Joonni: *throws confetti* The cute returns in full force with some forward romantic movement for our OTP’s, and some dangerous situations. It’s an episode full of win for our Gongmin team but as always, things are never that easy.
Softy: If this was an actual job, recapping is the best in the world. I freaking love this episode to death. So much cute mixed with some pain, but this time that anguish seems to feel less acute. cuz internally this guy is on cloud nine so even if he sheds blood, at least he is at peace in his heart. He was finally able to set aside his first love to make room for his current one.That my friends is called progress on an epic level.
Smile (Lovely Face- Eunsoo) (“Faith” OST)
Episode 12
Ki Chul reads the note informing him that Young is coming to see him, putting his life on the line. Eum-ja runs off, sensing intruders. Sure enough Suribangs are there. Eum-ja chases after them and is about to play his flute, but Ki Chul’s guards are also running around, forcing Eum-ja to stop.
Hwasooin reports to Ki Chul that it seems there are no more intruders and Yang-gak informs him that he has increased the security. Ki Chul wonders what Young is up to- it’s not a frontal attack or a secret assault. Young must be planning a robbery!
Hwasooin asks Eum-ja if there are any more intruders, and he shakes his head no, hearing none. She asks if there was “that guy” among them- the one with pretty eyes. Eum-ja looks annoyed so Hwasooin smiles and hugs his waist, saying, “Let’s go to Ki Chul. His eyes were twinkling.”
Ki Chul takes out Eun-soo’s diary, figuring that this is what Young is coming for. Hwasooin asks if they should order more guards to look for Young. Yang-gak suggests that Ki Chul push tonight’s travel to another day. Hwasooin remarks that since Ki Chul has the night travel on the same night every month, Young might know about it already. Ki Chul agrees. Hwasooin then wonders if they are trying to rob him while he is away.
Something clicks in Ki Chul’s head. Hmm…Young knows how to use his brain. Is he really simply trying to rob him while he is away? “It’s no fun.”
The two Suribang guys talk to each other and one wonders if this is it. The other replies that this is what Young told them to do- just pretend that they were secretly trying to get into the house.
Ki Chul laughs. He’s figured out what Young wants! Young wants Ki Chul to bring the diary and meet him. “Bring it myself or get robbed.” Ki Chul smiles in pleasure, enjoying this game. “Of course I have to go and bring it myself.”
The gay Suribang guy is waiting outside and smiles to see Young coming. He tries to put his arms around Young but Young swirls him off, telling him to stay in the spot and don’t move. Young doesn’t want him to get involved, no matter what happens. He just wants him to hide. The Suribang guy wonders why he has to just hide and Young replies that he needs to find something for him after everything is over. “You also have someone to take it back to.”
Eun-soo is riding rapidly through the streets and her hat and bandana come off. (Softy: Her hair flying like a hair commercial; Joonni: Hahaha! You’re hilarious Softy.)
Young has arrived at the location that Ki Chul is supposed to pass through on his monthly night travel. He sits and waits.
Soon Ki Chul with some of his men arrive. Young fights these men and kills them all. They all disappear like smoke. (Joonni: What?! Ki Chul has this power too?)
Young faces Ki Chul and jumps in the air to attack. They fight and Young gets sliced in the stomach. Young attacks again but Ki Chul has his sword on Young’s shoulder. Then when Young moves in, Ki Chul traps Young in his arms with the sword at his neck, forcing Young to stab himself to get at Ki Chul. Suddenly, Young opens his eyes. He had imagined this all. (Joonni: %$^*! A fakeout?! I declare shenanigans!)
Eun-soo runs into Dae-man and she asks him where Young is. She yells, “You’re always next to him. Why are you here alone now?” Dae-man cries that Young told him not to follow and Eun-soo sighs in frustration. She gets off the horse and starts to run but she trips and falls. She quickly gets up again.
Young waits until Ki Chul shows up alone. Ki Chul asks if Young waited long. Young asks if Ki Chul came alone. Ki Chul replies that if he didn’t, Young would not be able to acknowledge Ki Chul’s victory even in death. Ki Chul tells Young he heard that Young was coming to him, putting his life on the line. Young is amazed that Ki Chul still has a spy at the palace.
