(The Tale of Lady Ok.)
(The following program contains themes, language, imitative behavior and violence)
(that are not suitable for viewers under 15.)
(Viewer discretion is advised.)
(This program contains product placements and virtual advertising.)
(Production sponsors: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and KOCCA.)
(All characters, locations, organizations, and incidents...)
(depicted in this drama are entirely fictitious.)
But was he really your husband?
Are you sure you did not see a wrong person?
Yun Gyeom!
Our eyes met, and he recognized me.
But why...
That bastard.
How could he be like that?
He seemed to be living just fine.
So how could he not send a single message?
Hey, Goodeoki.
Even though he always put duty before family,
he said it was more important than us,
so I held it in, again and again.
Because I am just a lowly servant.
I thought I had no right.
I did not even try to look for him, but just waited.
But he left again.
What?
Do I look okay?
Yes.
Please, Man Seok.
Do not tell him about what happened today.
This is driving me crazy.
Fine.
Let us go.
Director.
Why did you come? Just leave me alone.
You tell him. I am leaving.
I am here.
I thought this was a dream.
Have you been well? Have you been happy?
Yes.
That is a relief.
Well...
Right, I was not supposed to act this way.
I overstepped for a moment.
Man Seok.
Man Seok, come here!
You two should have a private chat. Why are you calling me?
Men and women should not stay together like this.
How could I face a married woman alone?
Then what do you expect me to do? Do you want a curtain?
Do you want an introduction or what?
Okay. Allow me.
This here is the leader of the Yudam troupe.
And this is the legal advocate lady who came from Cheongsu County...
to save you. Here you go.
So, did you bring her here?
This place is close to Hanyang. It could put her in danger.
Then you should not have acted so stubbornly and stayed locked up here.
In a few days, we have our first show in two years.
We cannot just let that go.
You greedy rascal.
Then what? Will you rot in jail forever?
Do you want me to watch you do that darn thing?
- Darn thing? - Yes, that darn thing!
Come here. I swear I will...
Just pay the compensation.
Close your eyes, bow once, and they will drop it.
Why are you holding out like this?
Why should I bow?
That man stole my soul!
Stole? What do you mean?
He says someone stole the book he wrote.
"The Investigator and the Maiden."
"The Investigator and the Maiden?"
That book by the new novelist, Seol Rang?
That...
That is my book.
I wrote it seven years ago.
So tell her "The Investigator and the Maiden" belongs to me.
That is what he says.
But the bookseller said that that book was terrible.
That.
That is not what I wrote.
"The Investigator and the Maiden" is mine...
but that book is not what I wrote.
I mean, I wrote it, but not that book.
Anyway, just tell her it is something like that.
Let me explain. There is this guy named Seol Rang.
That guy stole Director's book...
and turned it into something filthy and...
Anyway, he twisted it like that.
How filthy could it possibly be?
Tell her it is better she does not know.
- I will explain. - Do not.
- It is... - Do not.
Stop!
That guy used to chop meat at the market.
The Director taught him to read and dance and gave him work as a stand-in.
But he got greedy for money and stole the book and caused all this.
I am a married woman.
If you cross the line, I will report you to the government office.
Since you have no husband...
What if I fill that emptiness in you?
Fine.
I, too, have missed seeing men.
Just for tonight,
I will allow you, Lord.
That is right.
Tonight, I will...
- Passionately... - Passionately...
Passionately...
This is crazy.
Wait, he is about to appear.
You lunatic!
You ungrateful bastard.
How dare you insult my woman!
And that is how this happened.
Well done.
I would have killed him.
I will find a solution.
Tell her there is no solution.
Also, could you stop saying "tell her?"
Why not just speak directly and comfortably?
Why do you say there is no solution?
Is it because the original has been stolen?
Yes.
He probably already destroyed it.
What solution could there be?
So just leave.
You have come here for nothing.
Do you plan to stay in prison and accept punishment, then?
Yes, I did risk my life to help you back then,
but you do not need to repay that debt.
I will consider it repaid.
Since you insist, I must actually repay it this time.
Not for you, but for your wife and child.
You are a man with a family.
How can you be so irresponsibly in prison?
Do I have a wife and child?
Man Seok said...
Come here.
Come here, now!
