(The Secret Romantic Guesthouse)
(All people, organizations, locations, and incidents...)
(in this drama are fictitious.)
Show your face.
That is an order.
It is my pleasure...
to greet my king.
Kim Si Yeol.
You are...
the watchman?
You were so close and yet...
I did not recognize you.
We must get out of here.
(Episode 11)
Then Snowflake is among us?
It was not just a rumour?
It is the truth.
Listen, everyone.
Snowflake is among us.
Snowflake is here?
If you are Snowflake,
why did you hide your identity?
People were killed.
Why did you not appear sooner?
It has been eight years.
I have been curious...
ever since...
I first met you.
Have you followed me since then?
Yes.
I have lived my life...
shadowing yours.
- Over there. Go after him! - Yes, sir.
I caged you in.
You could never have strayed far from me.
That is the fate of a watchman.
Do not concern yourself.
I heard a watchman is freed when his master becomes king.
That will happen soon.
For that to happen,
you must stay alive and safe.
I know that.
If I fall,
so will you.
I am not here...
as the deposed heir.
What is he saying?
Why is he here, then?
- What does he want? - What will he do?
Just because I have royal blood,
I will not rule over you.
It is not one's birth...
but one's will that changes the world.
So that your resolve to end the King's tyranny...
will not break,
I will lead the way and take the brunt of the attacks.
That is...
the reason...
I stand here today.
The watchman. He did this.
Simple, sharp strikes to the vital points.
What did Jong Soo say before he left?
That he would find someone.
The deposed heir, maybe?
I cannot tell how much...
Jang Tae Hwa knows.
I took care of the friend who reported you.
You knew?
Yes.
I had been...
watching him in secret.
- Come along. - Yes, sir.
Who are you?
(Garden of Flowers)
Act as usual when we are here.
You cannot let them realize who you are.
- Of course. - Especially...
Dan O.
Do not worry. Hiding things is my specialty.
Did the deposed heir show himself?
Lord Sin. How did you find out and decide to come here?
Nothing in Hanyang happens without my knowing.
Even more so about the deposed heir.
Did the watchman do this?
Yes.
It is the same as eight years ago.
All these men are dead,
so yet again, no one is left who knows...
Snowflake's face.
(Garden of Flowers)
It is still very early. Where did Yu Ha go?
He left in a rush, saying that he had to study.
He surely is a model student.
I should study harder to catch up.
Before that, eat well first. You need energy to study.
San, are you all right?
Dan O was hungover all day.
I know you two are close,
but it is not appropriate for a man and a woman to get drunk together.
I did not drink with San.
You did not?
Then what did the two of you do together?
I just assumed you two had drinks together.
My gosh. He carefully carried you home on his back...
as if you were a newborn baby.
No, I was not that careful.
Come on. You were very careful, as if she were a precious baby girl.
San is very strong.
Besides, she is much heavier than a newborn baby.
Well, I will go and get more side dishes.
- Oh, but... - We have plenty of food here.
If you bring too much food, the table will collapse, Dan O!
Your legs will break before that happens, Si Yeol.
San.
Please leave.
Leave and go far away.
No.
Do not go anywhere.
Do not leave. Just stay by my side.
I cannot enter the palace easily.
I am trying to figure out a way,
so you must be very careful until then.
I know.
Oh, right. Dan O already knows everything.
She knows who you are.
I overheard your conversation in the bamboo grove the other day.
"I still cannot believe it."
"That you are Lee Seol, the deposed heir."
That is what Dan O said.
No matter the circumstances,
do not hurt Dan O.
I will never dare to hurt the lady my king is in love with.
I am not that foolish.
Hold on.
What did you say? "Love?"
Am I wrong?
That night, Your Highness and Dan O, who was drunk...
Do not tell me you saw that too!
How could I not have seen it?
In that open yard,
you two expressed love for each other.
From now on, you should keep your distance.
Your eyes are as quick as your mouth.
If I keep my distance, I cannot protect Your Highness properly.
