(This drama is fictional and people or stories are not tied to reality.)
(Gyeongwon Pavilion)
(Prince Yangmyeong Lee Yul, King Seongjo's third son)
Stay here.
Scholar Ha, are you all right?
(Mi Su, Seongjucheong's 4th head priestess)
Your Highness!
Wake up. Your Highness!
Are you okay?
Your Highness!
Sir.
My eyes.
This...
This isn't Ha Ram.
Don't come close.
You have my eyes.
My eyes!
Ram.
It's me, Cheon Gi.
Please wake up.
Ha Ram!
Tiger Spirit.
Demon. This is the King's palace.
You have no power here.
Tiger Spirit.
Return.
To where you were sealed.
How dare you?
I will get them back.
Madam, what is the matter?
The Demon lost his power.
This means...
someone is containing him.
Within the Palace.
Are you all right? Are you hurt?
Scholar Ha. Are you okay?
He will recover soon.
Scholar Ha.
Sir.
(Episode 9: Physiognomy Of The Immortal)
Sir. What happened to you this time?
Don't worry. I had the King's physician see him.
Thank you, Your Highness.
What if he doesn't wake up?
What happens then?
The King's physician said he'll wake up in the morning.
Let's give it some time.
Does Scholar Ha faint this often?
Pardon? What do you mean by that?
I was suddenly reminded of the day...
he went missing on Mount Inwang.
That day too,
he suddenly passed out,
and I didn't believe it.
Scholar Ha, are you all right?
On my way to Mount Inwang's observatory last night,
I fell unconscious in the litter.
I don't remember anything after that.
Is Scholar Ha involved with...
the dead soldiers we found on Mount Inwang?
Is your neck okay?
Pardon?
Yes, it's fine.
I'm more worried about Scholar Ha.
What is the matter?
- It's nothing. - It's not nothing.
Why is your face so pale and your eyes so dazed?
It's so strange.
What is?
In a divine place where the kings portraits are kept,
how could something like this happen?
As soon as Scholar Ha wakes up,
I'll take him to the Police Bureau's Inspection Office...
and have him questioned.
The Inspection Office?
Isn't that where dead bodies are examined?
The Inspection Office doesn't just examine corpses.
They investigate many cases,
and keep records of births, deaths, and illnesses.
They can give us some hints as to what's wrong with Scholar Ha.
Are you saying you'll look inside his body?
If it comes to that, we must. What other choice do we have?
Scholar Ha acted like a madman,
and he hurt you and the guards.
You could have died.
Also,
this is how we can help Scholar Ha too.
I don't think this is purely about Scholar Ha.
Something happened to me too in Gyeongwon Pavilion.
Before investigating Scholar Ha,
shouldn't you investigate Gyeongwon Pavilion first?
Scholar Ha is just a sick man who cannot see.
Please reconsider your plans.
I will think about what the best thing to do is.
Until then, no one can know what happened.
I will keep quiet, Your Highness.
You're not coming?
I'd like to stay with Scholar Ha just a little longer.
Very well, then.
Do you know that?
You are...
a very special person to me.
I need you to wake up.
Why am I so sleepy?
(Old lady Samsin: Gave life since the beginning of time)
For a while, the Demon won't be able to come out.
Why are you resorting to such cumbersome tactics?
The Demon spent eternity like this.
He cannot be destroyed in one go.
This child must soon open her divine eyes.
I need her to create a vessel that will hold the Demon in forever.
That darned vessel...
It's only something these two can do.
- Sir. - Miss Hong.
Are you up?
Sir?
What is the matter?
No.
No, he's Ha Ram right now.
Are you back to normal?
Yes.
Good.
- I apologize. - Stay there.
What happened in Gyeongwon Pavilion?
Do you not remember anything?
I don't.
So...
Your eyes spun around...
My eyes spun?
No, they didn't spin. I mean...
Your eyes turned a blackish red,
your fingernails grew longer...
My fingernails grew? What do you mean?
And with those hands, you strangled me.
You got really strong, like a freakish monster.
You had a dream?
What?
