Ep 6. Everyone has a secret

From start to finish, we see the secrets of everyone. It’s not just one secret; it’s multiple secrets at once.

1. The King’s secrets

He’s the featured person in the profile. His first secret was that he actually liked JungWoo and had a fatherly interest in his well-being.

The King/In his 50s/
Wishlist: Strengthening the Royal Power

When the unseen interviewer asked him why he kept JungWoo at his side when he was a member of the opposition, the King drew a distinction between the Dongo party and its members. He never disliked the Party, just its current leader and his cohorts. In fact, he liked Jungwoo’s father who had founded the Party. Though Jungwoo’s father regularly appealed and protested the King’s decisions — like JungWoo currently did – the King didn’t dislike him as he did Jo.

King: The Left State Minister pretends to be loyal and presents a plausible justification, but he is only desperate to rise to power, which is so obvious. So, how can I like him? Geez! I can only speak my thoughts freely when I am away from my servants like this. (sigh) The King is not that great, after all, Is that not so? Gosh! I shouldn’t have done this.

That’s his second secret. He could see through Minister Jo.

His third secret? It’s revealed in this episode that he was personally investigating the incident of the palace maid being poisoned. He was hiding her, even from JungWoo, and had ordered his physician to cure her.

King: I have something to ask of this palace maid. Whatever it takes, have her regain consciousness.
Physician: I will do my best.
King: Do not let anyone outside know that this girl is alive.

I really like how this screenwriter had everybody and everything interconnected methodically. It’s intricate story from the beginning, and nothing was added at the last minute as a stopgap.

2. JungWoo’s secrets

He had many secrets, but his real identity was no longer one of them. In this episode, SoonDeok discovered that he was Prince Gyeongwoonjae, aka the Resentful Man that she had badmouthed on the way to the Maeng sisters.

a. But one secret I don’t want to overlook is his reason for agreeing to tutor GeumSeok. He changed his mind after hearing Lady SoHyun’s intention to have GeumSeok lead the Dongno Party when he grew up.

JungWoo: I wanted to outright refuse her but I could not bear to let it be.

This spoke much about his character. He didn’t want the child a) to be pressured, and b) to be miseducated on the right values of statesmanship and leadership. So he was taking responsibility for the child.

b. He was also secretly working on a book on Ssangyeonsulsa. He seemed to be compiling data on the “agents of love” based on his observation of SoonDeok in action. He sketched a portrait of SoonDeok.

And he noticed her skills.

But just like he was spending time recording her skills as a Ssangyeonsulsa, SoonDeok also spent her time analyzing his character. She wondered why he was called a Resentful Man.

SoonDeok:…Actually I became curious after learning that you were His Excellency Gyeongwoonjae. Why someone as smart and honest as you became the Resentful Man. But I just figured out why. It is because you were surrounded by terrible people who wanted to put you down to bring themselves up.
JungWoo: (clearing his throat)

Note: in Episode 3, she also figured out that he was like her son, GeumSook, who blossomed when showered with compliments.

c. His other secrets? Well, he liked their skinship and attempted to prolong it by misdirection.

Earlier, he insisted that he could understand her thought process when she selected the bachelors for the Maeng sisters. But she doubted him because intuition like hers couldn’t be learned from books.

JungWoo: S-see? I told you that I learned everything quickly.

Clearly, he was talking about her marriage selection process to divert their attention from their fingers touching on the string.

SoonDeok: What is the reason for your selection?
JungWoo: Like the youngest daughter who writes disguised as a man, Bachelor #23 enjoys to cook like a woman. They both pursue something that is incongruous with the world so they might suit each other nicely.
SoonDeok: Y-your reason is wrong. Lady Samsoon is honest with her emotions and bravely steps forward in this marriage process. Bachelor #23 is suitable because he is the type who would do what the woman says, as long as it isn’t related to cooking.

