THE KING'S AFFECTION
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NOTICE OF RESIGNATION
Please stay healthy, Your Royal Highness.
I hope you won't be lonely.
NOTICE OF RESIGNATION
Lord Jung!
Is it true that you're leaving the Capital?
Yes, I'm afraid it just happened that way.
How can you be this indifferent?
Despite my confessions of longing for you,
you're leaving.
Lady So-eun…
Please don't leave.
My feelings for you only just started to grow.
I've only just been made aware of them.
So how can you leave like this?
I apologize…
for not realizing…
your feelings for me.
It was a pleasure
to have…
met you.
Are you sure?
Yes, the farewell would have brought anyone to tears.
Audacious, is it not?
A lady hoping to be the Crown Princess
has given her heart to another.
I hope you're not going to let this grave piece of information
stay between just us.
What? I don't think I follow.
His Majesty is looking to join forces with the Minister of Personnel
to regulate Lord Sangheon's authority.
Rumor has it that the Crown Prince already met with Minister Shin's daughter.
Wait.
Are you saying that she has already been chosen as
the future Crown Princess?
That all depends on you now.
The Minister of War's daughter is whom Lord Sangheon wants as the Crown Princess.
This information would surely grab his attention.
Do you not agree?
Gosh.
Are you saying
that the Minister of Personnel's daughter harbors feelings for another man?
Yes, and if you give me the word,
I would gladly notify the Queen Dowager this second.
I could even find a witness to present.
What is it that you want in return?
Pardon?
What I want in return?
If this matter is swayed in my direction,
I will make sure to repay you in the capacity you desire.
This is the future Queen we're discussing.
A lady
who harbors feelings for another man? The Crown Prince's tutor, no less?
I advise that it would be wise of you to remove her name from the process
before this matter causes serious problems.
It cannot end at just that.
As Your Highness implied,
the Minister of Personnel made a mockery out of the royal family.
What is considered as our nation's sacred event was discredited
so eliminating her from the process cannot be enough.
Her being eliminated from the process
will let you choose whomever you desire as Crown Princess,
so what more could you want?
The Minister of Personnel put forth his daughter as a candidate
despite her transgression and therefore, he should also answer for his crime.
APPEAL TO THE KING
It was I who ignored my daughter's pleading
and entered her as a candidate
for the Crown Princess selection.
Please reprove this foolish father
for not realizing where his daughter's heart lies.
How could this be your fault?
I let my greed get the best of me which resulted in the loss of a loyal subject.
I am the one…
who should be blamed.
I will never be able
to seek forgiveness from Your Majesty,
His Royal Highness, and the other officials.
It was I who ignored my daughter's pleading
and entered her as a candidate
for the Crown Princess selection.
Please reprove this foolish father
for not realizing where his daughter's heart lies.
Please, I beg you not to do this.
-Come on. -Please don't do this.
I must hurry home. Lady So-eun awaits me!
Why you…
Screaming will not do you any good. Nobody can help you anymore.
Your master has been demoted,
so who can possibly save you now?
Now, move.
Hurry along.
Who may you be and what is with the imposing stance?
Step aside.
Must you indulge in such indecent behavior within the Capital?
You must have a lot of time on your hands.
I thought you were busy planning your wedding.
The period of your house arrest must have been too short.
If it is what you desire,
I could see to it that you never leave your house again.
I rested well thanks to you.
Sitting at home all day almost gave me an itch that could kill.
However, it will not happen again
for I'm also dangling from the lifeline that's around you.
Were you the one who informed the Queen Dowager about
the Minister of Personnel's daughter?
It must have broken your heart
to have found out about the involvement between your tutor
and the one you almost married.
Who knows? They could very well be together at this said moment.
And might I remind you
that this girl belonged to the family who mocked yours.
That being said,
it will be in your best interest to just be about on your way.
I have unfinished business with this girl, you see.
Off we go.
Let go of her.
Disobey my orders
and you will be taught the weight of the law.
Are you threatening a royal relative
in the name of defending this lowlife?
She is one of my precious people.
I will not stand idly by when an attempt
to harm my people is being made.
Right, of course.
All right.
Are you all right?
Yes, Your Royal Highness.
I was headed to the minister's residence myself,
so you may join me.
That reminds me!
I hope you're aware…
of Lord Sangheon's promise to reward me for gaining the leverage on Minister Shin
which resulted in his demotion.
We should go.
I heard you saved my maid.
