Original subtitles

(Moon River)

(All people, incidents, and backgrounds...)

(in this drama are fictitious and unrelated to reality.)

(Also, children and animals were filmed under production guidelines.)

You...

wear your flower shoes.

I will be the one...

running barefoot.

What are you...

From now on,

I cannot look the other way anymore.

Your Royal Highness.

Your Royal Highness.

Your Royal Highness.

Oh, no. Please wake up.

- Your Royal Highness. - Your Royal Highness.

Hurry.

Please examine her closely.

His pulse is normal, so you need not worry.

But over here...

What? What is it?

- It seems there is drug on it. - What? Drug?

If it is drug, could it be...

Poison?

She has simply fainted from exhaustion.

I understand. You may go now.

Are you awake now?

- How did I end up here? - What?

I was going to ask you the same thing when you got up.

What am I supposed to do if you cannot remember?

Explain. We were having fun, and then you suddenly stormed off.

Why were you out running at night just to collapse?

Let me go! No! Let go of me!

Let me go! Let go!

The Left State Councillor will surely harm Dal.

I can protect her somehow while our bodies are swapped,

but once we switch back...

Darn it.

What?

If you will not talk, then do not. Why suddenly curse?

Where are you going? You have not even recovered yet.

There is only one way.

Between protecting her and just standing by,

I must stand in between.

I have no choice but to stand there and be a coward.

This must be why our bodies switched.

So I would get hurt instead of you.

So I would experience all this humiliation myself.

I am never to escape the guilt I feel toward the Crown Princess.

You will never know how this feels, will you?

So...

when we switch back, leave without a moment's hesitation.

And never set foot in Hanyang again.

(Mangdeok)

Are you kidding me?

He thinks only he is feeling awful, while I am on top of the world?

So only his pride gets hurt? You think mine is still perfect?

Unbelievable.

This is lousy.

How utterly cowardly of me.

Even though I know I am the reason for all this danger,

and yet, all I have done is hurt her.

Can a girl get some sleep? What is your problem every night?

How insolent! How dare you...

I have to dodge the wooden pillow.

Dodging is the best option.

Why does it have to be the moon again?

Right.

Avoidance is the best strategy.

Hiding is the best strategy.

Good thing the Left State Councillor is out of the capital.

If he finds out we failed today,

I am a dead woman.

About that girl, Park Dal,

bring me whatever you can find on her.

Your Royal Highness. Queen Dowager is looking for you.

Tell her I am busy.

All she will do is lecture me about choosing a Royal Concubine.

She will slam the desk in the end.

What is it with these nobles...

and their obsession with slamming desks?

What did the desk ever do to them? Honestly.

An infertility potion?

So the Left State Councillor has finally crossed the line.

According to my spy with the Chief Court Lady,

Park Dal refused to drink the infertility potion to the end...

- and fought off ten court ladies. - She fought back?

The more I hear about her, the more I like her.

Yes. To be one of my people, one must have that kind of spirit.

It seems the Chief Court Lady is about to make another move.

What are your orders?

If the Crown Prince is not a fool,

he will know that appointing a Royal Concubine...

is his only shield.

If he gives me even the slightest excuse,

I am issuing the appointment on the spot.

This must be why our bodies switched.

So I would get hurt instead of you.

So I would experience all this humiliation myself.

I am never to escape the guilt I feel toward the Crown Princess.

I cannot eat with so many eyes on me.

One court lady may stay. The rest of you are dismissed.

Wait.

Where is Dal? Why is she...

Dal was sent to help prepare for your wedding...

at the Office of Royal Wedding Rites.

I am not eating.

Take it away.

Crown Prince.

Hide well or I will see your hair

Hide well or I will see your rear

Where are you hiding? Behind a tree there?

Hold in your laughter, if you dare

Hide well or I will see your hair

- Your Royal Highness! - Your Royal Highness!

Crown Prince.

What? His Majesty the King?

Then I must go at once.

Crown Prince.

Darn it. That little brat.

Announcing His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.

(Chapter Seven: Hide-and-Seek)

It is not like I am going to eat him up.