I cannot allow that.
What, then? You will keep watching me?
And everything I do?
I suppose...
you plan to do a lot of things.
No, that is not what I meant.
All right. I will leave you alone when the need arises.
You need not explain what happened.
When you are drunk, you cannot think straight,
and it is natural to do silly things.
Oh...
If you wish to pretend nothing ever happened, sure. I do not care.
I do not want that.
No.
I cannot pretend...
that nothing ever happened.
What did you say?
Seol has been arrested?
They are interrogating him now.
Your Highness.
The precious grandson of yours you have been waiting for.
Are you here to check if it truly is him?
Have a look at him, Chief Eunuch.
Is this man...
truly Lee Seol?
No, he is not.
I have seen Lee Seol as an adult, and this man...
looks nothing like him.
Your Majesty.
Lee Seol was spotted by the west riverside.
What did you say?
Would Your Majesty like me to return to the palace as a eunuch?
There is no way of knowing how Lee Seol will approach me.
Your task is to identify him.
I will do my utmost, Your Majesty.
The Palace Guards will be sure to protect you inside the palace walls.
Please put your worries to rest, Your Majesty.
(Inner Military Office)
I keep missing the mark for I have too much on my mind.
You should take a shot.
What are you waiting for?
Take a shot.
Yes, Your Majesty.
This is what I expect to see if Lee Seol were to return to the palace.
Besides, he is around your age.
Your Majesty.
Master Jang Tae Hwa is here.
I heard you lost Lee Seol yet again.
I must take your life to quell my anger.
I, Jang Tae Hwa, dare ask Your Majesty for a favour.
Until I rip Lee Seol to pieces with my own two hands,
I cannot rest in peace even if I die.
While chasing the deposed heir,
I lost my only son...
and all my men.
Your Majesty, please allow me...
a chance to redeem myself.
Do not tell me you are back as a eunuch.
Who am I to object...
when I am powerless against His Majesty?
Chief Eunuch,
do you find this situation amusing?
Being of lowly birth means I can die at any second.
I would feel less wronged if I were at least entertained.
Do you regret it?
When I reported you to Yukinhoe decades ago,
if you had found and killed me,
I would not have been an issue for you.
No.
You are the one...
who brought about this situation.
When you and Master Jang came to Garden of Flowers,
I figured I would be captured. However...
You did not identify me.
Why you chose not to...
does not matter to me.
But could one ask you to assist me like you did that day?
(Buyounggak)
It has been so long, Scholar Kang.
You seem gaunter than before.
I have been busy.
Are you going to keep following me?
You suggested before...
that I come to you for help.
Do tell, then. What matter can you not resolve on your own?
I am lonely.
Could you perhaps share it with me?
A day of yours, that is.
For some reason, when I am with you,
even Buyounggak...
becomes bearable.
I see you are already here.
The kisaeng earlier is the daughter of Lord Im Ji Guk?
I heard he was a compiler at the Office of Royal Decrees.
Did you know him?
I did.
After you escaped Yukinhoe alive,
the royal court was in shambles.
Scholars appealed to His Majesty...
for your execution to be revoked.
Lord Im Ji Guk was the one who led the movement.
Does the lady weigh on your mind?
Unbeknownst to my knowledge,
I have done another person wrong.
I am afraid there is a more pressing matter to discuss.
Mokinhoe's recent activity has been raising red flags.
The leader of Mokinhoe announced himself as Lee Seol...
and stood before the scholars.
Chief Eunuch has found the deposed heir's watchman?
I told him that the watchmen...
are not aware of who they are serving.
I am now too old for this.
If only...
you could teach the students like before.
I would not be satisfied teaching other children.
It is all due to the fact I met my greatest student too soon.
I thought you said I was fussy and bothersome?
His Majesty who stands before me was the fussiest, was he not?
I am sick of you calling me that.
You should catch up since it has been a while.
Do you still train with these swords?
It is too heavy.
Who may you be?
When I was your age, I spent my days trapped at the temple.
It was depressing.
