Cha Dol stares at her in recognition as the princess. Ba Woo (Jung Il Woo) enters and begins to pull the bag over Soo Kyung’s head. Cha Dol asks his father why he kidnapped a princess for a wife and his mother. Ba Woo doesn’t believe him. Cha Dol insists this is the princess he saw at the temple. Ba Woo remembers someone calling princess after he left the temple. He stares at Soo Kyung in shock. He decides to bag her up.
Vice Premiere Lee interrogates Court Lady Jo about the whereabout of his daughter-in-law. Court Lady Jo confirms Soo Kyung only leaves the household once a year when the goes the temple on the death anniversary of husband (Vice Premiere’s son). Court Lady Jo wants to inform the king. Vice Premiere counters that could tarnish Soo Kyung’s reputation. Everyone would know and she would be disgraced. Court Lady Jo backs off. Vice Premiere states he’ll find Soo Kyung.
Vice Premiere’s eldest son Won Yeob and royal guard commander report there isn’t a trace of Soo Kyung. They discuss the possibilities of who could have taken her. Vice Premiere notes he has many enemies. Vice Premiere tells Won Yeob to summon his private army. The Vice Premiere is confident he can make an excuse that will satisfy. He wants extra force if things go badly. He charges them with finding Soo Kyung.
Ba Woo has to know the truth and asks if she’s a princess. Soo Kyung (Kwon Yuri) confirms it. He apologizes for the bossam (remarriage kidnapping of a widow) stating it was a mistake. Soo Kyung demands to be untied. Then she says she must relieve herself. Ba Woo offers a chamber pot.
Outside Ba Woo tells his son to guard Soo Kyung while he goes talk to Chun Bae (Ba Woo’s partner).
Chun Bae wants to know if the widow is pretty. Ba Woo isn’t in the mood. Chun Bae says they only need return the widow to wipe that slate clean. They scout the house and are started by royal guards. Ba Woo bumps into the royal guard commander as they leave in haste.
The Vice Premiere isn’t happy when the royal guard commander tells him the king wants him to visit.
The Vice Premiere visits King Gwanghae. They begin discussing the treason of Seo Gung, the king’s mother. The Vice Premiere notes she tried to dethrone the king. The king counters he killed her father and another. The Vice Premiere believes the king must act not forgive. This angers the king. When he calms, the king asks about his daughter. The Vice Premiere lies she’s doing well. The king is sorry he missed the death anniversary of Soo Kyung’s husband. He promises to put it on the calendar for next year. The king admits guilt about his lack of involvement with his daughter. He wants to see Soo Kyung in person.
Outside the throne room, the Vice Premiere sighs. He sees Court Lady Kim.
Cha Dol offers Soo Kyung food. After a bit of nudging, Soo Kyung agree to be feed. She’s impressed the food is tasty. Cha Dol explains the dish. He slips and says his father’s name. Soo Kyung assures him she won’t tell anyone. Soo Kyung asks about his mother. Cha Dol explains his mother ran away after falling in love with his father’s friend. Soo Kyung assures she won’t tell his father she knows this. Cha Dol offers to untie her hands if she won’t run away.
The Vice Premiere notes Court Lady Kim blocked the release of the king’s mother. The Vice Premiere flatters her that she’s the one that knows what the king is thinking. He asks why the king wants to see his daughter. Court Lady Kim doesn’t consider the request unusual. She noticed the Vice Premiere face and asks if anything is wrong. The Vice Premiere denies it.
The royal guard commander offers a reward for anyone with information.
Chun Bae can’t believe they kidnapped the princess. Ba Woo wonders if he would kill her. Chun Bae declares Ba Woo isn’t that kind of man. Ba Woo points out if they get caught, they are dead. Chun Bae points out the princess did nothing wrong. The notice the royals guard and assume they are being hunted.
The royal guard commander reports there have been several bossams lately and some men are paid to provide a widow by the bridegroom. Won Yeob confirms he’s heard report of bossam at his stations but their investigation hasn’t found the culprits yet. The royal guard commander admits the villagers he’s interrogating aren’t identifying who the men are. It will take time. Won Yeob agrees it will take up to 2 days to find Soo Kyung. The Vice Premiere says she must be found by tomorrow because the king plans to visit his daughter. Won Yeob asks his father what he’ll do if they can’t find Soo Kyung in time.
