Original subtitles

Just how much did he drink?

I must be starting

to see things now.

My lady.

You are someone else's wife.

My lady…

-Sorry. -Sorry.

I am sorry.

Something must have upset you.

You should shake it off and let it go.

It will all get better with time.

Are you all right?

I heard that Councilor Seok's eldest son has returned home.

I am doing fine.

Not me.

I am worried about you.

I worry that your husband's return

will have you bound to the left councilor.

I am worried you may be forced

to fulfill your duties as a wife.

You need not worry about that.

Until now,

it was not my choice to live as a widow in mourning,

but from this point forward,

no one will dictate how I live my life.

My lady.

You are someone else's wife.

My lady…

Get a grip, Cho Yeo-hwa.

Snap out of it!

My lady.

A shabby-looking man has entered the master's quarters.

Something feels suspicious.

At this hour?

I must find out who he is.

You look quite shabby.

Looking at the state of you

takes me back to when I first took you in.

I have never forgotten your kindness, my lord.

Not even a little or for a single moment.

If you feel that way about me,

why did you run away?

I was not running away. That would be absurd.

Who in this land of Joseon would escape from your watchful eyes?

But there was something that I had to do before I died,

so I could not help it.

So, what is it that you must do?

The son of the former King's Guard general is still alive, my lord.

What?

Who is still alive?

It is

Im Gang's son.

How could he be?

It was Park Yun-hak.

Park Yun-hak took the half-dead child that day

and saved his life.

Park Yun-hak's brother, Park Su-ho,

is Im Gang's son.

What did you say?

They knew everything from the very beginning

and made a mockery of me.

They were hiding their claws and waiting for the right moment.

Park Su-ho is looking into the events from 15 years ago.

Lord Seok.

I will make sure to bring down Park Su-ho and Park Yun-hak.

After I get rid of them,

I will

surrender my life to you, my lord.

Perhaps this was not Madam Oh's doing.

It could have been Park Yun-hak all along.

How dare he try to lure me out with such a measly piece of bait?

Take this chance to uproot the problem completely.

Who goes there?

A suspicious person has intruded.

Find him at all costs!

-Yes, my lord! -Yes, my lord!

-Let's split up here. -All right. I'll go this way!

It is so late!

Go look over there!

Let's go quickly!

What are you doing?

A suspicious person broke in, so I was looking for him here.

What brings you here?

Why are you cleaning the discarded tablet?

Well, you see,

I am so used to doing this before going to bed.

Squire!

Is this yours?

There is not much going on here.

-Be on your way. -Yes, sir.

Sir!

-Sir, we have a big problem! -What is the matter?

Kang Pil-jik entered the left councilor's house,

so I stood guard at the front.

Kang Pil-jik is at the left councilor's?

That is not what is important now.

A stranger broke into their house, and there was a huge commotion.

I will go to the house. Keep pursuing Kang Pil-jik.

Yes!

What on earth are you doing here?

A suspicious person broke into the house.

Are you all right, my lady?

A suspicious person?

I guess they got away.

I see.

You should go on down first.

I will follow you shortly.

I must ask.

What is with your clothes?

Is it not peculiar?

-The thing is-- -Why are you back in your mourning dress?

I just cannot get used to this. Why did I put this on?

The mourning dress,

and cleaning the tablet…

-Are you unhappy with my return? -That is not true!

Then, are you happy?

You should put on your regular clothes before coming out.

Mother will scold you if she finds out.

I will.

My lady.

You really are full of secrets.

What on earth is "seek"?

Why does he always speak such nonsense?

CAPITAL GUARD

Superintendent Park Su-ho!

That bastard Kang Pil-jik beat them up like this!

Are you hurt badly?

I apologize, sir.

All these men showed up out of nowhere.

We lost Kang Pil-jik.

How dare he assault the officers of the Capital Guard?

I will not let them get away with this!

Did you see their faces?

Do you remember the armed men who locked up Kang Pil-jik last time?

It was them.

I need to find out how much the left councilor knows.

Captain Hwang.

Yes?

I have something to tell you.

Those darn officers kept following us around.

I feel much better now.

Should I take all of them out now?

Yes, we should.