Ki Chul wants to know why Young is putting his life on the line to come see him. Young replies, “I have to put my life on the line to kill you.” Ki Chul asks why Young wants to kill him so. Young says he heard that the mercenaries (Chilsa) are in the city. He guessed that Ki Chul called them in. Ki Chul confirms. Young asks if Ki Chul will kill everyone who comes to the king, even if it’s hundreds of people. Ki laughs and replies yes. He is surprised at how soft Young is. How did he make it this far as warrior with that kind of sentimentality?
Young wants to know what Ki Chul hopes to gain through the deaths of hundreds of people. Ki Chul wants Young to guess. Young asks if it is because he wants the king to obey him. Ki Chul replies, “That would be good but there’s more.”
Young gives a dry smile and says, “What I thought was correct.” Ki Chul asks, “What thought?” Young replies, “If I kill you, the world will be a better place to live.”
Ki Chul laughs and asks where the trap is. If Young is putting his life on the line by waiting for him, he must have at least prepared a trap. Young replies that he gave up on that. “Using a trap means that I’m hoping to live. But to have that kind of hope, you are too strong.” Ki Chul asks, “So are you really planning to die?” Young replies, “I will ask you for the last time. Did you bring the diary?” Ki Chul replies yes.
Young attacks Ki Chul but Ki Chul has some awesome moves of his own and he is able to slice Young’s arm and leg. During the fight, Mae-hee’s bandana comes off. Young falls to his knees and remembers what he imagined before about stabbing Ki Chul through himself. He maneuvers himself into the same situation, except this time, Ki Chul lets go of Young before he can stab him. Young and Ki Chul end up face to face, power against power, and Young’s hand freezes.
They break off and run to attack each other again but Eun-soo runs in between them, yelling at both of them to stop. She holds a broken sword up, telling Young to keep away. She pleads for both of them to stop. Ki Chul warns her that the sword is dangerous but Eun-soo points it at her neck. She threatens, “I am heaven’s doctor. I know exactly where you have to slice to die quickly without pain.” Ki Chul asks her if she is planning to die. Eun-soo asks if he is planning to kill her.
Ki Chul frowns, his patience wearing thin. His voice rises as he demands to know when he is going to die. She should at least be able to answer that so he has a reason to let her live. Eun-soo stammers, “Fo..four to five years later.” Ki Chul wants to know by whose hand he dies and if the current king is still on the throne. Eun-soo replies yes. Ki Chul figures then, that the person who kills him is Gongmin .
Ki Chul speaks to Young. “You asked me what I am doing. Right now, I am testing if I can change the history that this woman speaks of.” He turns to Eun-soo. “If I can, then we will have a lot to talk about.” He growls, “So until then, take care of yourself.” Ki Chul leaves.
Young grabs the sword from Eun-soo and yells, “What are you doing? How could you jump in here? How could you dare to put a knife to your throat without any fear? Are you desperate to die?” Eun-soo retorts that the one desperate to die is Young. “You said you couldn’t win against him. What’s wrong with you? If you lose and die- is that the end? How could you only think of yourself?!”
Young walks off, angry, but Eun-soo calls to him. “I couldn’t run away from Ki Chul, could I? But I argued that I could go alone and told you to go away and that I didn’t you need. So you had no choice but to do this. Then if you died, I would have been the one that killed you.” Eun-soo takes a breath. “You know what it feels like to be left behind. You’re really awful.” Young stares at her, surprised that she knows about Mae-hee.
Eun-soo wraps up his injured hand and sits next to him. Young examines his other hand, which is still blue and icey from Ki Chul’s attack. Eun-soo gently tells him to stop rubbing it and she reaches out for his hand but Young pulls back. But our pushy Eun-soo has returned so she tries again and this time Young doesn’t pull away. She tells him that because he can get frostbite, he shouldn’t move his fingers until the circulation comes back. She gently encases his hand with her own, saying, “It would be better to put it in warm water.” Young looks at her in surprise and simply replies, “Okay.”
