Original subtitles

(A Good Friend to Meet)

(This drama is purely fictional...)

(and is not associated with actual people,)

(organizations, incidents, or locations.)

Look at this.

Look at this!

Right?

- What is that? - What?

What is this?

- Hey! - Run!

Everyone, calm down. We are from the Department of Justice.

- You are safe. - Please come out.

Come out.

- Come out this way. - Come out.

- It is okay! - Come out.

This way.

We are here to help.

Come out.

It is okay.

- Come out. - My goodness.

Was there anyone who got kidnapped and brought here today?

Today?

Oh, there was a strange woman.

She was dragged here like us,

but she yelled at them and tried to make a deal with the amount she was sold for.

How dare you try to trade me?

If you are going to sell me for cheap, just kill me.

That is not even enough to cover my funeral cost.

- Hey! - Take that.

Why are you dividing up the money you got for selling me?

Why are you so talkative?

Just give me half.

What about a quarter?

I am sure that is So Rang.

It sounds like it.

There was a woman...

who was holding onto a pouch and crying in the corner too.

She was crying so much...

that the other woman kept comforting her and telling her she would be fine.

It is okay. Hae Young, it will be okay.

Darn it.

- Hae Young. - Lady Hae Young.

The woman that was crying was taken away first.

I am not sure about the strange woman.

I understand.

First, take them back to the government office safely.

Yes, sir. Come with us.

- Thank you. - Thank you.

I picked this up on the way.

You liked things like this.

You said the round stone looked like it would be kind.

Sir,

- take a look that this. - What is that?

It is the stone I gave Hae Young.

I am certain she was leaving us a sign.

Lady Hae Young.

Goodness.

(Episode 7)

My gosh.

The moonlight is particularly beautiful tonight.

I hope my wife is just as pretty.

I guarantee it this time.

I am certain you will like her.

I am saying this for your sake.

Is it not about time we stopped seeing each other?

Of course.

You can be excited today.

What do you think? Do you like her?

She is cute.

Gosh, this much?

I will get going now.

Miss, nice to meet you.

My name is Uhm Gye Woon.

Oh, I like bobbed hair.

It is the least you could do for your husband.

And fortunately, it suits you.

There are several more preferences of mine.

I will tell you about those with time.

We will take this way.

Then we will take the other side.

All right.

Let us go.

Is anyone home?

What brings you here late at night?

We are from the Department of Justice. May we look around your house?

We are looking for a lady who was kidnapped.

Goodness, what a horrible incident.

Look around as much as you would like.

Over there.

Lady Hae Young.

She is here.

- Hae Young. - Lady Hae Young.

- Hae Young! - Lady Hae Young!

Hae Young.

Hae Young?

Hae Young!

- Hae Young. - Lady Hae Young.

- Wake up. Hae Young. - Lady Hae Young.

Hae Young.

I do not like the things I paid for...

touched by other people.

Take your hands away at once.

You jerk!

Who are you?

Are you hurt anywhere?

No.

You saved my life.

How on earth is she alive?

What will you do about this wench?

She must be gotten rid of completely.

Should I set this place on fire?

We might get caught red-handed if we make a move ourselves.

You know, do you not?

That I do not leave even a single trace behind.

If we do not kill her today, she might cause a bigger problem later on.

Why not look at the bigger picture?

We could use this child to shake up King Yi Heon.

Say that we hang her to death before the eyes of His Majesty.

Who knows? Because of the shock,

the King might choose to descend from the throne.

But only will I feel relieved if I see her dead right here and now.

Why do we not kill her right now...

and throw her body inside the King's bedroom?

So His Majesty lifts his bedding only to find this child dead?

Great idea.

If that can make the King into a mess.

Wait here. I will have Na Sang Ju kill her.

There is one more I must ask you to do after this.

Please kidnap several more ladies.

Have I not been doing that until now?

But the ladies this time are far from ordinary.

They are daughters of wealthy families.

So you are nipping the buds before the queen selection.

Your Majesty. You should take a look at this.