My comments:

JungWoo approached the marriage as a yin-yang harmony. Samsoon and Bachelor #23 matched because they would complement each other. JungWoo’s mindset reflects his Confucian upbringing and scholarship. SoonDeok, on the other hand, was female-oriented. It mattered to her more that Bachelor #23 suited Samsoon’s needs, not the other way around.

So, no, he didn’t really understand her selection process.

However, going along with her thought process, he wanted to know her opinion on what kind of woman suited his needs.

JungWoo: (nodding in agreement) Then…for me…what kind of woman would suit me?
SoonDeok: (not answering) Well…

Then, before she could formulate her thoughts, Bong arrived with their lunch. Bong was the anti-Cupid in this instance, lol.

To me, what’s thrilling about this moment is not the skinship per se, but that these two were feigning indifference. On the surface, they were DEBATING Samsoon’s marriage so calmly and intelligently as if that subject matter was all that occupied their minds. But on a deeper level, they were mutually and silently AGREEING to hold each other’s fingers indefinitely. Or as long as they could. THAT to me is the epitome of romance. Despite not saying a word about their accidental contact, they were able to grasp each other’s desire to remain physically linked in the lightest of touch.

Phew! 

d. He was secretly appalled that she would think him an immoral man. He wanted her  good opinion of him.

He was so mortified that he couldn’t wait to meet up with her again to correct her “wrong” impression. That’s why he rushed his meeting with the bachelors.

3. GeunSeok

Even this child has multiple secrets.

Grandma/Lady SoHyun: Why did your mother not come in with you?
GeumSeok: She had to return to the annex because of a sudden nosebleed.
Grandma/Lady SoHyun: A nosebleed?
GeumSeok: Just like I get nosebleeds from studying diligently, Mother’s nose is bleeding from sewing diligently, so she said not to worry.
Grandma/Lady SoHyun: Have you had nosebleeds?
GeumSeok: Yes, however, Mother said not to study after the hour of dog [or dinnertime], so I no longer have nosebleeds. (suddenly covering his mouth)
Grandma/Lady SoHyun: What is the matter?
JungWoo: It seems it was a secret between him and his mother not to study after the hour of dog [dinnertime].

Yes, JungWoo pointed out one secret. But the other secret is the nosebleed. It was the first time that Lady Park heard about it, and she worried about it. She would visit SoonDeok that evening to ask her about GeumSeok.

Lady SoHyun: Did you ask GeunSeok to stop studying past dinner time?
SoonDeok: (worried that her mother-in-law would scold her) Well, GeunSeok had a nosebleed one time so…
Lady SoHyun: Good call!
SoonDeok: (surprised) Sorry?
Lady SoHyun: Studying is important, but it will be for nothing if he is not healthy.

I like how this screenwriter added a key element to Lady SoHyun’s personality that made her relatable. She didn’t paint Lady SoHyun all-black because she was the villain in this drama. I like that Lady SoHyun prioritized her grandson’s health before anything. She cared about him, like she cared for the rest of her family. Her husband might be politically ambitious for his own sake, but Lady SoHyun was ambitious for her family’s sake.

Lady SoHyun: (continuing) However, if such a thing happened, you should have informed me. When outsiders hear of this, they will say you neglected GeunSeok’s studies because he is not your biological son.

I also like that Lady SoHyun was thinking about SoonDeok’s reputation here. She looked out for her family and made sure nothing bad happened to them.

Note: I like this Viu’s translation better than the Viki sub because it directly stated that the child wasn’t SoonDeok’s son. The Viki sub was more ambiguous and it tripped me up.

SoonDeok: I did not think it through, Mother.
Lady SoHyun: We shall order GeunSeok some medicine at the physician tomorrow.

When Lady SoHyun informed SoonDeok of her arrangements to have GeunSeok tutored by Prince Gyeongwoonjae (aka Jungwoo), SoonDeok protested.

