Notables moments. Will limit myself to four. 🙂

1. DaeYeob (DY)

I rarely fall for the second male lead (SML) because I know that he’s the built-in antagonist of the hero. If the course of true love never runs smooth, as Shakespeare said, then the SML is the personification of those detours, missed exits, and bumps in the road. The SML’s sole purpose in the kdrama is to create the conflict which the couple must overcome to get to their happy endings.

The SML in this drama, DaeYeob, isn’t any different. He presented more trouble than he’s worth. On one hand, his naivety was going to endanger the Princess because of his naivety. He’s been awfully slow to understand that his father the Prime Minister, and Princess’ father were using him in their power play. But on the other hand, who could have thought that the King was so depraved that he’d allow his beloved daughter to be killed just so he could frame his enemy for her death?

The good news is DaeYeob’s devotion and loyalty to the Princess were unassailable.

I like how the flashback traced their long history together. At a young age, he was brought in to the palace as companion to the Crown Prince, but it was Princess SooKyung who befriended him and chose him as her playmate. Because of her rank, she always lorded it over him, and he deferred to her. He didn’t mind her imperious ways, and indulged her whims because he liked her. I know this is a trope we’ve seen over and over again: childhood friends turning into lovers.

Their attachment to each other was so obvious that the King expected them to marry. But DaeYeob’s father nixed the idea, and offered his second son for marriage instead. His excuse was that DaeYeob, his third son, was impotent.

But after the King discovered that the Prime Minister (PM) lied about SooKyung’s death, he suspected that the PM also lied about DaeYeob’s health.

I could think of three reasons why the PM offered the second son as substitute:

One, the second son could have been easier to control than DaeYeob. DaeYeob seems to be too scrupulous and too besotted with the Princess to engage in the political schemes of the PM.

Two, DaeYeob could have been his adopted son. His sister shows a lot of concern for DaeYeob; perhaps DaeYeob’s her real son, and the PM only raised him as one of his own.

Three, the PM planned for DaeYeob to take a job in the government. But as son-in-law of the King, Daeyeob would have been disallowed from holding vital positions in government.

However, I think that the moment SooKyung agreed to marry the second brother, she also accepted that end of any romance with DaeYeob  She and DaeYeob were hardly the type to engage in infidelity. Then, once she became a widow, their social divide became even wider.

That’s why the setting for their conversation was fitting. There was a chasm before them.

SK: Brother-in-law, as for me, I’d like to remember you as the man who thrilled my heart as a girl for many years to come. Your image as a man who is struggling and has become pitiable for my sake is something I wish to erase from my memory. So please help me.
DY: Please forgive me, Sister-in-law. I cannot listen to your request.
SK: Brother-in-law.
DY: You’re alive like this. You’re standing before me now, just as you were back then. How could I see you as a dead person? Did you want to remember me as the day we first met? Did you want me to let you treasure those memories as they were? No. I don’t want that. I cannot do that.
SK: Brother-in-law.
DY: If you insist on living as a dead person, I also must live as a dead man. So please. Don’t say this for my sake. If you really are doing this for my sake, please follow my wishes.
SK: You know very well I can’t do that.
DY: No, I don’t know that. If the gaze of the world scares me, then I can hide. If Father’s blade frightens me, I merely need to expect to be killed by that blade with you. That is all.
SK: If you continue to do this, what am I supposed to do? Why do you continue to herd me toward a steeper and more dangerous cliff?
DY: I’m saying that next to your lonely spot at the cliff, I will stand alongside you.

See what I mean about SML? If DaeYeob weren’t the SML, his pretty speech would have been to die for. It sounded desperate and romantic. It reminded me of Romeo and Juliet.

But since he’s the SML, all I can do is fake tears.

2. “Save oneself first.”

In contrast to DaeYeop’s romantic mindset, BaWoo’s approach was more pragmatic. He didn’t believe in dying with her, much less, for her. It’s obvious that his life as a petty crook taught him to save his own skin first. Besides, he had a son to think of, too.

In Episode 2, when the guards spotted BaWoo with the Princess, ChunBae yelled at him to run away while he blocked the guards. Straight away, BaWoo fled with ChaDol and the Princess. He didn’t return to help out ChunBae or rescue him. He wasn’t being callous; he was biding for the right time.

In Episode 3, when the guards came after them again, he and ChaDol made a getaway. But when he realized that the Princess and DY were caught, he ordered ChaDol to run ahead without him. It was only after ChaDol sped off that he turned back to rescue the Princess.

