Original subtitles

ALL CHARACTERS AND EVENTS ARE FICTITIOUS

FILMING OF CHILD ACTORS DONE UNDER BROADCASTING GUIDELINES

Elementary Room cannot pass!

They do not even have the right to be tested.

Therefore, their passing is also invalid.

- Kim Myeong-ho! - Hong Deok-su…

He is a girl.

This wench dared

to deceive Yongcheonru!

And she dared to take the apprentice exam.

She deserves the harshest of punishments.

Kim Myeong-ho. Shut that mouth of yours.

Hong Deok-su.

Confess in front of everyone now!

Why you…

Are you okay?

Will you take responsibility for your claim?

If you are accusing the innocent…

you will pay with your life, Kim Myeong-ho.

Why should I

when she is the one lying?

I apologize, my lady.

They lack etiquette since they are apprentices.

I will give them an earful, so please head inside.

Will you let it slide like this, Lady Seol?

Our esteemed guest is staying here. Why are you causing a ruckus?

I came to bid you farewell since you are leaving for Onyang tomorrow morning.

I was also here to bid farewell.

That is wrong, Lord Cheon.

Kim Myeong-ho.

That is enough.

Lady Seol, allow me to dismiss the apprentices.

Return to your quarters and let Her Ladyship rest.

Follow me.

So, was the outing enjoyable?

Nothing happens in Yongcheonru

without me knowing.

They were following my orders.

So do not reprimand anyone, Lord Cheon.

Reprimand them?

I should handsomely reward them for making you happy.

Also…

I will come up with a good excuse to tell the Minister of War.

Thank you.

I apologize.

Due to its urgent nature, I tended to the matter before reporting it.

Was this the Elementary apprentices' doing again?

Including Jun-hwa?

Yes.

Despite the trouble they caused, they managed to win Her Ladyship over.

The heavens must be watching over them.

The heavens are watching over them?

That is Jun-hwa's fate.

He was born to be lucky and to gather people around him.

Speaking of which, read the fortunes of the other Elementary apprentices.

Faster.

Make haste!

As your instructor,

I am deeply disappointed in you.

You may be each other's competition,

but scheming against your opponents...

However,

Lady Seol wants to let it slide, so why...

You and your "however" s!

There is always an excuse for everything with you!

Enough with the excuses!

This will not do. So that you can be true colleagues,

I will offer a helping hand.

Do you hear me?

- Yes, Master. - Yes, Master.

Louder!

- Yes, Master! - Yes, Master!

Give me ten jumping jacks.

Do not say the last count.

Proceed!

- Proceed. - Proceed.

- One, two, three. - One.

- Two. - Two.

- Three. - Three.

- Four. - Four.

- Five. - Five.

- Six. - Six.

- Seven. - Seven.

- Eight. - Eight.

- Nine. - Nine.

Ten.

Focus, you brats! Lie down on your stomachs.

Move it! On your stomachs.

- On our stomachs. - On our stomachs.

On your backs.

On your stomachs.

On your backs!

- On your stomachs. - Damn it.

- Who said "Damn it"? - That is enough.

Number 28. Hang in there a bit more.

On your backs.

You brats! Do it properly.

On your stomachs.

I will win, no matter what.

I will win, no matter what.

Hong Deok-su…

is a girl.

I have always wanted to meet you, Lady Seol.

Hong Jae-on.

Is it really you?

Well, to tell the truth,

there is something I have not told you.

You see...

Was it because of the scar on his arm?

What?

I am talking about that fool.

Maybe he has not shown his body because of that scar.

But such a scar is nothing.

I mean, every man

has at least one or two scars on his body.

Probably.

That would be the case for a man. Of course.

By the way, that despicable Kim Myeong-ho

did not apologize for ripping his shirt.

I will have him pay

for the disrespect he showed today.

Maybe I should order his legs to be wrung.

Anyway, Eun-ho.

What is wrong with you?

- What? - This is unlike you.

You were overly worked up.

Right.

Well, I…

I mean, we.

It is only natural

for a man of virtue to be against injustice.

You all must be hiding some secret.

Could that secret possibly be…

Hong Deok-su?

No way. My father also died young.

We need to be successful for sure.

Hong Deok-su.

Are you okay?

Yes.

I must ask this.

I am shattered.

We had to roll at least ten times more

because Sang-u kept saying the last count.

You fool.

By the way, Myeong-ho…

what if Hong Deok-su is actually a man?

He is right.

He seemed more athletic than Sang-u earlier.

Shut it.