Should we chase down Park Su-ho, like last time?

Park Su-ho and the mask must be taken down together.

Those scoundrels…

My lord.

Should we not capture that man

by reporting this to the Capital Guard or police bureau?

I am worried because you told us not to tell anyone.

Nothing was stolen, and nobody was hurt.

I will look into it quietly.

We cannot worry the people by needlessly starting a rumor, can we?

But still…

Do not worry, my lady.

I will take care of everything.

Would I tolerate someone who dared to break into the house

of the nation's left councilor?

I will see you later, my lady.

Lord Seok!

We heard that a masked individual broke into your house last night.

I worried ominous rumors might spread throughout the capital

and told everyone not to report it to the Capital Guard.

How did you find out about it?

Are we not the Capital Guard?

You know what we are capable of!

We work endlessly, day and night,

to keep the capital safe.

It was only a matter of time until one of our officers

spotted the masked figure jumping over your wall.

Was anything missing from your residence?

No. Nothing was stolen.

Did anyone see the intruder inside the house?

He tried to come into the master's room

but ran away as soon as I stepped outside.

The audacity! How dare he target the left councilor?

-Why, I ought to-- -How about you, Lady Yoo?

Were you with the left councilor at the time?

No, I was not.

I fell asleep early in the main house and only found out about it later.

So then,

were you the only witness?

Listen, Captain Hwang.

Yes, my lord!

Since the Capital Guard is so interested in the mask,

I will leave the investigation up to you.

However,

everyone in my household only saw him running away,

so you will not find any evidence in the house.

Yes, I understand.

I will catch that scoundrel by all means,

even if it takes scouring the whole city.

By the way,

do you think this masked figure

was the one who stole the finance minister's painting?

We cannot make any assumptions.

But, I must ask.

Is there a reason why you think they are the same person?

Should you really be asking me that question?

The mask has been rampant in the capital for so long.

How is it that you still have no information on the culprit?

How could the Capital Guard be so negligent

unless you are purposefully letting him go free?

I apologize.

We will find him at all costs

and get to the bottom of why he broke into your house.

You have just given me your word.

I hope you will stay true to your promise.

Yes, Lord Seok.

Please excuse me.

Are you all right, Captain?

Superintendent Park Su-ho!

I am

only helping out because you said this was His will.

The left councilor is such a scary man.

He is absolutely terrifying!

Did you see the fire in his eyes?

What brings you here?

I am here for work.

What about you?

I live here.

Are you the left councilor's eldest son who came back alive?

I did not mean to keep my identity hidden for this long.

Let me introduce myself.

I am Seok Jeong.

Are you saying you are…

There is something I must tell you, Superintendent.

But my wife is waiting for me.

Oh my, how lovely that must be!

Please go on in.

I will go to Myeongdo Inn in a bit.

So let us meet there.

How happy the left councilor's daughter-in-law must be

that her handsome husband has returned alive.

My lady.

The superintendent was here.

Is that so?

I must say, he is very quick-witted.

My lady.

You are someone else's wife.

-My lady… -My lady.

That is quite enough.

Will you stop saying "my lady"?

If I cannot call my wife "my lady,"

what should I refer to you as?

Darling?

Honey?

Therefore, please continue.

That is music to my ears.

Honey.

Mother gave me permission to go on an outing with you.

I am only used to staying home,

so I do not know how to go out and have fun.

Therefore, I will continue

to work on my embroidery as usual.

Oh, what a shame.

Mother said to go out with you,

to buy you some pretty accessories and enjoy the scenery.

That is too bad.

Then I will go to Myeongdo Inn--

If I do not go,

Mother might feel disappointed, right?

I will get ready. Please wait just a little.

-Yeon-seon! -Coming!

How could he be…

But wait.

Why does he want to meet me?

Is the head guildmaster in?

How rude!

Pardon my intrusion.

Could it be

that he saw her face then?

Brother?

I just sent a message to the Capital Guard asking you to come here.

How did you get here before me?

I came to see someone briefly.

Lady Cho will not be here until tonight.

The two of you are here early.

Good thing I ran into you, Head Guildmaster.

I have a question about Mr. Joo.

Head Guildmaster.

It has been a while.