Why is he avoiding me? Why?

- Well... - Why is Prince Je Un...

not getting better?

He is a nobleman with every comfort. Why is he not recovering?

Darn it.

What about the talks for the Gyesa Year Incident?

If you are that concerned, why not send the Royal Physician?

- I can do that? - Yes.

Why would he suddenly send the Royal Physician?

You do not think he has realised you are faking it, do you?

No, I do not think that is it.

But it is clear he wants to resolve the Gyesa Year Incident quickly.

In this situation, if he finds out about the boy from Qing...

He will charge full steam ahead. What else can we do but run for it?

That boy from Qing is running wild, demanding immediate revenge.

Do not follow me today. I need you to watch him closely.

Yes, sir.

Please. If I can just hold out until the Royal Wedding,

I can stop U Hui from being enslaved.

Even if it makes me a coward, there is no other way.

I will be off then.

You cannot get out of it this time.

They say Prince Je Un is fully recovered.

Right. Who knows when our bodies will switch back?

I cannot just keep putting off my revenge.

All right.

Let us go.

There are no holes in the cover I created. Got it?

Tie this for me.

Hey, Eunuch Yoon.

Go tie His Royal Highness's hat string.

- Se Dol. - Yes?

Do you know what you call gold floating on water?

Why are you asking something so out of the blue?

- Exactly! - What is?

Gold floating on water. It is "out of the blue."

Gold floating... "Out of the blue." That is so lame.

You laughed, right You just laughed, right?

Something went down the wrong pipe.

It was not me. It was His Royal Highness.

Fine, it was me. So what?

What do you mean, "so what"?

We are running late. We need to go.

Why is Dal here?

From now on, Dal will be helping with the Gyesa Year Incident.

By any chance, is the reason Dal is here...

related to your feelings for her?

Feelings? Do not be ridiculous.

Me neither, you know.

Who said it did?

Why do you not stop prying and tell us your news from Qing?

I believe the Jimjo Birdy owner's son is alive.

This will be the one and only time I lie.

Based on his age, the burn scars, and how the old man from Qing...

suddenly moved after the fire in the Year of Imjin,

I suspect the old man's son is the son of the Jimjo's owner.

That makes sense.

Then why do we not bring him here right now?

This letter says he is missing.

It is going to take time to find him.

If we can just find this son,

this could all be resolved quite easily.

Perhaps...

we could even take down the Left State Councillor before the wedding.

Even though you clearly cannot stand me,

I guess you plan on cancelling the Royal Wedding.

Is she the one in the Royal Wedding?

What?

No, I mean... Me.

I am talking about me.

I am the one who plans on calling off the Royal Wedding.

What do you mean you are not going through with the Royal Wedding?

It is just that, no matter how I look at it...

- it just does not make... - Gang.

Come on.

Are you not counting your chickens before they hatch?

You have to find the son of the Jimjo's owner...

and use his proof to catch the Left State Councillor.

That is the only way.

The Royal Wedding is in a month. Can you really do all that by then?

Why do you have to rain on our parade...

You lied to me? Why did you hide the fact that I am here?

- Let us go outside. We can talk... - What is he talking about?

What does he mean, you hid his existence?

Gang. You understand the Qing language?

Well...

I picked some up here and there.

Where is the man who raised the Jimjo?

Soon after selling the bird, a fire killed his entire family.

Apparently, all his Jimjo Birds were also destroyed in the blaze.

So he is the son of the bird's owner?

- That is... - Let me go.

You have some explaining to do.

I will explain. I can explain everything.

I am sure.

After all, what right does a man who betrayed us for a woman...

- have to say anything? - Dal!

Is it true? Did you betray us for the Crown Princess Consort?

Or is there another reason?

You knew?

His Royal Highness has known...

about you and the Crown Princess Consort for a long time.

Say something.

Just give me any excuse.

I have no excuse.

As of today,

you are now off the Gyesa Year Incident case.

Take this boy from Qing. Take him in for questioning.

Why would you order that, Lady Park?

Take the boy away.

Yes, Your Highness.