You are in jail right now.
Tell her the truth. Now!
Fine. I lied to you.
I thought I had to do that to make you come.
Then was the rest a lie, too?
"He said Goodeoki was dead, mourned for three years in his heart,
and cut ties with Cheongsu County altogether?"
That was all a lie.
He only thinks of you,
only longs for you,
and speaks as if you are still by his side.
Do not tell her everything like that!
Why write a book...
that would never see the world?
I wrote it to remember.
I feared forgetting everything when I got old.
I wanted to cherish and hold on to memories.
It was something just for me.
A noble lady working as a legal advocate.
Where did you say she was from?
Cheongsu County or something. It sounds like some rural place.
What relationship do you have with that lowly storyteller?
Is it not obvious?
Did you not check his identification tag when arresting him?
The man in custody is...
the son of Lord Song Byeong Geun.
He is Young Master Song Seo In.
I saw it.
But he said he was not Song Seo In.
If he denies it, what can we do?
That identification tag could be forged.
Do you not know forging it is a severe crime?
If suspicious,
you should have checked if it was forged.
Besides, unless it was murder or robbery,
bail would have been permitted.
It seems you are detaining him like this and extending his sentence...
to meet the reporting date to the Ministry of Justice. Am I wrong?
If the Lord learns his eldest son has suffered this much,
will he overlook the neglect of the Magistrate...
who is paid by the country?
I quite doubt that.
Tell me how I can help you.
What crime did I commit to be arrested?
You are accused of stealing and plagiarizing...
Chon Seung Hwi's novel.
What? Who is this woman?
What did I supposedly steal?
I submit the evidence. Please compare them.
This is the novel he published...
and this is the original manuscript.
What? The original manuscript?
Where did you get that?
Your Honor! That is certainly not the original!
Why do you claim it is not the original?
Because you stole it?
Or because you destroyed it after stealing it?
That is...
Upon comparing the evidence,
in quantity and quality,
this is clearly the original.
I wrote both versions.
I simply adapted the original manuscript I wrote.
Your Honor.
Please have both of them rewrite it.
You can compare the rewritten ones to the original manuscript.
Bring brushes and paper to both men.
Yes, sir.
How am I supposed to remember all that?
Did you ask how?
If you really wrote it, you will remember.
You revised it so much, so you should know it by heart.
You must have written it a hundred or a thousand times...
without a single mistake for it to truly be yours.
Did I not teach you that?
If you can rewrite the text exactly the same here and now,
I will apologize to you on the spot...
and give you ownership of this work.
How could I write this? How could I?
You thief! You did steal the book!
Punish him with thirty lashes immediately!
- No! - Yes, sir.
No!
I never imagined...
that the Director would remember every word of that book.
This means his feelings for you...
saved himself on his own.
That was my expression, but it was so romantic.
When the Director comes out, I will be leaving, Man Seok.
Are you really leaving?
But there is no husband waiting for you.
I have my family.
I am the eldest in my household.
What is the point without a husband?
You have raised your brother-in-law already.
How long will you be unhappily alone living a false life?
Am I unhappy?
Of course, you are.
For seven years, he ignored you...
and pretended you did not exist.
Live with someone who only thought of you and missed you for seven years.
- The Director is coming. - What?
Director!
You went through trouble.
Are you okay? Take this.
- What is this? - Here, try this.
- Tofu? - Yes, eat this.
There, chew slowly.
But why? Why tofu?
I do not know. I just felt like this would happen one day.
Just eat, okay?
They will confiscate the handwritten copies of the plagiarized book...
and ban the performance.
Thank you.
Thanks to you, Legal Advocate Madam, I see the sun again.
It was not only me who did it.
Pardon?
The Lord vouched for you.
What Lord...
You!
I told you not to do that!
How many times do I have to say I am not Song Seo In, but Chon Seung Hwi?
I sent a letter before leaving Cheongsu County.
So that is why the Magistrate was so spineless.
Was that the only way for the best legal advocate?
Is that really something to be angry about?
Just be grateful to the Lord.
He came to slap me saying I shamed the family.
He freed me out of fear of more shame.
Yes, I should surely thank him.
The Lord himself came.
Remember Lord Cho, who was so close to Madam?
His main residence is nearby, so he is staying there.
