Original subtitles

(A Good Friend to Meet)

(This drama is purely fictional and is not associated...)

(with actual people, organizations, incidents, or locations.)

Princess...

Do not move, Princess.

No. I will go to you!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty!

Princess.

Princess.

Princess!

Did you see her too?

Yes, we did.

It was really her. Was it not?

Yes, it was.

Then what on earth is going on here?

Your Majesty!

- Princess. - Your Majesty!

- Your Majesty! - Stay right there. I will go to you.

- Princess. - Your Majesty. Please.

Look at me.

Look at me. Please?

Do not be in pain.

That woman...

is not the Crown Princess.

No, I am certain...

We have returned from looking for evidence outside the palace.

What?

Your Majesty. I am Kim Chan Man.

Do you remember me?

Goodness.

I remember you.

What brings you to the palace?

Is that not the court dress...

that I gave to Lord Ahn Ji Hyung?

However, this is not the real one.

What?

In the dress that Your Majesty gave him, a gold thread was used for the embroidery.

But this one has silver embroidery.

Then where is the real one?

The clothes that the woman at the pond was wearing...

had gold embroidery.

Someone must have wanted to cause Your Majesty distress.

They stole the real dress,

leaving a fake one in Her Highness' box of keepsakes.

It was to cause confusion in the investigation.

Your Majesty. If that woman really is a ghost or spirit,

how could she have been wearing the stolen court dress?

Who on earth did such a thing?

What if His Majesty spends his whole life...

unable to forget about the Crown Princess?

What if making him forget about her...

is an impossible task,

just like it is impossible to sweep away the fog with one's hands?

(Gyeonghoeru)

Why are we here?

It is too early to give up.

I will get rid of the fog somehow.

What?

Shin Won, the last time I saw you, you were a decent swimmer.

Why? What is it now?

You said you heard something falling into the water.

What could that be?

Do you not think you can find that out by going into the water?

Gosh. You are joking, right?

Do I look like a joker to you?

Well, you are quite bizarre.

Hey, look. There is an elk.

Why would an elk come into the palace?

The elk is right here, punk.

Hey, you said we were friends.

Your friendship is no joke.

Hurry up and look around in there.

Seriously. Hey, take this.

Hurry up and look.

Gosh.

Why is he not coming back up? Is he dead?

What is this?

It is a mirror the size of a person.

Someone put a mirror in place...

and made it look like a woman was disappearing like smoke?

Yes.

If you hold onto this rope...

and then let go,

it would go splash.

This was it.

This was why all of these incidents happened near water.

Like the pond, wash place, and the well.

- That is why I feel rushed. - Why?

If that woman did not actually disappear like smoke,

there is a big chance that she has not yet left the palace.

What?

Now, it is time for you, Chief Eunuch and Chief Court Lady,

to act.

- Right. - As a woman,

the easiest way to hide one's identity would be to act like a court lady.

Just like me.

Some court ladies come and go to work at the palace.

It would be the easiest to leave the palace in their midst.

First, we must shut down all entrances...

and look into all the court ladies inside the palace.

Court Lady Won, you know most of the court ladies' faces.

You would especially be able to recall...

the face of that woman we saw yesterday.

I will look for that woman.

I will tell the palace guards to heighten security.

Good.

Then I will tell the officers of the Department of Justice...

to focus the investigation on the areas...

where that woman might be hiding.

- Good. - Good.

Let me come with you.

No, you should stay in the quarters with me.

But why?

Is it not better to have more people searching?

I told you. The palace is a dangerous place.

(Jaseondang)

What? The dead deposed Crown Princess appeared in the palace?

However, it is said she was wearing the stolen court dress.

So many think she was not a ghost.

In case that woman is hiding among the court ladies,

there is a full search underway.

When was the death anniversary of the dead princess?

It is today, Your Highness.

If another person dies in the palace this time...

What will we do?

No matter how strong His Majesty's heart may be,

it would be hard not to falter from this.

Do you know how we may stop this?

How could I know of such things...

when I am but a mere woman?

However...