BW: (urging SooKyung) Let’s go.
SK: How can I run away by myself?
BW: Then would you rather stay and put him in harm’s way, too? You must run away first so he can also run away or fight, right??

This is an important point. It was indeed foolish of her to insist to remain beside DaeYeob out of a sense of loyalty or togetherness. She was only getting in the way, and endangering DaeYeob in the process. Interestingly enough, her insistence on staying with DaeYeob would be echoed by Daeyeob at the cliffside.

DY: (overhearing them) The man is right. Please get away. Hurry.
SK: (refusing to listen) I’m fine. So leave me here and get yourself to safety.
BW: That man isn’t going to die. He’s a nobleman, isn’t he? He’s the son of their household. Do you think they’ll kill him? They can’t.

I like that BaWoo was reasoning with her, instead of just “bossam-ing” her.

In Episode 4, after he rescued SooKyung, he told her to think of herself first and live for herself.

Princess: I must die…for everyone to relax.
BaWoo: You’re dying for someone else? One hears all sorts of dog crap.
Princess: You talk so easily, but what would you know? Who brought me into this situation? Did you think I wanted to jump into the water?
BaWoo: Then you should live.
Princess: Even if I wanted to live, I can’t. I must not live. What would you have me do?
BaWoo: You’ve completely lost your mind. I guess the luxury got to your head. Whether it’s your in-laws or the king, forget thinking about others and only live for yourself. Let them have their petty squabbles. You’re already dead! So why do their situations matter? From now on live for yourself.
Princess: For what should I live for? I have no reason to live.
BaWoo: What reason do you need to live? I don’t have a reason either. I just live! It’s not just me. This applies to others too. We all just live!

“Just live for yourself” is a variation of “save yourself first.” Instead of worrying about others, she should worry about herself first. This was the attitude he tried to teach her.

In Episode 6, for instance, they were almost captured for pretending to be the King’s emissaries. BaWoo ordered SK to run away, but she ignored him and returned to rescue him.

Afterwards, SooKyung scolded him.

SK: How could you do something so foolhardy back there? As if you insanely wanted to die?
BW: Isn’t it you, and not me, who insanely wanted to die? Let me ask you. Why did you come back for me?
SK: Are you asking me because you don’t know? (She thought he was pretending ignorance.)
BW: I told you to go. I shouted, “Damn it! Don’t be scared and go!”

He just didn’t order her to leave him; he cursed at her to go, too. (And she was a Princess.) He wanted her to go on ahead because her safety was one less thing for him to worry about. He could take on the guards without worrying that she’d be captured next if he failed to fend them off.

BW: Why? Did you think I would shed tears of gratitude when you came back to rescue me? I’ll take care of my business. Don’t be foolish when you can’t even take care of yourself. That’s exactly what I hate the most. Don’t do that again. Understand?
SK: I get it. Next time, whether you live or die, I’ll leave you alone. So don’t worry.

As usual, he didn’t explain himself well. And as usual, she didn’t get him. She thought he was complaining that she was an encumbrance. She didn’t get that:

a. he was embarrassed that she had to rescue him because he didn’t know how to climb on a horse.

Whattheheck? He was running beside the horse. lol.

b. he was worried that he couldn’t protect her. It was better if she escaped without him.

By the end of Episode 6, he was saying goodbye to her.

I thought this scene served as bookends to DaeYeob’s scene in the beginning of Episode 5. DaeYeob stood by a cliff, and BaWoo seemed to be standing at the edge of a mountain.

Like DaeYeob’s scene, the setting here was appropriate to the occasion. BaWoo and SooKyung were at the brink of a dangerous situation and their next decision would affect their future. BaWoo believed he knew the best move forward. Unlike DaeYeob, he wasn’t going to cling to the Princess or lead her toward a “steeper and more dangerous cliff.” He was adamant that they separated.

BW: We’re leaving this place immediately. When the young master returns, you can escape with him. Or you can live with him here. You can decide.

He believed that DaeYeob was successful in his mission petitioning the King for clemency because DaeYeob had a “Get out of Jail” card, the Myeong Sa Cheol Gwon.

BW: Did you not understand? We’re finally parting ways.
SK: Why are you suddenly doing this?
BW: I no longer want to live anxiously because of you. Even for ChaDol’s sake, I no longer can live with you.
SK: Is that truly the only reason?