So what?
Why do you not go and greet him?
Forget it. He will not have anything nice to say.
He has grown much weaker since his wife passed.
I said no. I will just get slapped again.
Even so, visiting him is the proper thing to do.
You can stick to propriety. I will not.
I will be leaving now.
See her off.
Wait, are you really letting her go like this?
- Then what do you want me to do? - You have not seen her for seven years.
Do something about it, then.
I cannot even. You cannot leave!
Why not?
The boat is broken.
I mean it. The boats heading south...
are leaking and need repairs for days.
I know you are lying.
I am not.
Well, that is just how it is.
Come on. Let us stay a little longer, okay?
A day or two will not hurt. Nothing will happen in the countryside.
Besides, the Director will put on a show in a few days.
At least stay to watch that. Just a few days, okay?
He is just being stubborn. He is like a child.
Come, okay?
Mak Sim, where did Madam go?
I have never seen her leave Chungcheong-do.
Even for serious cases, she sends legal advocate Jang.
She never goes herself.
You do not need to know.
It is a life filled with sorrow. Knowing will not do you any good.
Are you worrying about me now?
Thanks for that.
Are you on a picnic or what?
Why did you tag along causing all this mess?
It is not a mess.
The world is dangerous these days. How can I leave a woman on her own?
- Life is a solo journey. - Life is a shared journey.
Stop talking nonsense and go inside.
She will come back when it is time.
I do not understand why you keep coming here.
I do not mind if I have to wait a lifetime.
It might be better if she never comes back.
What are you saying? Why not?
Her life here is not much different from a lonely widow...
just like me.
You have me. Come here.
What are you saying?
There.
What is this?
You said you wanted to feel the people's struggles before your appointment.
I gathered cases that might be helpful.
I see. Thank you.
- I said I did not. - Come here.
Come here. Let us see if you can say that here, you brat.
Shut that mouth! Be quiet!
Write a petition for me.
I am going to report this brat to the government office.
This is so unfair.
Please represent me as a legal advocate. Please?
This rascal Hong Sik assaulted my sister.
How dare you accuse me of such a heinous thing?
You took advantage of her because she is a widow.
How are you any different from those who abduct widows?
How can you compare me to those horrible people?
Speak directly to me.
Continue.
Last night,
I returned at dawn after helping out at my uncle's place...
and found Hong Sik lying next to my sister, snoring.
I was drunk and got confused.
If you were so innocent, why did you not come through the front door?
Why did you climb over the wall?
Because my wife always locks the door.
I thought it was locked as usual.
Quiet down!
I will write a petition. Take it to the government office.
Wait a moment, Young Master.
It seems like there is a misunderstanding. Can we not show some flexibility?
I did not know flexibility takes precedence over the law.
Investigate properly before proceeding.
I am investigating as we speak.
What...
Would you come outside for a moment?
What...
What do you think you are doing?
What are you doing in broad daylight?
Here.
Ma'am, bring us one more jug of alcohol.
Yes.
You are quite the generous lady.
I heard the pancakes here are delicious.
Hurry up and eat.
I heard Hong Sik frequents this place.
Hong Sik?
He practically lives here.
I see.
There are not many customers since it is daytime.
How about chatting over drinks?
Are you buying me a drink?
Of course. The Young Master here will pay.
Right?
- Thanks for the drink. - Enjoy it.
About Hong Sik.
He came here drinking the other day, did he not?
Do not even get me started.
He drank four jugs that day.
Four jugs?
Then he probably could not even find his way home.
- Probably. - Here.
Right, that would be confusing.
- Try this one, too. - This one?
She will be fine.
Where are you going at this time that drunk?
You can only know this when you are drunk at night.
Know what exactly?
Listen.
Here is Hong Sik's place...
and over there is Deok Sam's house wall.
Well, they do look similar.
What?
But this is...
Wait.
What are you doing?
When you sit here, you will know both walls are exactly the same height.
After drinking four jugs of alcohol, he could easily get confused.
But he climbed over the wall when the front door is right here.
Because he comes home drunk every night.
His wife keeps locking the door.
These are lifelong neighbors.
This kind of small issue should not turn into a lawsuit.
Madam Tae Young would have decided like this.
Is that not right?
Yes.