I did hear that if a new Queen,

who could change the dark energy within it...

were to enter the palace,

extraordinarily, no more disasters will occur.

I see.

A full search of the court ladies.

I guess she is walking into her own coffin.

(Son Shi Dong)

I have heard the news.

I hear you are searching for a suspicious court lady in the palace.

Yes, we must find her by the end of the day.

This incident...

is probably connected to someone high up in the palace ranks.

If not, how would she have entered the palace so easily?

That could be true.

From now on,

the Palace Guard will be in charge of the investigation.

I will tell the officers of the Department of Justice to withdraw.

If the case is handled by multiple departments,

it will only cause more confusion.

- However... - We will investigate thoroughly...

so that the court lady with a hidden identity...

does not disappear under the protection of those with power.

I will inform the Department of Justice myself.

But why do you want me to stay here?

Things are so chaotic right now. Do you really want to wander around?

Investigator.

The Palace Guard just told the Department of Justice to withdraw from the case.

They must be short-staffed as it is. Why all of a sudden?

I am not sure about the details.

The superiors are looking for you now. I think you should go.

I cannot leave this place at the moment.

Shall we withdraw as they say?

At this rate, that woman might get away.

We must find her now, before she leaves the palace.

Go ahead. We will stand guard here.

Then I will just go and find out what is going on.

Okay.

What is this about?

We were ordered to find a suspicious court lady...

whose identity has not been vetted.

What are you waiting for? Did you not hear that you must leave at once?

Then you have come to the wrong place.

I am Sun Hwa, a court lady who waits on His Majesty.

(Court Ladies Directory)

According to the directory,

Sun Hwa is bedridden at the moment due to a serious illness.

My gosh. I fully recovered long ago.

I am totally fine now. I am very healthy.

In any case, you will have to come with us.

But this is...

Then please go and get the Chief Eunuch and Chief Court Lady.

They will confirm my identity.

We were told to be alerted if the court lady seemed...

to be protected by the higher-ups.

How dare you! Do not even lay a finger on her.

A mere guard had better stay out of this!

Like I said, we are simply carrying out orders.

No, but...

Wait!

Identify yourself.

How dare the Palace Guard arrest a court lady?

Besides, she waits on His Majesty.

Chief Court Lady, what is her name?

Her name is Sun Hwa. It must be in the directory.

From what we have found out,

she used to go by the name of So Rang.

She is concealing her real identity to work in the palace.

And she keeps watch by His Majesty's side, of all places?

The Department of Justice has vetted her.

Please stop interrogating her and let her go at once.

We combed through everything but were not able to confirm her identity.

We believe that So Rang is probably not her real name either.

We are looking for the person who resembles the late Crown Princess...

and has been causing chaos in the palace.

This court lady cannot be the culprit.

You may be able to catch a loach while chasing a chicken.

We have finished inspecting every court lady in the palace.

We were able to confirm everyone's identity,

except for just one court lady's.

Those who had seen the late Crown Princess' face said...

none of them looked like her.

Then we should investigate the one who seems most suspicious.

And the higher-ups who are trying to protect her too.

We must investigate them thoroughly regardless of their ranks.

Could you follow us to the investigation room?

We need you to tell us how that woman ended up in the palace...

and how she has managed to impersonate a court lady.

We need your answers.

Take them.

- Yes, sir. - Yes, sir.

Wait.

Are you all right?

It is not your real name? What were they talking about?

I will not ask why you did such a thing since the situation is urgent.

Just tell me your real name,

and I will do everything in my power to get you out of here.

You said we were friends.

If you will not say anything, I cannot help you.

My name is...

Ye Hyun Sun.

Your bride, whom you lost seven years ago.

What is this sound?

Later today, they will hold a ceremony for the elite troops who are leaving...

for the border area to conquer the barbarians.

A ceremony for the elite troops?

His Majesty will attend the ceremony to wish them luck in person...

because it is such a dangerous area.

Then it must be impossible to check every soldier's identification tag.

What?

If that person is not a court lady, it could be one of the soldiers.

Could you ask the Palace Guard to inspect everyone?

That will not be possible.