It strikes me that she actually thought she had a future with BaWoo. It would be difficult living as a poor man’s wife, but it wasn’t impossible like living with DaeYeob.

BW: Didn’t you also say you’d leave us when the time was right? The young master will now take care of you so don’t get your life entangled with me anymore. And let’s just cleanly go our separate ways.
SK: Just exactly what happened back there? Don’t just bottle it up inside and tell me –

I like that she could finally sense that something made BaWoo change his mind. Of course, BaWoo couldn’t tell her that he recognized her father-in-law. He was the man who accused his family members of treason and ordered them executed. This is typical noble idiocy.

BW: Whatever happened back there…what does that have to do with you?
SK: Even if we go our separate ways, I must be the one to leave. That house is the house that you purchased for yourself. Does it make sense that you and ChaDol leave first?

Why does this sound like divorce? lol. I like her. She isn’t grabby.

SK: Don’t be stubborn. Tell me honestly. Why exactly are you doing this?
BW: I don’t want to entangle myself with you. But if I told you to leave, you’d make excuses left and right. I think you’d try to live with us no matter what, so that’s why we’re leaving first. Do you still not understand? Should I be more honest? I’m not sick of seeing you bumbling about—
SK: I got it. I understand, so stop.

Oh, brother! Here we go again. He was obviously saying hurtful things, so she would hate him and move on. He was being cruel to be kind.

SK: Thanks for everything so far. I will repay my debts to you.
BW: Forget all of that. Let’s never…see each other again.

And so, at the end of Episode 6, BaWoo was running away again to save himself (and his family). Since running away was how he survived all these years, it’s understandable that he would revert to his old habit in tough situation. I’m sure in the next episode, he’ll change his mind and go after her.

I think that his narrative arc: to learn to stand his ground with her.

3. Robin Hood

At first, they needed money to buy expensive wild ginseng for DaeYeob’s recovery.

SK: What are you going to do?
BW: What else? I’ll have to climb walls if I must.
SK: Don’t tell me. You can’t be a thief again.
BW: Then, what? Don’t just say I shouldn’t. Come up with an alternative.
SK: (saying nothing)
BW: You don’t even have an alternative.

But the funny thing is he listened well. He didn’t rob a house. And even when he saw a basket of ginseng, he didn’t steal it either because SK was watching him. Instead, BaWoo tried to convince her that it was okay to steal from the richest and most corrupt household in the area.

BW: During the Japanese invasion, it stole a lot of food. It charged high interest for rice and somehow kept it a secret.
SK: They deserve to die.
BW: (feeding her sense of outrage) I agree.
SK: After stealing military provisions, they starved the soldiers and starved the soldiers’ families through usury. They killed the people twice.
BW: (he’s piling it on) Right. They’re really bad people. So then, shall I rob them?
SK: No.
BW: (disappointed) What now?
SK: It’s not enough to merely rob them.

He looked baffled because for the first time in her life, the Princess was fired up to help him in robbing the rich. They created a “new wife” certificate. As BaWoo explained, “Acquiring a wife rank is crucial to their advancement, because of the law prohibiting a concubine’s child from obtaining a government position.” The certificate that they produced would become proof that the second wife or concubine attained the legal rights of a first wife.

At first, she only falsified government paper to buy DaeYeob’s ginseng. But when she found out that they needed more money to provide medical assistance to the poor, she didn’t hesitate to fake more certificates. Like Robin Hood, she justified robbing the rich to help the poor. But as it turned out, she was also providing service to the children of the second wives and concubines by circumventing an unfair law of the land.

4. The arrow

BaWoo and DY rescued the Princess from the henchmen of DY’s father. But DY was slashed unconscious, and BaWoo was about to meet the same fate when the Princess shot an arrow at the attacker’s back. Diverted, the attacker rushed toward Princess who was aiming to shoot him again with another arrow. BaWoo grabbed the attacker and pivoted him out of the arrow’s path. BaWoo then killed him with the arrow from his back. Approaching SK, he asked her if she was alright.

BW: Give that to me. (taking the bow from her hand) I wish for you not to experience such cruel things.

I’m sure the women serving in combat would have something to say about this remark.

However, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that his words make my heart flutter…this much.  lol.

He was saying that he wanted to spare her from the atrocities, and that he didn’t want her to bear the responsibility and guilt for causing somebody’s death. I think of all the romantic things said in these two episodes, this one was the best of the bunch.