Original subtitles

THIS DRAMA IS A FICTIONAL STORY BASED ON HISTORICAL FACTS

SOME ORGANIZATIONS AND CHARACTERS IN THIS DRAMA ARE FICTITIOUS

You're actually here.

I am.

I'm here to kill you.

Your Highness!

Bring the physician. Now!

No.

Why...

Why on earth...

You did not see anything.

If rumors spread,

I will slay you first.

Okay.

Chi-do!

Chi-do!

-Are you all right? -Chi-do,

what the heck happened?

Where is Hwi?

Why choose this obvious path to death

instead of choosing to live?

Why?

EPISODE 9

An assassin attacked Bang-won.

It is too early to tell, but he is in critical condition.

-Where is the assassin? -Tae-ryeong locked him up.

They'll interrogate him soon to find out who put him up to it.

But the thing is,

your son is locked up with him.

Thanks for your hard work.

Rest now.

What brings you here, my lord?

I heard about what happened to His Highness.

I must see how he is doing, so make way.

Nothing happened.

Please leave.

To my eyes, it does not seem to be the case.

I wish to get to the bottom of what happened.

If you stand in my way,

I will take your life to clear the way.

How is he?

His pulse is barely detectable.

It seems like the poison has already spread throughout his body.

And?

We should prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario.

You may leave.

How did you end up like this?

You looked as if you could even rip the sky into pieces.

How come you are barely breathing now?

And it seems like

you will stop breathing for good very soon.

The secret letter will be gone for good if you are gone.

Who, other than you, would dare to stand against me?

Is it painful?

I have been struggling my whole life to get a taste

of the things that you were born to.

I put up with mockery while cleaning King Woo's palanquin.

I gained His Majesty's trust only after smearing my hands with my comrades' blood.

Since everything came so easy for you,

there is no way you'd understand how humiliating that is!

History

will despise you for killing Poeun.

And you will die at the hands of your own soldier and will be laughed at.

So...

listen to my words while you can still breathe.

I will get the Crown Prince under my thumb

and make sure to become the real power behind the throne.

Where is the assassin?

Hwi.

Drag him out.

What more do you want?

What more do you want from me?

You know the answer.

No, Father. Please don't.

Let go. Let go of me, you bastards!

You barked well

but didn't bite hard enough.

That is why you are tied to the leash like this.

Harsh torture awaits you,

and you will end up

saying my name.

That absolutely

will not happen.

"Absolutely," "never," "at all costs," and "without fail."

Those are words that I do not trust.

Take your own life.

Just like your father who died to save you and Yeon,

take your own life to keep Yeon safe.

Father!

Did you do this to my father as well?

Would you believe me if I said no?

Stalling won't change anything.

You promised me

you will look after Yeon.

You must keep that promise.

Everything depends on your decision.

Cry.

Blame me like you have always done.

After all, that is what you are best at.

After I leave for the palace tomorrow,

you shall kill Yeon.

I'll tell the King

that a private soldier revolted and killed the Prince.

His Highness is not dead.

Will that be the case tomorrow?

Kill Bang-won.

Put this on the arrowhead.

He will die even if the arrow grazes him.

The moment he finds out that you're a spy, everything will be over.

The moment Nam Jeon orders me to kill Bang-won,

I will hand the letter to Bang-won.

The letter is evidence of the past,

and I am evidence of the present.

Chi-do.

-Things are not going as planned. -What do you mean?

Bang-won came to the hut. He now knows that you're a spy.

I am Nam Jeon's spy.

I truly wished

to take you under my wing

because I liked your archery skills and your bravado.

That is why I gladly joined your game.

But the objective of the game was to kill me?

I cannot help

but laugh at myself.

You are not the one

I'm after.

Then who is it?

My sole goal

has always been taking Nam Jeon down.

Nam Jeon?

Is this the original letter?

How can I trust you?

There is a witness.

Nam Jeon, that son of a bitch.

He tried to frame His Majesty...

I mean, he tried to frame General Yi for treason to get him killed.

But because he feared that he might get caught,

he killed all his comrades instead and sided with General Yi.

I saw everything with my own two eyes.

Is it true?

How could I dare to lie in front of Your Highness?

I only did what I was ordered to do.

