Original subtitles

This is such a precious thing.

- Are you really giving it to me? - Yes.

Let him be.

He is simply delighted.

Cousin Yun.

Have you ever seen the map drawn by the Italian, Matteo Ricci?

It took me quite some time to find Joseon upon it.

Joseon, which had always seemed so vast and unmistakable,

suddenly felt so small.

It filled me with a sudden fear.

How small must I be,

living in one corner of Hwaseong?

A letter!

Over here!

It is for the young lady of Vice Minister Cho's house!

Yes.

I unfolded the map

drawn in Joseon centuries ago.

By the standards of Western learning,

the size of Joseon upon it is plainly wrong.

And yet, I found myself wondering,

"Is it truly wrong?"

Perhaps they merely wished to capture

the hearts of those who stood upon this small land.

And so, through the two different Joseons drawn upon these maps,

I came to realize something.

Whether it be large or small,

we see the world through our own eyes,

and they through theirs.

Just as I am simply me, and you are simply you.

What do you think?

You may call it sophistry,

yet I am most curious to hear what you, my literary friend, make of it.

I shall await your reply.

Keep your blade firm. Straight and strong.

Uphold the way of a gentleman.

Do you understand?

Straight

and strong.

Straight

and strong.

Strong.

I lost my father so suddenly,

and there is no stopping this grief that rises within me.

I need my father.

I wished to become the sort of son he would be proud of,

but now it is too late.

Cousin Yun.

What am I to do?

I am only sorry that I cannot fully fathom your pain.

But Won,

the person Uncle wished you to become is not the only true answer.

I felt I had to tell you that myself.

Rather than chasing after another's footsteps,

you must find yourself.

Though my words may not reach your heart just yet.

"I am me,

and you are you."

THE SCANDAL

How indecent.

Madam.

Lady Cho, the wife of Minister Yoo, is here to see you.

Send her in.

Though it bears no dye,

it shines so splendidly.

I must say, this silk resembles you.

The tobacco you sent last night was more than enough,

yet you bring this as well.

Thank you.

I shall treasure it.

You are too gracious.

I am deeply humbled by your words.

Though truthfully, I could not sleep all night for fear

you may have been displeased by my cousin's misconduct.

Just as I thought.

Even between cousins, it could not have been an easy decision.

Since you are a lady who knows propriety and decorum,

you chose the late hour to inform me,

the Left State Councilor,

and our In-ho quietly of the matter.

Especially

with a widowed daughter-in-law in this household.

Thank you, Lady Cho.

Thanks to you,

I summoned In-ho at the crack of dawn and firmly warned him

not to trouble your cousin further.

One's studies ought to be pursued by one's own efforts.

Hearing you say so

finally puts my mind at ease, however…

What's the matter?

I wish to believe your daughter-in-law shall handle the matter wisely,

but I must regretfully say my cousin

is no ordinary man.

I know.

I know that very well indeed.

With a face so excessively handsome,

how could anyone fail to suspect as much?

Which is why I say this.

In the end, they are but a young man and woman.

Even two shadows lose their boundaries beneath the lamplight.

Would it not be safer

to keep them apart, even by force if necessary,

so they never cross paths?

Forgive me. That was presumptuous of me.

Come now!

There is no need for that.

You embarrass me by doing so.

Goodness.

If my husband learned of this, I should never hear the end of it.

Raise your head.

Come now.

Right, that reminds me.

How fares Minister Yoo these days?

He merely awaits a summons

from the Left State Councilor.

My lady!

My lady.

My lady.

The Left State Councilor has invited me

to the gathering of the ministers.

Do you know how long it has been?

My lord.

It would seem the Left State Councilor has not forgotten your capabilities.

It is all thanks to you.

You have paid your respects

to the Lady of the First Rank almost every day.

I am well aware of it.

How could that possibly be my doing?

My lady.

My lady.

Well…

In truth,

I know as well.

That the lack of an heir in this house

is entirely because of me.

Though I knew it to be futile,

I still brought in a concubine.

Yet I fear I may fail to fulfill your wish nonetheless.

All the while, you have done nothing but strive for my sake.

My lord, you must not say such things.

So-ok shall prove it.

You shall most certainly have an heir.

My lady.

Yes. If you say so, then so it shall be.

I shall prove yet

that I am still a vigorous man!

- You will hurt yourself! Put me down! - I am not so frail yet!

- My lady. - Please put me down now.

Mind your step.

Forgive me.

No, wait…

You…

Yes?

Where are you going?

Nowhere.

I merely stepped out

because they said the moon was lovely tonight.

And who was it

you meant to meet on such a lovely moonlit night?

- No, it is not that-- - Hush!