Well, I am in a generous mood today.
I will let one of you come to the marketplace with me.
Really?
Me! I want to go.
- No, me. - Me!
- Me. - I want to go as well.
The first one to successfully attack me...
will win.
Do you mean that?
I won, did I not?
Yes, this time around, you will be His Majesty.
Do you mean that?
Your Majesty, shall we head to the marketplace?
Sure.
More men have been guarding the palace lately.
His Majesty must be agitated.
The public has been aroused...
by the prophecy of a new king replacing the old.
The Governor of Pyeongan Province...
and the Army Commander of Gyeongsang Province...
voluntarily stepped down...
not being able to cope with outrageous commands.
What if we contacted those two first?
It is a smart plan.
We need their support...
if we are to fight His Majesty's men.
As soon as they hear you are alive,
they will bow down to you in a heartbeat.
We are choosing to flip the sky.
It is not a task one can easily engage in.
Here.
It is a hat.
Please try it on and see if it fits.
But this was not necessary.
I am glad.
I only guessed your size and was worried it would not fit.
Did you make it yourself?
The weather has gotten chillier.
I am sure it will help.
What did I tell you?
I said His Majesty might show his affection.
My warning was sincere.
I did not want you to become a royal concubine.
It is not like that.
Who could be spreading all these rumours?
We are living in a tumultuous time.
There is also a rumour about the deposed heir becoming king.
Affairs of the palace...
have been piquing everyone's interest.
Of course. Even a poster went up in the marketplace.
Do you wish for the deposed heir to be crowned as king?
You are seeking trouble.
What if someone heard you?
The deposed heir has stayed away all these years,
so would he actually show himself?
I cannot turn away from them...
just to save my own skin.
You saved my life.
I will not waste it in vain.
Do not worry.
- Scholar Jung. - Scholar Jung.
It is time you moved to Buyounggak.
When Lady Dan O marries the King,
she can no longer run Garden of Flowers.
What did you say? She will do what?
Have you not heard?
The word has spread right through Buyounggak.
Do not worry.
This Mae Wol will take her place...
and serve you every night.
That will not happen. You can return to your work.
You come to places like this also?
Oh, well...
I had a reason.
What is that hood you are wearing?
I am having a hard time keeping up with the new you.
Me, marry the King?
That is not true.
Are you sure?
Did the King not drop any hints?
No. He is not the type to open up easily.
He will not last much longer.
He will be brought down soon.
Have you...
joined those who read...
"The Secret Records of Samhan?"
Yes, I have.
I joined Mokinhoe.
So you must not...
get too close with the King.
Mokinhoe?
So that was it.
Leave, if you have nothing to say.
I have so much to say, I know not where to start.
I heard there is talk that Lee Seol leads Mokinhoe.
Do you believe that?
I wonder if they are just confusing the public.
Would I share my thoughts with a member of the Palace Guard?
If we were not friends, you would be at the Department of Justice now.
You could all be arrested.
Keep your voices down.
We were whispering.
You got into...
something that dangerous and kept quiet?
What if...
Dan O were to end up in danger?
I see a pot is calling a kettle...
So hot.
Dan O, I know how you feel.
A Palace Guard who protects a tyrant,
is worse than an ambitious reformer.
Do not fight each other.
You are all doing your own thing for a reason.
Since when were you so accepting?
You tried to stop me.
Do not worry.
No one at Garden of Flowers will suffer for what I do.
Your room is close to the other scholars',
so I thought we could...
speak in private in my room.
In private, just us two?
So...
San.
Whatever the topic is,
we can talk during the day.
You seem to think I am easy prey, but...
No.
This must be done today.
What is it you want to do?
I heard...
many people wish for the deposed heir...
to take the throne.
If even Yu Ha joined the cause,
it must not be far-fetched.
Dan O.
I know what you are worried about.
But I cannot promise I will not do anything to put you at ease.
I will fail to keep it.
I know that.
What right do I have...
to stand in the way of the deposed heir?
