When Choong asks Moo Young to silently leave Joye, Nam Saeng listens to their conversation while he hides behind a wall. A man full of himself, Nam Saeng doesn’t understand what Choong feels towards Moo Young, and starts to get angry when he hears his brother wants to let the princess go. He pulls out his sword and approaches the two lovers, wants to kill Moo Young with his own hand.
Dal Ki sees Nam Saeng with his sword and warns Boo Chi, wants him to do something to at least tell the couple below that a danger moves toward them. Boo Chi then shoot an arrow, close enough for Choong to notice there are other people around them. Agitated with the shot, Choong shouts out at the shooter causing the night guards to come and checking around. Nam Saeng hides back behind the wall, satisfies that now he has a weapon to destroy Choong. He now knows too that Moo Young is Princess So Hee and Choong protects her, keeps it secret from Dad.
Choong pulls out the arrow which sticks to a wall and takes off the written message attached to it. With the message, a similar pendant with the one Choong has, is attached too. In a disgust and rage, Choong stares at Moo Young, “Did you kidnap my mother? You even have to do this?”
Moo Young just as shocked as Choong when she sees the pendant and understand the meaning behind the message. She didn’t give such low order to Geumhwadan, and she won’t touch Choong’s mother either. When the guards come, now upset Choong shows the message to them, plainly says that it’s from Geumhwadan. He declares open war with Moo Young now, and she even can’t blame him for that. Choong orders the guards to lock Moo Young up in prison, and Nam Saeng chooses that time to go out from his hiding place, pretending he doesn’t know anything.
Although he hates Moo Young now with what he thinks she does, Choong still can’t bring up the fact that she is Princess So Hee. He frantically finds any reason he can use on why he wants her to be locked up, and Moo Young watches helplessly when Choong blurts out that the reason is because she’s lying that she’s actually a girl. That man obviously still loves her and finds any way he can to protect her.
But Nam Saeng indeed is a sneaky guy, he argues that Choong’s order to lock Moo Young up is too much. He says the only mistake she does is being a girl, and looking at how she can enter an intelligence agency then tricks them all into thinking she’s a man, is an awesome ability. He recommends her to be trained by Mo Seol, all acting like he doesn’t know anything between Choong and Moo Young.
Moo Young tries to persuade Choong to let her contact the Geumhwadan, she believes once she deals with them then the gang will release his mother. But Choong bitterly asks how he can trust her, a question she can’t answer. She’s been lying to him for the whole three years, she can’t give anything to Choong to trust. Anyhow she still offers herself to be locked and released only after Choong’s mother comes back save and sound, a sincere offer Choong ignores. Right now he just doesn’t want to hear anything from her.
Deep in the forest Dal Ki wants Boo Chi to reassure her that what they do with kidnapping Choong’s mother is alright. Boo Chi says that what they do is right, at least they now have a hostage as a bargain tool now that princess is also taken as hostage. Choong calls Mo Seol at the same night, wants her to watch Moo Young personally. Mo Seol at first refuses, but she always likes and even has crush to Choong so she’ll help. She explicitly declares that she’ll wait for Choong, because the love that Choong cherishes so deeply is already dead, and the dead won’t come back alive. Wrong.
In the room he shares with Moo Young poor Tae Pyung flares up. Not only that she gets caught up as a girl, but also now he becomes a laughing stock because he has no idea that all this time he shares a bedroom with a girl. Funnily he also reminds her to be careful since he knows Mo Seol has been waiting to get at her. He tells her how Mo Seol likes their boss, but boss’s fave is always her. Mo Seol opens the door to pick her up right after Tae Pyung finishes his sentences, telling her that now every of her moves is gonna be watched and reported.
In the class next day Mo Seol teaches about the Hanja encryption, how meaningless individual words can be formed into a whole different word when they’re combined together. Somehow the word “Love at heart/To secretly love” pops out during the lesson, brings back all sweet memories Moo Young shares once with Choong in the past. Moo Young’s determined heart for not to be swayed slowly cracks, after bits by bits revelation on how Choong actually still loves her, she obviously still feels the same for him.
In the sword sparring duel Moo Young beats out all her opponents, maybe because she also tensed knowing Geumhwadan kidnaps Choong’s mother so she stops hiding her abilities and shows all she has. The training instructor is so mad that a female member of the new recruits comes as the strongest among them and asks anyone who wants to challenge her to step forward. Choong coincidentally walks into the room so then the instructor asks him to spar with her.
Choong beats her almost instantly, gives her a hard time she doesn’t even have chance to fight him back. As if he wants to tell her that if what he wants is to hurt her, it’ll be so easy. He can do that openly and publicly, no sneaking from behind, no lying with whatever reasons. Moo Young doesn’t mind that he’s angry, she accepts and understands why. There are lines not to be crossed even when revenge needs to be done, and do a harmful thing to innocent people is one of them, Choong’s mother is a perfect example for that case.