Wait a minute. I am going with you.

If the Left State Councillor learns of the Qing boy, he will kill him.

Send him to Unjeong Palace.

It was my private residence, so it should be a safe place.

Have them record the boy's statement and bring it to me.

And one more thing...

It is okay to cry. Why do you always hide everything?

You think I cannot tell how upset you are?

I do not have time to be sentimental.

The son of the Jimjo's owner is right in front of me.

My revenge is finally within reach.

Letting myself get swayed by some pathetic emotion...

That is just pathetic.

Such a tough act.

You are obviously hurt.

Your eyes and the tip of your nose are bright red.

So what if they are?

So what if I am upset? What do you want me to do about it?

I am not asking you to do anything.

What do you think you are doing?

Whenever I felt like this,

I wished someone would just hold me.

And since this is my body,

I thought you might be feeling the same way.

It is okay to lean on me.

We are already sharing a body.

It would be nice to share our hearts, do you not think?

If you hold me this tightly,

it feels like you are going to crush me.

Do not forget.

There is a line between you and me, even if it is invisible.

Do not cross it.

And if I do?

What will you do then?

You will live to regret it.

And there will be no turning back.

The boy from Qing will not talk.

He seems to think we are all in on it together.

Why is nothing ever easy?

Let me get this straight.

You let them brand you a traitor and just kept your mouth shut?

Why did you go and make such a mess of it all?

You have ended up with nothing to show for it.

You should have either protected U Hui,

or gone all out and taken down the Left State Councillor...

to prove your loyalty!

There cannot be two good guys.

The good guy...

Even if I am not the good guy,

I do not have to be a complete jerk.

Get my official robes ready now.

Yes.

What are you doing?

You have to hide it.

Bury it deep down.

Why would you reveal your lingering feelings?

Please send Dal out.

Just speak.

I have proof that the Left State Councillor still has the Jimjo.

You do? What is it?

Did you find out where the Jimjo is?

I was the one pressuring him, but you seem more worked up, Dal.

All right, go on. What is this proof?

The boy from Qing believes I lied, so he will not speak easily.

And even if he does,

we cannot be sure he is telling the truth.

In this book...

is everything the boy told me about the Jimjo.

But before I give it to you,

you must make me a promise.

Even if you take down the Left State Councillor,

you must spare U Hui's life.

Leave the book.

I will consider it and let you know.

I will only give it to you if you promise.

Between me, who has already lost someone precious,

and you, trying to protect someone, who do you think is more desperate?

I will give you my answer about the Crown Princess Consort...

after careful consideration.

So leave the book and go.

Hey, Prince Je Un.

Why did you even write that book?

What was the point if you were just going to betray us?

I just wanted to...

put it off.

If I defeat the Left State Councillor, U Hui becomes a slave.

But if I do nothing, Gang will be in danger.

I did not know what to do.

Then you should have just picked a side.

Either you should have begged His Highness for forgiveness,

or burned that book to stop this whole revenge plot.

What is this pathetic indecisiveness?

If I begged,

would that erase the fact that I betrayed my brother?

And if I burned the book,

could I take back the horrible things I said to U Hui?

I am always a coward.

And a coward cannot make a choice.

How utterly cowardly of me.

Even though I know I am the reason for all this danger,

and yet, all I have done is hurt her.

I wonder if cowardice runs in the family.

Why do I keep acting so pathetic?

Gosh, this writing is minuscule.

You can only write like this if you pour your heart into it.

A betrayer would not be this careful. Absolutely not.

Hey, now.

The line.

Fine. I get it. Okay.

There. See? A line.

I made a line. Happy now?

- Do you not dare cross that line. - Unbelievable.

So, did you find any new information in there?

The Jimjo Poison becomes harmless within three days of extraction.

The Left State Councillor gained power over Joseon...

with the Jimjo Bird.

He is not the kind of man who would throw away such a prize.

He definitely still has the Jimjo.

Actually,

back when I was almost enslaved over the incident in your chambers,

His Majesty said something to me.

Do not defy the Left State Councillor.