You made the right choice.
Excellent.
Here.
Quiet.
Where did you go? Come join us.
Put that one over here, okay?
What is it?
I was looking for Man Seok.
Man Seok?
Man Seok might be late today because of the stage setup.
Why do you need him?
May I borrow a veil?
I want to look around to buy gifts for the household.
If that is the case, I know a place that sells many interesting items.
Shall we go?
Together?
No, just tell me where it is, and I will go alone.
But the place is a bit complicated...
and difficult to explain.
I am smart enough to understand it.
Well, I am not smart enough.
This way, please.
Here.
How is it now? Is it too tight?
Is it uncomfortable?
It is uncomfortable.
Because you are speaking so formally to me.
You are a noble lady. I must speak respectfully to you.
Then I will refuse your assistance.
It is far too uncomfortable.
What exactly do you want?
Just pretend...
for a moment that Goodeoki has come back to life.
Fine.
I will consider this as meeting you in a dream.
Walking around like this without a veil...
feels so liberating.
When I was searching for Goodeoki, I came up with the name Yoon Jo.
I wanted to give you a new name...
instead of that sorrowful name, Goodeoki, if we met again.
"Yoon" as in "height," and "Jo" as in "bird?"
That is right.
It means to be tied or locked to nothing...
and to fly high and free in the sky.
It has been over seven years since Goodeoki died.
Why have you not married and stayed alone all this time?
Well,
to me, Goodeoki alone is enough.
No other woman matters much to me.
What?
Why are you looking at me like that?
To keep you...
in my eyes and in my heart.
That way,
even if I wake from this dream, I will remember.
I need to stop by somewhere nearby.
Go on ahead.
That was unexpected. Where...
Would you leave my belongings in the room?
I will, but...
this is not a familiar place for you, and it is dangerous. I am worried.
Do not worry.
I will not leave you. Do not worry.
Okay.
Greetings, Lord.
Who are you to seek me?
I am the legal advocate for Director Song Seo In.
Do not write just any wish.
Wish for a welcome rain to fall in Cheongsu County.
Does everyone understand?
Yes.
What wish did you write?
I wrote that the legal advocate returns safely.
I wrote the same wish.
Excuse me.
My goodness.
She is not even from Cheongsu County.
Why is she attending this event?
If she works in Cheongsu County,
it is fair to consider her part of it.
They seem very intimate.
It seems you must give up now.
Give up? They have not even been married yet.
That quick defeat of yours is...
probably why Woongyi always fails his exams.
What did you say?
What happened for you you to have...
a sudden change of heart like this?
Change of heart? Do not say that.
Why did you come where I am?
Why do you think? Are we not part of the same family?
That is why we stick together.
You are making me uncomfortable, Young Master.
Do I make you uncomfortable?
Seriously?
I thought you just lacked flexibility, but you lack awareness as well.
I did not realize I lacked so much.
I thought I had everything.
Move a little farther away.
Do you not think the Young Master has feelings for Lady Mi Ryeong?
Why are you just realizing that now?
Well, better late than never.
Yes. That is quite impressive.
If even Dokki noticed, then all of Cheongsu County must know.
That is what I am saying.
The ladies are staring so hard at Lady Mi Ryeong's face.
Go inside.
I will come back again.
- Thank you. - Sure.
Sir.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
Wook Dong.
Lady!
Wake up, Lady!
Young Master, what happened here?
Put her on my back.
- Step aside. - Put her on my back.
- I said put her on my back. - Young Master.
How can you drink so much?
Did you forget? I am good at everything.
Good for you. Just eat this.
Everyone, attention.
We have...
already been booked with our next performance.
What?
What? We just finished, and you are talking about the next show.
Today, none other than the Minister of Rites...
happened to see our performance...
and asked us to be cultural ambassadors...
What?
Drummer, give us the drumroll.
He invited us...
to perform in Qing.
Make some noise.
Are you serious?
Find Chon Seung Hwi.
This one!
She is really something.
If that is the case...
That is enough.
But why are you drinking when you got it right?
- Because I got it right. - How silly.
How much can you drink?
Are you really not going to drink at all?
I do not like alcohol.
You should give up.
The Director gets tipsy after just one drink.
You are not even as good as Goodeoki. Not even close.