I will put my faith in you.
You said you would not waste your life in vain.
Keep that promise at least.
Why did you change your mind?
You told me to leave.
If you have no choice but to go down that path,
I hope you will not be lonely at least.
I will be with you,
by your side.
Say it again.
The person the Queen Dowager met in secret was the Chief Eunuch?
Yes. I saw with my own eyes.
Did you hear what they said?
We had been sent away.
Oh, but when he left the Queen Dowager's presence,
he had something that looked like a bag of money.
You are excused.
The King beheaded Court Lady Kim who was...
the Queen Dowager's trusted servant.
She would have needed a replacement.
A bag of money...
Could she have put the Chief Eunuch in charge of funding the watchman?
To find Lee Seol through the watchman?
Only the Queen Dowager could come up with such an idea.
The watchman.
It is the perfect opportunity to catch you.
My lady.
Why are we here?
There are no scholars at all.
Today, forget touting...
and enjoy the scenery.
The beautiful view of just one season...
that you have been missing.
The splashing sound is so clear.
Not as clear as your voice.
You have not used it much,
so it is clear...
and beautiful.
Fallen leaves are prettier than flowers.
Do you not agree?
Write it all down.
Everything you have missed out on.
What for?
Will you make them happen?
There are many things I have never done either.
It will be very fun to do them together.
I understand the watchman is guarding Lee Seol,
but he is bound to get caught by you.
Do not be too disappointed.
As for Lady Dan O, I bet she has found something.
What do you mean?
I hear she has been frequenting the palace.
A while back,
she came to Buyounggak looking for a man with a red spot.
So I was wondering if she found out something.
I did not know that you were so immensely interested in Lee Seol.
I apologize if I overstepped my bounds.
I apologize, my lord.
I will go and get a dry cloth.
No way. Could Scholar Kang San be...
Why the long face?
I bet it is because of Dan O.
Right, Your Highness?
You told me to keep talking to you casually at home.
Your Highness.
Do you think...
I can truly protect Dan O?
Even if war broke out, she would sell porridge and earn money.
Why are you so worried about her?
It seems that you and Hong Ju have gotten very close.
Yes.
I have never met a woman like her in my life.
I want to do everything for her.
Have you had a deep conversation with her?
It looks like she has been through a lot.
She is confined to the annex, all alone.
I am waiting for her to open up to me.
I am certain that she will tell me once she begins to trust me.
In any case, do not tell Dan O.
She will worry about Hong Ju going out.
I know. I can read the room.
Is that so? Yet you had no idea that I was the watchman.
How many times have we eaten together at the same table?
You are awfully slow-witted...
Your words are your weapons.
Spoken like a warrior with no fear.
My dear Lady Dan O said to come out and have some roasted chestnuts.
"My dear Lady Dan O?"
Do not call her like that.
It has been bothering me for some time now.
Your Dan O said to come out and have some roasted chestnuts.
Happy now?
Yes, let us go.
Oh, hurry up and join us.
Try this. It is very sweet.
It is still steaming hot. Be careful.
Sweet and steamy.
Those darn chestnuts.
Yu Ha, your studies must be keeping you very busy these days.
Yes, indeed.
Your room is filled with books that are hard to get.
Hello?
Who is here at this hour?
Who might you be?
His Majesty has ordered you to visit the palace tomorrow.
My goodness.
(Garden of Flowers)
I am already excited,
thinking about us passing the exam and starting work together.
Yes, that would be fantastic.
Anyway, did you want to talk to me about something?
Oh, are you heading out to study?
If you are leaving,
your books will be so lonely in this empty room.
If there are books that you need, you can borrow them.
I appreciate that. I will take good care of them.
See you.
(Book of Documents)
Yuk Ho, this book is...
This drawing. Did you draw this?
No, I did not.
Are you telling me the truth?
What is the matter?
This is very important.
What is this?
I asked a physician I know to get me this rare tonic.
I will see you in the palace.
We shall find out why the King summoned you this time.
Do not worry.