Your Highness, please spare my life.

I must take your life

because you obeyed such orders.

Why me?

Only through you can the letter reach His Majesty.

Then why now?

I had to wait until Nam Jeon gave me the order to kill Your Highness.

I will

tell His Majesty what he ordered me to do.

The letter proves that he tried to kill His Majesty,

and I am the proof that he tried to assassinate you.

I will

take Nam Jeon down.

But this could cost you your life.

Your Highness will have to die as well.

Why did your arrows

pierce through my chest armor?

I could not have fooled Nam Jeon

by just pretending to shoot you.

After all, that is why

you drank the poison.

Hey, guys.

I'm mad at you, so don't even call me.

I'm sorry I'm putting you through all this.

What are you waiting for? The liquor.

It's nothing serious. It's not one of the vital points.

Shut up, or I'll rip your mouth out.

Goodness, my fingers are trembling.

I said it's nothing serious.

My gosh, this is odd. Why is the wound already infected?

Hey, here.

-Stop the bleeding first. -Okay.

Hey, put pressure on this.

History

will despise you for killing Poeun.

And you will die at the hands of your own soldier and will be laughed at.

So...

listen to my words while you can still breathe.

I will get the Crown Prince under my thumb

and make sure to become the real power behind the throne.

This won't kill me.

If I were meant to die, I would've died a long time ago.

Soldiers on the battleground

try to walk without knowing they've lost their legs

and try to grab their swords with no arms.

This is

your battleground.

That is why you do not realize that you have

lost your arms and that you're in pain.

When I got stabbed,

the thought that I might actually die

and wouldn't be able to see Yeon again

truly terrified me.

And it made me think of my father.

He must've been so terrified.

He had to leave me and Yeon behind.

I realized that it must have been

truly heartbreaking.

After I leave for the palace tomorrow,

you shall kill Yeon.

Leave!

I said, leave.

I just need a moment.

I have something to tell her.

Then we will give you 15 minutes.

What is it

that you need to tell me?

If you're not going to say it,

why don't you just do me a favor since you're already here?

My brother...

Please save him.

I remember everything.

From the beginning

to the end.

I won't ask anything.

Please just save my brother.

Please take pity on him. You know why you should.

Who else knows about you

regaining your lost memories?

No one else knows.

You mustn't let anyone find out.

I will save you from here, so...

When?

What if Hwi gets hurt?

What if he dies?

-Yeon. -I will take my life.

If I'm gone,

my brother can live, right?

Your brother, Hwi, is...

Let's leave

when my father heads out to the palace tomorrow.

Let's leave this hellhole.

PRINCE JEONGAN IS ALIVE

So it appears that

he went to kill Bang-won as per Nam Jeon's order,

but he did not kill him.

He will deceive Nam Jeon

and rescue Yeon later on.

Is Hwi colluding with Bang-won?

What will you do now?

Keep a watchful eye on Bang-won's residence but be as discreet as possible.

A corpse will be carried out if there was a murder. Please check.

Send a spy with a physician to find out what's going on,

but I'd like an update every 30 minutes.

The Queen wants you to come to the palace immediately.

I still cannot believe the royal order has been issued

for the installation of Crown Prince.

Congratulations, Your Majesty.

Now, I must protect

what I have obtained.

That is why I summoned you.

In this turbulent time,

I am confined to the Queen's Palace. It is truly suffocating me.

I wish to see the outside world through Ihwaru.

You are already seeing the outside world through me.

It is not enough.

I heard Madame Seol is ill.

Take over her position, which will become vacant soon.

Make Ihwaru yours

and give it to me.

Madame Seol

is still alive.

We should prepare for what is to come if she were to pass away soon.

Ihwaru sides with no one.

It cannot be owned or subdued.

You spoiled brat.

Have you forgotten?

This isn't about politics. This is a war, where bloodshed is inevitable.

You won't side with anyone?

Could you still say it if Bang-won got sole control over it?

At the moment, we should wait and see how things go.

Do not do anything reckless as it will only give them ammunition.

Nam Jeon will kill Bang-won.

You can just watch.

I will fight.

The head of Ihwaru

only fights for Ihwaru.

That will never change no matter who occupies the position.

I took you under my wing

when you had nowhere to go.

