(Episode 33)
Mother liked peonies.
She did not laugh often...
but only when she saw peonies.
Sometimes, she would cry because of peonies.
When I asked her why she was crying,
she told me,
"It would have been better had I not known."
I wish I had not known that...
this flower existed.
However beautiful it was,
I should not have liked it.
Mother's words...
took root in my heart...
and became a thorn bush.
Whenever I had almost forgotten,
the thorns would prick me.
However beautiful the flower,
I should love it and forget about it.
Only give it the love I can do without.
So I can always turn from it.
Discard it.
I thought that...
I was smart and was doing just that.
They must be close by.
Find them, now.
Lady San.
I was wrong.
Are you well?
Why do you look so unwell?
You say that about me,
but you do not look too well yourself.
You have no right to be here.
Leave.
If you upset her,
your life will be in danger.
You should run away.
Now, are you satisfied?
I was always...
satisfied by the smallest of things.
You just had no idea.
Watch your words and actions...
from dawn until dusk,
so no one finds fault with you.
Bow to each other.
Place the birds side by side.
Wild geese...
mate for life.
Wild geese...
fly in such a formation that...
when the one in front cries, those in the back answer.
That is courtesy.
Once they find a mate,
they never part from each other.
That is fidelity.
Those are the two things we learn from wild geese.
You remember that.
My young queen once asked,
"Why are these birds..."
"in our bedroom on our first night?"
That is the answer you gave me.
You answered all my questions then.
I must ask you...
out of true concern and not just politeness.
Why do you look so unwell?
Our son and his new bride will come to greet us.
Why do we need so many armed guards?
It is so I can live.
My life may mean nothing much,
but I would like to stay alive for as long as possible.
I am too preoccupied and cannot share our first night's drink.
Where will you go?
I shall visit your chambers in a few days. Goodbye.
You cannot do this.
Why not?
The King and Queen are waiting for us.
We were just married.
We must report to them and show our respect...
They have not met in a while and must have much to say.
Do not concern yourself.
Why are you here?
You missed your sister's wedding. I thought you had left.
- I have something to say. - Master Lin.
When were you appointed? Should you not be in Jeolla now?
Send the others away.
How dare you block the Crown Prince's path?
- It is important. - Do you want to be dragged out?
We want your permission.
Lady San and I wish to be married.
Both of our parents gave us their consents.
San's father's funeral just ended.
We are thinking of leaving off mourning after we get married.
- Impossible. - Please let us get married.
You will have the Crown Princess and the Wang Lin couple next to you.
That will stop people from gossiping about you.
Wang Lin couple?
Do you even know what they are saying about you?
I know everything that you do. You should know that by now.
They say you even killed someone...
to have a woman and her assets.
Is that the only excuse you came up with?
Do you want to marry San just because of me?
Let...
Lady San go.
I put Eun San in charge of the finances after her father,
so she must stay beside me and obey my orders.
She became my subject, so she cannot go anywhere.
So are you going to put her in a cage?
You keep her in a cage next to you, giving her water and feed.
Will that amuse you that much?
Do you know how much I have sacrificed for you?
Do you know...
what I must give up for you?
Who killed the Minister of Finance?
How dare you stab me in the back?
Was it the Queen?
What is it that you want?
- Did you know about this? - Is it San, or is it my position?
What are you talking about?
You should have been gone to your post as the Inspector General,
but you spent a night in a secret meeting with my father.
And my half-brother Prince Gang Yang was also in that house.
I wonder what you three talked about all night...
without me, behind my back.
You should have just asked for it.
I could have given you my position as the Crown Prince at once...
back when I trusted you.
- No matter what I say now... - It is too late.
I will take Lady San with me.
- Like I said, it is impossible. - Please let her go with consent.
I do not wish to go against your will.
Guards.
This man went against my order and abandoned his post.
Also, he started a strange rumor about Wonseongjeon.
Shut his mouth by locking him up, and let him wait for his punishment.
- Yes, Your Highness. - Yes, Your Highness.
I knew it.
He does not care that I am his father or the King.
He is finally showing his true colors.
I finally see everything clearly.
- You should be careful too. - Pardon?
You should do your best to keep yourself alive.
Was your third brother at the wedding ceremony?
He could not come.
I heard he is in the palace.
I saw him, but he had to leave in...
- He sent you some clothes. - And food.
- Who? - The Crown Prince.
Why?
What about liquor?
- Pardon? - I see food but no liquor.
I will bring some.
- Yes, right now. - Yes, my lady.
What are you doing? You should go too.
She cannot carry it by herself. One jar is not going to cut it.
I need at least 4 to 5 jars.
- What was that sound? - It was over there!
You startled me.
- What are you doing here? - Why are you wandering around?
Did you not come to the palace to see me?
At first, yes.
But I figured it would be better for me to leave without seeing you,
so I went all the way to the palace gate.
However, palace guards came and told me to come with them.
I had Lin beside me,
and he said, "What are you doing?"
