The East Palace (동궁)

Is it tormenting you to learn of the bloodshed

caused by your family 30 years past?

Do you despise your parents so deeply that you would abandon your mind

and surrender your body?

Your mother came to me.

She appeared to me and pleaded for me to save her daughter.

about your father.

How could a mere court lady refuse a command like that?

Royal Noble Consort Sukbin Choi forced your mother to do those deeds.

Your father saved your mother by marrying her.

So don't turn your hatred upon your mother or your father!

Do not allow that hatred to be exploited by the spirit, Princess!

Princess!

Princess!

What has caught hold of your gaze?

Are these the blossoms of the ginger tree, Mother?

Yes, my dear.

They grow in abundance back in my hometown.

When I shared this with His Majesty,

he bestowed it upon you as your childhood namesake.

Do you sometimes miss your homeland?

I don't.

There are no happy memories there.

My father died very young.

And my mother was often unwell.

Then, Mother,

please be born as my daughter in your next life.

That way, I will keep you safe.

That is a wonderful and special idea.

How did that…

- Are you all right? - Your Majesty!

How did that happen?

-Are you all right? -Is anyone out there?

-Is there no one to help? -Bring something for the wound!

Your Highness!

Go check outside.

-Right now. -Yes, Your Majesty.

Chief Eunuch Kim.

What is going on?

Are you all right?

Has your sight returned? How?

We must stop the bleeding first.

That was far too close.

It's a good thing the Crown Prince fled as soon as you woke up.

I was a complete and utter fool.

I allowed the Crown Prince

to overcome the ward and use me as its vessel.

We should take you to the physician.

First though…

Where did you see my mother?

I would like to speak with her.

I must tell her that I will release her lingering resentment, and that…

that I will be all right, and she should go to the afterlife.

She can't do that now.

-She can still pass on. -Not anymore.

Her soul was devoured by a gwi-mae on the other side.

What, um…

What does that mean?

Your mother's soul

was obliterated in the other world.

Go to Saeng-gang now!

I will be fine!

So go now, please. Protect my daughter!

Save Saeng-gang! I beg you.

I am sorry.

THE EAST PALACE

The Princess came to see me last night.

According to the eunuchs,

she acted in a most unusual manner.

It's nothing to worry about. You need not be concerned with her.

What's important is I must go outside the palace

if I'm to send the Crown Prince's soul to the afterlife.

There's no more need for that. Do not send the soul to the afterlife.

Obliterate it.

Do you know what it means to do that?

To obliterate someone's soul?

It does not matter.

You won't be leaving these walls at all.

-The Princess can do it in your stead. -I won't allow it.

I will urge the Princess to withdraw from this.

It'll be too dangerous.

But you said we shouldn't worry.

So then something did occur with the Princess.

And…

something happened to you as well.

She was given to you because she can hear the spirits' voices.

The Princess has her uses. You'll keep acting together.

I have clearly stated to you that the Princess is in danger, perhaps--

Do not overstep your place by fretting over the safety of the Princess,

or have you forgotten your lowly station,

and now she has become an object of your desire?

No, of course not.

She was starting to get in the way.

I simply want her to be gone.

The closer she gets to the Crown Prince's secret, Your Majesty,

the closer she gets to uncovering more secrets of the royal family,

and her heart can no longer bear the weight.

Why are you still here?

Just in case you got possessed.

Can you tell me now?

Your eyes… What happened to you?

I obtained the eyes of a gwi-mae.

The eyes of a gwi-mae?

What happens to you now?

Don't concern yourself with that. Just hold on to this, please.

Don't be careless and lose it.

And you don't need to concern yourself with the Crown Prince's spirit anymore.

With my sight restored,

I'll deal with the spirit on my own.

-Why are you being like this? -Because you get in the way.

You may lose your body to the Crown Prince once more.

Taking care of you has nearly made my intestines fall out.

Gu-cheon.

Is this because of my mother?

If it's about that…

don't be troubled.

She met her end while trying to save me.

You have no reason to feel guilty.

It's not your fault what happened to her.

-Do you hear me at all? -It is my fault.

Even before that…

there was a soul that was devoured by a gwi-mae seeking my yin energy.

So you should just stay away from me.

Who knows what may happen to you if you stay with someone so cursed.

will I lose anyone because of my actions.

Did you bring those wards from your private residence?

You brought a lot of them with you.

You can go now.

Yes, Your Majesty.

Where did you suddenly run off to last night, Saeng-gang?

Kneel down, will you?

Closer.

Come, my child.

Once again, you and I must go back

to the inseparable grandmother and granddaughter that we were,

and with you, I will be able to keep our family unharmed

so we can guard our family secret that took place 30 years ago.

Oh.

Someone has already started to notice the mess you've caused.

Your Highness, your presence is urgently requested

at the Queen Dowager's quarters.

His Majesty the King has arrived.

You may all sit.

You summoned even the royal kin.

For what urgent matter have you called me?

I do not have the leisure to sit and enjoy refreshments at present.

Thirty years ago,

while the late King's sons met their untimely deaths,

I wish for you to tell me how it happened that only you, out of them, survived.

Has my own survival

truly displeased you all this time, my dear Mother?

I am simply asking you to clarify how you escaped the pond spirit's curse.

Can you explain?

At the time, I took refuge in the temple of a renowned monk who exorcized spirits.

But you are aware of that, Mother.

No!

I am aware that there was no need for that

since there was no spirit there to begin with.

The Princes' deaths 30 years ago were not the work of some pond spirit.

That is clear.

This case of poisoning was carried out by a mortal.

Bring forth Inha!

Prince Inha collapsed as soon as he entered the palace.

And something was found in his quarters beside him.

The confectionery box, which Prince Inha ate from.

And one more thing.

It was given to me by the Princess.

Her mother is also said to have died

after eating food from a lotus-patterned confectionery box.

This is clear evidence that the Princes' deaths

were not the work of the pond spirit,

but the acts of someone poisoning the royal bloodline.

What do you think of this, Your Majesty?

Are you saying…

that I killed my very own brothers by poisoning them one by one?

When everyone else is killed,

naturally, the sole survivor becomes the main culprit.

And those actions allowed you to be on the throne.

A throne that you could never have claimed, Your Majesty.

Are you willing to stand behind the words you speak…

and bear their weight, Your Majesty?

What are you doing, Your Majesty?

Your Majesty.

But that is…

Goodness.

You claimed it was poisoned.

We will have our proof in time, will we not?

Oh…

-Chief Eunuch. -Yes, Your Majesty.

Take Prince Inha outside the palace right this minute.

Outside the palace in this state?

Something has piqued my curiosity.

Stop here!

Your Majesty, the moment we left the palace,

the young prince regained consciousness.

What is that?

And he asked us to deliver a message to you.

Wait! What did he say?

That it was actually a spirit that tried to kill him.

It said that it would sever the royal bloodline.