Original subtitles

[somber music plays]

I hear she is to be married.

Do not get yourself involved this time. Just let things happen.

Even if Lady Min had not intervened in this,

Master would have taken action.

She believes the chief merchant's daughter will make things complicated for you.

I am simply saying that her leaving the guild by way of marriage

is exactly what you wanted.

It will ensure her safety.

[somber music continues]

[Lady Ko] Your sister will not survive.

There is no rhyme or reason.

He slaughters for the sake of doing it.

It gives him pleasure.

His pastime.

[dramatic music plays]

[music stops]

DEAR HONGRANG

[Jae-yi] I am sorry for leaving without saying goodbye.

I was afraid that if I saw you,

it would make me want more from you.

I know that I have been useless to you as a sister.

But still,

I am so very glad I was able to see you one last time before leaving.

[gentle music plays]

Thank you for coming back.

Hurry now! Come on!

-Am I too late? -No.

Here. The travel papers you'll need to cross the border into Qing.

[woman] This is food for your journey.

Here. I exchanged your money for silver coins.

Head straight down this path.

The authorities will sometimes come here to stop ships from leaving, so careful.

We'll keep an eye on you and deter them if they appear.

[gentle music continues]

Safe travels.

You must write to us.

-I should go. -Yes, you do not wanna miss it.

[man] Goodbye.

Goodbye!

Yes.

[hopeful music plays]

[woman] Jae-yi!

[gasps]

[music fades]

-Oh no. -[ominous music plays]

[Jae-yi] Stop.

-Stop! -Go!

[gasps]

Go!

-Jae-yi! -Go! Hurry!

-[man 1] We'll be fine! -[man 2] Jae-yi, please!

-Go on! -[man 3] Leave!

-Oh no. -[clamoring]

[gasps]

-[man 1] Go! Hurry! -[woman] Don't stop!

[woman strains]

[woman screams]

Stop it!

[tense music plays]

[woman groans]

[woman groans]

[woman strains]

-[woman] Jae-yi! -I'm here.

Hold on tight!

[man 1] Come on!

Pull!

[man 2] She made it! She's up!

-Are you all right? -[music stops]

At your service, my lady.

[somber music plays]

Touch my people again

and I will bite your entire head off.

You are nothing but a dog who cannot bite without your master's orders.

I am not like you.

I have no collar or master.

If you attempt anything like this ever again, you will be sorry.

I will show you how far a wench who is fiercer than a dog can go.

[music fades]

Come on.

Let us go.

[woman whimpers]

[melancholy music plays]

[music fades]

There are less than five days left until the wedding.

I will have to either get Jae-yi to a safe location

or stow her away on a boat.

What if she is discovered?

Then it could get dangerous for you as well.

That does not matter. I cannot let her marry him.

The peddlers are arriving tomorrow.

They may have news on the whereabouts of Lady Ko.

Wait one more day before doing anything, please.

Why have I received so many letters?

The ones at the top are reports from the chain stores.

The ones beneath

are mostly letters congratulating the young mistress on her marriage.

What is it, my lord?

It is from Lady Ko.

Why would she send me this letter?

[footsteps approach]

Jae-yi.

-Yes, brother? -[Mu-jin] I have good news.

I have found a way to annul the marriage.

[gasps] Is that true?

Tell me how. What do I have to do?

All you do

is perform the nuptials as arranged.

What?

[Mu-jin] Your wedding holds the key to solving everything.

It must go as planned.

[tense beats]

[tense music plays]

It is a marriage that will solidify the bond

between the Min Family Guild and a family of nobility.

All key personnel will be attending.

I plan on exposing the wrongdoings of both Lord Choi and his son

in front of everyone present.

This will demonstrate the violation of a clause in the marriage contract.

It will leave our father no choice but to take immediate action.

This will compel both the guild's forces and Lord Choi's associates

to consider our proposal,

providing sufficient grounds for both parties to support the annulment.

This plan will succeed, I assure you.

Without fail.

The marriage ceremony shall begin.

The groom shall stand east of the wedding table and face east.

[guests chatter]

[tense music plays]

Bring the bride out.

Heavens, what a beautiful bride.

She is certainly the fairest maiden I've seen.

[woman] Yes, I quite agree. She's beautiful.

[tense music continues]

[Jae-yi] But how?

How will you expose their sins?

[Mu-jin] During the ceremony, when everyone's attention is focused,

that is when Lady Ko will make her appearance.

[officiant] The bride shall bow twice first.

[music fades]

[guests chatter]

[haunting music plays]

[officiant] The groom shall bow in acknowledgement.

The acolytes shall fill their cups again.

What? Lady Ko has disappeared?

[man] Yes, my lord.

Why now?

[haunting music continues]

It appears…

there has been an oversight.

[Hongrang] I have a favor to ask.