By the way, am I talking too much right now?
I think I get the gist of it.
They dragged me here and said it was your order.
You are right. It was my order.
But dragged you here? Who did that?
Are you locking me up?
I am not locking you up. I am protecting you.
Protecting me?
I did not want you to be hurt like your father.
Let us go.
Wait.
I thought it was your wedding ceremony today.
It is over.
- Already? - Yes.
What are you doing? Let us go.
Have you been crying a lot?
You look thinner than days before.
I could not be there for you.
I am fine. Lin was...
Let us go.
I just came by to see you.
You gave me a necklace, so I came to keep that promise.
Now that I saw you, I should go.
Congratulations on your marriage. It is a happy day for us all.
Goodbye, then.
What do you think a Crown Prince's order is?
If you disregard it like this, it will be bad news.
This is as far as you come. I have to be somewhere right now.
Should I be thanking you before you let me go?
Are you on your way to save Lady Eun San?
There is no use in going alone. The Crown Prince locked her up.
- Where is she? - If you succeed, what will you do?
Will you hold hands and run away one more time...
- to get on a ship to Yuan? - Why must I always ask you twice?
Where is she?
You want Lady Eun San, do you not?
If you really wish to have her for yourself...
Do not speak of her name...
with your mouth ever again.
I will do that.
However, His Majesty is expecting you.
You should visit him first.
Many people are guarding you.
You used to get around freely by yourself.
- They are not here for me. - Pardon?
They are here to protect you.
At some point,
Father was afraid of me.
He has never had a meal with me...
as he thought I might poison him.
He was never alone when he met me.
He always had someone with him.
Even if it were a woman.
He must have thought about using her...
as a shield if I wielded my sword.
You should have told him...
that you would never do that and that he need not do that.
That would have made no difference.
He had people near him...
who wrongly interpreted my intentions.
I could not understand...
why Father was always anxious and delusional.
But now, I am doing the same thing.
My nerves are on edge all day long.
I am afraid someone might hurt you.
Wait.
It looks good on you.
I want you to be in my sight so that I can protect you.
I have the power to do that now.
Look around.
Your Highness.
I lost Wang Lin.
- His people were waiting for him. - Who were they?
There were too many masks. I could not see who they were.
How are you feeling?
I will call the royal physician.
I have Queen Mu.
She is all I need.
Something is wrong with my body.
- Where does it hurt? - Can you not see?
I do not have...
a lot of time left.
It is not like you to say such weak things.
You should get up and roar.
That is more like you.
The Minister of Finance has died.
Yes.
He had a daughter.
Yes. She is called Eun San.
Is she dead as well?
No, Your Majesty.
She is alive and well.
Please save her.
I will.
Please save me too.
Are you going somewhere?
The Crown Prince is out of his mind.
If you do something wrong...
Today is the day of the wedding. He will be with his wife.
That is not the case. After the wedding ceremony,
he left his wife alone.
He ignored the King and Queen...
and ran away without a word.
- To that woman. - That woman?
The daughter of the Minister of Finance.
Everyone in the palace is talking about it.
Everyone from the royalties to the lowly servants are...
- talking about them. - Where is he now?
Do not even dream of visiting him. Merely going there to meet him...
could be considered as treason.
I need to see him.
- Can you tell me how? - Well...
If you really plot treason...
Is he in his room?
Probably.
Song In.
Yes, Master Lin.
I will take your word that you will serve me.
- I am honored. - I will order you a few things.
I need you to do them for me.
Your wish is my command.
Do your legs not hurt?
A little.
You can sleep if you want.
- Sleep? - There is my bed over there.
- There? - You have frequently slept there.
- It was only 2 times. - This will be the 3rd time. Go.
I will grind this ink stick and then leave.
You should finish what you were writing...
and go visit your wife.
She must be waiting for you alone.
Have a seat.
I need to tell you a lot of things.
Why? Are you afraid of me too?
Are you afraid that I might poison you?
You are mean.
Gosh.
I do not understand this.
How could a person with your brain be the pupil of Master Lee?
So were you going to talk to me...
- about my brain? - No.
About what I said...
You seem to forget what I have told you so many times.
Let me repeat.
San.
You are my priority. Do you remember?
Well...
I think I might have heard something similar from you.
I thought you were my priority then.
Now, I see that you are not.
I think you are my last.
I do not have anyone else on my side apart from you.
I drove them out.
The Queen had said the same thing.
If you stay next to His Highness,
you will only hurt him.
Did you not say you were going to grind the ink stick for me?
I lied to you.
I did not come here to keep the promise of the necklace.
That was just an excuse.
Master Lin was taken away. I was going to ask if you could...
save him.
As far as I know, he was not taken away.
I met him.
We were going to leave together...
until I was brought here.
Is it because you think my mother has killed your father?
Will you stay by my side if I get your father's revenge?
- Your Highness. - Sometimes,
people ask me to choose between two choices.
And you are not an exception.