SoonDeok: I mean, Mother, you just said GeunSeok’s health is the most important thing. It would contradict what you said to add tutoring to his schooling.
Lady SoHyun: It is only once every five days. Let us try it first and then reassess if it’s too overwhelming later.

I thought that was a good compromise. Of course, she didn’t know that the SoonDeok had a real reason for not wanting GeunSeok tutored. SoonDeok didn’t want JungWoo to discover her real identity as the widowed daughter-in-law of a noble family.

Now, aside from the nosebleed, and his study hours, GeunSeok also kept secret. After he had his first lessons with JungWoo, he decided that his tutor and his mother were a good match because they had the same attitude towards education.

JungWoo: You become an official to assist the King and work for the people, not to make your grandparents happy.
GeunSeok: Are you acquainted with my mother by any chance?
JungWoo: Why do you suddenly ask?
GeunSeok: I have never met anybody who says that other than my mother. She also said I could study hard if I wanted to. But if I did it only for my grandparents, she said there was no need to study too hard.
JungWoo: You have a great mother.
GeunSeok: That’s why I am worried. She does not seem to know this world too well. (sigh)

Later that night, he told SoonDeok that he liked his new tutor. When she asked why, he only cryptically said, “Because he likes you, Mother.” He didn’t want to explain himself any further.

“Our little something” = his secret.

4. SoonDeok’s secrets

a. She found out who JungWoo really was, but she couldn’t reveal how she found out because that would be giving herself away.

I like how she suddenly behaved more respectfully, and JungWoo noticed it and found her weird.

JungWoo: Why are you suddenly doing this?
SoonDeok: I had been quite rude to you because I did not know that you were Lord Gyeongwoonjae, one of the royal family.
JungWoo: How did you know I was Lord Gyeongwoonjae?
SoonDeok: Well, your butler told me.
JungWoo: Tsk tsk tsk. Bog did not need to do that. Just do as you always have. I got used to your rudeness, so I feel even more uncomfortable.
SoonDeok: In that case, I will abide by your order.
JungWoo: Do as you wish.

b. She liked their skinship and pretended that everything was normal.

This is so straight out of a Jane Austen book!

c. She was secretly upset that she had lost his good opinion of her. She didn’t want him to think of her as wanton.

Then, later in her room…

Note the difference between the two?

Both were concerned about the lack of purity. But JungWoo didn’t want to appear “immoral” while SoonDeok didn’t want to look wanton or promiscuous.

Immoral = to think or behave in a wicked, dishonorable, unprincipled way
Wanton/promiscuous = to be sexually unrestrained or attracted to someone

d. The worst secret in this episode? It’s when SoonDeok pretended to ask for advice from her sister-in-law on behalf of a friend. This was the Joseon version of “Just asking for a friend.”

SoonDeok: I feel a little uneasy about something. Can you tell me your opinion, Ye Jin?
YJ: Go ahead. What is about, Unnie?
SoonDeok: (loudly) No! (softly) It is not about me but about a married woman I know very well. She…she was picking out goods at the market and overlapped her hands with the man next door.
Maid: Is the man next door married?
SoonDeok: No. A widower!
Everybody: (silent)
SoonDeok: …is what I heard.
Maid: Mmmm.
YJ: A widower and a married woman. And?
SoonDeok: Anyway, what’s important is that wife was so startled that she didn’t remove her hand straight away. So she was worried that the man next door would think of her as a cheap woman. Because that wife is someone who only thinks of her husband.
Maid: Sounds like a lie. That wife is lying that she only thinks of her husband.
SoonDeok: (muttering) It’s not a lie though.
Maid: I am sure that the wife has feelings for the widower.
SoonDeok: (loudly) No! That is not true! I know that wife very well! (muttering) What do you mean she has feelings.
Maid: You know that I have been married three times. Right? Listen. If something like that happens, she should be worried that others would see her as a cheap woman. Why would she worry that he would see her as one? That would mean that the wife wants to leave a good impression on the widower.