And still you persist?

Young Master In-ho.

This is a rough sketch based on what I saw in a book.

It is an alarm clock.

A thing that lets one see the time.

This would be about a quarter of an hour past 9 p.m.

The single drumbeat earlier signaled 7 p.m.,

so it should be about here.

Before long,

the 9 p.m. drum will sound.

I shall be listening from here as well, but I must not miss it.

Go stand outside the gate, and when you hear the drum strike twice,

come tell me at once.

Yes, sir.

Two drumbeats.

My lord!

So you meant to meet

when these hands stretched straight across?

Yes.

I am so dumbfounded I scarcely know what to say.

Forgive me, my lord!

Let me explain.

It is only proper

that I tell my cousin and my brother-in-law of this matter.

Yet if I uphold propriety,

I betray my loyalty to Young Master In-ho.

And if I keep faith with him, I stray from propriety.

Huh? Hold a moment.

Why did you come out so early?

Pardon?

I happen to know how alarm clocks work.

For these hands

to stretch straight across like this, there is still quite some time left.

But I could swear earlier…

You do not even know how to read it?

No, I do know how.

You most certainly do not.

I tell you, I do…

But today,

my mind is troubled by rather distressing matters.

So I shall pretend

I saw nothing of your affair.

Will you, really?

In return,

do not wander about and invite trouble.

Until the appointed hour,

stay shut away in your room and read Elementary Learning aloud.

I shall be outside listening for it.

Elementary Learning?

Do you not know of it?

No, I know it.

I do, but…

But what?

Well…

I shall go to my cousin…

I am going.

I am going, my lord.

Young Master In-ho? Now hold a moment.

That means In-ho and So-ok…

Good grief.

What a complete mess.

Young master, it is 9 p.m.

"Once a girl reaches the age of 10, she must not venture outside."

"She must meekly heed the teachings of her mother and teacher,

tend hemp and ramie…

raise silkworms, reel silk,

weave silk, and braid silk sashes…"

I was reading it! I was!

Young master…

What?

Oh, surely not.

Did he really leave just because I was a little bit late?

Miss…

Why were you not there last night?

Pardon?

No, I…

I most certainly was there.

Of course you were.

You could not wait even a moment.

Very well. The fault was entirely mine.

I have committed a most unforgivable offense!

No, I did not mean it was your fault.

You thought

you could simply disregard a girl like me.

Disregard? That is ridiculous.

- It is completely untrue. - No, it is not!

You look down on me because I am but a concubine!

What do you mean, a concubine?

Pardon?

- My lord. - Yes.

His Majesty summoned me on a matter of great importance.

On my way back from the palace, I bought this for you.

Oh, it is yakgwa.

Thank you, my lord.

Of course.

- Say, "ah." - "Ah."

Now,

I must leave Bukchon for a short while.

Pardon?

It should not take long.

So while I am away,

learn well the proper conduct of a lady under my lady's guidance.

Once I return,

I shall make you my concubine at once. Do you understand?

Really?

Yes.

Thank you, my lord.

This wretched hat…

His Majesty is holding Lady Hyegyeong's 60th birthday banquet in Hwaseong,

and the matter has been entrusted to me.

I shall show you without fail.

That I can firmly uphold the position

you have restored to me.

Dear cousin.

While your brother-in-law is away,

why not stay here for a time?

I imagine there is much you wish to ask.

What did the widow say?

How should I know?

Since sending that filthy letter,

I have not seen so much as the hem of her skirt.

Then again,

who could possibly know the state of her heart now?

I only hope she has not altogether lost her senses.

Well,

who knows?

She may have lost her senses so completely

that she secretly indulges in that letter.

I must become a refined woman now.

My So-ok has become a lady of Bukchon,

so I too must rise to the occasion.

Oh, my goodness.

You are more innocent than I thought.

If you knew how the ladies of Bukchon truly amuse themselves,

you would faint away.

What does that matter?

Have you heard?

Choi was cast out of the Chief State Councilor's house.

I heard the councilor warned him never to set foot in Bukchon again.

What on earth did he do?

The youngest son of that house

turned out to be left-handed.

Just like Choi.

It was his seed, then?

My, my.

What sort of place is Bukchon

that such amusing scandals break out every day?

Madam, Lord Cho Won is here.

Yes, send him in…

What?

What… What did you say?

My lord.

It seems the tobacco I let you sample pleased you after all.

I could not forget the taste, so I came for more.

Yet amidst the fragrance of flowers in full bloom here,

I can hardly recall the scent of the tobacco I meant to buy.

Oh, my.

Off with you now.

I must attend to my esteemed guest.

Bun-hui.

Go on now. Quickly.