Is this how you will repay my kindness?

I came to you of my own accord

and put my life on the line to repay your kindness.

Make sure

you kill Bang-won.

If you fail,

you will face death.

I wish you

a long, healthy life.

Where will you go if you desert me?

There is nothing you can do without me.

I will make sure

no one can dare to mess with Ihwaru.

My mother

looked after our entire family by herself

while my father was fighting in wars.

She endured all those painful hardships

but passed away before this new kingdom was founded.

She was given a meager posthumous name instead of being called the Queen.

The order came from Nam Jeon and the Queen herself.

They hounded His Majesty to push it through.

Why did you spare my life even though you knew that I was a spy?

Because you remind me

of someone I know.

Who might that be?

I hear you met with the Queen.

The key to the secrets.

I'll accept it.

I am now

Madame Han of Ihwaru.

All desires and secrets of this world

as well as scandals and trickery are here.

Some will only remove one from its post,

but some could ruin an entire family.

Use them wrong, and they'll harm you instead.

I'll remember that.

Are you going after Nam Jeon?

I'll start with those who are loyal to him.

And when

Nam Jeon is all alone in this world,

I will make him a mockery and kill him.

Listen.

-Yes, Madame Seol. -Yes, Madame Seol.

This is my last command,

so be sure to respect it.

What you're holding are weapons to end those of a ministerial rank.

Leave any traces or rumors that could lead to you,

and I'll punish you by death.

Now, send out the secrets.

-Yes, Madame. -Yes, Madame.

Are you saying we should be patient for now? We might all end up dead!

What happened 20 years ago was written in detail.

There's no way out of this mess.

This is all because of what Nam Jeon did.

There's the 1380 incident

and he also turned Prince Jeongan's house around.

If His Majesty finds out, none of us will live to tell the tale.

Watch what you're saying!

Keeping quiet isn't going to help.

Do you have a way out of this?

We must clean this up.

Whoever sent the letters is after Nam Jeon anyway.

So to stay alive,

we should bury Nam Jeon?

We can't all die so that he can live.

So this will be my last plan of action.

Fetching.

If something happens to me...

Why do you always have to say such discouraging things?

You shouldn't.

You really shouldn't be this way.

Please rescue my sister safely.

Let's go.

Yeon.

It's all right, Seon-ho. You've done enough.

Don't say that.

I'm the one they're after.

There's no need for you to get hurt.

Enough!

Sorry we're late.

Are you Yeon?

It's nice to meet you.

Yeon, close your eyes.

We're a bit pissed off, so this might get ugly.

Let's go, Yeon.

Who are you?

Your brother is waiting.

Hwi, I mean.

Is he alive?

Did something happen to Hwi?

No, he's all right. Don't worry.

Please

take good care of her.

Go.

Bye, Yeon.

Seon-ho,

will you be all right?

Please...

stay safe.

Let's go.

Where's Jeongan?

He wasn't at the coronation ceremony

and didn't even attend the feast.

Is he just petty

of planning something to retaliate?

Crown Prince, approach.

This is the sword I wielded to unfold a new nation.

There have been many swords.

Mine,

the ones that died for me,

and...

the ones aiming at my throat.

Even at this moment,

there are swords aiming for our necks.

With this I give you,

be brave and slit your enemies.

Annihilate those who disobey this court and nation

and those who trifle with us both

to lay the foundation of an everlasting dynasty.

Who are you to decide whom that sword belongs to?

What is that you're dressed in?

How dare you ruin a festive day of this nation!

The Crown Prince may shed blood of this world,

but you order us to lay down our swords.

That attitude of yours

is why someone made an attempt

on a prince's life.

On your life?

What...

On whose orders?

A man who plotted to kill you in the past

also tried

to kill me too.

Director of the Privy Council...

Nam Jeon.

Such an accusation requires evidence.

Is there one?

I actually have two.

IHWARU

The original copy of the secret letter is one.

The other

is the assassin hired by Director of the Privy Council Nam Jeon.

Enter!

Identify yourself.

I am Hwi of the Seo Family.

I once met you as Nam Jeon's chaser on a hunt.

Continue.

Nam Jeon held my sister hostage to threaten me

and ordered the assassination of Prince Jeongan.