Open it.

"Your Majesty?"

Does that mean the man who saved me was the King?

It seems there was more than one bride who was abducted.

But they are yet to be found.

Investigate the crimes committed by this person thoroughly.

- Understood. - Understood.

Is it not strange?

Even though groups of kidnappers are running wild...

and harassing women,

the Police Bureau did not arrest any of them.

- Hold on a minute. - Shut it.

I did nothing wrong.

It was him. The kidnapper who had sold me off.

Where is your home ground?

The soldiers are on their way right now.

How did they know of this place?

Listen, Sang Ju.

Tonight, you must take her life no matter what...

and leave her body in the Crown Princess' Palace. Understood?

Understood. But first, you should leave.

Are you sure this is the place?

Then I have no idea. I swear, I am telling you the truth.

Where did they go?

Who are you?

Would you know if we told you?

Yes, we might.

We have taught the kidnappers a thing or two.

You need our permission to go across this mountain.

That is all you need to know for now.

However, we cannot grant you permission.

What should we do?

What is going on? Did they capture me?

A big fight has occurred in Mount Shinheung.

One group is suspected to be the kidnappers,

but we do not know who the other one is.

They must be bandits.

I bet the bandits took the kidnapped women.

- What? - They know the mountains very well.

Those scary scoundrels can even kill a tiger with their bare hands.

I told the Chief Eunuch that I would be back before sunrise,

but I do not think I can.

- Let him know. - Yes, Your Majesty!

Your Majesty, let us look for So Rang.

We do not know what could happen after the night is over.

Let us go to Mount Shinheung.

You have to stay alive.

Do not get hurt.

From now on, I will not lose anyone close to me.

Please.

What? You fools let them take her?

I will go back to the mountain with more men.

Even if you bring her to me dead,

I do not care.

Bring her to me...

- at all costs. - Yes, my lord.

You will split into three groups and search the mountain.

If you find the bandits first, use the smoke signal...

to let the others know at once.

- Begin your search. - Yes, sir!

- Goodness! - Gosh, she scared me.

Hey, you deal with her.

Goodness.

- Gosh. - Darn, she scared me.

What is going on here?

What is this? Am I dead again?

Are you all right, my lady?

What? Who is this man?

(Heungrye Gate)

My goodness.

The day broke. Why is he not coming yet?

You received the message that he cannot come back today.

Then when will he be back?

Oh, dear.

What are you doing out here so early?

I would like to ask you the same question.

Why have you arrived at the palace so early in the morning?

Are the Chief Eunuch and the Chief Court Lady waiting out here...

because the King went out?

Because of that wench?

I would like an audience with His Majesty to discuss an urgent matter.

At this early hour?

His Majesty's condition has worsened.

I am afraid he cannot even attend the morning meetings.

Then are the royal physician and the head of the Infirmary here?

They will be here shortly.

Come along. I will accompany you there.

Yong Bae and Kyu Bong, wait outside.

Do not try anything funny.

Well, what is this place?

Come with me.

Yes, that is it.

Well done.

Nice! Good job. You are so good at it.

- Good boy. - One more time.

One more time. Keep going.

This place is called Gongnyang Village.

I am Ban Ran Tan, the village chief.

Ban Ran Tan?

Why am I here?

We have been saving kidnapped women in danger.

Those who do not wish to return home...

live here.

As you know, marriage is forbidden in Joseon.

Couples who eloped together...

also live here.

- Oh, boy. - Come on.

- Here we go! - Oh, my.

Watch me. There!

Way to go!

- Look at that! - Goodness.

How adorable.

She looks like you.

Gosh, they are so cute!

"Gongnyang," as in "lovey-dovey?"

Hey!

Do it again. One more time.

I have some questions for you.

Are you close to anyone...

connected to the Department of Justice?

Oh, my best friend...

Forget it. He is just an old bachelor now...

for he could not get married.

What about you? What did you do...

in the outside world?

I am famous. I suppose the rumors about me...

have not reached this village yet.

