The King's Affection (연모)

I do not care what the position is.

I just need to find a way to be at the palace.

Please help me.

What made you change your mind?

Why are you asking for my help?

I want to…

protect His Majesty.

Is it out of loyalty?

You do not

belong in the palace.

You should leave.

Why not? What do you mean

I do not belong in the palace?

That is because

you can tell what is right from wrong.

At the palace,

what is right is not always the right answer.

Knowing that, do you think you can survive in the palace

with a mere sense of loyalty?

I will adapt…

to that world.

I would like my son to be near His Majesty.

But your son

tried to take His Majesty and flee.

You should be grateful that I am not punishing him

for what he did.

But to place him by His Majesty's side?

You made a promise to me the first time I took someone's life for you.

You promised that

my family and I would not have to answer to anyone else

if I followed you.

Now, keep your promise to me.

As your goal has been achieved,

I believe it is my turn to be rewarded.

Two months will be enough.

I will not say anything or express any of my feelings.

I will stay by your side only until your wound has healed.

Please pretend that I am not here.

I will act accordingly as well.

EPISODE 14

-Your Highness. -Your Highness. Please stop.

-Your Highness. -Your Highness.

-Please stop running. -Your Highness.

Your Highness.

I came here because I was told His Majesty was here. Have you seen him?

His Majesty went back to his quarters after the royal lecture.

Thank you for telling me.

By the way,

does he have a lot of state affairs to attend to again?

Pardon?

Never mind.

Look who is here.

What brings you here, Your Highness?

-Father. -Please. You cannot address me

like that.

Please remember royal etiquette.

Hello, Left State Councilor.

By the way, what is that in your hands?

This?

It is my love letter to His Majesty.

A love letter?

So you have been writing love letters every day in your quarters?

Not every day. Only sometimes.

Maybe a bit more than sometimes?

But I am not sure if he is reading my letters.

He has not responded to them.

I am sure he is reading them.

He must be reading the letters over and over again.

Square your shoulders and look confident.

Do not forget that Lord Sangheon handpicked you.

You must always show confidence.

Like this?

You look much better now.

Then I shall go and see His Majesty, Father.

-Your Highness. -Your Highness. Please…

Please be careful. I beg of you.

ROYAL SECRETARIAT THAT HANDLED THE KING'S ORDERS

"A section chief at the Ministry of Personnel,

Kim Sa-heon, took bribes and sold positions…"

Kim Sa-heon?

Isn't he Lord Sangheon's second cousin once removed?

I shall decline this.

"Han Gi-jae, the Chief State Councilor, has taken over the royal court

using his position as His Majesty's grandfather…"

Decline.

DECLINED, ACCEPTED

"Oust him quietly…"

"Follow the public opinion by excluding him…"

Clear them away.

These are all the same appeals. Clear them away.

Gosh. What a traitor.

There is a flood of appeals requesting to impeach Lord Sangheon.

Yet, you turn a blind eye to them.

You have changed a lot, Royal Scholar Yang.

No, Chief Royal Secretary.

After all, you were His Majesty's tutor.

What are you doing here again?

Go back to the Ministry of Taxation. You are the section chief there now.

I always find you here. What business do you have here?

If you plan to handle everything in the Chief State Councilor's favor,

why do we need a Chief Royal Secretary?

Right, Scribe Jung?

It can't be helped.

Then…

I will take care of these.

Goodness.

I was wrong about him.

What happened to the man who made

the lotus analogy to teach Lord Sangheon a lesson?

His father, Commander Jung, got him the post.

That must be why he rarely goes to the palace.

The only thing he does is deliver these reports.

Writing the royal diary by His Majesty's side

must go against his conscience.

I told you to stop jumping to conclusions.

You think you will be any different? We do what we are told.

You know I have a point.

What is he doing here as a scribe

if he won't work on the Diaries of the Royal Secretariat?

Right.

You are distracting me. Leave now.

Get back to work.

Stop idling away.

I heard you moved back home.

Did you make up with your father?

Yes.

You said you would never forgive him. What happened?

I have to get going.

Hey…

What's gotten into him?

Your pulse was very unstable for a while after your ascension.

But it has gotten much better.

Thank you.

You may go now.

Your Majesty,

the reports from Seungjeongwon are here.

Let him enter.

You must finish in under 30 minutes.

Are you leaving after the routine examination of His Majesty's health?

Yes, Commander Jung.

How is His Majesty?

Has his wound healed?

Pardon? His wound?

Your wound has healed significantly.

We will need to observe it for another three to four days.

The royal physician said

my pulse has gotten very stable too.

I believe

I have gotten a lot better.

Please try to move your arm to see if there is any discomfort.

I am fine.

Thank you…

for always treating me, Scribe Jung.

Your Highness. Why did you…

Please forgive me, Your Majesty.

How could you open the door like that

without letting me announce your entrance first?

I am sorry.

I forgot again that I was not supposed to do that here.

What should I do?

Your Majesty, Her Majesty the Queen is here.

Let her enter.

Please forgive me, Your Majesty.

I am not used to royal etiquette.

I am sorry.

It is all right, Your Highness.

I will take my leave now, Your Majesty.

Please come and sit.

What brings you here?

Well…

I saw a pair of beautiful skylarks

perched on the tree at my quarters last night.

So I wrote a few words to express my affection for you.

Thank you.

I will make sure to read it.

Really?

Right. The Royal Astronomical Bureau will pick an auspicious day and tell us soon.

I was wondering if you had heard.

I see.

DAY 23 OF MONTH 12

Rumor has it you plan to pick a day based on Lord Sangheon's order

instead of choosing the best date for His Majesty

and the Queen's night together.

That is a misunderstanding.

Lord Sangheon has been on our backs and scolding us every day

since he thinks it is taking too long to schedule their night together.

What choice do I have?

We are also in a predicament.

Then how do you explain this?

How did you…

My goodness. How much is this?

So did you take the money to pay for your meals with your colleagues?

-Goodness. -Please spare me!

Please spare me.

Please spare me.

Oh, please. Stop this.

Why would we kill you?

His Majesty is busy with state affairs, so he will not have time for the Queen.

That's what I came here to tell you.

However, if I do not pick an auspicious day again,