Are you saying I spoke nonsense?

Gosh, no.

But now that Lord Cheon knows, it might get us in bigger trouble.

We just need evidence that proves he is a girl.

Pardon? What kind of proof?

Irrefutable evidence!

What? How will we…

Move over.

Look at yourselves.

Even Hong Deok-su will take a bath today.

We must trap her and catch her red-handed.

I am off to bathe. Do you want to join?

I will wash up later. You go ahead.

Right, go ahead.

- Hong Deok-su. - I said I would wash up later.

That scar on your arm.

It is nothing.

It is normal for one to get hurt in life

and suffer wounds that leave scars.

You do not need to go out of your way to hide it.

GEUMUI CHAMBER

You have a bright future ahead of you.

You could have told me that you needed a room.

Goodness me.

Has it already been reported to you?

I just wanted

to have a relaxing bath alone. It has been a while.

It must have been difficult for you to shower with others.

Yes, well…

I figured I could use a quiet night by myself.

Did you ask for me?

Beom-ho, I have an important mission for you.

Grand Proprietor Cheon will attend the appointment ceremony

for Yongcheonru's apprentices.

While he is there,

you will search his residence.

Have you finally found out where he resides?

He invited me to his residence.

His arrogance got the best of him, and he revealed where he resides.

We must seize this opportunity.

ELEMENTARY ROOM

Why is she not coming out?

Hey. There she is.

Shut it.

It is as you predicted.

She is leaving the room at night alone.

- Should we follow her now? - No, not yet.

- She stopped. - Why did she?

- She left. - Come on. Go.

Right. Okay.

It does not look like she is going to bathe.

Dirty bastard.

She is set on not taking a bath.

It is not over yet, Hong Deok-su.

You will trip over something and fall.

- Trip. - Trip.

Trip.

- Yes! - Nice!

Darn it.

I had better take a bath.

The heavens must be on your side, Myeong-ho.

Shut it.

This is why I said we needed to catch her red-handed.

We will use this to get rid of all of the Elementary jerks.

Off she goes. Let us follow.

Hong Deok-su, my friend!

Where did he go?

He would appreciate this.

I found it on the ground.

It was not to help you per se.

Wash up already. You are dirty.

No, that will not do.

That scar. It is Hong Deok-su for sure.

Barge in and get her.

Myeong-ho, those ill-bred brats are done for.

What… What am I looking at?

That is a man.

What are you looking at?

It is nothing.

Who is lurking over there?

Myeong-ho, wait!

Shut that trap.

- Only you were here. - Myeong-ho, we must go!

No…

You must die for me to live.

If you want what is best for your family,

do what you have to do.

But Myeong-ho…

- Why you… - My lord.

Hold on.

Goodness.

What are you doing here?

- No, I... - Why were you watching it?

- Why, you brat? - That is not it.

This is wrong!

Why did you do this?

Tell me why you did this!

Thank you for helping me, Su-ra.

And I am sorry I kept the truth from you.

You probably had a reason to live as a man.

We both have families to take care of.

Do not worry.

Your secret is safe with me.

Right.

Hey.

It was Hong Deok-su we saw last night, right?

I am sure of it.

I even saw the scar on his arm.

It was not just the scar. I know what I saw.

He was one manly man.

It is a relief that Sang-u was the only one who got caught.

Shut your traps.

I see that someone is missing.

Shut it, Namhae Guild.

What is it? Did something not go as planned?

Not every plan works out in the way we want.

It happened to me too.

Apprentice Byun Sang-u did something disgraceful last night

and has been expelled.

This is unfair. I do not covet men.

Oh, no. What do I do now?

Those who bring disgrace to Yongcheonru

can never be here.

Heed my warning.

Now, I will announce the result of your final test.

All right.

Expert and Elementary are tied.

Thus, you will all be promoted to clerks.

Yes!

Quiet.

The appointment ceremony will be held tomorrow.

And lastly,

there is something you must do today.

GEUMUI CHAMBER

That is

to spend a day as guests.

Experiencing Yongcheonru as a guest will teach you

how to serve guests properly.

Experience the bedding, the items provided,

and the service of our clerks from the guest's point of view

and write up a report.

Jun-hwa, come on.

Wait.

No way.

My gosh.

Goodness.

It is soft and fluffy.

It feels like sitting on cirrus clouds.

Behave, will you?

No one should climb into bed without washing up first.

It is so soft.

This must be

one of Yongcheonru's most popular cotton cloth.

We almost died while washing it at the stream.

Exactly.

