Original subtitles

MY ROYAL NEMESIS

Here we go.

Try a little harder this time.

At this rate, I will win again.

Please take it easy, Your Highness.

We do not want a stray arrow to ruin

all the beautiful peonies.

-Do you find them beautiful as well? -Yes.

I was right to clear the patch and plant peonies.

When it comes to flowers,

they need big heads like this to be worth looking at.

A peony, beaded with dewdrops like pearls, was plucked…

by a beauty as she passed a window.

With a smile, she asks her beloved,

"Which is fairer, the flower or I?"

The young lord answers in gentle mischief.

"The flower is far fairer."

I, too, find the peonies more beautiful than Your Majesty.

I can never win against you.

No flower in the world could be as beautiful as you.

Your Majesty.

It is time for your midday meal.

What brings you all the way to the Annex?

I have

a gift for you.

Your Majesty, what is this?

Your health seems to have declined of late.

I personally asked the Royal Infirmary to concoct you a restorative tonic.

A restorative tonic…

Royal Consort Hui of the Kang clan shall accept the poison.

Royal Consort Hui, what is the meaning of this?

Your Majesty, please take the tonic away.

I cannot stand

even the smell of tonic.

Hey, Ms. Shin Seo-ri.

Ms. Shin Seo-ri, wake up.

The shock must've been too much.

I'll call an ambulance.

No, this isn't just another minor fender bender.

The media may exploit this.

-Call Dr. Kim. -Yes, sir.

Wait.

Ms. Shin, are you awake?

EPISODE 2 A GUIDE TO OPTIMIZING YOUR FATE

Given that he resides in such lofty chambers,

he must be at least a high-ranking minister.

He has the pedigree, influence,

and even that handsome face.

He truly has it all.

How did you know

a mannequin would fall from the sky?

I just knew.

My instincts in that sphere are exceptionally keen.

Damn it.

Arrest that assassin at once!

What are you waiting for?

Seize her this instant!

Take him into custody immediately!

I am endowed with a remarkably keen sixth sense.

It has allowed me to survive countless attempts

of poisoning and assassination.

Thanks to me, you have preserved your precious life.

Don't tell me.

Were you in on it?

Are you implying I am involved with those schemers

who lower themselves to using assassins?

I never scheme from the shadows.

I strike necks openly.

So you're not one of them, but you just happened to pass out

in front of my car and save me today?

I think I get the gist of it.

I'll have Mr. Son compensate you for your troubles. You may leave now.

Now, hold on.

Do you take me for some beggar, groveling for scraps?

You are not as perceptive as you appear.

I have something that you desperately need.

Hence, I was going to give you the chance to make a deal with me.

You want to make a deal with me?

Even with all these subordinates at your feet, your life hangs by a thread.

What use are absolute power and worldly riches?

Before a fleeting life,

even the supreme sovereign's throne is but vanity.

I shall safeguard

the flickering flame you call your life.

Keep me by your side.

Unhand me at once!

Do you know who I am?

Unhand me!

Damn it.

How can you be such a poor judge of character?

That pretty face has you with your nose high in the air.

You deserve to be struck down by lightning from the heavens above.

That's pretty harsh.

You would curse someone who was just senselessly attacked?

I know Mr. Cha

can be a bit unreasonable at times, but please bear with him.

Yes. He certainly is an impulsive fool through and through.

Working for him must be torture.

Let's go, Ms. Shin. I'll take you home.

In this moving palanquin?

Hear me!

Shall we?

Mr. Cha, this is the CCTV footage from the scene.

Why would they do this?

I thought it had already been handled.

Sir,

about that protester from earlier--

Can it wait?

I need to make a call.

Yes, sir.

Mr. Son.

Let's just handle the guy from the lobby earlier.

How exactly?

You said it was about unpaid wages.

Just resolve it for them.

Is there someone behind the scenes?

Any guesses on the motive?

I assume it's money.

They attacked even after they were paid what they were owed.

There's a bigger payout somewhere.

He just slammed the door in my face as if I were some assassin.

What is he scheming now?

Is he having me watched? Is that it?

No, not at all.

Mr. Cha was worried about you.

He asked me to make sure you got home safely.

He was worried about me?

When I reviewed your profile, I noticed you lived nearby.

I mean, you were almost in a car accident earlier.

And had the audition too.

You've been through a lot today, so he was concerned.

In this desolate world,

I guess I have someone who worries about me.

Too bad he is the cause of my distress.

Ms. Shin, are you okay?

You look a little pale.

Well, actually,

I have wanted to ask you this for some time now.

Could you slow down a bit?

This palanquin is moving way too fast.

It is making me very dizzy.

But we're only going 20km an hour right now.

In all my life,

I have never been in a palanquin that went this fast.

Father.