It has been so long since I sent that letter.

When you did not come to see me,

I thought my heart would break.

So that is why you dared send such an audacious letter

without a shred of fear.

Did you not once say you liked me because I feared nothing?

That is how I came to be held so tightly in your arms.

And in the end,

was it not that very letter that brought you back to me now?

You…

You do not realize what you are scribbling with that reckless brush of yours,

or how greatly

that scrap of paper might trouble me.

You never pause to think of such things.

Bun-hui.

It is

that long, wet tongue of yours that always worries me.

Wag it carelessly, and it may well tighten the noose around your own neck.

And yet

all you care for is indulging yourself in the thrill of it.

You speak as though your very life hung upon my little letter.

Bun-hui.

If you care at all for your daughter,

then from now on you must at least feign modesty.

Only then may you peek over the walls

of the scholar-official households you so admire.

And only then may you set foot

in the gatherings of those noblewomen you envy so dearly.

If you wish to enter Bukchon,

you must pretend

not to hear what you hear,

and not to see what you see.

Keep that in mind, Bun-hui.

My lord! Forgive me.

Forgive me.

My mother is poor with the brush,

so I always copy her letters in the end.

If the letter displeased you, I apologize in her stead.

This matter shall never pass beyond these walls

for as long as I live.

I swear it to you, my lord.

Your mother…

had you, her own daughter, copy such a letter for her?

She is not my birth mother.

She still stands in my mother's place, so I had no choice but to copy it.

But that woman is so filthy I wish I had nothing to do with her.

Your mother

seems to know paintings rather well.

Do you have an eye for them as well?

Pardon?

I know little of what is fine or poor.

I only know what fetches a price.

Is that so?

Then what do you think of this painting?

Would it fetch a handsome sum?

The peonies seem to be swaying in the spring breeze,

so lifelike that their fragrance seems to rise from them.

And this little bud hidden behind the leaf

is so charming, it makes one wish to tap it with a finger.

My lord has long been away from court, and the affair entrusted to him

is of the utmost importance.

Here.

If you and I were to finish

this peony painting together and present it to him upon his return,

it would be a most wonderful act of devotion.

Your handwriting was so firm and elegant

that I greatly admired it.

Fill it with your writing. Anything you wish.

THE PEONIES IN FULL BLOSSOM…

THE PEONIES IN FULL BLOSSOM, HOW COULD THEY BE…

This handwriting feels different.

Quite unlike the one you used for Elementary Learning.

To think you could instantly fashion an entirely new style

so well suited to this peony painting.

It seems I have brought quite a remarkable lady into my household.

I deserve to die!

Please have mercy on me, my lady!

In truth, it was not I who wrote it.

Young Master In-ho wrote it for me.

You mean Young Master Kwon In-ho of the Left State Councilor's house?

Please spare me… No.

Just kill me instead. How dare a mere concubine…

But it is all over now.

The young master already learned that I am a concubine,

so…

So…

Poor thing.

Your heart must have been heavy, preparing to give yourself to my lord

while carrying feelings for another.

My lady.

And after learning who you were,

did Young Master In-ho pretend not to know you?

I have not seen him since.

I fear your heart, delicate as a flower, may have been wounded.

As long as you do not neglect your duty in serving my lord,

I can overlook such a matter.

I know well enough how harsh life can be

for a woman in Bukchon.

My lady.

But surely no one else knows of this?

No one besides Mal-ttong…

In truth,

Lord Cho Won knows a little of it as well.

Oh, dear!

Go to him.

Pardon?

Go and plead your case to him.

He is a man who knows spring.

If he hears your heartfelt plea,

he shall surely turn a blind eye, no matter his relation to my husband.

Do you truly think so?

Who knows?

He may even become a bridge between you and Young Master In-ho.

My lord.

Well, there is something I must tell you.

Now?

Yes.

Very well.

A favor, you say?

Then this may take some time.

Would it be wise

to leave your shoes outside so plainly?

Huh?

What I mean is,

should anyone see you here, would that not pose a problem?

My lord.

The young master has learned

that I am a concubine in this house.

- You had hidden it from him? - Not deliberately.

In any case,

what should I write to earn his forgiveness?

Well, you…

You do resemble her somewhat.

Whom?

Someone I know.

How shall I put it?

A true master in such matters, perhaps?

A true master?

"How could you…

leave after merely brushing my shoulder?"

"Thoughts of you leave me breathless…

and I spent the night

thoroughly drenched."

"Breath…"

My lord.

How does one write "breathless"?

Is there an "E" after "T-H"?

Good.

You are writing it correctly.

"My thighs seem to part of their own accord…

yet there are no great hands to spread them further."