I am...

So Rang, the famous marital compatibility reader.

Do you not know Aedaldang? The place in Valley Insa.

It looks like an ordinary tea house,

but we do compatibility readings for young men and women...

and match couples in this era when marriage is prohibited.

That is what we do.

My gosh. Come to think of it,

we work in the same industry.

- Is that so? - Yes!

I apologize for asking you questions in an interrogative manner.

The existence of this village...

must remain a secret.

Well, do not worry about it.

Oh, you saved me from those kidnappers.

Thank you very much.

May I leave now?

I am in a rush to go somewhere.

I am sorry, but until we can be sure...

that you can be trusted,

you cannot leave this place.

I hope you understand.

The government considers us outlaws.

So we must protect ourselves.

Please wait here. We will take care of them.

Then are you getting married without reading your marital compatibility?

Come on.

Even if you are skipping many steps for your marriage,

you should not miss it.

You should listen to me.

The reason you need to consider martial compatibility is,

because there are outward compatibility...

and inward compatibility.

Come on.

But we cannot see if we are compatible inwardly...

before we get married.

So we have our fortunes read...

to predict the marital compatibility.

Do you get it?

That is simple.

But if you two have sorted it out already,

you can skip that step!

- Already? - Come on.

So Rang.

Your Majesty.

There are so many of them.

When we have all the Palace Guard here, then we can...

Attack them.

- Both of you? - Your Majesty?

How dare you flirt with a Court Lady?

How dare you mess with the Justice Investigator's best friend?

I guess you were not someone...

very trustworthy.

My goodness.

- Who are they? - Let us go.

Go away.

Court Lady Won.

What are you going to do?

My goodness.

Please wait here for a moment.

Oh, my.

Court Lady Won.

What are you trying to do?

Goodness.

Why are you doing this, Court Lady Won?

This is...

Please come in.

Your Majesty.

Let me take your pulse.

Were your hands...

this thick before?

He has been sick all night long.

What?

Was his build...

this...

big before?

I think he is swollen all over.

No.

Just being swollen does not make someone...

this big.

It means he wants to rest now.

You should come in the afternoon to take his pulse again.

This is strange.

So Rang.

Are you not hurt?

I think I need to ask that question, Your Majesty.

By the way, what did you call him earlier?

Your Majesty?

That is his name.

I see.

Then we can call him Brat Yi.

Brat Yi. Right.

Attacking at that time was not what I insisted.

I insisted on it.

Are you all right?

I thought she was a good person.

And she brought the Palace Guard?

To be accurate, I did not bring them...

Do you want to see how we have kept this place safe so far?

Is the King really away?

Now that I am trying to catch a mouse,

a cat is coming with it.

What are you going to do?

If the King has disappeared,

we need to discuss his vacancy.

Then...

We need to bring a royal family member living in a remote rural area...

and put him as a puppet on the throne.

King Yi Heon...

should not come back to the Palace...

and he should be found dead.

But if our plan fails,

we will be punished for scheming treason.

That is not my scenario.

Petty bandits will kill him and be found on the streets.

Or...

it will be nice if a tiger gets him.

Why did you lie to us?

I did not lie.

I was possessed.

What did she say?

Inside me, many spirits...

come and go...

So Rang, are you possessed again?

- What is that? - She is possessed!

The shaman is being possessed!

What is that?

Is she a shaman?

What is she doing?

Goodness. Is she receiving a spirit?

Go to her.

Brother?

I was right. You are my eldest brother.

It is me, Ran Hee.

I am sorry.

Since I left like that,

you must have been very shocked.

You are my youngest sister Ran Hee?

Since I got abducted,

you cried a lot.

But you know what?

Every time you cried, I was by your side.

Ran Hee.

You should have cried only a bit.

Then I would have felt sad only a bit.

I did not know you were by my side...

But I do not think it was my fault...

that I was abducted.

The bad people did wrong, not me.

Sure. You should not blame yourself.

Never.

So, you should not blame yourself...

anymore.