Words cannot possibly convey my gratitude.
I heard you will soon be returning to your hometown.
Forgive me, Your Royal Highness.
I wronged you in the severest of ways
and should never be pardoned.
Hardly.
One's heart is not an object that can be controlled at will.
That day,
I was grateful for the honesty you displayed.
I say so…
as a coward who hid my feelings.
If it were not for these circumstances,
I even thought of how we could have been
good friends.
A friendship between
a man and a woman may not be possible, but still.
Anyway…
I wish for your good health and peaceful life.
My father will be home soon.
Please let him know I send him my best regards…
and that I await the day we meet again.
Jan-i?
Jan-i!
Oh, no. Jan-i…
Jan-i!
Oh, no…
Jan-i…
No…
…and the one you almost married.
Who knows? They could very well be together at this said moment.
Jan-i!
EPISODE 11
Damn it.
Your Royal Highness, what brings you here of all places?
How dare you?
What is the meaning of this?
Why am I enraged?
Because a girl died.
An innocent girl died!
Why did you kill her?
She didn't do anything wrong! Why?
Let me go first…
Being the Crown Prince
doesn't give you the right to disrespect your elder!
This time around,
I will not let your behavior slide.
Damn it.
I already told you everything.
It is true that I passed the house at that hour,
but I did not kill anyone.
Who would be crazy enough to kill a slave in broad daylight?
Why would I waste my time and energy on a life worth nothing?
That's just preposterous.
Do you not agree?
Then how do you explain the scratches on your face
and this jade button that was found with the victim?
Oh, this?
That stings.
I already told you that the lowlife scratched me.
She is as feisty as her lady.
How dare that wench harm a royal relative.
Right here.
Do you see this?
It is not I but she who should be answering to her crime.
Death does not excuse anyone!
Talk about an unlucky day.
The girl was stabbed to death.
Have the coroner specify a murder weapon.
The killer's residence must be thoroughly searched.
Hold on to these.
These are for the physician.
You will be all right now, so do not worry.
Get in line, people!
Our physician hates when people cut in line.
Is this where I can find the acupuncturist from Hanyang?
Yes, you are in the right place.
From what I hear, the physician has almost godly powers.
Yes, that is right. Now, get in line.
-But the line is too long. -Please get in line.
Do not cut in line.
-Goodness. -Goodness me.
Just how long is this line?
Get behind me, woman.
Do you remember what I told you not to eat?
What was that? A fire poker?
No, food. What are you not supposed to eat?
Food?
Yes, food. Meat and sugary food. You must not consume those.
Fish?
No, meat. And also sugary food.
Right, I hear you.
My goodness.
My dear,
he said I should eat a lot of meat and sugary food.
No, that's not…
Those are what you should not eat!
Can you wait here a second?
Have this brewed in warm water
and dab the itchy skin with it.
Oh, and make sure he doesn't scratch.
When the itch gets unbearable…
Count to five like so.
-All right. -All right.
Thank you so much.
The pleasure is mine.
Can you wait over there?
-Sure. -Good.
My lord, please. You must get in line like the rest.
Hyun?
Ji-un.
I sure am glad to see you.
No wonder I dreamed of a snake crawling into the yard.
I was foreseeing the visit of a special someone.
Have a seat.
Here.
You can do it, right? I'm putting my trust in you.
Next!
Goodness.
My goodness.
What…
What happened to your face?
Where did this happen to you?
Here. Take one.
How did you even find this place?
I got lost looking for it.
It sure was a hassle.
Gosh!
Will you stop with the mumbling and grumbling, Lord Jaeun?
You sure grumble a lot for someone who came here to lend a hand.
Lend a hand? I only came by to see how you were.
If I had known it was this secluded,
I would have asked you to meet me elsewhere.
Well…
The flowers are a beauty.
Even those with lingering diseases
leave this place with their faces slightly flushed.
It must not be so bad here.
Of course. It's nice.
Clean water, fresh air, and good people.
If I had known about this place, I would have come sooner.
I am glad to see that you are doing well.
The Crown Prince is well, right?
Is everything all right?
Don't worry about the palace.
By the way, your mother requested that I deliver this to you.
My mother?
What weird object did she…
What is this?
A clairvoyant bodhisattva wrote it for you.
She said you would know how to use it.
Unbelievable.
The so-called bodhisattva of Mount Cheongryong.
She fell for his tricks again.
How about you take it instead?