Moo Young finds out that now she really is being watched, there’s nothing she can do to contact Geumhwadan. She’s followed and observed wherever she goes and Geumhwadan wonders why. Finally Boo Chi admits that he kidnaps Choong’s mother as a hostage, So Sa Bun at first disagrees with what he does but then the umbrella maker convinces them that Boo Chi’s plan might help them. They though think that Choong tries to get them with princess as his bait, but then So Sa Bun decides that they’ll exchange Choong’s mother with princess to get her out from Joye.
Meanwhile Nam Saeng and Choong both discuss about Moo Young in separate places, Nam Saeng with his assistant and Choong with Tae Pyung and the training instructor. Nam Saeng wonders why Choong keeps that he has the princess as a secret from their dad, thinking there might be more important reason other than how Choong and princess used to be lovers. Nam Saeng starts to develop a scheme to put as if Choong has betrayed their dad, by secretly communicating with Geumhwadan all this time. After he destroys Choong, the favourite son of dad, he will fly high even more than Daemangniji himself.
Choong in the other hand tells his closest colleagues that Geumhwadan has his mother, so he won’t do anything to harm the princess. He tells them how things need to be done secretly because it concerns with his mother and princess lives, and they all will be in danger if the prime minister finds out they actually have the princess in their hands.
Desperate to find way to contact Geumhwadan, Moo Young sneaks out from her bedroom to ask for a favour from Jang. She asks him to help her send a letter to Geumhwadan, to arrange the release of Choong’s mother. Mo Seol reports this to Choong, who wonders why on earth Moo Young goes to king’s chamber at night. Mo Seol interprets Choong’s wonder as jealousy, and tries to comfort him by hugging him from behind. Choong however refuses the act, and calmly thank her for reporting Moo Young to him.
In the palace Jang discusses the emergency need of a chancellor with his ministers. The chancellor has to be someone who can embrace all parties, deals with domestic affairs such as starving all over the country due to fail harvests, moreover the threat invasion from Tang. Yeon as the prime minister surprisingly agrees with the idea, since he indeed needs someone strong enough to help him deal with the works while prime minister is busy blocking internal and external attacks to the government. The question is who will the prime minister elect as the new chancellor?
In a private meeting between General Yeon and Jang, Yeon recommends General Yang Moon to king as the candidate for the new chancellor. According to the prime minister, Yang Moon is the most eligible candidate among all the warlords they have now. At the end of the meeting, Yeon tells Jang that he puts out an order to search the princess in case she’s alive, an order which makes Jang laugh. He says if the princess is really still alive, she will come to the palace to kill him first. Yeon just smirks at the king statement, he has no idea that not only the princess is already in the palace, she also has met the king as well.
Yeon perhaps will get so enraged much more, if he knows that Yang Moon actually is waiting for the king after their meeting over. Together with Jang, Yang Moon plans a strategy to put Yeon down from his position as the mighty prime minister of the country. King and Yang will act as if they keep disagreeing to each other, to avoid any suspicion from Yeon, then secretly Yang will increase his personal army while Jang contacts Tang side, Geumhwadan will work from outside. Yeon will be surrounded and put to corner, without no one to help him, totally isolated.
In Yeon’s residence, Dad has his swords taking-care ritual with sons while they’re also having some chats. Nam Saeng says they need to start watching Yang, and Choong argues that Joye will stay out from any political conflict. Joye is an intelligence agency, not a tool to be used in politics, an opinion Dad so agrees. Nam Saeng can’t hold his temper seeing Dad always nods at everything favourite son says, pointing a fact how the same son once held a sword on daddy’s throat. I laugh when Yeon and Choong completely ignore that statement, treat it as if both think that it’s just one of Choong’s foolishness he made when he’s still young and naive.
Still ignoring Nam Saeng, Dad turns to Choong asking him what he thinks about Mo Seol. Choong knows where this question is heading to, but he pretends he has no idea with the question and instead asks Dad why with her. Clearly Dad wants to see him married and thinks that Mo Seol is a perfect wifey candidate for Choong. Choong avoids the question saying he’s now too occupied with Joye, which urges Nam Saeng to automatically argue him.
He half-mocks Choong, ranging from possibly Choong has somebody else at heart, to pity him on how late they talk about his marriage just now. In a fishy tone he says that if Choong’s mom here he for sure has already married, and if Choong indeed wants to marry perhaps he needs to contact mom soon. Choong keeps his mouth shut, worries Dad might suspect anything.
Of course good things always happen with bad guys. Nam Saeng’s right hand man reports that they followed the man who made contact with princess and found Geumhwadan base. They also found that Geumhwadan lock an old lady in abandoned hut, but have no idea about who she is. But Nam Saeng knows, she’s Choong’s mother. His father’s concubine. Jang’s personal guard meets Dal Gi at the gibang, and gives her the letter from Moo Young.
She expresses her objection at how Geumhwadan uses such dirty trick like that, and So Sa bun sighs, they will exchange princess and Choong’s mother soon. But then Boo Chi provides another idea, just as dirty as involving Choong’s mom, but they have no more choice. Boo Chi’s idea might gives them more winning point in winning the battle, an idea So Sa Bun can’t refuse. They will exchange princess with Choong’s mom, but as they get the princess they will capture Choong as well. Knows he defeated, So Sa Bun orders to send a letter to Choong.