The Gyesa Year Incident is not over yet.

Come to think of it,

does that not mean the Jimjo is still alive?

Then our objective has become clear.

We have to find the Jimjo and expose its owner.

Then what?

We will prove the Gyesa Year Incident...

was a murder by Jimjo Poison,

and the owner is the real culprit behind it and a traitor.

Even if he is the Left State Councillor,

he will not be able to escape the charge of treason.

Then,

with the Gyesa Incident autopsies His Highness has gathered...

and all those other documents,

we just have to catch the Jimjo, right?

We need more conclusive evidence.

We must catch the Jimjo alive on the Left State Councillor's estate.

We should search his private estate then.

I did not think you would come, Ok.

It has been a long time, Left State Councillor.

Can you not speak casually to me like you used to?

I suppose...

I will never see the old you I once knew again.

It is I who has lost the younger brother I once cherished.

Why did you wish to see me today?

Dal of the Park family.

The girl from Boryeong who was a peddler.

She is my wife's niece.

How do you know of her, Your Excellency?

Strange, is it not?

As your wife's niece, you would think she is from a noble family.

And yet, she was a peddler, then an eunuch,

and now a court lady.

A court lady in the Crown Prince's chambers, no less.

In times like these,

what could be more frightening than wagging tongues?

I heard she lost her parents and took odd jobs to make ends meet.

You are not that close, I take it?

That used to be the case.

But I do not know if you are aware, Your Excellency,

but that girl, Dal, saved my daughter's life.

I have come to treat her like my own daughter,

and I have promised to protect her with my life.

And here I thought she was so fearless and impertinent.

Turns out she had someone in her corner.

If I...

were to harm that girl...

Then I...

will not stand idly by.

No wonder.

I was wondering why you agreed to meet me so easily.

You came here today to warn me, did you not?

In that case,

since I have said my piece,

I will take my leave now.

Listen, Han Chul.

Are you satisfied now?

Be satisfied with what you have, and stop here.

If you go any further,

even the deepest revenge becomes meaningless.

What revenge...

ever brings satisfaction?

(Dal's Quarters)

Look, it is not like...

- I am not taking his side, but... - Gosh.

Sounds like you are already not on my side.

If I am being honest,

you are not even guaranteeing the Crown Princess Consort's safety,

but you just keep taking all the information.

That is kind of a betrayal, is it not?

I have stopped at nothing to get this far.

You think a guilty conscience will hold me back?

I do not care if they call me a coward.

And I do not care if they call me dirty.

So what if you are a coward?

Who cares if you have to play a little dirty?

The bad guys do terrible things like it is nothing,

and all fate ever does is dump on us,

so how can anyone not stoop to their level?

How can you not feel beaten down?

So, it is okay.

Even if you have to be a coward or stoop low,

just lie low for a little while.

Even if the whole world turns on you,

the one taking all the heat right now...

is me.

There she goes again, mercilessly breaking down my walls.

What? What was that?

The line.

Gosh. Sure.

What is next? You want me to just wait outside?

Get away.

As far as you can.

Come on, Mangdeok. Time for dinner.

Are you not the cutest?

Gosh. A dog's life is the best life.

You eat meat that most commoners can only dream of. Right?

You seem to have a lot of complaints about the country.

No, I am just jealous, that is all.

He just hangs out in this big palace and have someone feed him.

Is that not a better life than what most people have?

Gosh.

If only someone would bring me my meals regularly...

"A dog's life"?

Are you saying I have a dog's life?

No.

Not you. I was talking about the Jimjo. The Jimjo Bird.

The Left State Councillor owns it, right?

He would not just let it roam free.

So if it is caged up, how does it get fed?

Nice try changing the subject. Why ask something so obvious?

(The Left State Councillor's man bought a Jimjo...)

(and started a fire at the owner's house.)

(He was wearing a mask.)

The Jimjo's keeper?

(Cheonghye Merchant Guild)

These from the Cheonghye Guild are precious and restorative,

so I will store them separately myself.

(Honey supplied by Cheonghye Merchant Guild)

Your Royal Highness.