I almost died while saving you from drowning.

The cotton cloth is soft and fluffy

like cirrus clouds.

This is incredible!

Stop lounging around and write your report.

This is a part of our task.

It is my rotten luck to be teamed up with you.

Why? What about me?

Look here.

If you hate it that much, switch rooms while you can.

To be honest, I find Su-ra more comfortable anyway.

I warn you not to shed tears when I get complimented

for my detailed report.

Fine. If we get complimented,

I will get down on my knees and serve you as my senior.

Eun-ho, consider me to be your junior.

Stop goofing around and get up.

If it gets dirty, how will I sleep in it later?

I will sleep here alone.

Then,

where am I supposed to sleep?

If you wish to sleep alone, sleep over there by yourself.

I suffered enough in that small Elementary Room.

This is awesome.

Jun-hwa, look at this.

I did not realize there was such a big suite here.

Have you been here before, Jun-hwa?

Yongcheonru.

Unbelievable.

Why do Deok-su and Eun-ho have to be roommates?

Darn.

Look at this delicate embroidery.

All this detail into a mere tablecloth?

I expected nothing less from Yongcheonru's fanciest suite.

Is that so? But they are common.

Oh, it is flower tea.

Hey, they must serve a variety of flower teas.

Yes, flower teas are nice.

Wait. Flower tea?

Do not drink…

that.

I cannot say it is tasty.

Wait.

This room…

It is a suite for newlyweds on their honeymoon.

Are we supposed to try everything in here?

Sure. We will give it a try.

"How to use adlay powder."

"Pour adlay powder into the bowl."

"Once the powder thickens like a paste,

apply it on your face."

It is to be applied on skin and not to be consumed?

"Foot bath manual."

"Dip your hand into the water

to check if the temperature is to your liking."

"Massaging each other's feet

will rejuvenate your energy and spirit."

What are you doing?

Since I am clearly larger than you,

I was going to change into the bigger gown.

Why? Would you rather wear this one?

I mean, why are you changing into that right now?

We are to experience every item here and write up a report.

Change into this.

Sure.

You get changed here. I will go elsewhere.

Do not follow me.

I mean, stay here.

Hong Deok-su.

I told you, a scar on a man's body is nothing to be ashamed of.

Look.

- While wielding spears and swords... - Stay here.

Here is today's special.

We get to order this feast from our room?

Wait. Did we have to pay for it?

It was for his service.

That was not mentioned in Clerkship Chronicles.

- I must write it down. - Listen, Su-ra.

You are here as a guest, so enjoy it for now.

Go on. Dig in.

This is tastier.

I have never tasted anything like this before.

Does your hometown only have fish?

"Check if the temperature is to your liking."

"Massaging each other's feet…"

Massage my feet, then.

Why should I?

Because I am the one writing the report.

Hong Deok-su, do not try to get a free ride while lounging around

and at least massage my feet.

Go ahead.

Fine. Sure thing.

What the… You are splashing water everywhere!

Take that.

Hold on. Are you all right?

I warned you not to be flippant.

Such insolence!

What?

Foot baths…

can lead to arguments

and are not ideal.

The portion is generous, and the food is divine.

Then maybe we should take this to Deok-su's room.

We were always four. Are you not bored to be with just me?

No way.

We have to eat this all and write a detailed report.

Come on, my friend.

We should share our opinions as group guests as well.

As guests who visit other guests in their rooms.

Are you sure you read the manual correctly?

This is to be applied on the face?

That is correct, my lord.

Joseon's greatest beauty, Park Chun-hui, would apply adlay powder on her face too.

But we are men.

We are also clerks who must write up a report.

Now, come closer.

All right.

There you go.

Are you doing it properly?

Do not forget that it is your turn next.

Please shut your mouth, or adlay powder will get in your mouth.

It is my turn now.

Breathe.

What?

And close your eyes.

We ran out of adlay powder. I will get some more.

Hey, Eun-ho.

Where are you going?

What on earth?

What are you doing here?

We were on our way to your room.

Right, sure. Enjoy your time there.

Where are you going?

To get some fresh air!

It has to be…

a side effect of the adlay powder.

Or was it the honey?

Why did he leave the room first?

It is not like I wanted to be in the same room myself.

Goodness.

Have you finally decided to work for me?

I work for Yongcheonru.

Says the one discreetly soliciting me.

I am only trying to lessen your work, my lord.

You and that innocent act of yours.

You have jumped ship before.

Did you not betray your mentor, Hong Min-sik?