The Minister of War, Cho Sung Kyun, is overseeing the ceremony.

The Palace Guard work under the Minister of War.

So no one can check the soldiers' faces?

Only one person can do it.

He has more authority than the Minister of War does...

and will be watching the ceremony in person too.

More importantly,

he has certainly seen the late Crown Princess' face.

(Geunjeongjeon)

What do you think, Your Majesty?

You can now stop worrying about the border area.

Yes, I suppose so.

You seem a little tired.

How about we end the ceremony a little early?

I hear...

it can get extremely cold in the border area...

and that it sometimes snows until May or June.

These brave soldiers volunteered to go to such a place.

Hence, I should applaud them and show them my support as the King.

- That said... - As you were!

I wish to meet every soldier and give them encouraging words...

to help boost their morale.

That is not necessary.

How will you meet the hundreds of soldiers individually?

I must, for every single one of them...

is my subject.

I did not know we had a soldier with such hands.

Look up.

Yesterday, you disguised yourself as the late Crown Princess.

Today, you are disguised as a soldier?

Who brought you here?

They have moved to that place.

Is that so?

I cannot believe that this woman in disguise...

is standing among our soldiers.

I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty.

The Ministry of War should take full responsibility for this.

I will investigate this matter myself.

There is no reason for you to get involved as well.

Drag her out!

So Rang disappeared? What do you mean?

What?

(Crown Princess' Palace)

- Did anyone go inside? - No, Your Majesty.

Do not open the doors for anyone.

You must risk your lives to protect this place today.

If you do not, I will take your lives.

- Yes, sir! - Yes, sir!

I have an idea of where So Rang might be.

Let me ask you again.

What is your real name?

Who told you to come into the palace and impersonate a court lady?

Hurry up and confess.

All I did...

was keep watch by His Majesty's side.

Who...

Who brought you into the palace?

It was me.

I brought her here.

Where is Kim Eui Jun the Chief Commander of the Palace Guard?

There is an interrogation room in the basement of the jail.

He brought her there.

Your Majesty.

Who dared to drag you in here?

She is a suspicious wench whose identity is unknown.

The name she uses is not her own.

So?

What?

She is a court lady assigned to me!

Do I need to explain further?

Kim Eui Jun. Chief Commander of the Palace Guard,

has taken and tortured a bedroom court lady...

and has made her like this, so...

This is no different from harming me directly.

Therefore, you will be punished in the same way as you would...

had you harmed the King.

- Arrest that man at once! - Yes, sir!

Let us go. You are a mess.

So Rang.

Open your eyes. So Rang.

I was told that Chan Hyeon is in jail.

What if she names us after being tortured?

Who said that this scheme...

is over?

Go and tell the lord...

that he must do something...

to get me out of here.

Are you awake?

This is all my fault. It is because of me...

Your Majesty.

I am glad you are alive.

Are you...

all right?

No.

Why do you think this happened?

They are doing this knowing that even the shadow...

of the Crown Princess will shake me.

I promise you now...

that I will erase everything.

About the Crown Princess?

I will take make my royal command for you to take in the spirit...

of the Crown Princess.

Then...

my job here...

is done.

There is no reason...

for me to stand watch anymore.

Do you not know why you are here?

Was it not to take in Her Highness' spirit?

No. You...

are here to assist me.

So stay by my side officially...

as my court maid, So Rang.

But Your Majesty, I...

Thank you...

for staying alive.

Your Majesty!

- Your Majesty! - That woman...

It was not the Crown Princess' Palace this time!

Your Majesty!

Your Majesty. You must not!

Your Majesty!

Why...

Why did it have to be here?

This must be a warning for So Rang.

- Your Majesty! - Your Majesty.

- Your Majesty. - Who on earth...

Your Majesty.

did this?

I think...

I need to go to His Majesty.

I am sorry.

I am relieved that you are alive.

I am relieved that you are alive.

Why does everyone tell me...

that they are relieved that I am alive?

Something must have happened...

in the palace so far.

I am fine.

Your Majesty!

Chief Eunuch.

I am so afraid.

Your Majesty...