It is a great honour to have you grace my humble home.

Where does one obtain poisonous insects?

Common folks cannot catch them. Only specialised hunters can.

Then we must first meet the hunters in the capital city.

What? Are you just going to walk up and ask them,

"Hey, do you feed the Jimjo?"

Or ask if they know the man in the mask?

Then...

what do we do?

I just so happen...

to have an expert catcher, a swallow, up my sleeve.

Right. Yes.

But how do you know who I am?

He looks familiar.

You saw him at the Royal Office of Attire, Your Highness.

He can identify Jimjo Poison.

Where on earth would you find a poison like that?

Unless you are talking about Jimjo Poison.

Right. The acupuncture physician? I remember now.

Lady, you claimed to have found him. How can you only remember now?

Right, so...

His Royal Highness just remembered, not me.

Oh, it is all coming back to me now.

But I thought we came to see the snake catchers.

Physicians and snake catchers have always been close.

Now, this gentleman... No,

This person will be a big help. You will get valuable information.

- What? - Lady.

Come on, let us do this!

Why me?

No way!

If we are seen with snake catchers, the Left State Councillor will know.

You are under less scrutiny, so you are perfect for the job.

Come on, wait for me!

- Do you know him? - Do you?

I do not know. I have no idea!

We do not know him.

Again?

Go on.

Look here. Do you know what this is?

This is another dead end...

Take a closer look. A really good look.

Here. You do not recognise him?

I do not know. I really do not.

Fine, just go.

Go on, fly away.

Nobody recognises him anyway.

Go away!

Go!

Please give me one more chance.

I found it in Park Dal's quarters.

I thought it might be a love letter...

So, it is a love letter to Grand Prince Un.

But there is no mention of Grand Prince Un.

The apple does not fall far from the tree.

Both you and your niece.

Court ladies in love.

I will do it.

I will do anything.

Please just spare Mi Geum.

I will make sure that girl take the infertility drug this time.

Get rid of her.

You said you just had something to confirm...

and that I only had to give her the infertility drug.

A past memory made me soft for a moment,

but if you let the past hold you back,

you can never move forward.

That face that looks too much like the Deposed Crown Princess.

It unnerves me.

How can two families be wiped out on the same day?

Their old mother who cannot speak. How will she survive on her own?

Tell me about it.

Judging by the lack of reaction from the silver needle,

I do not believe it is poison.

If it was not poison, then how could two families die at the same time?

With poison, the body is usually bloated or black from decay...

No reaction to silver.

And the body is not turning black or decaying.

It is Jimjo Poison.

In this case, the investigation should...

No break-in or poison was found.

Should we not rule it as death by unknown causes?

Death by unknown causes?

I need to write the report. Move the bodies to the Bureau.

Darn it.

Yes, sir.

Excuse me.

By any chance,

have you seen this man?

I am not here to harm you.

I am here to help you.

This man...

is the one who killed your family, is he not?

I am looking for him too. His leader...

killed my family too.

So, please, will you tell me...

everything you know about him,

so I can catch him and get my revenge...

and get justice for you?

This scent pouch...

is his?

What was that? His Majesty is looking for me?

There is no getting out of it today.

- What did the desk ever do to you? - What was that?

Pardon?

It is nothing.

So, why did you summon me?

The Chief Court Lady kidnapped Park Dal,

and you still have not learned your lesson?

I am sorry?

- Kidnapped? - That girl was prepared to die...

fighting the infertility drug. Have you no shame, Crown Prince?

But over here, it seems there is drug on it.

No, wait.

Then that time...

Do not tell me you did not know.

No.

I had no idea.

I...

I knew absolutely nothing.

- Spare some change for an offering. - Not interested.

You seem to have bad karma. If no offering, how about a beating?

What are you talking about?

What?

Hey! What are you two doing here?

You little brat! What are you doing here?

- Stay still, will you? - What's this?

- Why is this coming off? - Duck your head. This is flimsy.

Let us talk somewhere private. All three of us are fugitives here.

Right. This way.

Wait. Hey, hold on. Where are you taking me?