If you agree to grant my favor, you will live.

And another will be free to live the life she wants.

[suspenseful music plays]

[music fades]

[foreboding music plays]

[Yeon-ui chuckles]

[foreboding music continues]

[music fades]

Now then, shall we relocate to my house and continue with the festivities?

[Yeol-guk] Of course.

[somber music plays]

[music fades]

[Hongrang] A murder was planned?

So the idea was to blame everything on Choi Ju-yeol,

a man who has a track record.

Now what do we do?

Are we just going to let her go to that murdering lunatic's home?

Where is Lady Ko? I'm certain Lord Choi smelled something fishy and got to her.

[man] If that is indeed what happened,

she must be dead by now.

-[sighs] -Does that mean Jae-yi could die too?

Jae-yi will be rescued.

There will be no turning back if we let her spend her first night there.

Whatever happens, I will take full responsibility.

I need your help though.

All right.

What do we do?

[guests chatter]

[somber music plays]

[laughter]

It is such a happy day.

[guest 1] Congratulations. I wish you much happiness.

Look who's here. Congratulations, it was a beautiful ceremony.

[guest 2] My congratulations on your wedding!

[guest 3] Here is the groom! Congratulations.

[guest 4] Congratulations to you!

May you have a son who will take after you. [laughs]

[guest 5] Might I ask, my lady,

why Chief Merchant Sim is nowhere to be seen?

He has many guests to attend to, sir. He will be back shortly.

[guest 5] All right, then. Let us raise our cups. [chuckles]

[music fades]

-Congratulations, my lord. -Congratulations.

[woman] Quite handsome today.

[exhales]

[chatter continues]

[breathes heavily]

[whistles]

[gasps]

[eerie music plays]

Jae-yi! Sim Jae-yi!

[eerie music continues]

[Jae-yi breathes heavily]

[ominous music plays]

[man whistles]

[whistles]

[ominous music continues]

-[Jae-yi] Why have you brought a dagger? -Do you remember what I taught you before?

[music fades]

I give you it so you can protect yourself.

What?

What do you mean she's disappeared?

[tense music plays]

Where is Hongrang?

-Why do you want to know that? -I asked you a question, my lady!

[woman] Pardon me, my lord. Young master Hongrang has taken to his bed

after having too many drinks.

What do you think you are doing?

[guests gasp]

What have you done to Jae-yi? Tell me what you did right now!

Speak up! Where is she? Where is she?!

[Ju-yeol] I don't know what you're talking about.

What have I done? I have done nothing at all.

But you have lost your mind.

I know that you took the lives of your former wives.

I assume you are the one who dealt with Lady Ko as well.

Is this your plan? What have you done with Jae-yi?

What have you done with her? Tell me now!

[Lord Choi gasps]

It seems that we've walked into some sort of sinister trap here.

These heathen have caused a commotion in my own home on purpose.

Their devious plan is to have me blamed for everything

so that they can steal our family's fortune for themselves.

[tense music continues]

[Lord Choi gasps]

Tell me now.

Where is Jae-yi?

I will cut you down if you do not answer.

[guests gasp]

[Yeol-guk] Lord Choi!

[music stops]

[guests mutter]

[man 1] Make way.

Ah, Chief Merchant Sim, so there you are.

[Lady Ko] The grandmaster speaks the truth.

[tense music plays]

-[guests gasp] -[man 2] She's alive!

I am Ye-yeong of the Ko household.

I'm that man's third wife. I had been reported missing.

Both father and son inflicted violence on me repeatedly,

leading me to have a miscarriage.

They then used that as a reason to strip my household of its wealth.

Their intent was to kill me, so I've been in hiding ever since.

You venomous wench. What lies are you spewing?

-[gasps] -[Yeol-guk] It is over!

Both you and your father stand laid bare for the misdeeds you have committed.

So put an end to this now.

You will answer for the insult you have inflicted on the Min Family's Guild

and my daughter.

[Lord Choi] Chief Merchant Sim,

you are going to pay dearly for this transgression.

Do you not fear my men that surround you?

These men you talk about.

Could you be referring to those men

who have been covering for your maliciousness all these years?

[guests murmur]

[tense music continues]

[music fades]

[somber music plays]

[music fades]

[gentle music plays]

Is that you?

[music fades]

You mean, you are not the one who took Jae-yi away from here?

[Yeol-guk] It appears that

things did not go as planned for her either.

[Hongrang] Mercy.

[groans]

[groans] I had too much wine.

I vomited it all out.

What was all the commotion about?

I knew it would not work.

Not on you.

I know.

There are no excuses.

I don't pity her. That was merely another excuse.

I just want to protect her.

If anything happened to her, I do not think I could bear it.

[exhales]

[Mu-jin] Jae-yi.

Brother.

Yes. It is I.