Soo Kyung helps Cha Dol mend some fabric after she decides not to untie her feet. Ba Woo returns home and is surprised to hear laughter. He spies and sees Cha Dol and Soo Kyung playing a game. He listens to Cha Dol suggest she become his mother. His father may be a bit rough, but he’s nice. Cha Dol states his father hates pretty women because of his mother. Irked, Ba Woo strides into the house. He scolds Cha Dol for untying the princess. Soo Kyung tries interfere but Ba Woo demands his son kneel with his hands over his head in punishment. Ba Woo tells Soo Kyung he doesn’t trust men. He warns her if she isn’t trustworthy, they’ll have sex every night. Soo Kyung doesn’t like that. Ba Woo grabs the bag and stuffs Soo Kyung into it.
Cha Dol and Ba Woo try and return Soo Kyung to her home. Ba Woo is shocked to see mourners outside the household. He approaches and learns that the princess committed suicide by hanging herself. Shocked, Ba Woo walks away. Cha Dol sees his father’s face and asks what’s wrong.
The Vice Premiere pays Court Lady Jo money to keep her mouth shut about Soo Kyung’s disappearance. She warns the king will make him pay when he learns the truth.
Back at home, Ba Woo wonders what to do. Ba Woo tells a shocked Soo Kyung that she’s dead. He explains there was a funeral at her house. He can’t return a dead person, so he had to come back to the house. Soo Kyung doesn’t believe him. Ba Woo informs her she committed suicide because she couldn’t get over her husband’s death. Now she is considered a virtuous widow. Cha Dol doesn’t understand how there can be a funeral without a dead person. Ba Woo states there is a life where someone is alive but dead. Soo Kyung wants to see her father. She promises he won’t be punished. Ba Woo retorts he trusts the king even less than he trusts pretty women.
The king and Soo Kyung’s mother Royal Consort Soui arrive at Vice Premiere’s home. They see the funeral table. Royal Consort Soui demands to see her daughter’s face. The Vice Premiere states her daughter didn’t have a peaceful death so seeing her would be upsetting. Royal Consort Soui doesn’t care. The Vice Premiere presses that her daughter wouldn’t want to be seen like that. Royal Consort Soui doesn’t care. The Vice Premiere points out the body is washed and covered. Seeing it would break etiquette. He implores the king. King Gwanghae tells Royal Consort Soui that it is better to let their daughter go peacefully. Royal Consort Soui faints.
Vice Premiere tells the king to punish him. The king assumes the Vice Premiere is grieving just like him. Royal Consort Soui doesn’t believe that their daughter would commit suicide. The king tries to calm her. Royal Consort Soui demands to see Court Lady Jo.
Royal Consort Soui asks Court Lady Jo if her daughter committed suicide. Court Lady Jo confirms it. Royal Consort Soui cries. How lonely her daughter must have felt to do this? How she walked this final road without her mother. Court Lady Jo begs to be killed for her negligence.
Ba Woo watches Soo Kyung and Cha Dol sleep.
Before leaving the house, the Vice Premiere warns if Court Lady Jo doesn’t keep her mouth shut, he’ll kill her mother and brother. He orders her to live with Haeindang Lee (who Soo Kyung calls Aunt).
With tears in her eyes, Court Lady Jo makes her way to her next household. She’s surprised when the Sam Wol is there. Sam Wol says she got orders to serve in this house too. Court Lady Jo retorts Sam Wol’s orders are likely to watch her. Sam Wol admits she’d prefer to serve the Vice Premiere’s young son. Court Lady Jo asks where he is. Sam Wol states he’s on a trip.
Lee Dae Yeob (Shin Hyun Soo) is relaxing when an express messenger takes a break and sits at his table. Dae Yeob cajoles the man to show him the message. He’s shocked when he reads that Soo Kyung is dead by suicide. He demands to know if this is true. The messenger confirms it.
Racing back home on his horse, Dae Yeob tells himself not to believe it until he sees Soo Kyung’s lifeless body for himself.
Ba Woo struggles with the decision he’s made. Cha Dol wakes to find his father and the princess gone.