Goodeoki.
You should come with us to Qing.
Man Seok, you are drunk.
I am not drunk.
You look just like one of us performers dressed like this and having fun with us.
If you travel with us, you will not get caught, either.
Do not leave. Just live with us here. What do you say?
Even if you return to Cheongsu County, your husband is not even...
Just eat this, Soeddung.
What?
- Did you put this in? - Is that not delicious, Soeddung?
I told you not to call me Soeddung.
I will tell him everything, just you watch.
- About what? - Well...
You put the new "The Investigator and the Maiden" in my room.
Thank you. I will enjoy reading it, Director.
I see.
But that is not what he was saying.
- Now, imagine this. - Stop.
If her husband has been gone for seven years...
and still has not returned, what would you do?
What?
- What are you talking about? - That is what I want to ask.
Are you crazy? Stop saying weird things.
It is just hypothetical.
Can we not imagine things like this? It is hypothetical.
Hypothetical.
Father.
How did he get here?
Father.
No, Lord.
What brings you here?
I am merely a disowned son.
So I apologize for requesting your guarantee.
I did not want to disgrace our family name...
so I changed my name and hid my face.
But I cannot change the blood of your house that flows in me.
I did not come to be thanked.
Then?
Did you come to hit me? Go ahead and do it.
I came because I missed you.
I have always regretted having been so cruel to you.
Even when I came this far, I did not have the courage to see you.
Your legal advocate came to me and asked me to watch your performance.
I truly enjoyed it.
You resemble your mother so much.
Seo In, stop wandering like this and come home.
Do not hide your face anymore.
Live under your real name.
Why...
Why are you saying this now?
Because you are my son.
No matter what anyone says, you are the eldest of the Song family.
Good for him.
Are you in there?
Yes.
You are already packing your things.
What about Lord Song?
Did you see him off?
I swear, he must be senile from his old age.
Have you been drinking?
I only had two drinks.
You must be happy.
That is ridiculous.
Even if he is senile,
I wish I could see my father even just once.
Did you stay behind so I could meet my father?
You did not want to meet him.
So I apologize for overstepping.
You even went to his house.
What if he recognized you? It is dangerous.
I wanted to see you...
so happy like this.
You...
I hope what Man Seok said is true.
Pardon?
I hope your husband had not returned.
And if that were true?
Then I would hold on to you.
What would you do if you held on to me?
Would you make me your concubine?
Why would you be a concubine?
Once I leave Cheongsu County,
I am just the runaway slave, Goodeoki.
And you are now the eldest son of the Song family.
Besides, near your house in Hanyang,
my lady, So Hye, resides.
Forget it! Who says I want to be Song Seo In?
I do not have to do it.
And you can live as Yoon Jo, not Goodeoki.
What could I possibly do by your side?
Do you have to do something?
Can you not just stay with me?
No.
I like being a legal advocate.
You are so unfair.
I...
could give up everything to be with you.
But I do not want that.
I will return as Ok Tae Young and live diligently.
So you must become...
the greatest storyteller to honor Joseon.
Wait.
Let us stay like this for a moment.
It was like a dream...
that would never come again.
When I wake from this dream, I will be alone again.
Fate will surely tear us apart once more.
You will live your life, and I will live mine.
("The Investigator and the Maiden")
But I will hold on to this memory.
For the rest of my life, I will long for you...
and endure this endless darkness...
as my sun has now set.
Madam.
Why did you come alone? That is dangerous.
Give that to me.
I should have come with you.
This is so heavy. My goodness.
Why were you waiting for me? What if I did not return?
If you did not return, I would be fine with that.
Of course, I will return.
Where else could I go?
What is wrong? Did something happen?
No, nothing happened.
I am just glad to see you.
Hurry, let us go.
I thought...
something happened with that old friend of yours...
who looks just like Yun Gyeom.
I had high hopes for a moment.
Am I...
useless in this house?
What?
My husband is gone...
and you are an adult now, Young Master.
So am I no longer needed?
I wondered if you hoped something happened...
and I would not come back.
Tae Young, it was a joke.
Why do you take my jokes so seriously?
Did I do something to upset you?
I was joking, too.
How will you ever get married like this?
What?
Or are you not planning to marry?
But you have been frequenting a young lady's house.