You see, one must carry this on his undergarment.
Go ahead. Let me help you attach it.
-Get that away from me. -Come on. Don't be like this, Lord Jaeun.
A man engaged in state affairs must stay healthy, don't you say?
Why you…
Get that away from me.
Come on. Don't be like that.
Allow me to attach it to your undergarment, Lord Jaeun.
Get back here.
The flowers have bloomed beautifully.
I hope all went well on your trip for the Ministry of Rites.
It did. Where I traveled was close to where Royal Tutor Jung set up his clinic,
so I dropped by to see him.
I see.
He seemed well.
Staying healthy and keeping busy.
I am relieved to hear that.
How has it been for you, Your Royal Highness?
What do you mean?
I know that you two grew quite close.
I thought you might be feeling lonely.
Not at all.
NOKUNGAK
Wind chimes?
The sounds they make
take me back to a moment in life I miss.
A time when I had no worries
and could spend all day doing nothing.
That moment in my childhood
is where I am taken to.
Don't they sound similar to this?
The sounds made by the wind chimes which you enjoy.
That being said, how about we clink our glasses once more.
Cheers!
The section chief of the Ministry of War was found dead at the ministry office.
How has there not been a commotion
when a murder occurred in a government office?
I presume it was per Commander Yoon's orders.
In other words, it is His Majesty who wishes to keep it quiet.
And regarding that, one hopes to share information.
Un-am who took his own life recently,
the deceased Governor Kwon of Hamgyong Province,
and now the section chief.
They all gave the decisive statements
during Preceptor Kang's interrogation ten years ago.
Are you saying that someone has been murdering them
to avenge the preceptor who died ten years ago?
It will be in your best interest to take precautions, my lord.
Look here. Step aside!
Make way.
Everybody, step aside.
Step aside.
What was that?
An assassin, my lord.
Take Lord Sangheon to safety!
Explain yourself!
What brings you here?
A suspicious man attacked the Left State Councilor.
I will explain in due time.
Someone suspicious?
But no one is around.
I am also curious as to
what you are doing here at this time of day, Commander Yoon.
I was patrolling outside the palace walls.
It surely is odd
for you to be on patrol on this side of the gate.
Anyone suspicious will be mine to apprehend,
so be on your way.
Kim Ga-on was able to get away.
I see.
You did well.
One must ask.
Do you still intend to keep him in the palace?
It may endanger you as well.
Until I say otherwise,
keep a close eye on him.
I will not allow…
another soul to be hurt.
You are staring, Uncle.
A nephew visiting his uncle is not all that surprising.
You are not one to have come by without a reason.
Let me see.
His Royal Highness must have put you up to this.
You were ordered to find out about what happened to the girl named Jan-i.
I see you are not as dense as you used to be.
That being said,
why did you kill the girl?
Since Lord Sangheon is now looking out for you,
there will be no harm in telling me.
Do you really wish to know
why I did it?
Because I was angry.
Anger swept over me.
I could not take
seeing the Crown Prince acting all righteously.
Still…
killing her was never my intention.
If anything, she is to blame for harming a royal relative.
Gosh, that's bitter.
Absolutely bitter.
Bring me better food, damn it!
Anyway, eat up. Enjoy.
Damn it.
What?
Damn it.
What a relief.
Thank you…
for leading me to where it lies, Uncle.
That hurts.
Don't just stand there. Protect me.
It is the Crown Prince. Sheathe your swords.
Damn it!
Now that I have evidence,
I doubt my grandfather can continue to offer his protection.
I damaged the property of the Minister of Personnel
and will accept the punishment for my actions.
Anyone guilty of murder will be sentenced to execution by beheading.
The deceased girl was also one of the people.
Thus, your actions should be dealt with accordingly.
Murder?
Surely you must not mean
that I, your uncle, should pay for her life with mine.
It is common knowledge that certain lives weigh more than others!
Are you saying…
that your life matters more
than the deceased girl's?
Well, isn't that common knowledge?
I am of royal blood
and the uncle to His Royal Highness.
If that is true, then being the Crown Prince,
my life would be worth much more than yours.
However, you carried out acts that could harm me.
I don't quite follow.
Once at the royal hunting site
and once during my bath.
The girl had the audacity to harm a man of royal blood.
She was as good as dead anyway!
If that can be said about her,
you could also be killed right here as well.
No, wait.
Please do not tell me
you are not realizing the severity of this matter
and are naive enough to believe I would not kill my uncle.