What can I say when you don't remember anything?
Tell me the details.
Nevermind.
The more I say,
the more you'll think I'm crazy.
That's why I want to know the details.
Are you...
cornering the person who looked after you all night?
Who's cornering whom?
You are. You're berating me.
It's like saving a drowning man then getting sued for losing a bag.
Very well.
Tell me the story slowly.
For free?
I've been feeling hungry for a while.
I'll need some fuel in me if I'm to tell a story.
Eat up.
Thank you.
Where did the handkerchief go?
Sir. The cut on your neck is healed.
It had healed...
when I woke up.
It healed overnight?
Yes.
I have the handkerchief.
I didn't think you'd still have it.
It meant a lot to you.
I wanted to return it to you long ago but...
I'm truly grateful.
Let's eat before the food goes cold.
Okay.
Last night in Gyeongwon Pavilion, you acted like a madman...
as if you were possessed by something.
And the color of your eyes...
were blackish-red.
Blackish-red eyes.
Sir.
Did you find out about the Demon?
We have reports from all over.
But they're inconclusive gossip that sounds more like...
what traveling minstrels would spread.
What do they say?
That the Demon is a powerful evil spirit...
that existed for a long time.
And the ceremony from 26 years ago that sealed the Demon...
has something to do with King Youngjong's portrait.
The Demon was sealed in a ceremony?
What is Prince Joohyang up to?
Nothing much.
It's time to willingly meet him.
As Ilwolseong.
What happened?
A divine power that protects the King's palace...
contained the Demon's energy.
I believe the totems put into the buildings were used.
I've been looking for the Demon for over 20 years.
Look into every single detail.
Your Highness.
If the King's plan is...
to restore King Youngjong's portrait to seal the Demon again,
why not wait and watch...
until the portrait is restored?
Are you saying my father knows...
where the Demon is?
If that's not the case,
why else would he want to have...
the portrait restored?
However, a restored portrait...
won't bring out the Demon on its own.
That's why I say we must wait...
and see what the King has prepared.
If Seongjucheong goes into action,
we will lose our opportunity.
We must move first.
Enough!
That's enough.
- Yes, Your Highness. - Yes, Your Highness.
Have someone follow Yangmyeong.
I need to know what happened at Gyeongwon Pavilion.
And then...
send word to Ilwolseong.
(To send a note or letter)
Why do you wish to see Ilwolseong?
There are those who read and interpret the stars,
and those who put them in the sky.
You are you enjoy the sight of the stars.
Remain among them.
That is how you will stay safe.
Whether my father has noticed what I am planning.
I must check.
What happened to you last night?
I do not...
remember much.
You do not remember...
Do you know how much trouble you put us through?
The guards and I were thrown down,
and Painter Hong hurt her neck.
What happened to her?
How did she hurt her neck?
I lost my consciousness when I fell, so I didn't see what happened.
But she had a bruise.
It was very dark.
I lost my memory...
and Cheon Gi got hurt.
I can't believe it.
I understand.
If you don't remember what happened last night,
I won't say any more.
Come with me to the Police Bureau and have you looked over.
What do you mean?
Let's have your whole body checked for any diseases.
- But I really... - Until we determine the cause,
I would like you to stay away from Painter Hong.
- Your Highness. - This is...
for your sake as well.
Is he really okay?
A white tiger?
Wait.
Who are you?
Wait. Who are...
Where did she go?
Who are you?
Why are you dressed like...
Do you see me?
Of course. Why wouldn't I see you?
You really see me.
Get off me!
I knew it. You have magic eyes.
"Magic eyes"?
Why? Are you curious?
Then bring me some delicious tea.
What? Hey!
You look younger than me.
How old are you?
My age? I'm not sure.
I stopped counting after I hit 500.
Five...
How did you get in here? Tell me!
Don't you know I saved your life?
You saved...
This is why I shouldn't bother...
with foolish humans.
(One whose actions are foolish and naive)
This is a place not just anyone can enter.
Kid!
Child. Bring me some tea already.
Chrysanthemum petal tea.