However, I couldn't do as asked,

so I told Prince Jeongan everything.

It's why I fooled Nam Jeon instead

and found a way for me, my sister, and Prince Jeongan to live.

That is why I am the second piece of evidence

and one that still breathes.

Go ahead and refute these accusations.

The secret letter is authentic, but it does not tell the whole truth.

I only pretended to have

the same agenda as those who tried to kill you.

The letter is only a remnant of that.

My loyalty toward you

has always been the same.

Prince Jeongan and this man

are purposely saying lies about me.

The two parties claim two very different stories.

What does everyone else think?

Director of the Privy Council Nam Jeon has always been vocal

about how Prince Jeongan is plotting a revolt.

It is why he has insisted on eliminating

the princes born from your former wife.

Isn't that enough evidence,

Your Majesty?

Threatening to kill a royal blood

is the same as aiming the sword at me.

I will interrogate the suspect myself and get to the truth.

Remove Nam Jeon right now!

I apologize for bringing this up at a sensitive time,

but this happened as soon as you disbanded private armies.

If our adversaries plot another attack on us,

how are we supposed to defend ourselves?

That is why I ask you to revoke your command

and ensure

the safety of your relatives and the court's administrators.

Please reconsider.

-Please reconsider, Your Majesty. -Please reconsider, Your Majesty.

Nam Jeon has been imprisoned.

The King will soon interrogate the man himself.

It's already coming to an end which makes it all seem vain.

It has only just begun.

Aiming swords at each other

but then enjoying drinks at night is what politics is.

Smiling when you've stabbed someone's back is also what politics is.

So watch carefully from now on

and see how everything unravels.

I doubt you planned this all on your own.

Who are you working for?

It is Sambong.

Do not lie to me.

You won't believe that it's Sambong

but you seem sure that I betrayed you.

I will ask you one last time.

Answer me truthfully and then beg for your life.

Who is it?

The guards will listen

and so will the officers of this court.

The order...

came from the Queen.

How dare you!

Is this

what you achieved in the end

for being His Majesty's loyal dog?

Is this all that you achieved after

trampling on my father, me, and my sister?

That...

should only be said after I'm dead.

I'm still very much alive though, so what now?

Do you know why I didn't kill you with my sword?

Because the pain wouldn't have lasted.

So feel it from now on.

A life of misery and mockery which is worse than dying.

It will be a living hell.

Who will end up in hell

is yet to be decided.

Face the reality.

Your world is over now.

I appreciate your mercy, Your Highness.

You should go.

Your sister must be waiting.

I will leave then.

He was my friend and mentor.

I also thought of him as a father figure.

Him as in

that man you resemble.

I wish you the best, Your Highness.

Dust has piled up everywhere.

They say old habits die hard.

How is it that you haven't changed?

How?

Thank you...

for staying the same.

I'm sorry for what I put you through.

You did well.

I'm sorry...

for not coming sooner.

I'm sorry, Yeon.

I'm sorry.

My gosh.

Did you bring all of this for me?

Not only do you have a pretty face,

but you also have the heart of an angel!

Please enjoy then.

I need to head down soon.

I've always found a woman who works charming.

It's not bad!

Right? Isn't it good?

Yes.

Does Hwi have taste blindness?

He's the type to even happily chew on rocks.

I heard that.

Right. Well, it's good.

It's so delicious.

It's so good that I feel like I'm flying!

I'll wish for you to drop.

I know you like me.

I like men who are clean.

You know, men with white teeth at least?

It won't be a feast without some drinks.

Here you go.

Uncle Mun-bok,

how did my brother survive out there?

Yeon, is the wind visible to you?

How can one see the wind?

Well, your brother is like one.

A strong gust of wind.

The enemies would encounter him and lose their hands

without even knowing that it had happened.

Then they'd lose their heads while looking for their hands.

Stop that.

He means that Hwi fought for his life

just so that he could come home to you.

That's not all. Remember the captain of the advance party?

That jerk threw a hairband into the fire,

but Hwi went all crazy

and shoved his hand in the fire to retrieve it.

The smell of his hand burning even reached Ming

making their people and Jeong Beom hungry.

Hold on a second.

This.

This is the one.

Look how the ends are charred.