You are not hurt? Are you all right?

[exhales]

What happened to you? How did you end up here?

I… I do not

recall anything.

While you were alone in the bridal chamber,

there must have been an intruder.

It matters not. You are safe now.

Hongrang! Uh…

What about him?

What was he doing then?

It appears that he had been drunk all night.

I feel tired.

Very well.

You should rest.

[gentle music plays]

[Kkot-nim] What did you just say?

[gentle music continues]

I asked you

to please not harm Jae-yi.

Has your heart been captured by the chief merchant's daughter?

Yes.

I believe it has.

-You know how that ended for me? -Then you know how I feel.

If I lose her, I will lose myself.

Do not expect to me to act on your behalf if you put her in harm's way.

-You're threatening me now? -I'm pleading with you, Mother.

[sighs] Sim Yeol-guk.

I gave him my heart and soul

and lost the child in my womb, and my mother.

Even my name.

I have lost everything because of him.

Do you think she will be different? She will betray you in the end.

I do not want anything from her.

There will be no betrayal.

I want her to live.

I simply want to keep her alive.

She will ruin you as well, trust me.

Just like her father did to me.

I cannot do it.

I cannot let you suffer the same fate I did.

[gentle music continues]

[Hongrang] I am not like you, Mother.

I promise you.

-I will do my part. -Should I trust you?

You are wavering and challenging me in what I ask you to do.

I will get you the partition deed. I only ask that you remove the substitute.

[music fades]

You had agreed

to grant me this favor, had you not?

You asked that Jae-yi be married,

and I agreed to it.

And then what did you do? You went out of your way to ruin it.

Thank heavens that I did.

It is fortuitous and a relief to learn that Lady Ko is still alive.

It would have been against the law

to have one's daughter take the hand of a man who is still married.

So why is it, then,

that you seem so upset?

[scoffs]

Very well.

You shall have what you want.

Fortune smiles upon you once again.

But just know I will remember this.

Expect to receive imminent punitive action.

Have the chain stores checked and thoroughly prepared.

Yes, my lord.

May I add,

Mun Gyu-ha has discreetly sent word through one of his men.

He wishes to meet with you, my lord.

What?

Why would he want that?

[Gyu-ha] Do you think I still harbor resentment toward you?

I did.

When you abandoned my sister to become the Min family's son-in-law,

you refused to loosen the grip you had on her, as if she still belonged to you.

Then the way you indifferently turned your back on her

when she mysteriously disappeared.

I resented you with every ounce of my being.

And so?

Do you intend to retaliate after all these years?

I do. I have to.

But you are not my intended target.

I know

you would never have let any harm come to my sister.

I watched with my own eyes for many years

how absolutely devoted you were to her.

When she fell ill, you labored until your feet and hands were numb

to earn extra coins to buy her quince syrup.

You were born out of wedlock and orphaned.

The only thing you had was your own body

when you joined the Min Family's Guild.

There, you gritted your teeth through all sorts of dangerous, dirty tasks.

You were hoping to catch Chief Merchant Min's attention.

All your efforts were so that one day, you could marry Kkot-nim.

I do not wish to talk of the past anymore.

[Gyu-ha] The one who tore you away from my sister

and erased her from the face of this earth?

I know very well who that person is.

Do you?

I do.

And I would like to align myself with you.

[Hongrang] There you are.

I was wondering where you were.

Are you all right?

Yes.

How are you feeling?

I hear you had too much to drink that day.

Well, my insides did not enjoy it, but I am better now.

Sister.

Yes?

What is it?

Did something happen?

[exhales]

Yes.

I believe something did.

What do you mean by that?

I am not sure

if it really happened or not.

It was quite hazy.

But I might have dreamt it.

If I did, then I will simply forget it.

[gentle music plays]

But if it really happened…

I am at a loss for what to do.

Which would you prefer it to be?

Which of the two

would put your mind at ease?

Whatever it is…

is it making you upset?

Are you in pain because of it?

Yes.

All right, then.

It was just a dream.

[gentle music continues]

[sighs]

[music fades]

The grandmaster is meticulous and remains without fault in all his duties.

He's earned the trust of the store owners and they would protect him.

I am sure they would overlook any fault he made.

[Yeon-ui scoffs]

He is nothing but a stake.

A stake who is desperately trying to secure his place.

Squeeze the store owners dry.

They will naturally come looking for help.

I shall be the one to provide that.

My son.

Are you on your way to your residence?

Yes. I am returning from examining the goods destined for the palace.

What about you? How are you getting on at the guild?

Well, next month, I am going to look into the production side.

Mother.

Oh. [chuckles] I thought I smelled a familiar scent.

A scent?

Yes, before, when I saw Father, I picked up an unfamiliar scent.

I assumed you had changed your powder.

The scent likely came from one of his visitors.

[chuckles]

Good night.

