward to formally accuse me of fraud?

Have you met the purchasers?

Were they willing to make statements?

They spend hundreds of millions of won on a bag for social status.

I wonder if they'd come forward as fraud victims.

What I'm saying is…

there are no victims.

So how is this a con?

This case

can't even be established in the first place.

Let's take a short break.

Now.

Goodness.

You should've just died.

Why are you still alive? Why?

What do you think you're doing?

Hurry up and go inside.

What the hell did you do?

Hey!

INTERROGATION IN PROGRESS

Jeong Yeo-jin said nothing about being defrauded

because she believed Sarah Kim was dead.

Now that she's seen Kim alive, she might decide

to take her down with her.

Her resentment runs deep enough to spit at a corpse.

Let's hope we can count on that.

I'm sure I don't need to explain why we're having this confrontation.

Ms. Jeong, you're undergoing a custodial investigation,

suspected of embezzling 15 billion won.

I did not embezzle. I was making an investment.

It doesn't matter.

We're not here to interrogate you, Ms. Jeong,

but to prove the crimes of this suspect.

Ms. Jeong, in your previous interview,

you said you invested 15 billion won with Sarah Kim

after she told you about Hotel Boudoir.

Is that correct?

I don't recall.

I was not in my right mind then,

having lost a close friend.

Ms. Jeong Yeo-jin.

Did you say "a close friend"?

Do you know her real name? Her age? Where she went to school?

Anything?

"A close friend"?

Will you fall for it again?

Think carefully.

Everything about her was a lie.

Do you think she was ever honest with you, even for a moment?

The suspect is denying

all charges against her, as no one has filed a formal complaint.

No one?

Yes. At this rate,

proving the allegations, let alone punishment, may be difficult.

I have suffered no damages.

Don't you realize the consequences

of the statement you've just made?

Would you be okay with the suspect's crimes being dismissed?

If Boudoir turns out not to be a scam,

then what Jeong did isn't embezzlement either, right?

That's right.

Do you know what you're throwing away

and what you're protecting?

I have not thrown anything away.

I have no objections.

Are we done?

Am I free to go?

Go and get Jeong Yeo-jin out.

I was considering suing you for defamation…

but I won't do that.

You seem to be suffering enough already.

Seriously…

You stupid bastard.

I'm sorry, sir.

I wasn't talking to you.

I was talking to myself.

Chances should be given to people who know how to use them.

I made a mistake.

SEOUL METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY REGIONAL INVESTIGATION DIVISION

It was wrong of me to even want to become rich.

You don't become rich. You're born that way.

It was wrong of me to have been born this way.

I was born the wrong way.

Let me help you sign up for membership first.

May I have your name, please?

Sarah.

Sarah Kim.

Please help those in need.

SALVATION ARMY

Please help those in need.

Let us share our warmth.

We have set up a collection kettle to help those around us in need.

RED KETTLE

Please help those in need.

What the… She's giving all that?

Thank you.

Yes, over here.

We have it in red.

How do you like this model? The sexy vibe suits you very well.

Are you looking for a long-term rental?

No, just one day.

Then how about this one?

If you roll down the window, the side is…

Just insanely beautiful.

Do you have a specific car in mind?

A Rolls-Royce.

This one.

This is a Rolls-Royce.

Here.

-Just leave it, please. -Yes, ma'am.

We wish you a pleasant day.

Just a moment.

Thank you.

APOLOGY

CHEONGDAM GODDESS HERE

I CAN'T SHIP ITEMS DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES

I'M SORRY

I wish I could be born again.

I'm here to stay for good.

You know, I have a dream now.

I want to become a person who suits this bag.

EDIT

I GOT THE LUXURY BOUDOIR BAG LOVED BY EUROPEAN ROYALS FOR 100 YEARS

The world is kind yet indifferent.

On one side, a lavish party can be underway

while someone freezes to death on the other.

Stop there!

-Play it back. -Sir?

-I said play it back. -Yes, sir.

The world is kind yet indifferent.

On one side, a lavish party can be underway

while someone freezes to death on the other.

Get her.

Yes, sir.

Do we still have something to discuss?

You are under arrest without a warrant for the Jane Doe sewer murder.

You have the right to an attorney and the right not to incriminate yourself.

You will have the chance to explain yourself

and the right to request a detention review from the court.

Why are you so set on arresting me?

On what grounds are you accusing me of being a murderer this time?

The Jane Doe sewer murder case.

As it happens, the murder occurred on the same night as your Boudoir party.

Then you must already know.

My alibi for that day is overwhelming.

The world is kind yet indifferent.

On one side, a lavish party can be underway

while someone freezes to death on the other.

You let something only the suspect and the police know slip.

It was never made public that the victim froze to death.

And based on that statement,

you have become the last person to see the victim alive

and the only suspect who knows the cause of death.

If you had taken the entire 50 billion won and disappeared,

I would've thought it was a meticulously planned murder.

But you didn't do that.

Something happened that day, didn't it?

Accidental killings can be a mitigating factor.

Was it premeditated?

Or were you

acting on impulse?

Could I have a cigarette?

We've got her.

Whether she calls it premeditated or impulsive,

she's finally admitting she committed the murder.

God, I tried so hard to quit these things.

Did you know?

Every single wealthy person I met quit smoking

so they could live longer.

Detective, have you ever thought,

"I want to live just a day longer"?

No matter how desperately I tried to be like them,

I couldn't even bring myself to think something like that.

Have I become like this because I lived tirelessly?

Or did I live tirelessly to become like this?

Detective.

The reason people trusted me

isn't because I had some special skill.

I just knew

what they desperately wanted.

And it appears you want something from me too.

You're desperate for my confession.

Detective.

I did some research before coming here.

"The arrest warrant must be requested within 48 hours of arresting the suspect."

"If the warrant is not requested or is not issued within 48 hours,

the suspect must be immediately released."

What comes next?

That's right.

"A person released under this regulation

cannot be rearrested for the same crime without a warrant."

If I run, I'm a con artist. Arrested, I'm a murderer.

But if I get released from here,

what would people call me?

You have 47 hours left now.

WARRANT REQUEST DEADLINE

Subtitle translation by: Yung Un Choi