Smart ones know how to look ahead.

That is not wrong. It is wise.

For Prince Seonyang to ascend the throne,

he needs someone wise.

If this goes well,

it will rattle the grand proprietor and diminish his power.

So what do you want in return?

Prince Eunseong is ill?

The Minister of War recently offered him an herbal tonic,

and it seems to have caused problems.

What made him think that the minister is trustworthy?

Prince Eunseong told me not to tell you,

but I thought you should know.

I apologize.

No, I am glad you told me.

THE PALACE

Brother.

What brings you here?

I heard you were ill

and came out of concern.

I am fine.

Coughing is not new to me.

Come.

When did you get back from Onyang?

I was worried to hear that you left the capital to recuperate.

Are you feeling better?

It is your health that matters.

As long as you and Father are well,

I will have no worries.

His Majesty sent the royal physician my way,

so I am better.

Will you stay at the palace now that you are back?

No.

I have business to tend to, so I will be away a bit longer.

Listen, until I finish my work and return...

You have not been staying in Onyang, have you?

The Minister of War came to see me recently.

Is this business of yours related to him by any chance?

I cannot speak of it yet,

but I promise to return to my place.

The minister asked if I have been working on my swordsmanship.

He looked for the dragon-engraved sword bestowed to princes,

so I showed him mine.

Why would he ask you that?

Are you in some sort of trouble?

Of course not.

Everything is in order, so do not worry.

Allow me to help.

If you are in danger, I will gladly take the fall for you.

I will not let that happen.

You just…

focus on getting better.

Is there any progress on your work at Yongcheonru?

There will be an appointment ceremony for the new clerks soon.

When Grand Proprietor Cheon leaves his residence,

I will have it searched thoroughly.

You must hurry.

Prince Seonyang will soon turn ten.

The Minister of War is at my throat.

I cannot postpone the crown prince appointment any longer.

Prince Muyeong, that position is yours to fill, is it not?

The minister went to see Prince Eunseong.

Is there something I am not aware of?

The minister is after you.

Once he finds out that you are not in Onyang,

he will put a noose around your neck.

So, always be alert

and watch your back.

I will, Father.

Hong Jae-on.

I have found her.

It has taken quite a while.

I see that my mission is finally coming to an end.

Find Hong Min-sik's daughter!

Search thoroughly! She must be nearby!

Over there!

What the hell?

Who are you?

Hong Deok-su, it is me, Lee Eun-ho.

What are you doing at this late hour?

Hey.

Does it hurt a lot?

I bet you are faking it.

Of course not. Were you having night terrors?

What?

I could hear you whimpering from outside.

Were you dreaming of ghosts like a child?

No, I was not.

What about you?

Why did you come back so late?

Follow me.

What?

Where are we going at this hour?

What is this?

It is from a peach tree.

It scares away ghosts and prevents nightmares.

I see you are superstitious.

Give it back then.

Keep whimpering in your sleep and be haunted for all I care.

Okay, fine. I am sorry.

The sky is not as illuminated by stars tonight.

The fireflies were so beautiful.

But you did not manage to catch a single one.

What? That is only because you suddenly…

How do you know that this branch scares away ghosts?

I have an older cousin.

As children, we witnessed

a terrifying sight.

Was it a ghost that you two saw?

What we saw

was more terrifying than ghosts.

I used to have nightmares about it often,

but one day, my cousin brought me

peach tree branches from the garden.

I had fewer nightmares since then.

Your cousin is a sweet man.

Thank you, Eun-ho.

So, do you not have nightmares anymore?

And is your cousin well?

I will make sure that he is.

Gosh, what a reliable little cousin you are.

You are more reliable than these branches.

What?

Hey, Deok-su.

Deok-su.

Hush.

Jun-hwa, do you want in on it?

We need to get our revenge on Kim Myeong-ho and his goons.

Sure. Lead the way.

Who did this?

What in the name…

Who did this?

Get them!

Hong Deok-su!

You brat! How dare you?

It was Jun-hwa.

- On my handsome face? - It was Jun-hwa.

Calm down, will you?

Boys, we should get ready.

- Su-ra, you… - You have whiskers.

- Is he a cat? - That he is.

- Me? - Meow.

It was Deok-su.

- No, it was Jun-hwa. - Hong Deok-su!

- Get back here. - No, it was not me. Come on!

- What? - It was Jun-hwa.

Coming to my chambers at this hour?

It must be too early for an audience. I apologize.

What is this?

High quality pork that is difficult to obtain

was finally procured by Yongcheonru.