Is this seafood stew?

Seafood herbal chicken stew.

Made with 100% wild-caught abalone.

I took the first flight to Jeju Island at the crack of dawn

just to get this for you.

-I didn't sleep a wink. -You can be so silly.

Did you already forget

that Father caught that awful norovirus from eating raw oysters

at his birthday last year?

You know he has a weak stomach.

What hearty roots.

Abalones are so basic.

You should have one before the meal.

It's genuine wild ginseng harvested by a ginseng forager

on Mount Jiri.

It has a nice bitterness to it.

That's the real deal.

I can't compete with you two.

Next time you prepare a gift for Uncle,

can you include me?

Sure thing, Mun-do.

It's a bit rude to show up empty-handed

to your uncle's birthday party, no?

Don't talk to Mun-do about manners.

Ten kids don't compare to one good nephew.

Here we go again.

That damn liver story.

17 YEARS AGO

All right, who's going to give me a liver?

If it weren't for this godforsaken asthma,

I would gladly give you as many pieces of my liver as you wanted.

If I just weren't breastfeeding the kids,

I would gladly chop mine off for you.

I'll give you mine, Uncle.

While my perfectly healthy kids turned their backs on me,

my nephew gave me a second chance at life.

And you brats can't even show gratitude to your father's savior.

Uncle, please stop.

Se-gye was too young back then,

and the rest all had valid reasons.

All I had to offer was my health anyway.

Yes, I'm only alive because of you, Mun-do.

What a shame.

How nice it would be if Se-gye were even half the man you are.

DAEBAK BOARDING HOUSE

It appears I still had surprises waiting for me.

Mr. Cha insisted that you get checked out by a doctor.

The aftereffects of a car accident really get you.

Make sure you go tomorrow.

After rebuffing me so harshly to my face…

He certainly is a man riddled with contradictions.

What a destitute life this woman leads.

You call this a house?

I have arrived!

Look at that freak. She must be wasted.

Like she's a noblewoman or something?

-I know, right? -Hey…

I have arrived!

Is anybody in there?

My word. Is this any way to treat the master of the house?

What is the gatekeeper even doing?

That light turned on by itself.

Hold on…

I need to gather my wits about me.

Keep your wits about you, and you can survive even a tiger's den.

"With a focused mind, nothing is impossible."

Unit 203!

Where have you been? Why are you getting back so late?

And why is your phone off?

Hurry upstairs. Your grandmother has been waiting for ages.

Just to see your face.

Grandmother?

My goodness.

There's my little girl.

Come and sit down.

Sit. Go on.

You didn't even have time to change? What is all this?

All right.

Here. Try this.

I made your favorites. Japchae and pork cutlets.

I even made candied sweet potatoes.

Come to think of it, I have not eaten all day.

I fried them myself.

They say a person's hands

reveal the life they have lived.

Why do you look so worn out?

It seems this woman's grandmother

did not have an easy life either.

Did work keep you from eating again?

Hurry up and eat.

Here, take these and eat.

Oh right. You should join us for a bite too.

-Really? Yes. Thank you so much. -Sure.

Thank you.

Silly me. How could I be so forgetful?

I'm on this herbal supplement, you see.

So I don't think I should be eating all this meat.

But there's no meat in this.

No, I'm fine. Really.

Enjoy your meal, Unit 203.

-Excuse me. -Sure.

Goodness.

Here.

Don't share this with anyone.

Hide it in a corner somewhere and eat it all by yourself. Got it?

This isn't pork. It's beef. High-quality Korean beef.

See. Korean beef.

Is it good? Do you like it?

You know, I've been messing up the seasoning lately.

I put extra effort into this one.

It is quite delicious.

Really?

Gosh.

Great. Go on.

Eat up.

Go on now. Have some japchae too.

Have some more.

You must have been starving.

How nice it is to have everyone gather for a meal like this.

Asking the family to gather for a measly meal on my birthday

is not asking for the moon.

And yet, I don't even know if the one grandson I have will show up.

Father, you saw the news, right?

I mean, he is way too old to be acting out like that.

I guess he still can't control that temper of his.

They say the video was doctored.

Looks like someone was messing with him.

He's probably late cleaning up that mess, Uncle.

You sure know everything, don't you?

Fake or not, he should've just behaved himself all along.

With that kind of reputation,

people will believe anything, no matter how outlandish or tawdry.

Don't you agree, Father?

Why that little…

Happy birthday, Grandfather.

Sorry I'm late. Car trouble.

You should've planned ahead for that.

A businessman should be able to manage his time.

I knew the party would start with the usual catfight

and shameless displays of loyalty. Neither of which I can stomach.

So I timed my arrival to avoid it.

Is it still going?

You rotten scoundrel.

Even at a birthday party,

you can't keep that trap of yours shut?