Ba Woo stares at the bag with Soo Kyung. He raises a sickle to kill her with. He hesitates and drops it. He can’t become a murderer.
Ba Woo goes to the village to find the acrobats manager. He makes an offer. He’ll sell a widow to him, if he takes her away when the acrobats move on to the next city. Ba Woo warns the widow will claim she’s a princess which proves she’s crazy. They strike a deal. Ba Woo assures him the widow is beautiful. He brings in Soo Kyung and Cha Dol. He tells his son they are leaving her here. Cha Dol protests. He tells his father he is wrong to do this. Angry, Ba Woo strikes Cha Dol. Ba Woo declares if Cha Dol doesn’t come with him, he’ll disown him.
Outside, Ba Woo apologizes to his son. He tells his son to go home. Ba Woo says he’s going to see Chun Bae. An unhappy Cha Dol leaves. Ba Woo stares at the building where he left Soo Kyung.
The acrobat manager starts to undress Soo Kyung. He says he can do anything he wants with her and she can’t stop him. Ba Woo enters the room and order him to stop. Ba Woo returns the money. The acrobat manager hits him. Ba Woo unties Soo Kyung and apologizes. She slaps him. He apologizes for taking so long to come to the right decision. He promises he’ll take her to her father. He says they should go home for now. Soo Kyung sobs in relief.
Dae Yeob arrives home and runs to where Soo Kyung’s body is. He asks Won Yeob if Soo Kyung’s body is here. He makes to go to her. Won Yeob tells him to stop. Dae Yeob declares if he can’t see her body for himself, he won’t believe it. He stares at the casket in shock. Dae Yeob’s father, the Vice Premiere, orders him to stop. He slaps Dae Yeob and order Won Yeob to take him out. Dae Yeob calls for Court Lady Jo.
Dae Yeob rushes to Court Lady Jo and demands to know how this could happen. Court Lady Jo begs to be killed and falls to her knees. Livid, Dae Yeob yells at her. Haeindang Lee intervenes and scolds Dae Yeob for yelling at Court Lady Jo. She points out Court Lady Jo is grieving and loved Soo Kyung too. She says no one can understand why this happened, but they must accept it.
When Dae Yeob leaves the house, Won Yeob suggests they all find closure. A desolate Dae Yeob watches his brother walk away. Court Lady Jo calls to him.
Cha Dol is surprised and pleased when Soo Kyung returns with Ba Woo. He tells his son they must pack so they can leave town after they return the princess. The threesome walks together. As they walk through town the royal guard commander spots Soo Kyung. The threesome runs. The royal guards pursue.
The threesome ends up in a hut where they overheard two royal guards say their orders are to kill once they find them. The shocked threesome looks at each other in disbelief. One guard hones in on the hut. He opens the door. He sees the threesome.
Just as he’s about to strike them with his sword, Dae Yeob arrives and dispatches the guard. He looks in the hut and sees Soo Kyung. She’s shocked and rushes to him. Dae Yeob asks what is going on. Ba Woo and Cha Dol exit the hut and begin to walk away. Dae Yeob orders them to stop. When Ba Woo continues to walk, Dae Yeob puts his sword at Ba Woo’s neck.
My Thoughts
Love that Soo Kyung’s alive status was made known to Dae Yeob. Writers Kim Ji Soo and Park Cheol didn’t keep us waiting for Dae Yeob to learn Soo Kyung was really alive. The Vice Premiere’s plan to claim Soo Kyung was dead fooled the king and Royal Consort Soui. He shipped Court Lady Jo off to Soo Kyung’s Aunt and warned her he’d kill her mother and brother if she talked. Ba Woo had a crisis moment when he tried to kill Soo Kyung, but he couldn’t do it. Defeated he agreed to take her back to her father, then he and Cha Dol would leave the village. But the royal guard commander spotted them and the chase was on. The order to kill them shocked. Thankfully Dae Yeob found them and stopped the royal guard from murder. The plot is moving at a good pace. Director Kwon Seok Jang continues to light and create the scenes so that the emotion is captured. I’m enjoying this series.