"Tonight…

I long for you, young master."

"When next we meet…

scold this drenched little thing of mine."

"I beg of you."

Now…

what will you do next?

Pretend I am Young Master In-ho and show me.

What must be done to soothe his anger?

Young master.

It is I, So-ok.

Young master.

Young…

Wait.

Do not go, young master!

Miss!

What…

- What manner of madness is this? - It is I, So-ok.

- So-ok. - A concubine?

From the day I could no longer see you,

I have not slept a wink for thoughts of you.

Miss.

There is not a shred of falsehood in those words,

I believe?

Yes.

I have been the same.

I too…

have spent…

sleepless nights in agony,

my heart torn apart by thoughts of you.

This night of ours…

that we tucked away…

in such longing…

I wish to unfold it here and now.

Then do so, young master.

Unfold it as you please.

I wish for it too.

Good.

We are nearly there now, miss.

Young master.

The Young Master In-ho you longed for

is here before you.

It is I, So-ok.

Miss.

There.

Your hand.

Yes.

I wish for it too, young master.

Yes, miss.

Young master.

Wait…

Well…

Regarding that flower bud you sent me last night.

Before I could even lay a hand upon her, she was already baring herself.

I nearly lost my senses

- and let the matter end too easily. - It is So-ok, my lady.

But you know me.

If I were simply to grant you what you desire,

our wager would become rather pointless.

So I barely managed to send her away.

Did you sleep well through the night?

I shall now devote myself to my true objective,

conquering the widow.

Watch and see.

I shall claim without fail the reward you promised me,

the one I could never refuse.

Let me see that.

Oh, here.

LIQUOR

"It was only for idle amusement…"

What took you so long?

You rascal, since when have you ever waited for me?

Here. Take this to the lady.

She has left, and she took Eun-sil with her.

I hear she's gone to her family home in Hwaseong.

I wonder what happened all of a sudden.

Last night,

your late father appeared in my dream.

He held my hand tightly

and said he wished to see you.

I suppose

he longs for you dearly from there.

Go pay a visit to your family home.

Eun-sil!

Eun-sil!

Eun-sil!

My lady!

My lady!

The lord has come.

The lord!

Lord Cho Won has come all the way here.

My lady.

Oh, all right.

What? Come now.

Why, you…

Oh, there she is.

Well…

Did you tell the lady I was here?

Yes.

Right, and what did she say?

She said she never wishes to see you again,

so you are to leave.

Well, that's…

No, that…

That cannot be right.

It cannot.

Go bring her.

Go and tell her this.

Until she agrees to see me,

I shall not

take a single step from this place!

She chose to leave me without a word,

so I too shall do as I please

and wait for her here.

Repeat every word exactly as I said it.

My lord, please stop this and go at once.

What if an elder of her family sees you?

Forgive me.

Now! Go deliver my words at once!

If you mean to go on like this, you may as well go see the lord outside.

He still has not left.

He may well freeze to death out there in the rain soon.

Go back in! Go!

Go! Quickly!

Why did that scoundrel Cho Won

have you write a letter to explain that earlier one?

That is what I'm asking.

Mother, I tell you. I truly know nothing.

Lord Cho Won glared at me as though he would kill me

and said if I did not write it at once,

he would bring great disgrace upon this household.

I only feared some misfortune might come upon you, Mother.

That is why I did as he commanded.

Think on it, Mother.

He is a nobleman. To a girl like me…

Yes, just as you always say,

a completely witless girl.

For heaven's sake.

Why would he explain his reasons to me?

I only did as I was told, Mother!

Please believe me!

Go pay So-ok a visit.

So-ok? Why?

That is Cho Won's cousin's house,

so go there and listen for anything you can.

I must know why that man

had you do such a thing!

Even for but a moment,

would you let me see your face?

I shall wait here!

My heart is here with you…

yet I cannot show it.

Hey, Chil-seong!

The letter!

Eun-sil.

Where is the lady?

The night grows cold.

You should return now, my lord.

Are you all right?

Will you accept this letter?

That is all I ask.

Within this letter…

lies my true heart.

It is proof that my feelings are no falsehood.

I… I cannot leave like this.

I wish to clear away your misunderstanding of me.

So please…

Oh, please,

will you accept this letter?

I believed your heart answered mine.

Your heart and mine

both desire one another, do they not?

And yet,

you will not let me do anything.

What am I to do?

Why…

Why did you appear before me?

Why appear before this wretched creature who would otherwise have lived peacefully…

only to leave me…

longing for you so?

I…

wish to live, my lord.

Then I…

I shall…

save you.

I shall save you…

no matter what.

Subtitle translation by: Yoonjung Song