Welcome.

It is good to see you again.

I did not know you were the left councilor's son.

Please excuse my past insolence.

No.

I am sorry for not telling you in advance.

Thank you for everything.

What is going on now?

Is he the left councilor's eldest son?

Wait, Su-ho!

Why did you want to meet me here?

I would rather not talk in public.

Let's go elsewhere.

I happen to have a fine new coral hairpin.

Would you like to see it?

Come this way.

What are you trying to do?

Wait just one minute.

Did they just leave me here by myself?

I hope it did not seem rude,

but I wanted to see you to ask you something.

I could not mention this to anyone else.

But I thought you might know

since it is your job to investigate.

What are you talking about?

I am suspicious

of my wife.

What do you mean?

The left councilor's daughter-in-law is highly respected and wise.

No one would dare speak ill of her, as far as I know.

The term "suspicious" does not suit her.

Do you know much about my wife?

You have returned to the capital after 15 years.

It is your first time meeting your wife.

So, I am sure I know more than you.

Fine then.

Then, will you tell me about my wife?

Kang Pil-jik said he was going to bring you down

along with the superintendent.

He will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals.

He can rush in and kill you at any time.

You have to be careful.

I am the royal advisor, after all.

It would not be easy to kill me.

However,

it seems that Su-ho could become a target.

When I showed the fabricated note to Father,

as if it was something that had to be kept from me,

he rushed to hide it from me.

He must be trying to silence Madam Oh for knowing too much

and doing whatever he can to prevent you

from pursuing him any further.

I understand the situation, so I will prepare a countermeasure.

-As for the superintendent-- -Do not worry.

My brother should be able to protect himself.

We do not know what kind of cowardly thing Kang Pil-jik will do.

Are you worried about Su-ho?

Something could happen to him

that could jeopardize our mission.

I have nothing more to say.

Let me just ask you one thing.

Is it better for my wife to be your lover

or the masked assailant?

I pondered this all night

but could not find the answer.

And what would you do if she was either of those two things?

I was not trying to threaten you.

I was letting you know in advance that I was thinking

about what I should do next.

Before you ask me such a question,

why not try to understand her first?

If you understood who she is and where her heart lies,

I am sure

that you wouldn't judge her like you are now.

I need to speak with Lady Cho for a moment.

What is going on?

Are you sure you are okay?

The left councilor's son asked me about your identity.

So, he noticed.

I was in a rush yesterday and could not get changed in time.

How can you be so calm?

I have been worried all along

that he might be as despicable as the finance minister

or as ruthless as the left councilor.

You worry too much.

If he were like that, would I just sit back and take it?

I also worried that he might be a desirable man

to all the women in the capital.

What you should worry about now is your safety, sir.

Kang Pil-jik is coming after you.

The royal advisor told me not to worry,

but didn't you collapse in front of Kang Pil-jik?

I suddenly had a headache at that time.

You must be careful.

Are you

worried about me?

Of course I am.

We are…

on the same side.

I may not be the best swordsman in Joseon,

but I am about the third best,

so do not worry.

I will take your word for it.

Have an apple.

How I missed this taste!

There are no apples like these in Qing.

These are precious apples sent from Cheongsong for the Peony Society.

The head guildmaster especially gave them to us.

This is an apple fit for a king!

So what you are saying is

that the mask is not a villain but a hero, right?

They give rice to starving families and also bring them food.

And that is not all.

One time, they gave rice to an old man

who was unjustly almost beaten to death, and punished the nobleman.

That is truly admirable.

We should have really laid into that nobleman back then.

People call Lady Cho the legendary altruist--

Hwal-yu!

Have this one, too.

It is so deliciously red.

So that is how she lived

throughout all those years.

By the way, I heard you are suffering from amnesia.

That is right.

I was suffering from it, but…

I need to get going now.

I will tell you more about it later.

Hwal-yu.

Have mine, too.

So,

did you like the hairpin?

Yes.

Let us go.

Goodness.

The mask that helps the poor in the capital.

The legendary altruist of the night

who has been jumping over walls for years on end.

Yesterday, when I heard an intruder broke in,

I assumed it was real.

But who knows?

Maybe it was the legendary altruist.