Next time, just leave it to burn.

Hairbands can easily be replaced.

But there's only one of that specific hairband.

Everything feels like a dream.

Failing the state exam,

being dragged off to Liaodong,

and Yeon being held captive.

It's as if I've been living in a nightmare.

Sometimes, I even worry that I'm still stuck in one.

Not all of them were bad though.

The day we met,

the day we flew the kites,

and this moment

where we're all together again.

It actually could be one long-lasting sweet dream.

If that is the dream,

I'd rather not wake up.

And then I wish...

to be a part of that dream.

I'll...

wait.

I promise I'll be back.

I won't keep you waiting.

Your Majesty.

It's true.

I ordered the assassination of Bang-won.

I already told you

that a mother will do whatever necessary to protect her child.

Do not dare speak so absurdly.

Jeongan is also my son.

Then why do you fear him?

Watch your words.

Because you fear him,

you made Nam Jeon go up against him instead.

Who will it be next once Nam Jeon dies?

If you don't look after your people,

no one will step up for you.

My Queen!

Depose me as well.

Depose Crown Prince Uian and throw us out.

Have Jeongan be Crown Prince

and live out your long life watching this nation burn.

Do you still not get it?

Bang-won's sword will slice through Nam Jeon,

kill me and my son, and head for your throat.

Let Nam Jeon live.

Impossible.

A King's order takes priority over any law.

This nation is the King's,

so who will dare disobey your order?

I have told you what I must,

so I will now wait for your wise decision.

But this happened as soon as you disbanded private armies.

That is why I ask you to revoke your command

and ensure

the safety of your relatives and the court's administrators.

What has Jeongan been up to?

After returning to his residence, he started gathering more soldiers.

Ministers who have been keeping their distance

are now trying to be on his good side.

A feud between the Princes

is what I least want.

I might lose the Queen and the Crown Prince.

Even you...

can't have everything.

Even if I save your life,

it's not for your sake.

If I kill you, I have to kill your big brother, the Auditor General,

as well your little brother, the Grand General.

I can't sacrifice the talents

because of their foolish brother.

A meritorious subject has immunity,

so it won't be violating the national law.

Keep your position,

but stay away from the Queen and the Crown Prince.

And stop standing against Bang-won.

Focus on your duty.

Then...

who stands against him?

Your son, Nam Seon-ho.

He may be not mature,

but he's like his father at a young age.

The feisty therefore fearless man

who was full of desire.

It is you that I am talking about.

I gave you a chance.

If you confessed yourself before the ceremony,

you wouldn't have ended up like this.

I know you, your Majesty.

Even if I confessed myself then,

my body would have been shattered in pieces

and hung up all over the country.

You...

still don't know me.

He's alive.

Your father.

Everyone got the letter about the conspiracy.

The source is unknown,

but the content is so detailed...

It's Ihwaru.

The Madame is having her death throes. Her end must be near.

Get the royal guards ready.

The person who turned me in

and his sister.

I will kill them.

I will not let you.

Tell them to slay everyone who is in the way.

Even if it's my son.

You took Yeon

and you killed my people.

What are you waiting for?

Go and tell Hwi.

That he must run far away.

What are you doing? Everyone is waiting.

I'm coming.

Good.

We must escape.

The royal guards are coming.

Why would they?

My father

was released.

We must hurry.

Seon-ho!

We've got this. Run. Now.

Guys, I'll see you there.

-Take care. -Hurry.

Damn it.

Come here.

Over there!

Go to the quay.

-I'll see you there. -Hwi.

Go!

Go. Yeon is waiting.

Seon-ho.

Leave.

And...

let's never see each other in this way.

Okay.

We won't.

Two are missing.

Hwi.

Yeon!

Your nickname is a king with a gat?

There is even a rumor going around

that Prince Jeongan will be the next king.

You and I are alike.

We both tried to harm our own fathers.

You have changed a lot.

Yeon has died and Hwi might die too.

Your father used poison.

He did not just make you kill yourself.

He tried to kill you in the most painful way.

Okay, Yeon.

I'll stick around a little longer.

Just a little longer.

We don't know when Bang-won will attack us again.

In the end,

we will all be slaughtered.

Subtitle translation by Hye-lim Park