Please try to calm down, Uncle. It's your birthday, after all.

Welcome, Se-gye.

Cheers.

Sir, the CCTV footage

from the rear entrance confirms the attacker fled in a nearby getaway car.

It was parked too far away for the cameras to catch the plate.

Just as I expected.

Which means it wasn't a random attack.

Sir, we should request a police investigation now.

They timed their attack to coincide with the buyer meeting and audition.

It appears they were targeting the "abusive CEO" image.

That's why.

The intent was underhanded and premeditated.

We can't just play into their hands.

Is there someone you suspect?

There's no shortage of people

who want to see me crash and burn.

I suppose you're right.

They all treat me like a thief raiding the family vault.

The eldest aunt, the youngest aunt,

and even the distant cousin.

This place is crawling with fake smiles.

Seo-ri.

You're all alone in this strange place.

It must be hard.

I know how you feel.

My restaurant is doing well.

Stop worrying about me and buy yourself some new clothes.

No young lady should be dressed like this.

You'll never land a fellow looking like that.

As if having one ever leads to anything good.

You grew up so lonely without your parents' love.

You should have at least one person on your side in this world.

But still, you grew up to be such a fine young lady.

You've done such a great job.

I'm so proud of you.

Are you proud of your granddaughter?

Of course.

You're so beautiful inside and out.

In all my time on this earth,

I've never met anyone like you.

Hurry inside.

I'll be going now.

Go on.

Go inside.

Safe…

travels.

-Mr. Son. -Yes, sir.

Twice can't be a coincidence, right?

Pardon?

Think about it.

She passed out in front of my car when it was barely moving,

and then she predicted that attack like some sort of psychic.

I looked into Ms. Shin Seo-ri.

Besides her rude speech, nothing else seemed suspicious.

Surely you don't think someone put her up to this?

It never hurts to be careful.

We've put everything on the line for this brand launch,

even shouldering private fund risk.

We need to be extra cautious right now.

Double the security team for now,

and personally double-check all the HR files.

Yes, sir.

And find out everything you can about her.

Yes, sir.

You call this a room?

A prison cell would be more luxurious.

What in the world…

Look here.

No window ought to command such a view.

Seriously? Were you expecting a view of Namsan Tower or something?

Why are you complaining now?

It's compact and great value.

With ventilation, no less!

I gave you our most popular room.

You call this a room and collect rent?

I have never encountered such miserliness in my life.

All the windowless rooms are taken now.

You can move when one opens up.

Wait.

There are even rooms without windows?

Unbelievable.

I never!

My goodness.

Why, this scoundrel…

Unit 203, open up!

Open this door!

Unbelievable.

Who goes there?

What sort of knave batters a lady's door in the dead of night?

"Knave"? Seriously?

You know, I've tolerated all your noise until now,

but I can't take it anymore!

You keep rustling around, and you won't stop talking to yourself.

I can't live like this.

If you cannot live with that, you should just leave.

Have you lost your damn mind?

Are you trying to start a fight with me?

You can hear every burp and fart from your neighbors here.

Wouldn't it be common courtesy to be a bit more careful?

What the… Hold on.

What's going on here?

What's with all this racket?

This man here is making the most absurd complaints.

He says not to burp or fart too loudly in my own room.

Why not just tell me to stop breathing altogether?

Unbelievable.

You clearly missed the point.

We are trapped in this prison together.

If we cannot show a little grace

and forgive small faults,

how are we any different from beasts?

"Beasts"?

So are you saying I'm some kind of savage now?

Mencius said

that a sense of shame and indignation is the beginning of righteousness.

You fail to see your own flaws and only harp on others.

Like a crap-covered dog scolding a dusty dog.

Crap dog? You calling me a mutt?

-Hear, hear! -Hear, hear!

Who was that?

I ought to wring your neck, but it seems

I have public sentiment on my side.

So stop causing a scene and begone!

My day has been long enough.

She couldn't even look me in the eye before.

What's gotten into her?

I just sensed an assassin's presence.

Someone nearby is after your life! Get down!

Keep me by your side.

I shall safeguard the flickering flame you call your life.

As if she could keep anyone safe.

How truly marvelous.

This is pure witchcraft.

If you pull the string,

it lights right up.

How useful.

You tell me to leave because I am useless?

Do you think Court Lady Kim took a bribe?

I cannot understand why she brought in someone like you.

Who are you to decide my worth?

Look at the venom in her eyes.

Jumping into that river must have been easy for you.

I heard you ran away after being sold into slavery.

A lowly wench like you should know her place.

How could we ever share a room with someone like you?

-So vile. -What did you say?

Did you just call me vile?

Looks like you grew up sheltered and do not know any better.

Allow me to show you what something truly "vile" looks like.