No, wait.
Why are you doing this?
Your Royal Highness.
Please have mercy on me, Your Royal Highness.
I was wrong.
If you wish to beg for your life,
do it in her presence, not mine.
Visit her grave
and bow for her forgiveness.
Do so, and I will at least spare you your life…
and turn you over to the State Tribunal.
Wait. Hold on.
Did you just order me to bow to a slave's grave?
Why?
Is it something you cannot do?
Of course not. I will heed your command.
I will do it.
You had him kneel!
You had a royal relative kneel in front of a slave's grave.
How am I supposed to understand this rash behavior?
Uncle abused his power as a royal relative
and took an innocent life.
I believed he should at least
atone and apologize for his actions.
He has been this way for years now.
You should have held back.
As the Crown Prince, it is your duty to uphold the code of morals.
What brought on this lack of judgment?
It was not a misjudgment.
All I did was act dutifully.
I heeded Father's guidance to serve our people
and Grandmother's guidance regarding my duty
to uphold the dignity of our royal blood.
It is why
I do not feel even the slightest bit ashamed.
-Crown Prince! -This matter
will be mine to sort out.
You are dismissed.
Was this an act to become a benevolent king?
You should have also kept in mind
that your actions could provoke other royal relatives
and members of the nobility.
This nation only maintains its peace
because the law binding different social classes
is never disrupted.
One who is next in line for the throne
should not disrupt that order over the petty life of a slave.
A petty life, did you say?
What I mean is that you were wrong
to have gotten involved in the murder of a lowly girl.
There is no such thing as a petty life.
And there is not a single person who should die for no reason.
No one…
has the right to disregard another's life.
No one.
-The Crown Prince did what? -You heard me.
Word has been traveling all across the Capital.
The Crown Prince who made a mockery out of his uncle.
Some are slandering him for violating moral principles.
But only nobles, if you ask me.
People like us could not be more satisfied.
Never have I ever been this fond of a ruler before.
So what happened?
Insulting a royal relative
must have put His Royal Highness in trouble.
You never seem intrigued when it comes to the Capital,
but you prick up your ears when the Crown Prince is mentioned.
Well…
I hope you are well,
Your Royal Highness.
Why are you outside and not in bed sleeping?
Even when I am here,
all I do is think about you.
I am worried…
and I miss you.
Says the man who chose to move out here.
A place this secluded.
I wish to be by your side,
take you in my arms,
have conversations,
and be together with you.
Goodness.
Hello?
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
You came, Great Lord Changcheon.
You must have a good reason for summoning me up here.
As if there must be one.
One only hoped you would join me on a hunt.
Hunting does not intrigue me at all.
Especially a hunting trip accompanied by royal relatives.
Yes, of course.
Prince Jehyeon is the apple of His Majesty's eye,
so there is no reason for you to go out hunting.
What are you trying to say?
Even game that's been caught in a trap
is not easy to retrieve for the cowardly predator.
What?
LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT
These are the last words of Lord Changun.
Last words?
The humiliation induced by the Crown Prince was unbearable for him.
How could this have happened?
I doubt I am the only one who is devastated by his death.
Moral principles were violated.
A man of nobility knelt before a slave.
He was humiliated by his own nephew which led him to take his own life.
Members of the nobility cannot let this matter slide.
That reminds me.
I hear that your nephew
is the ritual manager at the Royal Confucian Academy.
Confucian scholars are the ones who have always corrected grave matters.
Please make sure this reaches your nephew.
It will serve us greatly.
Lord Changun, whom the Crown Prince commanded to disrupt Confucianism order,
lamented over his humiliation by taking his own life.
The Crown Prince is one who should lead an exemplary life.
However, the entire nation is confused and is feeling unsettled
over his decision to disrupt the Confucian order.
The sinister way of humiliation
which led his uncle to death has reached the heavens
and we are gravely worried that its wrath will fall on the people.
If His Majesty wishes to set order to the nation
and if he honors the Confucian law,
the wisest decision will be
to strip the Crown Prince of his title and depose him.
Please punish the Crown Prince
for shaking the foundation of the Confucian order.
-Please punish the Crown Prince. -Please punish the Crown Prince.
Who was it?
Pardon?
Who was it that rallied the Confucian scholars?
Well…
I am also flustered by what is happening and--
Did you believe this would promote Prince Jehyeon to Crown Prince?
