Bon Appétit, Your Majesty (폭군의 셰프)

BON APPÉTIT, YOUR MAJESTY

The wind is rather chilly today, Your Majesty.

You should rest up in your chambers.

YI HEON KING OF JOSEON

Yes, let us.

Your Majesty, hold on!

Can you tell us where you're going to...

KANG MOK-JU FOURTH JUNIOR CONSORT, YI HEON'S CONCUBINE

...send us to?

Why? Are you really frightened?

I am, of course!

Everything that's happened since I got here

has only made me more scared and concerned.

SHIN SU-HYEOK COMMANDER OF URIMWI

What...

What do you think?

Does this help to keep all of your fear and concerns away?

Yep. Nothing's scary now that I can't see anything.

Thank you, Your Majesty. This is one heck of a creative idea.

I have also had special lodgings prepared for you.

Look forward to it.

Yeah.

Let us go.

Is it normal and acceptable for a king to act

however he wants in this time and age?

I told you, you need to watch what you say!

How is his condition?

All the bleeding seems to have stopped

due to an unknown ointment applied to the wound.

If it had been applied any later, his life would have been in grave danger.

His Majesty was truly fortunate.

Your Majesty, we should be thanking the heavens for that.

So if the bleeding had not stopped when it did,

you say my life was in danger?

You're beyond mad!

Can't you see that I stopped the bleeding for you?

I saved your life, okay?

Understood. You may leave now.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Everything you saw and heard in here today,

you must forget all of it.

Yes, Your Grace. We will.

How fortunate the wound was not worse.

Also, who was the one who stopped the bleeding?

-The gwinyeo . -The gwinyeo ?

So you brought the gwinyeo here for saving your life,

not because she committed a crime?

That is true, certainly.

But I also brought her here because...

no one wants the gwinyeo dead more than I do.

It has sure been a while since you've seemed this excited.

Are you bothered, having this gwinyeo here?

- -The Great Consort Kang?

Oh, my.

Why on earth would you think that I was bothered?

But... you did say that she had special lodgings.

It can't be, the byeolgung , is it?

SPECIAL RESIDENCE FOR THE KING'S FUTURE BRIDE OR CONCUBINE

-Surely... - A byeolgung ?

Or did you make these special lodgings outside the palace?

Are you jealous of this?

Enough of this teasing.

And just tell me where you'll send her.

Go on.

Do not be so worried.

Where they are going...

is more special than the byeolgung .

Okay.

I knew this wouldn't be a five-star hotel, but these so-called special lodgings are...

He made a prison inside the palace for everyone to see.

How is this my life?

I can't believe he went through the hassle of making a prison just for us.

At least we got good clothes that are clean,

and we were able to wash up, even if it's just a simple dress.

That is better than nothing. And we are still alive.

Yeah. We get to keep living.

For today, at least.

COURSE Nº3 HAUTE CUISINE

A prison?

What a strange place to send her considering he said he wanted her dead.

It is evident that His Majesty seems intrigued by that wench.

Your Grace, it is merely a fleeting curiosity at most.

It is odd how he calls her a gwinyeo .

Surely she did not just fall down from the sky.

Where was she before this?

Find out for me every little thing you can about that girl.

How they met each other.

How she caught His Majesty's eye. I want everything.

Would it not be faster to ask Chief Royal Secretary Im directly?

Right. What a great idea.

Shall I send a message?

Yes. Tell him that I wish to see him.

Also...

send this to the Grand Prince's residence.

Yes, Your Grace.

THE PLACE WHERE ROYAL MEALS ARE PREPARED

Wow, today's herbs are looking very good, aren't they?

SENIOR-LEVEL COOK

Is that all the power you have today?

Do not spill a single grain of rice.

And be careful with the blade.

-Don't hurt your hand, huh? - Yes, sir.

Cook Sim.

The jeon powder needs more water, understood?

All right.

-Cook Min. -Yes?

Why are these fried pancakes the wrong color?

They should all be more of a golden-brown.

-It's best when they look great. -Oh, yes, sir.

Goodness gracious.

Let us see over here.

-Look at it as much as you'd like. -

Anyway, have any of you heard the latest news?

It turns out His Majesty has returned here to the palace with a gwinyeo .

Oh! A ginyeo ?

Which courtesan managed to catch the eye of His Majesty this time, sir?

You are hopeless. Not a ginyeo .

A gwinyeo . Probably given that name

because she looks like a ghost or something.

- - Yes, Cook Sim is right.

They say he returned with a woman who looks like a ghost.

Come on.

Isn't it time we all stopped being swayed by palace rumors?

Do you not have work to do?

Everyone is telling wild stories of the gwinyeo in the palace.

You'd be a fool not to have heard about it!

Maybe it's because you worked in the Japanese village kitchens,

I mean, gosh, you're as clueless as a mule.

And you must be sensitive to these rumors

because you're the third generation here, in a family of royal cooks.

What? Man-su, you didn't know?

Lady Kim, who works for the Grand Royal Queen Dowager,

and Cook Eom here are warm with each other,

so he is always first to know about everything in the palace.

The Grand Royal Queen Dowager's quarters are even endorsing Cook Eom

as the next chief royal cook...

-Shush, you! -

Don't be ridiculous! Gracious.

What if somebody hears you, huh?

- -Oh!

You're so silly. Who else is gonna hear us in here in the royal kitchen?

Were you drinking until morning again?

Will you get ahold of yourself?

Hey, I am sure you will be our next chief royal cook, Cook Eom.

-That is all I have to say. -

I mean, you never truly know.

Cook Maeng could be chosen instead, so...

It has not even been a month since the former chief royal cook passed away,

and you're already talking about the next one?

You all better watch yourselves

if you still want mouths to lick up any nurungji crumbs later on.

We were just talking about it since the topic came up, okay?

So what's wrong with that?

Are you uncomfortable because you will not be the next chief royal cook?

Come now, Cook Sim, you should not be talking like that.

You're hurting the cook's feelings.

Oh, yeah? And what if I did? It's the truth.

No matter how you look at it,

the best cook in this kitchen has always been Cook Eom.

You do not know that for certain.

Oh!

- -Oh, sir, I did not see you approaching.

Her Grace believes the best cook is Man-su

in the royal kitchen, does she not?

While we're on it,

two weeks have already passed since the former chief cook's death.

An official announcement should be made any day.

- - Yes, that is correct.

Excuse me.

Yes, Head Senior Court Lady Kim. Is there something we can help you with?

The Grand Royal Queen Dowager wishes to have hangwa made for tea today.

Her Grace has ordered samhapjuk to be made for her late-night refreshment.

Yes, understood.

Ah...

Do not waste our ingredients.

- Yes, sir. - Understood.

A gwinyeo ? In the palace?

And the Gyeonggi Governor Hong Gyeong-dal

has been accused of treason?

Your Royal Highness, I am afraid this doesn't bode well.

Didn't Lord Hong Gyung-dal compare Mok-ju, the Fourth Junior Consort,

to the emperor's concubine of the Tang Dynasty?

Yes, you are correct.

Can it be?

Is the king truly acting out simply because of personal vengeance?

Where's the Fourth Junior Consort now?

It's her. The gwinyeo .

I have also had special lodgings prepared for you.

A gwinyeo ?

There is no reason for His Majesty to bring her to the palace

unless she has someone backing her.

But who could it be?

Your Grace, the Chief Royal Secretary has arrived.

Let him in.

Your Grace, I do hope you have been well.