It was something they had sitting about.
I think.
Either way, you brewed it for me.
Child.
You finished your tea.
If you're done, can you please leave?
Listen to what I say.
It's time to break up with the Demon.
- Pardon? - He almost killed you last night.
What are you saying?
Samsin might tell me off for it, but I'll tell you one more thing.
Forget the Samsin or the Demon.
Will you go home already?
I'll get someone to chase you away.
Who are you talking to?
Hello, sir.
This kid over here...
- Where? - This kid here...
Where did she go? Where...
Your eyes...
will be returned to their rightful owner.
Did you hear that?
She was sitting right here, drinking some tea.
- She had white hair... - Stop right there.
You're scaring me.
Here, take these.
Finish these by next week.
We need two copies of each.
But...
Is she gone?
That day 19 years ago.
Your Highness!
Gyeongwon Pavilion caught fire...
and King Youngjong's portrait was destroyed.
The dragon rainmaking ritual was held.
There was a mishap and Scholar Ha lost his sight.
What happened to you last night?
I do not...
remember much.
King Youngjong's portrait...
holds a secret.
What are you doing here this late?
I came by to ask something urgent.
What do you wish to know?
The divine painter who will restore King Youngjong's portrait...
fainted while she was at Gyeongwon Pavilion.
- Is that so? - That's not all.
Outside Gyeongwon Pavilion, Scholar Ha...
acted like he was possessed, scaring everyone there.
What I saw that night reminded me of 20 years ago...
when Joohyang had an outburst.
I started to wonder if King Youngjong's portrait...
in the pavilion has a secret I do not know of.
- Yul. - Yes?
I guess...
the day has come for you to know the truth.
Have you...
heard of "the Demon"?
"The Demon"?
He existed since the beginning of time.
He's the embodiment of evil.
His return devastates nature,
and the human world becomes overrun by death.
When he enters the body of a royal, it begins a revolt...
and much blood is shed.
That is what caused your grandfather's heinous actions.
(Late king Youngjong)
My father knew the Demon was in his body,
so he had a divine painter paint his portrait.
Then he sealed the Demon in it.
Grandfather...
The portrait must be restored to seal the Demon within.
Father, are you all right?
Father.
This...
cannot be done easily.
No one must know about this.
And it must not fall through.
You have a heavy responsibility.
Make it a success...
by any means necessary.
I shall...
bear that in mind.
Father.
When you draw a portrait, you should start...
by taking your subject into your heart.
It is because a portrait should show the subject's characteristics...
and his personality as well as his looks.
The fate of this nation's royal family is in your hands.
I shall pull this through at all costs...
with you by my side.
Use constant thickness strokes to draw creases in the attire.
You should only describe its natural shape.
If it stands out, it would weaken the subject's aura.
When drawing a portrait,
it is important to describe the facial structure...
by drawing the five hills and the four rivers realistically.
The five hills are the forehead, nose, chin, and cheekbones.
And the four rivers refer to...
Now, try to tell the differences...
in the appearances, personalities, and auras of the three of them.
I can feel different auras from them as you explained.
My grandfather, King Youngjong, whom you have to draw...
had eyes like a phoenix.
When he was angry, his eyes looked fierce as if they were flaming.
Draw his face as you imagine from what you heard.
Keep the lines clean and smooth. Stay focused.
(Han Geon, Expert of Gohwawon)
Why is that line...
- The thickness of the line... - It's not constant.
I maintained the same pressure on the brush. Then why...
You do not simply draw lines. You create them.
You should also describe his aura and personality with your lines.
I understand that it is not easy.
However...
Try again.
Yes, sir.
I am sorry.
Gosh, I'm tired.
Why would they make me do this?
I might even die at this rate.
I see the Big Dipper too.
Do you remember that?
How could I forget that? It was the first star I had drawn.
Why on earth...
can't I draw lines properly?
Why does it have to be this hard?
- Master Choi. - Hey.
What are you doing still up?
Oh, dear. You know that what we do is like never-ending work.
Earlier in the afternoon,
Eun O came to himself for a brief moment.