You are rescuing abducted women...

because all of them look like me to you.

Here, you connect people in love,

let them live here,

and protect them.

Because you have done many good deeds,

I was able to go to a good place.

Today, I came to tell you this.

You are the best,

so you do not have to feel sorry about me.

Ran Hee.

Can you let me go?

Sure. My dear Ran Hee,

you should go to a good place.

All the people here are nice,

so do not hurt them.

They will surely make this world a better place.

All right.

Then I will get going now.

Be well, Brother.

All right. Come here.

Where is this place?

This is a place where people who know that love is most important...

live together.

Eat up and grow big!

- Come over here! - All right.

Gosh, they are selling so well.

Okay. One, two, three. Take one out.

- You won! - You won!

- I won. Right? - I must be dumb.

They comfort one another and take care of each other.

Please bow to each other.

While informal, you two have gotten married,

so I pronounce you husband and wife!

I will protect you for the rest of our lives.

I promise.

Although the country forbids love, this place allows it.

- Goodness. - Goodness.

Those men over there...

used to be bandits in Mount Shinheung.

But they were influenced...

upon seeing us live together and be connected through love.

Now, they protect our village.

I see. They look really kind.

Excuse me.

- Ma'am, we have a question. - Yes?

We might look like this,

but we are not bad people.

Seeing the people here be so lovey-dovey with each other...

makes us want to get married.

We want to find wives.

We wanted to know when we would find our betrothed.

The answer...

is with him.

Me?

You want me to reveal that I am the king?

Have you ever heard of a blind date?

- I did. - I have heard of it.

What do you think about going on a blind date as a group?

- Really? - Yes.

A blind date as a group?

He will set one up for you.

- Goodness. - Really?

Do not be surprised.

The women he will introduce you to are court ladies!

- Breathe! - My heart hurts.

Goodness!

Since the olden days, when the nation is in despair,

they say that it is because there is too much resentment...

from the court ladies who could not get married.

As a result, dozens of court ladies would leave the palace...

and find their match...

to bring fortune to the nation.

- Really? - So?

Even if those court ladies leave the palace,

- they would just end up being alone. - Right.

So would it not be better to have a blind date as a group?

However, all of this is up to Yi,

who will set it up.

Who is he to do that?

He...

is this nation's...

- Put your hand down. - eunuch!

You do not have one?

You looked normal.

Someone more pathetic than us was right here.

I am fine. Just fine!

Gosh.

Yi Jeon Ha? Will you set them up?

I will.

I will ask the King...

to let some of the court ladies leave the palace.

Hey, you guys! Come here!

- No way! - Come here!

The wedding...

can only happen after the Prohibition of Marriage is over,

but it is not a bad idea to meet someone before then!

- Of course! - Right.

Okay.

Let us make it fair and go in age order.

Surround them!

- What is this? - What is this?

Why you...

I heard today's daily audience with the King...

was canceled only after I got here.

I heard that His Majesty is quite ill.

Perhaps he was hurt badly by what had happened.

I heard something different.

What?

I heard that His Majesty disappeared last night...

without anyone knowing.

Really?

His Majesty might have something he needs to take care of.

There is no need to make a fuss.

But it just so happened that someone took their life...

inside the palace,

so I am sure he must be agitated.

How do you know this?

Then we too...

must prepare for the worst. Do you not agree?

I have something to tell you, so let us all go inside.

What are you talking about?

His Majesty has disappeared?

What would be the reason for that?

It seems His Majesty is agitated.

I am sure he is.

Another dead body was found in the palace.

It was not the Crown Princess' Palace this time.

It was the quarters of a court lady.

A court lady?

According to the rumors, that court lady...

Everyone, put down your weapons.

Where are you going?

We have already broken the law.

We must not commit any more crimes.

Everyone, put your weapons down.

I did not see anyone who broke the law.

Right, Shin Won?

Yes, that is correct. Your Majesty.

What?

Gosh, my eyes.

- Oh, my. - Oh, my.

- What is going on? - Oh, my!