Your Majesty...

Every year, someone died in the palace?

Women who stayed closest to His Majesty...

died one by one, a total of six women.

No, now it is seven of them.

Then...

the reason you stayed with me as a guard...

is because I might have been hung and died this time?

- So Rang. - That is true.

I am the one who got the closest to His Majesty.

I should have been hung there.

I told you the palace is a dangerous place.

You never know what will happen to you.

Still, how can this happen...

How...

So,

we should get out of the palace now.

You wanted to live freely.

Can I live safely outside?

I will keep you safe by your side.

I will...

stay by your side.

I think...

I have to go to His Majesty.

His Majesty...

is very much troubled.

Do not go to him.

You need to get treatment first.

I will take you there.

You should lie down.

So Rang.

Stay with me.

Even if I die,

I want to stay with you. What could be the reason?

They say I might die,

but why I do not want to leave here?

Yes, Your Majesty.

(Geunjeongjeon)

I think I have to stay with His Majesty.

His Majesty is very much troubled.

You might have died here.

And you still say that?

Just like you have kept His Majesty safe so far,

I also...

want to keep him safe.

Now, the one I want to protect...

is not him.

The one I am worried about...

is not him either.

Why is the lord not coming?

It feels quite cold here.

It must have been hard for you to be here.

Lord, I have been waiting for you.

My eye for character was not wrong.

I believed that you would be loyal to me to the end.

Of course, I would.

I forgot.

I made a promise to you.

As you became my servant, I promised you...

that I would not make you go through difficulties.

Do not worry.

Now, I will make you feel comfortable.

You were very scared, were you not?

There.

It is okay.

I am sorry.

The fact that they hung the body here...

Do they intend...

to go after So Rang soon?

You called me all the way here.

The discipline in the palace...

is a mess.

You must take responsibility.

Me?

What should I take responsibility for?

Chan Hyeon...

She was pretending to be a soldier among the elite troops.

As you know, I am a minister.

Even if I am the Minister of War,

how would I know each individual soldier?

But you could give a command.

What command?

To hang herself if she gets caught?

There is no way that was a suicide.

This sounds very familiar.

Yesterday, someone else committed suicide in the palace.

Another one?

Is there bad energy in the palace?

Why do they keep committing suicide?

The dead man is Kim Eui Jun, Chief Commander of the Palace Guard.

I believe he was quite close to you.

I would I know about a mere chief commander?

There is someone who saw you meeting with that man.

Then...

I was probably asking him...

to keep His Majesty safe...

as the Palace Guard.

Asking him?

Were you not simply cutting off your tail now that you had no use of him?

If you have the proof, bring it to me.

Do not keep insisting without a shred of evidence.

You are going too far, sir.

Since I am already going too far, let me say one more thing.

From what I hear, the place where the body was found...

was the quarters of a court lady.

What was the name of that court lady again?

Lee Shin Won. Do you really think you can protect...

the things you are trying to keep safe until the end?

I was just on my way out after my investigation.

Shin Won. Have you discovered the facts of the case?

Oh, are you curious why this happened?

I will answer that for you.

Your Majesty is so faint-hearted.

That is why you are swayed...

by each little thing like this.

A monarch...

must not get attached to meaningless lives.

Shin Won.

Bring me everything that could be used as evidence in the case.

Yes, Your Majesty.

All right. Work hard.

The name, Chan Hyeon, is registered in the book of kisaengs in Wonju.

Was that child...

a kisaeng?

Shin Won. I must go to Wonju.

Chan Hyeon?

It has already been about a month since she was kidnapped.

Kidnapped?

We do not know where she went after that.

This area is always bustling with people carrying big loads.

It is a crossroad, after all.

Have you ever seen a woman who looks like this?

I do not know.

Then have you seen anyone carry a sack that was large enough for a person?

I hear they have them piled up...

in a storage building somewhere on the mountain.

But it is too scary to go up there.

Do you feel better?

Yes. I feel much better.

How is this much better?

No, I really am fine.

Why are you so worried about me when you do not know me at all?

Do not trust me too much.