I will get out safe and sound, just like I did last time.
You and Dan O talked for a while,
Your Highness.
San.
Spare me a moment.
Could we talk when I get home later?
I have to go in early today.
It will only take a moment.
(Book of Documents)
Dan O told me...
that she saved...
a royal heir who hid in a kennel over a decade ago.
Did you draw this?
Are you truly...
Lee Seol, the deposed heir?
Yuk Ho, why are you being like this?
Dan O is like a daughter to me.
I cannot let her get hurt.
Your Highness, all of this happened because of you.
Your Highness.
Please, I beg you.
Please leave Garden of Flowers.
Yuk Ho is right.
It is all my fault.
From time to time, I wonder...
what would have happened had I never returned to Hanyang.
Do not tell me...
you wish to give up now.
I suppose you wanted to leave early today to come here.
But what is this place?
A safehouse, which I bought many years ago.
If something happens to me,
bring Dan O and everyone else at Garden of Flowers...
to this house, safe and sound.
As your watchman, my job is to protect you at all times.
I am afraid I must decline your request.
It is an order, not a request.
You should never put my safety before your own life.
Protect everyone at Garden of Flowers at all costs.
That also includes you.
Also,
if by any chance...
someone shadows Dan O...
The awakened one will appear with the blizzard from the north...
painting our world in pure white.
Are you adding a line...
to the "The Secret Records of Samhan?"
The rumours are already spreading,
so we only need proof...
that the awakened one is the deposed heir.
What will you do if the real Lee Seol...
chooses to appear?
I believe our Lee Seol is fit to be king.
Unless the real Lee Seol proves to be better,
I will not change my mind.
So you wish to compare the two.
Lord Sin.
Please enter.
Hwa Ryung, you were here as well.
Let us sit.
The hat suits you.
You must be busy planning for the big day.
If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask.
I will help you in any way I can.
Thank you.
Your Highness,
how close of a relationship...
do you have with the innkeeper at Garden of Flowers?
Why would you suddenly ask me that?
His Majesty has been summoning her to the palace often.
She was summoned today as well.
Do you know why?
His Majesty has his eyes on Garden of Flowers.
It could generate problems for you,
so please keep your distance from her.
Your Majesty,
I was hoping to ask you something.
Speak.
What are your intentions with Yoon Dan O?
Tonight,
I hope to have some fun with her.
Right.
Have a seat.
I will ask you this...
for the first and last time.
Do you not intend to reveal Lee Seol's identity?
Reveal his identity?
Are you suggesting that I know who he is?
Even now, you choose to deceive me.
How could I possibly dare to deceive His Majesty?
You may question me numerous times, but all I will say...
is that I do not know...
who Lee Seol is.
Whether you know him or not...
does not matter.
All that matters is that Lee Seol knows you.
So enjoy.
Where else would you see...
a banquet this entertaining?
Change into plain clothes and follow me out.
May I ask why?
You are to follow me.
A palanquin has been prepared for you.
I would at least like for the journey back...
to be comfortable.
An attempt on Yoon Dan O's life...
will force Lee Seol to appear.
If he does not,
just kill the girl.
(Bamboo Goods)
Who are you?
Why are you doing this?
He is the watchman.
Attack!
Halt!
Why was the watchman after me?
Do not worry.
I designed the attack to save you from His Majesty's trap.
I see.
I do not wish to lose more of my people.
It is the only reason...
I wish to take the throne.
It is why nothing can be accomplished...
without you.
Just for a short while,
let us be together.
(The Secret Romantic Guesthouse)
Your fate as well as your family's rest in my hands.
Dan O, you have to side with His Majesty.
Whenever my life is in danger,
you will be the one to protect me.
Your beauty is surely an issue.
What I truly want is you.
I wish you to be safe, Dan O.
His Highness will slay at least one of the two.
Are you sure this is a path you can handle?
If Dan O is ever in danger,
reveal my identity.
Allow your grandson to greet you.
Seol, is that you?
Yes, Grandmother.