People at the King's Palace said...

that His Majesty is too ill to attend today.

However...

It was a lie.

- A lie? - What is going on?

For some unknown reason,

His Majesty left his throne and has not returned to the palace.

He has turned his back on all of his subjects.

As his vassal, I will fulfill my duty and prepare...

for this urgent situation.

Now then, should we not proclaim...

His Majesty's...

vacancy?

Here is what we must discuss first.

His Majesty does not have a son to succeed to the throne.

So we must decide who will take this place.

Why you...

That seems a little too early to decide.

If someone heard your words,

they might think you wish I would die.

- Gosh. - It hurts.

- Darn it. - Go easy on me. It hurts.

- Hurry up. - Stop being a crybaby.

- Gosh. - It hurts.

- What about me? - Help me out, will you?

First, to declare my vacancy,

I should have vanished and not appeared.

To do as you hoped...

I see I did not read the mood here.

Or should I disappear right now?

Second, you had gathered the busy ministers into one place.

But it turned out I was feigning illness.

Goodness, what a hassle this has become.

But...

since everyone has gathered, I have news to share.

So all is well.

Last night, I went out of the palace...

and tracked down the kidnappers who were rampant...

and disrupting the public's peace every night.

And there, I found out that...

these many appeals had not made it to me.

Our juniors must not have looked after the official documents...

The Police Bureau, established using millions of the nation's money,

failed to catch even one kidnapper.

Minister of War.

How is this the fault of the juniors?

Apologies, Your Majesty.

From this moment on, the Police Bureau is stripped...

of its authority related to the kidnappers' cases.

The Department of Justice...

will take over those cases.

(Trade Details)

This is a ledger I personally found...

from the kidnappers' home ground.

It has details of where the kidnapped ladies...

are sent from each province...

and their approximate location from them.

By investigating these places first,

I plan to set fire to the ant nest.

It will be a fun game of hide-and-seek.

(Trade Details)

What do you think you are doing?

Last night, a court lady of the King's...

got kidnapped from the village.

This is the consequence of your incompetence in stopping that.

Pack your things. You are all dismissed.

Lee Shin Won, you jerk.

Was this what you wanted to protect, My Lord?

Then you failed to protect it.

Please forgive us for our rudeness until now, Your Majesty.

The one who should apologize is me.

You were protecting my people who I could not protect.

They may have broken the strict national law,

but they only wanted to love and care for each other.

I hope the national law does not get in the way...

of their good nature anymore.

I have no complaint about arresting and having me punished,

but please do not bring charges against...

my Gongnyang Village family.

Did you not hear me earlier?

"I did not see anyone who broke the law."

You are absolutely right.

Wanting to be with your loved ones is only natural.

The country should not stop that from happening.

I have declared to withdraw the Prohibition of Marriage this year.

And I will keep my promise no matter what.

This is great, is it not?

For you, Gongnyang Village,

and all the subjects of Joseon.

And for your younger sister,

who had passed away.

I will punish...

every single kidnapper.

Thank you, Shaman.

For letting me meet Ran Hee again.

Well, do not mention it.

I assure you the world you are dreaming of will soon come true.

The world where you can love the person you love.

Then I shall take my leave.

Please take care.

- Bye. - Be careful.

Do not forget about the blind date.

The confiscated documents...

have information about where the kidnappers' had abducted the ladies.

I cannot believe you arrested the kidnappers in person.

There was no corroborative evidence of them until now.

Your Majesty. You have done an amazing job.

Your Majesty?

I could not feel it with this.

Feeling the devastating pain...

of my subjects...

when their younger sister, wife, or mother got abducted.

I made a promise to the people I met at Mount Shinheung.

I have to set up a blind date...

with the dismissed court ladies.

- Pardon? - But what is more important than that...

is to withdraw the Prohibition of Marriage...

and allow them to make a family as soon as possible.

So that everyone can live a happy life with their loved ones.

And I...

should too.

Are you all right?

Goodness, I cannot believe it happened. An abduction?