It was Mak Sim again. But I told her I will say it myself.
What brought you to this humble place?
Let me see your arm.
It is really nothing.
It is just a small scratch.
The cuts are inflamed...
because she chafed her hand.
We need a physician who specializes in injuries.
The scars must die away for you to marry.
Marry, Madam?
Do you mean you do not have feelings for the Young Master?
No, that is not true.
I do not mean that.
Then that is good. Good days are ahead.
Is that not so, Young Master?
Yes, of course.
Thank you.
What a gift.
It has been so long. I am happy to see you.
Did everything go well?
Yes, thanks to your concern.
I brought back some souvenirs.
For me? What do I do with this?
Goodness.
They seem to get along so well.
Lady Kim and Lady Hong.
We are preparing to hold Do Gyeom's wedding soon.
He will marry an adopted daughter of Cha family...
in Uichang County.
An adopted daughter.
Her family is not prominent.
But she has a fine character and Do Gyeom has feelings for her.
Marriage is an important affair.
Should we not check her family background?
Goodness. Had I said that...
you would call me vulgar.
Never mind. I spoke out of turn.
It is rare for you to say something right.
Thank you for the rare compliment.
We have set the wedding date, Mother.
Why did you run in front of the carriage?
You were lucky this time.
What if you were seriously hurt?
If the Young Master were injured, that would be worse.
Foolish girl.
He is already receiving proposals after passing the state exam.
He needs an injury...
for you to become his wife easily.
Once you enter that house,
you will need to be ten times, no, twenty times more careful.
Until we bring down Ok Tae Young,
no one must know you are from the Baek family.
Yes, do not worry.
I trust you.
You are the only hope of our family.
Yes, Mother.
I swear...
I will take revenge on Ok Tae Young for what she has done to us.
Do not give them your heart.
Trust nothing she says.
Be wary of her cunning words.
Be most careful of that.
You are so beautiful.
She looks like an angel from heaven.
That is what I am saying.
Let us see here.
The southern room of the in-laws' house, and the servants' quarters...
- And the outhouse. - And we decided to fix the outhouse.
They only have one servant.
Two of our servants will go.
Did the clothes for your father fit him well?
Why did you give him silk clothing that you have sewn yourself?
He gave us such a well-raised daughter.
We must repay them properly.
I feel so undeserving, Madam.
Do not call me Madam.
From today, I am your sister-in-law.
Yes, my sister-in-law.
It is done. You look beautiful.
Thank you.
Wait a moment.
Here.
I made this.
I have one, too.
What is this?
We may not share blood, but...
a sister-in-law is the same as a sister.
No matter what happens, rely on me.
I will care for you like a mother and an elder sister.
Let us cherish and support each other.
Let us live well together, Mi Ryeong.
The bow of respect.
She is so beautiful.
The groom looks so dashing.
What a perfect couple they are.
Are they not stunning?
Why?
I thought I saw Special Inspector Baek's wife.
You must be mistaken. Why would she be here?
Why are you in your husband's room in the middle of the night?
Look at me.
I should call him the elder husband now.
It would have been nice if he saw the wedding today.
This room.
I am thinking of cleaning it out.
Why?
I do not think he is coming back anymore.
Why would you suddenly think that?
Now that the Young Master like your own son is married,
it feels empty, does it not?
I just...
I want to talk to my sister-in-law.
Let us go together to greet them, Do Gyeom.
Just for today.
Starting tomorrow, let us do it together, Mi Ryeong.
Once the wedding is over,
you must tell me everything that happens in that house.
How can you say this after the wedding night?
A promise is a promise.
Now keep your promise, Tae Young.
Tell me why my brother left home.
I do not know where to begin.
It is difficult.
My brother was not like most men. Is that right?
So my guess was right.
I was not sure.
Start from there, please.
My thoughts are the same as Father's.
Yun Gyeom's situation and his cause.
I neither understand nor forgive any of them.
No matter what, he should have come back.
If he could not come back, he should have at least sent a word.
If he is not dead,
that is what he should have done.
Do Gyeom.
Why are you...
No, why did you choose such a lonely path?
Where do I even find time to be lonely?
I am so busy.
Do you think...
my brother will never come back?
Yes.
Who is there?