I am not the least bit trustworthy.

If someone has a secret they do not want to disclose,

I was told to just keep quiet about it.

Is that why you are not asking about me?

Have you found any evidence?

I was organizing them now.

But what is this?

We found it in an abandoned storage building in Wonju.

This will do.

You have something of use?

I stole her from a kisaeng house in Wonju.

I was surprised to see her myself.

What is your name?

My name is Chan Hyeon.

My lord, please save me.

This is the last court dress remaining in Joseon at the moment.

You look exquisite in that dress.

Just do as I say,

and I will help you return to your hometown.

But if things go wrong,

it will cost you your life.

What do you say?

You can do a good job, right?

How did a kidnapped kisaeng...

end up impersonating the late Crown Princess?

It means that a kidnapping ring was involved.

You said you would spare me once the job is done.

You promised to let me go!

Only if everything went as planned.

You said you would hang that court lady there.

What on earth happened?

We could not let that wench Chan Hyeon live.

Why? Do you already...

feel attached to her?

Attached, my foot.

All my time and energy that went into grooming that hick...

to help her look decent...

Then what about that court lady? Will you spare her?

What if the King takes a liking to her and gets her pregnant...

At this rate, she may indeed...

move into the queen's quarter without lifting a finger.

Without even going through the selection process.

It looks like...

I should take matters into my own hands this time.

Into your own hands? What do you mean?

Did you hear?

Another young lady in the other village got kidnapped!

Goodness, you are such a fool.

Even if you get kidnapped and are forced to marry someone against your will,

you can just run away.

You dimwit.

Do you think they will let the women run away?

- Then what? - Once they get kidnapped,

they lose their virginity right away.

- Right away? - You know how it is in this country.

Once they lose their virginity, they cannot even return home...

for their families will not accept them. And they cannot marry anyone else,

so they have no choice but to stay there.

- Gosh, it is so scary. - That is horrible.

It is terrible!

Hae Young, that is precisely why you must be realistic in life.

Gosh. Soon, you will find out that someone like me is a real catch.

I can protect you for the rest of your life.

Who will protect whom?

You need not worry about my dear Hae Young.

I told you to get lost. Why are you still coming to Aedaldang every day?

I just wanted to stop by.

- With my friends! - Then get lost already!

- Why must you fight every time? - You fool!

- You are at each other's throats! - Stop!

It is getting late. You should all get going.

Gosh, I have to go to bed soon so I can work tomorrow.

- Go! - Leave already.

- Get lost. - You little...

Oh, you are still here?

I told you to go home early today.

Hurry up and get going.

Okay.

Come along, my lady.

With me...

I would like to walk you home.

How about we hold hands?

(Getting Ready)

Gosh, what should I say?

If you are going to follow me, let us just go together.

Oh, then I suppose I have no choice...

but to go with you.

- I will be off, then. - Okay.

What is the matter?

Lady Hae Young has been kidnapped.

Hae Young? How did that happen?

So Rang, go inside.

No, I will come with you.

Go inside now.

Let us go.

So Rang.

Wear pretty shoes from here on.

Do you think you can manage to protect the things you are trying to keep safe?

More people will want So Rang dead,

and they will become even more persistent.

Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

So Rang...

Stop.

Investigator Lee, do not worry about me. Hurry up and go.

You must hurry. Go!

- Attack! - Yes, Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, how did you come here?

This is urgent, so we should talk about it later.

I am sorry.

It is not the time to see who is wrong. We need to rescue So Rang.

Night watchmen found suspicious people near Gwanak Mountain.

The elite troops will come with me,

and the rest will investigate Gwanak Mountain.

Tonight, we definitely have to find her.

Yes.

- Look at this! - Darn it.

What is that?

(The Forbidden Marriage)

You have to stay alive.

From now on, I will not lose anyone close to me.

The day broke. Why is he not coming yet?

If the King has disappeared,

we need to discuss his vacancy.

So Rang.

I guess she was not someone...

very trustworthy.

The reason the King left the palace...

is only because of you, I heard.

Now, do not lie anymore.

It is because I need to see His Majesty.