- What is going on? - Dal! You are not hurt, are you?

Are you hurt anywhere?

Physically, I am fine, but...

Give it back.

You did not happen to meet anyone or remember anything, did you?

I met a bunch of people,

but nothing in particular comes to mind.

Why?

Good enough.

Tie her up.

- Right. - Tie me up? What for?

Why? Why are you tying me up? What is this? Let go!

Untie me this instant!

I have to go to the Palace!

You are not going to the palace but to the skies.

The skies? That is ridiculous! What are you talking about?

I am asking you nicely. Now, untie me!

- Dal, want to take a little nap? - Sleep? Are you kidding me?

How much of this should I give her?

Should I give her the whole thing?

- No. A corpse cannot get on a boat. - I see.

A corpse?

Send word to the palace!

Summon His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!

Dal, how do you know His Royal Highness?

- You really met His Royal Highness? - I did. I mean, yes.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is my backer,

so there is no need for me to escape to the skies.

The scar.

When did it disappear?

What was that?

- Hey, do not touch it. - I did not. Gosh.

- What? - What?

And who might this be? I missed you all so much.

- Your Royal Highness! - Your Royal Highness!

My goodness, what are you doing?

Get up. Come on.

It is me. Mom, Dad, it is your daughter, Dal.

What? No, you are not Dal,

and you are not our daughter.

- He is a man. - Right.

So here is what happened.

You!

Wait a minute.

You?

So, let me get this straight.

The Crown Prince grabbed the scar on Dal's wrist,

there was a flash of light, you fell into the water,

and you two swapped bodies?

What is this, some kind of folktale?

What is next? You will say you hatched from an egg?

Of course.

I am surprised a dragon did not appear,

and I did not sprout wings.

Goodness.

That smart mouth definitely belongs to our daughter.

No, a person can pick up someone else's way of talking.

Pick it up? What is it, the plague?

But now that I look closely,

that subtle glimmer in his eyes...

is our daughter's eyes.

Have you lost your mind? Your Royal Highness, please kill me!

We are deeply sorry, Your Royal Highness.

That is the mark of a sealed red thread of fate.

If the read thread of fate, which was forcibly severed,

should stir upon finding its true partner again,

then even I will be powerless to stop it.

I have committed a grave offence.

Everyone, leave us.

Your Royal Highness, please stay and speak with me.

Close it.

- Your Highness! - Your Highness! No, we just...

Come now, this way.

Your Royal Highness.

Now, speak.

There is more to Dal's scar, is there not?

A long time ago,

Dal once fell into the water.

A red scar suddenly appeared on her wrist then.

After that, she lost her memory,

and I have thought it peculiar ever since.

The water?

There is definitely something about the water, then.

What else?

Was there anything else unusual? Tell me everything you know.

You want us to switch back, do you not?

All I know...

is everything I have told you.

My mom and dad may have run away,

but they are by no means bad people.

You know that old saying, right?

"Falling in love is not a crime."

There is that load of nonsense, anyway.

Some love can be a crime.

It is a sin, but still...

I saved your life, and...

The fact that our bodies even switched...

This cannot be some ordinary fate.

So for my sake, could you...

Are you worried I will harm your family?

- You locked them in Unjeong Palace. - Locked them?

I am protecting them.

The Left State Councillor knows about your family's inn,

I worried he might take them hostage to threaten you.

I had no idea. Gosh, I was worried for nothing.

But why the long face?

The snake hunters and their families...

were killed with the Jimjo Poison.

It is so cruel.

How are those left behind supposed to go on?

It is all my fault.

If I had not gone poking around, they would still be alive.

How is that your fault, Your Royal Highness?

Someone else did the killing.

I hate how I always let things slip through my fingers.

Even those I am sworn to protect,

I could not protect a single one of them.

You protected me.

The Chief Court Lady almost forced me...

to drink that infertility potion,

but you protected me, Your Royal Highness.

I could have been dragged and killed,

but you fought to the very end...

and protected me.

How did you find out about that?

I had hoped you would never find out.

The Queen Dowager told me everything.