I am lost for words at your accusation, Your Majesty.
Please believe me when I say I did not know.
It is common knowledge
that your nephew is the ritual manager at the Royal Confucian Academy.
How long do you intend to deceive me?
My nephew may be the ritual manager
but who am I to stop the Confucian scholars
from leaving their posts to raise their concerns
regarding the disobedient act against our class system?
What is the meaning of this?
You will see to it that the scholars leave the gate.
Right now!
How dare you…
Deploy the soldiers, Your Majesty.
Those who are dishonoring the Crown Prince on palace grounds
must be found guilty of treason!
Whether it is treason or not is my decision to make.
I will see to this matter personally, so I advise you to step away!
Apprehend those who led this strike and hang their heads on a pike.
If necessary, I will deploy the soldiers myself.
Anyone who speaks of deposing the Crown Prince
shall have their mouths ripped open and tongues cut off.
Explain this to me.
Why do you have the appeal regarding the dethronement of the Crown Prince?
It speaks for itself.
His Royal Highness acted hastily.
It was a grave misjudgment on his part.
Is this why you met with Great Lord Changcheon?
How could you do something like this?
Why are you orchestrating such defiance?
Until when will you only take the Crown Prince's side?
It is time you face the facts.
Your uncle is dead.
And it is over for the Crown Prince.
Brother.
It was all supposed to be mine.
The palace was home to our father who was the Crown Prince,
to me his eldest son,
you, and our mother.
Do not be this way.
Please stop this. Please.
Unfortunately, I cannot.
There is nothing I can do to stop the scholars now.
Please dethrone the Crown Prince and strip him of his title.
-Please dethrone him! -Please dethrone him!
Punish the Crown Prince for shaking the foundation of the Confucian order.
How can they be this cruel?
Have the Crown Prince
take responsibility for the death of his own uncle.
-He must take responsibility. -He must take responsibility.
What if you swallowed your pride
and asked His Majesty for forgiveness?
You don't know what the outcome of this ordeal could be.
Do you two also think I went too far?
That's not it.
You were able to hold yourself back until now.
But how come you couldn't this time?
I was going to.
I guess I could have.
But this time around, I did not want to.
She had her life taken from her because she was of low birth…
and I had to die because I was born a girl.
What makes us any different?
Your Royal Highness…
If I had turned a blind eye yet again,
then for another ten years…
No…
Until the end of my days, my life would have been filled
with nothing more than meaningless attempts
to stay alive.
What kind of a life would that be?
That thought crossed my mind.
Pretending not to see and hear things
for the sake of keeping my place in the palace?
What meaning is there in that?
The scholars' reactions…
prove to me
that the code our people live by
has not changed since I was born.
You did well, Your Royal Highness.
The Crown Princess Consort
would not have wanted your life to be like that.
If she had been alive,
she would have said
that you were right
and that you acted properly.
So please do not be hard on yourself.
Eunuch Hong and I
will always stand by you, Your Royal Highness.
JASEONDANG
Hyun?
I see you have yet to turn in for the night.
How can one sleep with all the commotion outside?
I feel ashamed.
You always seem to catch me in these embarrassing moments.
There is something I must confess to you.
I met you for the first time when I was 14.
Your two eyes were deep and as clear as the clearest of seas.
However, what filled them…
was an unexpected level of caution.
How could I not recognize your eyes
when you are like a brother to me?
Your face, your voice,
and even your gait were the same,
but…
you weren't the young prince I grew up with.
All this time,
you knew everything?
I was confused at first
and then fear overwhelmed me.
And when I met you once again,
I wanted to protect you.
The child who practiced archery all night despite the blisters on her hands.
The child who rose to her feet
even when the fall broke her bone.
The child who was left alone
in a world that would bring her unimaginable suffering.
I made a promise to myself that I would protect that child.
Hyun…
If you are dethroned,
the only thing that awaits you would be death.
Even if you are lucky enough not to be deposed,
how do you expect to manage the many hardships that lie in your way?
You may have been able to fool others into believing you are a man until now,
but it will not be as easy moving forward.
I am sure you are aware
of how this revelation could cost you your life.
What is it…
that you actually want to say to me?
Do you remember how I said that the sea awaits at the far end of the path
you weren't able to once take?
Currently docked there is a boat with big sails.
You should leave on it.
Wherever you wish to go,
I will be by your side.
APPEAL TO THE KING
Subtitle translation by: Hye-lim Park