Elegant Empire (Uahan Jeguk / 우아한 제국)

Shin Ju Kyung,

you're disgusting.

No, honey.

I don't know anything about this!

She's feigning ignorance.

She's still feigning ignorance even after she's caught. How brazen!

I must've been crazy to have you as a daughter-in-law!

Honey, it's not true.

You need to trust me!

You're despicable. Shut up!

Mommy!

Mommy, are you okay?

Mommy.

Soo A. I'm fine.

Just know that I'm only holding back because of Soo A.

Honey, it's a misunderstanding.

I had no idea Father had such insurance plans.

You probably set yourself as the beneficiary...

while he was not in his right mind because of his dementia.

What's next?

Will you take the empty chairman position...

and take over WJ Entertainment?

That's nonsense!

I don't want to be the chairwoman.

My family is more important to me than money or the agency.

I'm talking about the family I built with you, my love!

Is that so? I see.

Yet you held me in disdain in front of our employees?

What do you mean?

You left even after Mr. Cho told you to come straight to my office.

If you, the director, ignore the president's order,

my employees will think you're the true power,

whereas I'm just a puppet boss!

There was an emergency, so...

You pretend as if you have no ambition and that you're so kind.

I'm sick of your pretence!

I fell for that act and married you.

But I won't fall for it anymore.

I won't get played by your ugly ambition...

hiding behind your façade.

Director Shin is rather late.

Is something going on?

She'll be late because our founding anniversary is coming up,

so she has much to report to the chairman.

Does the chairman not come to the office?

Well, he had a stroke and collapsed. He receives reports at home.

I see.

The models for the fashion show are actors who won key awards...

whom Victor Hong has sponsored, top models,

and Premier League soccer players.

I'd like to use this fashion show to expand our business...

into content production instead of just making investments.

Netprince expects to make much more than "Squidy Game,"

about over 900 million dollars through our fashion show.

My gosh.

My daughter-in-law, you're so amazing.

How pathetic. You need to learn this from her.

All of your projects fell through and almost bankrupted us.

My business would've gone down if it hadn't been for Ju Kyung.

Gi Yun.

Did your dad get mad at you again because of that girl?

I'm used to her...

flaunting only herself when we report to Dad...

and making her husband look small.

I can never find my confidence because I serve my almighty wife,

so look at what happened to my shoulders.

Look how dainty my shoulders are.

Gi Yun, can you continue to live with her?

Can you really live with this wicked thing...

who's waiting for her father-in-law to die to claim his insurance money?

Mother, I'll bring the insurance agent...

and prove I have nothing to do with those plans.

No, there's no need to do that.

You probably...

bribed an agent by now.

Gi Yun, pull yourself together.

She may end up taking the agency.

Tell me about it.

This is why people say poor people reveal their vulgar nature...

when they become ambitious.

Now that I've found out she married me for my money,

I have no choice but to shudder.

How can you say that?

If you keep humiliating my feelings, I won't let you get away with this.

Then what? What can you do anyway?

Are you proving that you grew up without parents?

I took in a beggar like you as my daughter-in-law,

only to have you forget your place!

How dare you glare at your husband and nitpick over his words?

Do you want him to divorce you?

Mother, I put up with your abuse because I'm a beggar...

who grew up without parents.

And I will continue to do so.

I know what it's like to grow up without parents,

so I'll do my best...

to keep this family together for Soo A's sake.

If I get divorced,

she'll grow up with a single parent.

Then someone like you will come and insult her as you do!

I can't let Soo A go through that.

My goodness. What just happened?

Gi Yun, listen to that girl talk.

You should divorce her.

You can't continue to live with a wicked girl like her.

If I do, Dad will kick me out of this house.

I can't divorce her...

until Dad passes away.

You're here.

What happened to your forehead? Did you get hurt?

I just bumped into something.

Mr. Cho?

Did you write up a contract for Actor Jung Woo Hyuk?

Right! I'll get to it now.

A contract?

Who knows what she sees in you to have you as our actor?

But she wants to sign with you.

Really?

Goodness. Thank you.

If you're thankful, you better do your best.

You won't regret choosing me as an actor.

Director Shin, you're here.

What brings you to our office?

Jaclyn Is my business partner.

Please come with Gi Yun.

Why don't you give it to him yourself?

He wouldn't come if I gave it to him.

Jaclyn advised I should forget my past...

and avoid making enemies to get into this business.

We'll run into each other often, so I'll forget my hard feelings...

and focus on business.

I can't believe I'm signed as an actor for WJ Entertainment.

My gosh!

Mr. Cho. - Yes?

Darn it. Why do I keep seeing him?

My name is Jung Woo Hyuk who has signed with WJ as of today.

Nice to meet you.

What? Mr. Cho.

Who said you could sign with this nobody as our actor?

It wasn't me. It was Director Shin.

What? Unbelievable.

You're all running the business without even reporting to me.

No, it's not that.

Signing with new actors is within Director Shin's scope of rights.

Darn you. - Ouch!

All you talk about is Director Shin!

Does this agency belong to her?

I'm the president, yet you must think I'm a pushover!

How dare you dodge me?

What are you doing?

Verbal and physical abuse?

You don't get to do that just because you're the president!

You're fired.

I can't invest in a jerk like you and turn you into an actor.

If you get it, get lost.

Get lost. You won't leave?

You won't leave?

Come here! - Darn it!

I'll talk to him.

Goodbye.

Who do you think you are? Who are you to fire me?

What's the reason I'm fired?

I have the authority as the president.

The reason? Because you're rude. Happy now?

I'll report you immediately for firing me without a good reason...

to the Ministry of Employment and Labour.

And I'll begin a one-man protest in front of the office...

to let the world find out about your wicked deeds.

Then you'll suffer from humiliation...

once I blow up this matter.

Do you think I'll be scared?

You should be.

I caught you on camera abusing Mr. Cho...

both verbally and physically.

I'll guarantee that you'll be scared,

so be ready to face it.

Woo Hyuk, talk to me.

Goodness, what a wonderful world.

The president must walk on eggshells around his staff?

Darn it!

And you.

Why are you here?

Who let him in the office?

I came to meet Ms. Shin.

I was just leaving.

Director Shin.

Come to my office at once.

Woo Hyuk. You can wait for me a bit, right?

Woo Hyuk. You're truly amazing.

How can you go at him without batting an eye?

I didn't. I simply told him what he did wrong.

Was he always that arrogant?

How dare you accept an actor without making a report to me?

And such a scumbag to boot.

I was always in charge of recruiting new actors.

It wasn't such a big matter to report to you every single time.

If you're going to make all the calls in the company,

why don't you be the president?

Fire that nobody.

Unless you want to make me a puppet boss,

you better fire him yourself.