[foreboding music plays]

He only saw two lords today.

Those were the only visitors he was expecting.

He cannot possibly be seeing another woman.

Look into what the chief merchant has been up to.

[man] Yes, my lady.

Do you remember what I told you the very first day you were here?

What did I tell you that you must become?

You told me I must

seek to embody your essence.

And what was your reply to that?

That I would indeed do so.

So will you do it, then?

Or will you choose to receive a moderate reward for your services

and step down?

[tense music plays]

I am…

and always will be your son.

I'm at your disposal.

[tense music builds]

Then come here and write your name on this.

What is this, Father?

These papers represent the guild I have created under another name.

I shall have everything on here put in your name.

The remaining funds that I have diversified

will be collected and moved to this account shortly.

This means…

It is time.

Time to stand up for our family name.

[music fades]

[merchants chatter]

[merchant] The markets have improved.

[chatter fades]

[man 1] We have many goods going into the palace this day.

I ask that you go over everything carefully to prevent any omissions.

[all] Yes, my lord.

Now, if I call your name out,

come and sign or stamp your seal on this document.

Deer antlers shall be provided by the Bak household.

[man 2] Yes, my lord.

-Agarwood, the Baek household. -Yes, my lord.

-Cowhide, the Jang household. -[man 3] Yes, my lord.

[man 1] Tortoiseshell, the Byeon household.

[man 4] Yes, my lord.

Leopard fur,

the Mun household.

[man 5] Yes, sir.

[merchants mutter]

[man 1] Ginseng, the Lee household.

[Yeon-ui] I paid an exorbitant amount for these.

What do I do with them now?

I heard it did not go well.

It is troubling,

considering how the order went to an utter nobody.

This is not the first time we have dealt with the minister's whims.

Do not distress yourself, my lady.

I will negotiate a deal with the Mun Family Guild

regarding these goods.

Do you think that could be possible?

Fortunately, my lady,

a merchant I granted a favor to has joined them recently,

so things might work out for us,

meaning we should be able to minimize our losses.

[exhales]

[Yuk-son] I hear the chief merchant visited a kisaeng house recently.

However…

the person he met that day

was not a woman.

[gentle music plays]

Jae-yi, are you there?

[gentle music continues]

[music fades]

[man 1] Over here!

Yes, yes.

Lift it up. Yes.

[foreboding music plays]

[music fades]

-Thank you for rectifying this for me. -It was my pleasure.

Offering my help was the right thing to do.

[intriguing music plays]

[man 1] Now then, we must peel all of these off.

[man 2] Yes, sir.

[intriguing music continues]

[music stops]

[Gyu-ha] Well, that should be easy.

[Yeon-ui] Is it that man?

Yes, my lady.

As you can see here…

Did you not say that he was an interpreter from Qing?

His Majesty was quite pleased…

Then why is it…

-[Gyu-ha] I'm glad. If you'll excuse me. -[man] Of course.

…he seems so familiar?

[ominous music plays]

What? Who is he?

Mun Gyu-ha.

Mun Gyu-ha?

He is Kkot-nim's older brother.

[chuckles]

Of all people to choose.

He dares to conspire with an old lover's family to take me down.

When it was my sword he wielded

to get rid of that wench years ago?

[scoffs]

What a bold move you are making, my lord.

[ominous music builds]

What evidence you have provided me with.

Now, if there will be blood spilt,

it shall only be that of yours, my lord.

-[man 1] His Lordship wanted this here. -[man 2] Yes, coming!

[man 3] Hurry.

[man 4] Oh my heavens.

[man 3] Be careful of the rocks.

[ominous music continues]

[men cough]

[men yell]

[music fades]

[tense music plays]

[man] Hurry!

Think of nothing else. Right? Carry out Her Ladyship's orders. Understood?

[all] Yes, sir.

[tense music builds]

[gasps]

Drag him out!

[music fades]

What do you think you are doing?

For the crime of illegally trading sulfur, as prohibited by state law,

through the guild's silver mine,

for the crime of inflicting significant harm on the guild

by causing the loss of innocent lives due to an accident in said mine,

and for the crime of embezzling from the guild

while accumulating wealth under a borrowed name…

[tense music plays]

For these numerous offenses, I hereby order the grandmaster ousted.

Do you have proper grounds for accusing him of those activities?

Oh, I do. Not only do I have the proper grounds,

I also have evidence that he recently registered

a guild that was initially under a borrowed name

in his very own name.

[tense music builds]

Have him bound and lock him up.

Then question him for the name of the mastermind or accomplice.

[all] Yes, my lady.

-Take him. -[Yeol-guk] My lady!

Wait.

Shall I

send him to the government office instead?

[dramatic music plays]

My brother.

[music fades]

[dramatic music plays]

[gentle ballad plays]

[music stops]