You should have let me drink it. Why did you fight them over it?

What if something happened to you? How could I possibly go on?

What do you think that was? Some sweet drink?

If you drank that, what about your dreams?

Wearing flower shoes and settling down...

with your own family...

What would happen to all of that?

You fought...

- just for that? - How can that be just anything?

They are your dreams.

Why are you doing this to me?

I was just going to live my life...

with my hair turning white, and my memories fading to black,

living like a cold winter's night.

You just had to shower me with flower petals.

Why did you shower me with flower petals?

Because you keep doing this, Your Highness...

Because you keep doing this...

You make my heart weak.

The feelings I tried hard to swallow now feel so painful and unfair.

And so I want to be comforted.

And I want it to be you, Your Royal Highness.

You are making me hope for the impossible!

Hope for what?

Do you like me, Your Royal Highness?

Your Royal Highness.

Forgive my impertinence, but I am here to arrest Park Dal.

Wait a minute.

Wait, on what charge are you arresting her?

Regardless of the grounds,

you dare arrest a court lady before the Crown Prince?

Is that how you show contempt for your superior?

How could I dare commit such an act of disloyalty?

I am merely carrying out His Majesty's order.

An order from His Majesty?

Grand Prince Je Un had an affair...

with the court lady from the Crown Prince's chambers?

We found evidence in her quarters, Your Majesty.

- What evidence? - Does the evidence matter?

What matters is not what the evidence is,

but how we are to punish them.

You have already made up your mind, have you not?

My only wish is for the safety of Your Majesty and the Crown Prince

An illicit affair?

What is this absurd frame-up?

Is it not true you stayed at the Grand Prince Je Un's home...

before entering the palace?

A witness also saw you at his home late at night recently.

That was because I was running an errand...

- for the Crown Prince. - You wench!

How dare you bring the Crown Prince into this?

Then I suppose this...

was also written by His Royal Highness?

You recognise it. Your love letter to Grand Prince Je Un.

Grand Prince Je Un...

Are you kidding me?

Does this look like a love letter to Grand Prince Je Un?

- You think this only affects me? - Do not worry.

The Grand Prince is under interrogation as we speak.

Goodness.

Left State Councillor, do you have a crush on me?

Why are you so obsessed with me?

Indeed. I cannot look away from you. Grand Prince Je Un.

People become so predictable the moment they get power.

Toward the Royal Mother and toward me as well.

Come on.

There is a limit to how far you can push this.

You call this a love letter?

And on top of that, you claim it is for the Grand Prince?

This is completely absurd.

In the letter, they name themselves.

Grand Prince Je Un and Dal of the Park family.

What? What are they?

"The night is dark, the moon bright. Why is my heart as hazy as a cloud?"

You are telling me this one line is proof of an affair?

So if you cannot find any real dirt on them,

you will just invent some to tear them down?

A report was filed,

and a love letter was discovered in Park Dal's quarters.

This is a matter concerning the court ladies,

so it is only right to handle it according to their code of conduct.

Fine. Leave the letter and go.

- But, Your Highness... - Why the hesitation?

Are you afraid I might dispose of the letter?

I will just say that I wrote the letter.

It is in your handwriting, after all.

If you claim you wrote that letter,

the Queen Dowager's faction will use it to make you a concubine.

And if you were to refuse,

she would charge you with the crime...

of refusing the Crown Prince's favour...

and threaten to have you beheaded.

Seriously? Beheaded over a scrap of paper?

That is the way of the palace.

A place where life and death hang on a single piece of paper.

A ruthless place.

So,

do not do anything.

Neither I nor Grand Prince Je Un will ever admit to it.

If we both deny it to the very end, what can they possibly do?

They tried to take and sterilize me. You expect me to let that go?

I have to do something.

If I am forced to marry and take a concubine I do not love,

what about how I feel?

I will be on my way.

Please promise me something.

Your Royal Highness, you cannot protect Dal.

When you return to your own body, without any hesitation,

and without any lingering regrets, let Dal go.

My feelings for you cannot be allowed to hold you down.

I must hide them deep inside.