Ba Woo (Jung Il Woo) couldn’t kill Soo Kyung. He thought he could, but couldn’t after he raised his weapon. He sold her, but couldn’t go through with that either. He apologized to Soo Kyung. She slapped Ba Woo for selling her to man that wanted to rape her. Ba Woo apologized again and assured her he’d take her back to her father. Ba Woo knew he couldn’t stay in the village without being severely punished so he told his son they had to leave. I like the flawed Ba Woo. We learned his wife betrayed him with his best friend. That was the start of distrusting of pretty women. He also distrusts the king but we don’t know why. I’m assuming he was referring to himself when he said there is a life where one is alive but dead.
Soo Kyung (Kwon Yuri) was almost killed and raped. She had a bad couple of days. But she did what she could which was precious little in a world where men determine a woman’s fate. Dae Yeob swooped in and saved her from the royal guard. She doesn’t see his feelings for her yet. She has chemistry with Cha Dol and showed some spirit with Ba Woo. She’s growing on me.
Lee Dae Yeob (Shin Hyun Soo) couldn’t accept Soo Kyung’s death. When he heard the news, he demanded to see the body but was reprimanded and turned away by his father. Then he railed at Court Lady Jo for letting this happen. Haeindang Lee urged him to realize Court Lady Jo was grieving too. Left alone by Won Yeob, Court Lady Jo beckoned Dae Yeob. I’m assuming she told him Soo Kyung was alive. He rescued her and refused to let Ba Woo leave and rightly so.
The second song of the OST is “Love Song” sung by Jung In.
I rank this episode as very good, 8 on a 10-point scale.
Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.
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Thanks for the quick recap and comments kjt.
I am enjoying most of the cast. Jung Il Woo being a thoughtful manly man struggling with his fate, while caring for his son, Kwon Yuri and Shin Hyun Soo relationship which could go either way… and the boy Ko Dong Ha. I experience the ‘Royal bad guys’ actors as overused. Kwon Yuri has a mature demeanor and talks back which I think is a good sign for her character.
I remember You From Another Star used the chaste widow prize device, also declaring her dead (and then she was). It’s curious to me how a rule like that gets started.
Looking forward to following your posts.
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Yup, DD I thought of the chaste widow award in My Love from Another Star as well. It seems the award is only given post-humorously … does this encourage in-laws to murder their widowed daughter-in-laws❓⁉️ They could have a prestigious award and no obligation to their daughter-in-law, if she were dead. Ironic how the chaste widow actually never gets the award herself … it’s not like the inlaws were chaste, as evidenced by the fact that they had a son.
I can’t think of a worse fate than to being widowed and stuck with inlaws, who mistreat you, for the rest of your life just because your husband died. It seems if there were no children there should not be an obligation to stay with inlaws. Adding insult to injury, Soo Kyung never got to consumate her marriage and now to remain respectable is doomed to never have a husband or children. I find this to be a horrible practice, especially when at the men were allowed to take concubines in addition to a wife. It was definitely a man’s world in Joseon.
I can see the need for bossam … more consented bossam to save these women. I 💗 how Ba Woo chided the first bossam bride to taking the time to bathe and dress up for the kidnapping … she definitely consented.
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Glad you are watching this one DD. I can see the potential in this series. The trinity – writing, acting, production – seems solid.
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I suspect that Ba Woo is from a noble family. His father and grandfather are dead, so he is likely a son of a traitor and officially dead. In reality, he is alive with a new identity, while his mother and sister are exiled. The wise monk seems to be aware of the situation.
So, Ba Woo and the Princess share the same fate: they are alive, even though they are declared dead.
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Seems logical. Would it offer them a path to be together?
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I am also curious about Cha Dol’s mother. Was she of noble birth and married to Ba Woo before he went into hiding? Or did he meet her after he assumed his new identity?
I remembered that the custom of bossam was briefly depicted in Chuno, when the elder jumo gets kidnapped by the neighbor artist and they get married. Interestingly, that kidnapping was also a mistake.
I love this song!
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Good questions, inquiring minds want to know.
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I just remembered that the practice of bossam was also shown in Chuno, even though it was not named. The two jumos (innkeepers) seem to be widowed, and both hope to be kidnapped by General Choi. The elder one does get kidnapped by the artist neighbor (even though the intended target was her younger sister) and they get married.
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