I came to give it to Your Majesty as an offering.

You trusted me and entrusted Prince Muyeong to Yongcheonru,

and I wanted to show you my appreciation.

That is why you brought me this rare pork?

Yes, Your Majesty.

Today,

Prince Muyeong will be appointed as an official clerk of Yongcheonru.

He has lasted longer than I expected.

I only say this out of concern for his safety,

but I will be in a tight spot should he cross paths

with the Minister of War there.

So you should not let that happen.

Most officials of the royal court have sided with him

and are making daily requests to appoint Prince Seonyang as the crown prince.

And tax collection is at a low point.

Then…

is this you asking me for a favor,

Your Majesty?

Yes, I understand, Your Majesty.

Your partner who died 12 years ago…

Are you still searching for Hong Min-sik's safe?

Why would you concern yourself with that?

I heard he was a man of great fortune.

That money could solve a lot of our problems, could it not?

Were you at the palace?

ACCOUNTING LEDGER

Yes.

Is there still no news about the daughter?

We will hear it if she is alive.

Hong Jae-on…

She and Jun-hwa share the same fate.

She was given a life that would last.

By the way, did you read the fortunes of Jun-hwa's roommates?

- Would you like to see them? - Yes.

Ko Su-ra.

LEE EUN-HO

Prince Muyeong.

He is fated to be king.

But should I make him a king

or discard him?

Prince Muyeong's fate is up to Jun-hwa.

That is amusing.

HONG DEOK-SU

This Hong Deok-su.

Did you read his fortune yourself?

Of course.

It was based on his date and time of birth that I was informed of.

It does not fit the fate that I read from his face.

I should invite him over to have a closer look at him.

HONG DEOK-SU

The manly Hong Deok-su. Getting dolled up, are you?

What?

Pick up the pace, will you?

Let us go.

Let us go get appointed.

I thought Jun-hwa would run off, saying he does not want to be a part of this.

But he made it this far.

I expected no less from your successor.

We will commence the appointment ceremony.

The appointment ceremony for the Yongcheonru clerks will commence.

We will first hear from Grand Proprietor Cheon,

who has granted us all this honorable moment.

Lord Cheon's residence

is tucked away inside the garden of Yongcheonru.

Why did you…

join Yongcheonru?

Lord Cheon will be attending the clerks' appointment ceremony,

so that is our window.

In the short time you have, you must search thoroughly.

Becoming an official clerk is the beginning and not the end.

Your task from here on out

is to create a world

that is different from the outside.

A world where money can buy everything.

Regardless of class or status…

those with money rule above all here.

That is the Yongcheonru I built.

Congratulations on joining Yongcheonru.

Next, you will receive your certificates and name tags.

Grand Proprietor Cheon will present them himself.

Kim Myeong-ho.

Min Du-sik.

Maeng Seok-sam.

Cheon Jun-hwa.

Lee Eun-ho.

Ko Su-ra.

Father, do not worry about me.

Soon, I will avenge you for that day.

Hong Deok-su.

Yes, my lord.

- Move! - Step aside!

Make way!

Make way!

What is going on?

So?

What do you want in return?

Tomorrow,

there will be an appointment ceremony for the new clerks of Yongcheonru.

Attending the ceremony

is someone involved in the murder you are investigating.

Which one of you is Hong Deok-su?

That would be me.

Hong Deok-su, you are under arrest

for the murder of Kim Man-dol in Seochon.

Pardon?

You actually made it this far.

I owe it to you, Lady Seol.

Hong Deok-su, what brought you here to Yongcheonru?

My parents.

There is something

I must do for them.

I see. I hope you achieve your goal.

Right.

I am determined to do so.

Rest up today.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for you.

You killed him with this sword, did you not?

There is no way he is the culprit.

Things simply do not add up.

Could you lend your support to my cause?

How far are you willing to go

for Hong Deok-su?

I will get him released, even if I have to sell off all my assets.

I am yours to buy, Grand Proprietor Cheon.

Hong Deok-su. There is definitely something about him.

Someone from Yongcheonru came by today

with some consolation money for your sake.

I will fix this, Mother.

Are you worried about Hong Deok-su?

Hong Deok-su!

Keep your head on straight.

I can fix this.

Seol Mae-hwa, you will be hurt the same way you hurt me.

I have been waiting a long time.

It has been a while.

- What? Prince Muyeong. - I hear you have been looking for me.

You seem to have a lot to say about me.

I will never run away like a coward.

Subtitle translation by: Hyelim Park