So, what if it was the altruist?

Is it all right for him to break into Father's home?

Who knows what he was getting up to?

I heard he was righteous. I do not believe he would harm anyone.

I am sure he was there for a reason.

I heard you lost your memory and had your fair share of trouble.

I guess you still do not know how scary life can be.

You speak as if you are aware of all the horrors of the world

even though you were a widow trapped in my father's house.

I like people who are admirable.

So, I hope this masked legendary altruist

does not ever get caught.

I see what you mean.

Here comes the royal advisor.

I heard your family is celebrating a joyous occasion.

Congratulations, Left Councilor.

Thank you.

I plan to hold a light tea party in two days.

A tea party, Your Majesty?

The left councilor's dead son has come back to us alive.

I wish to share in his joy.

That is a wonderful idea, sire.

Your Majesty.

The nation is going through a rough time.

There is no need to concern yourself with my personal household matters.

Indeed, the capital is quite troubled.

But it would be a shame to simply let it pass.

I simply wish to see everyone and share a quick cup of tea,

so please bring your wife, son,

and your daughter-in-law, Left Councilor.

Yes, Your Majesty.

CAPITAL GUARD

Are you all right?

What happened? Were you beaten severely?

What brings you here?

When a man undertakes a big project,

he might face setbacks now and then.

Why are you so downcast?

It is because my pride as an officer

has been wounded.

Eat this, feel better, and pay them back for what they did.

You will never get better by being so down.

My lady…

Will the captain go hungry today?

Hey!

Did I not seem like wife material just now?

I heard that men go crazy for someone like that.

Were you? I am not so sure.

Bi-chan.

Yes, Captain Hwang.

I appreciate all the hard work you are doing.

Go on in.

Superintendent Park is waiting for you.

Yes, sir.

Why are you so late?

I thought I was going to die of hunger.

No way. This is Bi-chan's.

Bi-chan's?

Are you going home already?

I am a bit tired today, so I will go home early to rest.

Yes, I hope you get some rest.

Good work today.

Who are you?

You are scaring me again!

So you were saying,

the resurrected tablet said…

My lady.

I am craving Kkon-nim's dried persimmons and cannot sleep.

Please get some for me, will you?

Mother will scold me for making you run errands,

so be discreet and do not let her find out.

Did he really ask you to run such a ridiculous errand?

Why?

He probably suspects that I have nightly duties.

But how did he know?

Please do not tell me

that the tablet knows about your identity.

If Madam Oh tells me about my brother tonight,

I plan to leave tomorrow.

What will you do if Kang Pil-jik tries to kill Madam Oh again?

That is why I am preparing myself like this.

Do not worry.

Be careful.

I am dying to know the altruist's identity.

Please just tell me that.

Please, sir!

-Please tell me. -I cannot.

Honestly, I think…

Let me see it.

COME ALONE IF YOU WISH TO SAVE THE HEAD GUILDMASTER

Sir, what will you do?

Find Captain Hwang now and ask to send officers to Pil Inn.

-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.

Bi-chan. Make sure nothing has happened to Madam Oh.

Are you going to Pil Inn by yourself right now?

Let me come with you.

We do not know what Kang Pil-jik is plotting.

Madam Oh's safety must come first.

Yes, sir!

Welcome, sir.

Please come this way.

PIL INN

-Are you okay? -Sir!

Let's get out of here.

Welcome, Superintendent!

The Capital Guard are on their way.

You will be arrested anyway.

So, why get hurt in the process?

Even if I get arrested,

I must kill you and the mask with my own hands.

Where is the mask?

You will not see them until you die.

I am so curious to find out about the rascal's identity.

I should have thought of it sooner.

Why didn't I take the head guildmaster hostage earlier?

Let her go!

If you wish to save her,

lay down your sword.

I should have killed you then!

-Lady Jang, are you all right? -Yes.

Stop!

Im Hyeon-jae.

Is this not the same as 15 years ago?

Your father, reputed to be the best swordsman in Joseon,

could not even take a proper swing and died for your life.

Put down your sword.

That person has nothing to do with me.

So, just kill me!

Didn't you hear what I said?

No, you cannot!

You are all going to die anyway.