Is that true?
I guess Chungsimwon did work.
Master Choi.
Father.
(Hong Eun O, ex-Gohwawon painter, Hong Cheon Gi's father)
Father.
It's me, Cheon Gi. Your daughter is here.
My daughter is a little kid.
Of course I know that. That little kid grew up like this.
It's nice. What did you draw?
Would you like a painting?
No, that is not necessary.
I saw and drew more than enough paintings at Gohwawon today.
(Gohwawon: An office in charge of paintings)
Gohwawon?
I've been training to restore the former King's portrait you drew.
The King's portrait?
You must not draw the King's portrait. Never!
Father. What is the matter?
You must never draw the King's portrait.
Not the King's portrait. You must not draw it.
- No! - Father.
What is it? Father, what is wrong?
- Eun O. Please... - Father.
Please come to your senses.
Father.
Why did you tell him this time to make him panic like that?
I told him that I've been drawing at Gohwawon.
By the way, Master Choi.
I heard that my father might have fallen mentally ill...
while drawing the former King's portrait.
Is it true?
Who said such nonsense?
Prince Yangmyeong did.
To tell you the truth...
I cannot say that it is true or that it is not.
But why...
Why did you bring that up suddenly?
It crossed my mind that I heard it. That is all.
Please never mind.
Han Geon did not make you draw the King's portrait, did he?
Must I not draw the King's portrait?
Drawing the King's portrait...
requires a great deal of effort.
If you dedicate yourself to that...
Hwacha would come to see you.
In a nutshell, you would go crazy.
Never mind. Forget what I said.
- Pardon? - Anyway,
if Geon makes you do that, you should tell me.
Never draw the King's portrait. Do you understand?
Scholar.
Yes, it's me.
Are you feeling better now?
What should I say first?
I cannot bring myself to speak.
Yes, I got much better thanks to you.
That is a great relief.
I am sensing concerns from your voice.
Did something happen?
No, nothing happened. I am just a bit frustrated.
Let's have a talk over some tea.
Please sit.
Yes.
What kind of tea is this?
It is jakseol tea.
(Jakseol tea: High-quality tea made of young leaves)
It is offered at a new harvest ritual in February every year.
(New harvest ritual: Held to offer newly harvested food to the deity)
It sounds rare and valuable. Thank you for this.
Gosh, it's too hot...
Are you all right?
Enjoy the aroma before drinking and take little sips.
By the way, why did you sound so worried before?
The truth is...
Actually,
I've been training to draw the King's portrait every night.
It is quite difficult to understand terms like "physiognomy".
On top of everything, I cannot draw clean, smooth lines.
Since I have to draw a portrait,
and it is different from drawing a landscape painting,
I think I need to study physiognomy.
There is a long line here.
If that is what you need, I know someone who can help you.
He is Im Chang Hyun, the nation's best physiognomist...
who predicted that King Haejo was to become king.
Now, I will explain to you while reading faces.
Yes.
Eyes like hers are called a peacock's eyes.
Eyes as big as a peacock's with deep eyelid creases...
that looks intense with a clear shape...
are called peacock's eyes.
I do not know who you are, but you have nothing to worry about.
You will never worry about wealth in your entire life.
His eyebrows are a good example of a dragon's eyebrows.
They look powerful just like a dragon.
Slightly curved and thick eyebrows like his...
are called a dragon's eyebrows.
What characteristics do people with a dragon's eyebrows have?
It is known that they are good at writing and very wise...
and they will rise to a high position.
Welcome.
Jung Seon Rye?
Sir, what does that man's face say?
He has an evil, greedy face.
That is a face of a spiteful person...
who tends to seek revenge...
and tries to get even with anyone who wronged him.
I knew it.
Hello.
I'm thinking of opening up a gambling place.
I wonder if I can make a fortune.
- Can you read my face? - I hope you won't.
Sure.
- Are you uncomfortable? - Pardon?
He is the cruelest and vicious man...
in the whole country as far as I know.
Would you like me to teach him a lesson?
No. That is not necessary.