What was that?
If you discuss it with your sons...
and let me know their exam subjects,
I will arrange tours to helpful places.
Thank you, Lady Kim.
Did you hear about Chunyi County?
What happened?
A widow supposedly committed suicide and earned a virtuous arch.
But they say she did not take her her own life but was forced to.
My goodness.
It is kept quiet, but is it not common?
How did they do it?
They used kidnappers to disgrace her.
They drove her to suicide from shame.
Dear.
Which family would do such a thing?
It was not a family. The entire Choonyi County conspired.
Why on Earth would they do that?
From what I hear from my husband,
if a virtuous widow emerges in a village,
the entire village receives benefits.
Benefits for the whole village?
Yes, for the whole village.
They are exempt from taxes.
It also brings in good marriage proposals.
The Magistrate's evaluation improves.
And exam candidates from the village receive bonus points.
Well, in our village,
it seems the most in need of a virtuous arch is you.
Young Master Woongyi may not win top honors, like top scholar Seong.
But he at least needs to pass, right?
How can noblewomen...
find such a tragic thing amusing?
Please, show some restraint.
You startled me.
Goodness.
Please mind where you walk. The Chief's wife should have dignity.
What is the point of being a Chief's wife?
Everyone just looks down on me.
That is true.
Honestly, should the Chief's wife not be the head of the Mother's Sanctuary?
Why is someone else running it instead of me?
Well, because she founded the Mother's Sanctuary.
As if no one knows that.
I was just answering a question.
Instead of stomping around in anger,
focus on Woongyi's studies.
You are treated this way...
because Woongyi has not passed his exams...
and is such a mess.
Do you have to state the obvious?
Why did Young Master Seong have to come first place in the state exam?
It only makes the comparison worse. This is killing me.
Darn it. Why are there not any widows in Cheongsu County?
If we had even one widow,
we could scheme something to get a virtuous arch.
Good grief. Is scheming all you can do?
How is it scheming? It is the law.
Dream on.
There are no widows in Cheongsu County.
There is no chance of earning an arch.
Who is it? Who are you?
Have you been well?
You are Special Inspector Baek's wife.
How have you been?
I only heard that Young Master Baek was exiled...
and you fled together.
Did Young Master Baek's exile end? Did you all return?
My Do Gwang...
passed away recently.
My goodness.
Then is Special Inspector Baek doing well?
He also...
passed away a few years ago.
I see.
Then why have you come to see me so late at night?
Ok Tae Young managed...
to make her brother-in-law win first place.
But why is Young Master Woongyi still like that?
You have no son, your family is ruined, yet you say such nonsense.
I will earn the virtuous arch.
If you help me get my revenge.
Did you come back to get revenge on Ok Tae Young?
That is...
the only reason I am still alive.
What is wrong, Do Gyeom?
It is a curse to bring discord between husband and wife...
and to wish for childlessness.
What is this...
Who would do such a thing in the bridal room?
Madam! Young Master!
What do we do? This is serious!
What is wrong?
What do we do?
What is it, Kkeutdongi? What happened?
What do we do?
The elder husband...
What about my brother? Is there news of him?
Goodness, just say it already.
But...
His body has been found.
No. What do we do?
Did you hear?
They say top scholar Seong's brother, Ok Tae Young's husband, is dead.
My goodness.
She waited seven years,
but he returned as a corpse?
Yes, they went to identify the body...
so she is officially a widow.
Yun Gyeom.
Do you know why I am helping you?
I used to think women needed protection from men.
But you seem to have the courage to protect even men.
I believe you can achieve what you want.
So I decided to help you.
Just because they are different,
I cannot stand by and watch them be killed.
I must...
create a world that embraces differences.
I will send word as soon as I arrive.
I promise.
(The Tale of Lady Ok)
Why did you not tell me?
I am asking. Why did you not tell me?
Are you dropping everything to go find her?
Are you going to bring her?
They say in the bridal room...
someone placed a cursed doll.
A widow who must uphold virtue...
must not involve herself in outside matters.
From now on, widow Ok Tae Young...
shall immediately recover her husband's body.
She must observe mourning for three years with utmost propriety.
For the rest of my life,
I will spend it tearing you apart.
(Subtitles are provided by KOCOWA.)
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