Why are you being so desperate?

Do you remember the first time we met?

I remember everything from that night vividly.

I hope you remember it, too.

-What on earth are you-- -Do you recall

the way you acted when you first saw me?

I have had enough of your nonsense!

Drop the sword!

Yes, I will!

Capital Guard! Do not move!

Arrest everyone!

-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir!

Sir!

By the way,

where is the legendary--

Lower your voice.

You despicable scoundrels.

-Take them away! -Yes, sir!

What happened?

So, let me explain.

I was just about to enter the finance minister's house.

Are you not the superintendent's subordinate?

The legendary altruist?

Why are you here by yourself?

Did something happen to the superintendent?

Oh, my legendary altruist!

There is a problem!

Thank goodness I ran into the altruist.

That was a close call.

Why must you be so disobedient?

Do you know how dangerous that could have been?

The altruist saved you, didn't they?

Now I know for sure.

The legendary altruist is a little bit

stronger than you.

That punk.

My lord.

Kang Pil-jik has been arrested by the Capital Guard.

-You can leave now. -Yes.

Go immediately

and arrest Madam Oh, the former finance minister's wife.

Oh Nan-gyeong! Come out and receive the king's orders!

Search the premises thoroughly!

-Yes, sir! -Yes, sir!

Your Majesty.

Is it true that you ordered the intelligence bureau

to arrest Madam Oh?

That is correct.

I did not want to wake you too early in the morning,

so I made the decision on my own.

Your Majesty, how could you make such an important decision by yourself?

Since you were so sure that the relief grains had been embezzled,

I wished to personally oversee

the investigation of Madam Oh to expose her crimes.

I told you that the queen dowager could be involved in this.

If a crime has been committed,

I will not make an exception, even for my mother.

However,

if you dared to slander my innocent mother,

you should also be punished accordingly.

Your Majesty.

Did you really think that you could accomplish something like that alone?

Left Councilor.

I am still the king of this nation.

Are you rebuking me for giving an order

that I rightfully gave as the nation's ruler?

You gave such a bold order, for once.

But hasn't Madam Oh already run away?

You finally showed your claws,

but now you just look like a kitten.

Your honor has been tarnished, Your Majesty.

He is a tough nut to crack.

What a piece of work!

He will not say a word.

Allow me to try, Captain.

No need.

I have seen a lot of men like that during my ten years at the Capital Guard.

Those types will never confess if you keep pressing them.

No one should interrogate him today.

Just let him be.

Has there been any news on Madam Oh yet?

Didn't she almost die last time?

Perhaps she has finally croaked without anyone noticing.

I wonder if that is what has happened.

We have not found anything out about Madam Oh.

That is troubling.

But we still have Kang Pil-jik.

There is one sure way we can make him talk.

Have you come here after hearing the news?

What is going on?

Now that Madam Oh has disappeared,

will I never be able to learn about my brother?

I will personally ask my father-in-law.

I must find out, even if I have to threaten him.

This is no time to act in haste.

His Majesty will be hosting a tea party tomorrow.

He invited the left councilor and all of the family.

Whatever unfolds between His Majesty and the councilor,

you must never interfere, feign knowledge,

or undermine His Majesty's will.

What do you mean by that?

I cannot tell you everything right now,

but I kindly implore you.

I am very glad we have come together for such a joyous occasion.

The royal advisor also wanted to meet the left councilor's son,

so I called him to join us.

My son has much to learn.

I am honored to meet you, Your Majesty.

You look just like the left councilor.

Do you share similar personalities as well?

No.

I seem to resemble my gentle mother.

How joyful you must be to have your son return

after he had been presumed dead for such a long time.

Yes, Your Majesty.

It still feels like a dream.

As I witness this joyous occasion,

I am reminded of my father,

who passed away 15 years ago.

If only my father

could also come back to us from the dead…

You must be freed from all your worries

now that your husband has returned.

Your Majesty.

I have a brother

that I have been waiting for 15 years to return.

Oh, is that so?

Why do you speak of such private matters to His Majesty?

Please do not scold her.

My heart aches as if it were my own problem.

Left Councilor.

I will do my best to help you,

so please find her brother.