Goodness, dear.

I am relieved you are fine.

I suggested devoting ourselves to the palace, did I not?

Oh, my. Do you really wish to do so?

What?

Your Majesty, there is something I wish to ask you.

Your Majesty.

As soon as you heard that So Rang had been abducted,

you ran out to look for your sword...

with your eyes glowing with anger.

Did I?

His Majesty was burning up with a fever. He was very ill.

Right, he has not fully recovered yet.

But his eyes suddenly widened in anger,

and he said he must leave the palace.

Gosh, we could not even tell anyone.

Because of me?

By any chance, do you fancy her?

What? Who? So Rang?

Do I fancy her? Oh, please.

So Rang.

- Yes? - Let me take you to the Royal Infirmary.

You may think you are okay, but there could be some internal injuries.

You should see a physician.

No, I am fine.

By the way...

That was a lie, was it not?

When you said you were possessed by his sister's spirit.

It was all an act, right?

Come with me.

(Ran Hee)

(Abducted)

His sister?

(Journal)

Oh, that.

Hey, that was the only way to get out of that situation.

Do not lie anymore.

Okay.

Hey, I should get ready for work.

I will see you later.

Do I fancy her?

What exactly does that mean?

First,

you would want to spend time with her alone.

Even little things she does would make your heart race like crazy.

Well, she does make my heart race because she is all over the place.

She will keep making your heart skip.

You would not be able to stop thinking about her.

She would occupy your heart, and you would have no space left for anyone else.

"I would rather die than see her spending time with another man."

Such feelings.

No.

No way. Never.

"I wish to keep this woman in my life for a long time..."

"and share my love with her."

Are you still confused?

You see, when you love someone,

you feel as though something heavy is weighing down your heart.

It hurts. It pains you.

Despite the pain, you still cannot shake it off.

However, So Rang is all over the place.

She is awfully loud.

When I listen to her talk,

I feel as though she is deceiving me.

So how could you say that I fancy her?

But you do worry about her, do you not?

I do worry about her indeed.

I worry about her future.

Goodness.

Your Majesty. The Queen Dowager would like to see you.

Please let her know that I have returned safe and sound.

But still...

I shall let her know that you are taking a bath.

We already filled the bathtub with warm water for you.

You must be tired. You should get some rest.

I will.

So the King left the palace...

because of you?

You are not on duty today.

You should get some rest.

I must see His Majesty.

Your Majesty, I brought you a dry towel.

So?

Did you see a physician?

Are you not hurt?

Goodness. Why did you return to work so quickly?

I am fine.

Well...

I have something to tell you.

Your Majesty.

Thank you.

You left the palace to save me.

I wanted to thank you in person.

I should thank you.

I learned many things in Gongnyang Village.

I should have built a country like that.

A country where everyone loves and cherishes each other,

where everyone is happy.

We have arrested the kidnappers who tried to hurt you...

and have restructured the investigative agencies as well.

None of it would have been possible without your help.

No, that is not true.

Oh, let me wipe away your sweat.

No, it is okay.

Then let me go and get other court ladies for you.

Oh, do not worry. It is okay.

First, you would want to spend time with her alone.

Even little things she does would make your heart race like crazy.

Your Majesty.

You got a petal stuck on your face.

A petal?

Oh, okay.

No, not that side. The other...

That...

No, that...

Your heart keeps fluttering,

she is on your mind all the time,

and she suddenly takes a huge part in your heart. That feeling.

So Rang.

I am glad that you are safe and sound.

Your Majesty.

I can see through your clothes.

(The Forbidden Marriage)

I do not want it if you are not sincere.

If that woman disappears,

I might feel like I cannot breathe.

I think it is affection.

What do you think is the reason she is still alive?

Lee Shin Won. We need to get rid of him first.

This is the list of the Court Ladies who will leave the Palace.

Why is So Rang on the list?

I do not want to replace a dead person.

There is no way for me to understand your true desire, Your Majesty.

Do not leave me.

That is my true desire.