Without leaving a single trace.

So that not even my shadow gives me away.

This must be why our bodies switched.

So I would get hurt instead of you.

So I would experience all this humiliation myself.

I am never to escape the guilt I feel toward the Crown Princess.

You think this was just a reminder...

of your guilt about the late Crown Princess?

I know you are the Crown Prince and think the world is all about you.

But I am the main character of my own life, you know.

Do not use someone's life as a prop for your drama, Your Highness!

What is with this sudden outburst?

You want to know why I protect you, Your Highness?

It is because protecting you is how I protect my own body.

I could not take care of my own body,

and you could not care for others.

So the skies gave us this punishment to learn from each other. Got it?

- Se Dol. - Yes?

Do you know where the diaries or love letters I wrote...

to the late Crown Princess are?

If that is what you are looking for, they should be over here.

- What? - This way.

Right under my nose.

Is this some kind of safe?

Why are you asking me? You put it there, Your Highness.

What? What is that?

What?

- No... - Is this not mine now?

So I will do whatever I want with it.

Wait, why is this here?

You are the one who picked it up. Why ask me, Your Royal Highness?

Here is the diary you wrote to the late Crown Princess.

But why are you suddenly looking for this?

That love letter they claim is proof of Dal's affair,

I wrote it.

Why so surprised? I probably wrote it to the Crown Princess,

not Dal.

If I show them this,

I should be able to clear Dal's name.

If you say you wrote that love letter, Your Royal Highness,

do you think the Queen Dowager will buy it?

She will find a way to twist this and make Dal a royal concubine.

We have to put out the most urgent fire first.

Sleep eludes me.

I thought it was my bedding that was uncomfortable,

but it must be my heart.

The night is dark, and the moon is bright,

so why, as if shrouded in clouds, is my heart so bleak?

I am not myself,

and you are not yourself.

And in the empty space, a dull longing stretches, settles.

Will finding what I have lost be enough?

Will returning to my rightful place be enough?

Only then...

will I finally find peace?

Maybe this feeling...

is not for the Crown Princess...

but for me.

What is the meaning of this?

How could Prince Un's love letter be found in Park Dal's quarters?

Do you think I spared her life for this?

For the sin of daring to insult and betray me,

- I will make her pay dearly for it! - I wrote that letter.

You are saying you wrote a love letter to that girl?

Pardon me?

It was not a love letter. It was just a poem.

So, though you fancied her enough to write her a poem,

she rejected your royal favour?

She would charge you with the crime...

of refusing the Crown Prince's favour...

and threaten to have you beheaded.

Answer me, Crown Prince!

Dal never refused.

In that case,

are you planning to take Park Dal as your Royal Concubine?

Yes.

I will take Dal as my Royal Concubine.

Court Lady Yoon!

Yes, Your Highness!

Have Park Dal released at once.

I am issuing a decree to make her a Royal Concubine.

About that...

The Chief Court Lady ordered Park Dal to be flogged.

Flogged, you say?

Right now...

- Your Highness! - Stop this at once!

Your Royal Highness!

Your Royal Highness.

Your Royal Highness.

Please pull yourself together.

Your Royal Highness...

My body...

I am back in my own body.

Yes.

We are back.

We are back.

Dal!

Dal!

Dal!

Please kill me.

Gladly.

I will kill every last one of you!

(Moon River)

From now on, I will be your shield. You just hide behind me.

Do not give your heart to the Crown Prince.

To survive and be loved, win his.

Are you telling me to kill the Crown Prince?

There is a distillery at the foot of Mount Inwang.

Why would you burden your soft heart with yet another weakness?

- Goodness! - Dal!

Since you came rushing here so frantically,

it left me no choice but to banish Grand Prince Je Un.

They say the art of bonsai is in the pruning.

To keep it from growing twisted or wild,

it must allow its branches to be cut to conform and survive.

You always told me, Father,

that I should be the flower blooming at the highest peak in Joseon.

I am here to yield.

As you have always wished, Father, I will live like that flower.

So, please spare Grand Prince Je Un's life.

(Moon River)