Yes, Your Majesty.

I will also search for him by all means.

Records of human trafficking…

piles of documents to prove the embezzlement of relief grains…

and evidence of bribing the finance minister's wife.

You tried to kidnap and murder the head guildmaster before my eyes.

-And you also tried to kill me. -That I did.

Kang Pil-jik.

As a Capital Guard superintendent,

it will not be easy for me to punish you legally.

So,

I will have to employ another method.

What do you think you are doing?

Are you going to personally execute me on the Capital Guard's grounds?

There is no need for me

to treat you as Park Su-ho.

I can treat you as Im Hyeon-jae.

Get out!

-Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.

What? Where are you going?

Where is the captain? Get Captain Hwang!

Let's just end it here.

Wait!

Wait a second.

I invited one more special guest to this happy occasion.

A special guest, sire?

You will be very pleased to see the guest, Left Councilor.

-Have her come in. -Yes, Your Majesty.

Your Majesty.

What on earth is--

You must be quite surprised.

I apologize for not informing you in advance.

Your Majesty.

All this time,

my shortcomings have caused

so much trouble for the queen dowager.

Please forgive me, sire.

It was also my fault for not knowing

what kind of person you truly were.

To atone for my sins against Your Majesty…

and also

to extend my congratulations…

to the left councilor for this joyous occasion,

I have prepared a special tea.

This is the tea that I offered on the night

when His Majesty the late king passed away.

Do you remember, my lord?

How should I know that?

It was an order you personally gave me, Left Councilor.

How could you have already forgotten?

I feel disappointed.

Did the left councilor order you

to offer this tea to my father?

Yes, Your Majesty.

If you take a sip of the tea,

it might jog your memory.

I am curious, so please prepare it quickly.

I am Capital Guard Superintendent Park.

I have an urgent report for Your Majesty.

What brings you here?

This tea has such a special aroma.

Left Councilor. Can you still not remember it?

I cannot remember at all, sire.

Well, I suppose I have no other choice.

I will first grant this cup to the left councilor's son.

He is the main guest of the day, after all.

Please have a drink.

Your Majesty.

This is the only way we have left.

I am deeply grateful to Your Majesty.

Very well.

I will gladly resort to cowardly tricks

to prove that the left councilor murdered my father.

Surely, no father would want to witness his son die before him.

Your Majesty!

How could the son be the first

to drink such a precious drink?

This is not your place to dare voice your opinion!

Your daughter-in-law must be nervous

since it is her first time here.

I apologize.

My daughter-in-law has only learned household rules for dealing with elders

and is unfamiliar with palace etiquette.

Please forgive her, sire.

Do not worry about it.

I have a special intent for today.

Left Councilor.

Would it be all right if I offered the tea

to your son first?

How could I go against Your Majesty's will?

Do as you wish, Your Majesty.

Then, I will drink the tea first.

-Wait-- -Stop!

That is enough.

We can stop this.

Left Councilor.

You are truly remarkable.

I did not expect you to be so cruel to your own son.

Your Majesty.

Madam Oh does not belong in this palace.

She should be in the interrogation hall!

Why did you call in a criminal who deserves death

and entertain her nonsense?

Look here!

Take Madam Oh out of here right now!

Yes!

I am a criminal.

Fifteen years ago…

by the left councilor's order,

I offered this tea

to His Majesty the late king--

I poisoned him to death.

MURDER BY POISON

The tea contains…

a poisonous flower.

Did you just say that you offered poison to His Majesty?

What are you waiting for?

Drag Madam Oh out immediately!

Be quiet, Left Councilor!

Since you did not even spare your child's life,

I have no choice…

but to prove your actions.

Do not!

Your Majesty.

Before I came here,

I had already…

The tea…

-Madam! -You there!

Call for a physician. Right now!

Madam!

Call a physician. Now!

Madam?

Lady Cho…

Poor Lady Cho…

I truly believed I would lead a precious life.

I felt wronged,

believing that others had ruined my life.

However,

looking back on it now,

I now see

that I ruined everything myself.

Do not speak.

The poison is spreading.

Lady Cho…

Your brother has

already died

at the left councilor's hands.

Subtitle translation by: Christina Kim