Choong accepts the letter, and tells his friends the training instructor and Tae Pyung, that Geumhwadan wants to exchange his mother with princess. With one condition. He has to go by himself, and escort the princess to the destined place. It’s a trick and Choong knows that, but he’s cornered. Only after Geumhwadan gets him, his mother will be released.
Choong though is not appointed as the director of intelligence agency and went to war as an acknowledged general for no reason. He knows the Geumhwadan will divide their force, half to capture him and the other half to defend their base. He instructs Tae Pyung to ambush the base once the half of the force leaves and catch every one of them, and asks the training instructor to stay out from the mission. He will have to succeed him, if Choong doesn’t come back.
So then he calls Moo Young, and takes her to the destined place Geumhwadan told him, Choong exchanges her with his mother. All the way to the exchange location both of them quiet and deep in their thoughts, perhaps they know this is the last time they can see each other. Geumhwadan also moves from their base, exactly like what Choong has predicted, only few of them stay to guard their headquarters. Once So Sa Bun and his men leave, Choong’s agents ambush the base and catch every one of them.
Choong and Moo Young arrives at the destined location, where she has to cross a bridge so she can join back with the Geumhwadan. She immediately asks them where Choong’s mother is since she doesn’t see her around. Instead of answering her question, So Sa Bun asks the princess to come to them. Choong gently tells her to go, saying that’s all he can do for her. Keeping her save by pulling her out from the tiger den in Joye, and returning her home to Geumhwadan.
So Moo Young crosses the bridge and once she reaches the edge, a group of men come from behind and surround Choong, ready to capture him. Moo Young has no idea that he’s trapped in Geumhwadan dirty trick, while she asks the gang leader why she still doesn’t see Choong’s mother anywhere. In a shock she realizes Geumhwadan doesn’t keep their words, and even move further with capturing Choong. All the time Moo Young tries to persuade the gang to let go his mother, Choong watches her from a far with sad eyes, as if he wants to remember her forever before he gets captured and possibly gets killed.
Moo Young turns around and gasps to see Choong has already surrounded by other Geumhwadan, she almost breaks when she comprehends how Choong probably has predicted this but he has no choice but to surrender, or Geumhwadan won’t let his mother go. Scared with the knowledge she asks him loudly, “You knew this? You knew this would happen?”
Choong remains silent, he only lifts his sword and gets prepared to fight. He won’t surrender to them that easy. In disbelief Moo Young stares at her men, she once again tries to remind them that what they do is wrong. But her words doesn’t mean anything, she sees how Choong gets captured, after receiving so many blows and wounds all over his body.
Moo Young once again tries to talk to So Sa Bun about using dirty tricks towards Choong and his mother, but she meets dead end. Since she now is sure that talk won’t work, she then intimidates Dal Ki to tell her where they lock Choong’s mother. Moo Young then heads to the hut to free Choong’s mother and tells her the safe route to escape. She promises her that Choong will meet her soon there, and how Choong values the pendant his mother gave him long time ago. Choong’s mother smiles with that precious info and she turns around to leave. Both of them aren’t aware that Nam Saeng’s man is watching them.
After she releases Choong’s mother, Moo Young heads off to her next target. To free Choong. She finds him tied up in a hut, severely wounded, and barely stands on his own feet. She ties him off, then tells him his mother is safe now. She gives him a paper where his mother will wait for him, and Choong wonders why she lets him go. She replies that since she’s safe, she wants him and his mother to be safe too. She adds in a plain truth, that Choong would do the same for her, Choong doesn’t even try to argue because he knows it’s true.
Choong then asks her to leave, because he’ll get to go picking mom, but Moo Young stays there. She knows how badly he’s injured and it seems he can’t go anywhere that night. She’s right, Choong starts to groan from excessive pain and Moo Young can’t help but to do anything to ease his pain. She helps to put more pressure on Choong’s deep wound on his chest to stop the bleeding, but the pressure gives him more pain Choong loses himself. So Moo Young lays him on the floor, to let him rest better and then just sits there, watching him.
The next morning So Sa Bun has his first shock, Choong’s mother has gone from the hut she’s being locked up, and perhaps that because Moo Young sets her free, plus there’s another chance that she releases Choong too. In Yeon residence Nam Saeng meets General Yeon, to reveal the fact that Moo Young is actually Princess So Hee and he creates these lies to Dad, says that Choong actually betrays him. How Choong has been communicating with Geumhwadan all this time, and that he’ll forever choose the princess over Dad.
It’s understandably that this information enrages the General, especially when he remembers how it’s true Choong had once wield a sword to his father’s neck just because he wants to help the woman he loves. At the same time Choong wakes up from his sleep, and is surprised to see a lovely sight next to him. Moo Young actually sleeps just beside him that night, unable to leave him all alone with his pain and his wounds.
The sense of being stared at wakes Moo Young, and she jumps up to check on Choong. But then she just sits there, right in front of him while Choong looks at her with his deep sad longing gaze. The love is still there.
Cr To Naver
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