Though SoonDeok denied it, she knew that her maid had a point there. Moreover, her strong denial was her attempt to keep the truth hidden. The fact that she had to distance herself from the situation was proof that she had feelings for JungWoo.

e. Edited to add this (1/28/2023)

One secret SoonDeok revealed at the end of this episode was her feelings for JungWoo. When he fainted and she was the first one to rush to his side, she gave herself away.

5. Lady SoHyun’s secrets

a. She had found the hiding place of the Crown Prince because she used her brains. She had her maid check out which household started ordering milk, and she had a matchmaker/peddler check out the residence to confirm if there were guards outside. But she wanted to keep this information secret until the time was right.

b. She found out that SoonDeok had been going out at night but she wanted it to be kept secret. She got angry at her maid and threatened her.

Lady SoHyun: Keep your mouth shut. Do not share what you just saw with anybody else. If I hear someone say my daughter-in-law had been wandering outside without my permission, I will think of you as the source, no matter what the true source is. I will sell Sam Wol [her maid’s daughter] to a dangerous place. Remember that.
Maid: Yes, my lady.
Lady SoHyun: Just find out what SoonDeok has been up to.

c. She couldn’t think badly of SoonDeok because SoonDeok had been a loving wife and adoptive mother.

Lady SoHyun: It must be hard to live without your husband. My second son, who had been suffering from illnesses since birth, laughed a lot after meeting you.
SoonDeok: (tearing up) I probably laughed more than my dear husband.
Lady SoHyun: It was much too short.
SoonDeok: It is not as though love grows greater with time. Although it was short, the love my husband gave to me was so great. I think he has given me the happiness to last a lifetime. (smiling)
Lady SoHyun: (smiling back) Thank you. For loving my InGook and raising GeunSeok well. It must be frustrating to only stay at home right now. But once GeunSeok grows up and weds, you are the madam of our house, SoonDeok.

I like two things about her. One, she wasn’t just paying lip service when she claimed to be devoted to her family, the clan. Two, she was considerate of GeunSeok’s feelings and commiserated with her loneliness. Overall, I like the way this show showed the solidarity of women.

6. The Maeng sisters’ secrets

The second and third secrets continued their liaison with their future husbands in secret.

7. Left Minister Jo’s dinner party

Well, he was the odd one out. He invited Prince JinSeong over to his residence for dinner because he no longer wanted to keep secret what he had been doing to get his wife’s nephew in power.

Park: Is there a reason to bring Prince JinSeong all the way here? We are the ones doing all the work anyway.
Jo: Of all people, Prince JinSeong should know for himself what it took for us to put him on the throne. So that he will not be a tyrant after he takes the throne and the Dongno Party can continue to gain power.
Mayor: As to be expected! No one can match your foresight, Left State Minister.
Jo: (looking unhappy)

The Prince’s arrival was announced, and Jo and the four men in his party stood up to greet him. Note: the director never showed us the Prince. I think it’s a deliberate move to indicate that the Prince was, literally, never in the picture — or involved in the insurrection.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

That’s the summary of the secrets in this episode. What do they tell us?

One, people kept secrets because they would feel ashamed should others learn the truth. They anticipate being judged harshly and unfairly if ever their secrets come to light. For example, the King didn’t want it known that he was impotent against his minister’s dirty tricks. Lady SoHyun didn’t want her daughter-in-law to be ridiculed in public. JungWoo didn’t want SoonDeok to think that he was immoral and lecherous while SoonDeok didn’t want him to think that she was wanton. Only Jo felt no shame.

Two, people kept secrets because they had someone to shield and defend. This was true for the King, GeumSook, Lady SoHyun, the Maeng sisters, and our couple JungWoo and SoonDeok. Only Jo was not inclined to protect anybody.

Three, the best secrets are secrets shared between two people, like the finger-holding moment of JungWoo and Soondeok.

source: liveasbutterflies’ tumblr

Enjoy the gifs. 🙂