Thank you for everything.
My pleasure.
Scholar Ha, please spare me a few moments.
- I shall be back shortly. - Yes.
Next.
My child suddenly went blind.
I thought I might find out why.
So I came here to see the physiognomist.
Leave.
Please let us meet him just once. I am begging you.
If you really want to meet him,
at least bring a handsome amount of money.
Are you all right?
How could you do that to a lady who came with her sick child?
- What did you say? - Stand up.
Does your master know...
that you treat people who come to see him like this?
How dare you? Who are you?
I will teach you a lesson...
Do you wish to lose your hand?
Who is this jerk?
Do you want to know who I am?
Must you go through a sudden misfortune...
to come to your senses?
(Sudden misfortune: A misfortune that happens in an unexpected way)
My apologies. Please forgive me.
Hey, you. You should not go in there without permission.
Are you all right?
Why did you get involved and cause trouble?
The lady came with her child who is blind.
He mistreated the poor, sick people,
and I could not turn a blind eye.
I am sorry.
Even so, you could have been hurt.
Be careful from now on.
I will do that. Thank you, Scholar.
There are several kites flying in the sky.
How pretty.
- Kites? - Yes.
They're probably flying those kites...
to prevent misfortune before the year's first full moon.
Would you like to fly one too?
Pardon?
Why? Do you think I cannot do it?
I used to be quite good at it as a child.
Please give it to me. I'll untangle the string for you.
It is a bit hard because I haven't done this since I went blind.
I know. Please wait a little while.
I will give it back to you once it floats in the air.
Yes.
Scholar. Here it is.
Thank you.
How does it feel?
Can you feel how the wind moves around?
How high is my kite?
Your kite is flying higher than everyone else's.
I'm impressed.
"Success is 70 percent skill and 30 percent luck."
You need luck to fly a kite too.
You mean, "70 percent luck and 30 percent skill".
(A saying that means that success depends on luck.)
Pardon?
Yes. "70 percent luck and 30 percent skill".
That's what I said.
It was just a mistake.
Please stop laughing.
I'm sorry. I think I laughed too loudly.
What is the little boy you met as a child like...
in your memories?
Back then, I was blind.
I imagined you as a little boy with a runny nose.
Do I look different from what you imagined?
Yes. You look like a tall, handsome man.
Then do you like that boy because he's handsome?
Goodness. Please do not say that.
Who knows? You might have been a little boy with a runny nose then.
If you don't see me for a few days,
do not worry.
I promise I will be back.
What do you mean by that?
Because of what happened at Gyeongwon Pavilion,
I will go to the inspection office with Prince Yangmyeong.
Nothing bad will happen,
but it may take several days. So I want you to know.
His Highness decided to take you there after all.
Since it happened in King's palace, it cannot be ignored.
That isn't all.
You could have been hurt too.
But... I did not...
I am fine.
Do not worry about me. I'll be freed if nothing is wrong with me.
What happened?
Your kite string snapped.
I'm sorry. It was a mistake.
There's no need to worry.
That's what you do when you fly a kite to prevent misfortune...
so that the kite flies away with all possible bad luck.
- Is that so? - Yes.
I will break my kite string and let my kite fly away.
Our kites are flying away together.
I'm sure they're taking away all our misfortune.
Miss.
Yes?
This is for you.
What is this?
It's a jade ring that my father gave to my mother.
There's none like it in the world.
I want you to hold on to it for longer than the handkerchief.
Why are giving me such a precious thing?
I'm not sure if I should take this.
I...
I love you.
Why are you late?
I went to the marketplace to learn about different face shapes...
and different types of facial bone structure.
My apologies.
Did it help you understand better about drawing a portrait?
I found reading faces fascinating.
I see.
By the way, Your Highness, I have a question.
You can ask me any questions.
Why did you choose me as the painter to draw the King's portrait...
instead of officially appointed the King's portrait painter?
Only a chosen painter like your father has the ability...
to restore the King's portrait.
I do not understand what "a chosen painter" means.
Let us go out for some fresh air.
You are here, Your Highness.
We finally meet.
That is a bizarre mask.
Please have a seat.
What brings you here today?
I have an important question.
Are you ready to pay for it?
Of course.
Then how about we play the game of go tonight?
It's a board for the blind. He would not...
Playing one game with you is enough for the price?
Yes. Let's play the game instead today.
Unlike other painters, your father had divine power.
Just like how your painting...
attracted butterflies at the painting contest.
Then...
is every king's portrait painted by a divine painter?
No.
Only King Youngjong's portrait requires one.
Especially that portrait needs divine power in it.
Did you hear the rumor
that the Crown Prince will ascend the throne soon?
You want to know when you can achieve a major weapon...
that will determine your victory. Isn't that what you're here for?
Yes.
If so, you can simply place your stone in the center.
Then why haven't you placed yours in the center?
Everything requires a proper preparation.
Your stone...
is placed in the center now.
What did you just do? That is foul play.
In the game of go, the players hide their intentions...
while trying to figure out each other's...
and calculate the necessary moves.
Who would dare to accuse anyone of cheating in this game?
What could be a major weapon to you?
Wouldn't that be a chance of a lifetime...
that you might not able to get even if you get rid of your rival?
Get rid of my rival?
One of the ten key points to winning the game of go is to take a risk.
That is, you must throw away something that you cherish...
in order to move forward.
Is he saying that I should get rid of Yul?
Yes. Make your desire bigger,
and have a dream that you must never have.
That will be my revenge...
against the royal family.
That is a brilliant move.
(Brilliant move: A great move that is hard to think of in go)
Your Highness, I have a question too.
What is it? I am willing to pay for your advice...
as much as you deserve.
Your Highness.
What is the Demon?
Have you ever heard "the Demon"?
What on earth is it?
It is a chaos that should never come out to our world,
and an evil spirit that lives on greed.
The Demon?
Yes, Your Highness. I said, "the Demon".
Why are you looking for the Demon?
Do you...
want to join forces with me to take this to the end?
Had I not thought of you as my king,
I wouldn't even have showed up in front of you.
I must find the Demon to take the royal throne.
(Throne seat: The king's seat)
The former King once said...
that the world is always precarious,
and the throne can never be eternal.
Remnants from the former dynasty are still waiting for a chance...
to divide the land in rural areas and claim it theirs forever.
And the King's palace is full of those who are hard to tell...
if they're loyal or not behaving frivolously.
(To behave without thinking just as one pleases)
Hence,
I...
must become king.
Before my grandfather passed away,
he had his portrait painted...
and sealed the Demon in it...
to prevent calamity in the future.
But the portrait was burned.
The Demon disappeared on that day,
and there hasn't been a way to restore his portrait ever since.
Because your father, Painter Hong Eun O, went crazy.
That's why my father reacted that way.
You must never paint the King's portrait.
Never draw the King's portrait.
That's why Master Choi was against it so strongly.
Now you're the only person who can restore his portrait.
Does it mean...
that the portrait that I will paint is...
- the one to use... - That is correct.
Father.
The former King's portrait will be used to seal the Demon.
The Demon...
is near us.
What can I do to help you?
Do you know...
Scholar Ha of Seomungwan?
(Seomungwan: An office in charge of astronomy, weather, and calendar)
I heard that he's an astronomer that the King is fond of.
Scholar Ha.
Inside of his body,
the Demon is sealed.
(We thank Jeon Kook Hwan for his guest appearance.)
(Lovers of the Red Sky)
I heard that the King's portrait I will paint...
will be used to seal the Demon.
There's a rumor that whoever draws a king's portrait...
ends up being cursed by Hwacha.
What? Did you say "Hwacha"?
The goblin that is crazy about paintings?
I won't let anyone touch my painter.
Is it possible that I'll get in trouble while drawing the portrait?
I shall keep you safe no matter what it takes.
Is there any way to drive out the evil spirit in my body?
Never meet Painter Hong again.
Miss Hong, I have a favor to ask of you.
A favor?
If I ever see you with her again,
I shall not forgive you.