Eun-soo starts to blow on Young’s hand and Young, seeing her hair cover her face, starts to reach out to move it but she moves away. He tries again and this time he succeeds but he sees that she’s been crying. Young turns away in surprise. He says, not looking at her, “I thought it was the easiest thing I could do. I thought I should just try and if it didn’t work out, oh well. That’s how I always lived so it’s a habit.” He looks at her again and sees that she is still crying. He says, “Easily putting my life on the line that like- I won’t do it again.” (Joonni: *swoon* *squeal!*)
Eun-soo stops crying and looks at him. Young: “Don’t cry.” She nods. They look at each for a while then Eun-soo looks away. Young’s hand has warmed up. (Softy: along with the rest of him I bet.)
Ki Chul sits hunched over in pain and weakness. Yang-gak says to him, “I told you to not use your power and if you had to, you should use it briefly.” He wonders if Young was strong enough to warrant Ki Chul’s use of his power. Ki Chul gets into the hot tub and remembers how Eun-soo told him that Yuan won’t last long and she knows how he will die.
Ki Chul says, “She said I will die in four to five years. How is someone’s lifespan determined? Who? How? Can something that is already determined be changed? If the current king is the one who will kill me, I will change the king. If the current country is the one that destroys me, I will change the country. If it is the heavens that determined it, I will change the heavens too.” (Softy: someone give him back his hair pins cuz he looks awful and scary. Joonni: He looks like a lunatic. LMAO.)
Eun-soo tells Young, “Okay, I decided. I won’t run away again.” (Joonni: Oh, thank god!) Young smiles and replies that she thought well. Eun-soo says, “Then if I don’t run away, what do I do? It can’t be help. I have to fight. Isn’t that right?” While she is saying this, Young shoos away Deok-man and Dae-man who have been following them. Dae-man doesn’t want to leave so Deok-man drags him away. (Joonni: Why is this show so funny?).
Young asks if she can just stay still without running away or fighting. Eun-soo replies she can’t do that- just breathing and living. “I can’t do that at all.” She turns to Young. “So I was thinking, Choi Young-shi. Want to be partners?” Young: “Huh?” Eun-soo tells him that her goal right now is to get back the diary that Ki Chul has and Young’s goal is to protect the king from Ki Chul. Young confirms that for now, it is as she said.
Eun-soo figures that since Ki Chul is not just going to give her back the diary, the only way is for Gongmin to get powerful enough to demand the diary from him. “So our goal is the same. From here on, we have to be ‘partners.’ Repeat after me- ‘partner’.”
Young shifts his eyes and looks elsewhere so Eun-soo asks, “Are you really not going to learn any words from heaven? ‘Partner’- it’s not hard to pronounce.” Young asks what the word means and she tells him that its two people who have one goal, fighting together on the same side. Young smiles.
The gay Suribang guy tries to go to Young but the “D” guys stop him (Joonni: I’m just going to call Deok-man and Dae-man the “D” guys now.)
Eun-soo asks Young to sit. “I saved your life so can’t you do this much?” Young sits and she sits across from him. “If we are going to become partners, there are a few things we have to do for each other. First - we have to tell each other about everything. For example, like now if you are taking me somewhere, you have to tell me where and why.” Young tells her that they are going to the king right now so he can request that they place Eun-soo with the queen. Eun-soo is happy that Young is complying with the rules of partnership.
Eun-soo sits next to Young. “Second, partners protect each other.” Young snorts- “each other?” Eun-soo replies that she told him that partners fight together. “You can’t go off by yourself, without saying anything, to fight someone alone.”
Young stands up. Okay, he’ll agree to this. But the same applies to Eun-soo. She agrees and asks for a handshake. Young thought that the handshake was only when you meet or say goodbye. Eun-soo replies that the handshake is also for when people make a pact.
Young doesn’t want to do it so Eun-soo grabs his hand and forces a handshake. She teaches him, “You hold the hand firmly and shake it up and down.” He looks over at the “D” guys who are watching and giggling in delight. Young asks Eun-soo, “Didn’t you say we should help each other?” Eun-soo replies yes- “You protect me and I protect you. That’s what ‘partners’ are.” Young leans in- “Then can you help me protect my image?” Eun-soo notices the “D” guys. Lady Choi also walks in on the scene. Young and Eun-soo break off and Eun-soo clears her throat, understanding what Young meant. (Joonni: I don’t think I have ever laughed this much for this drama yet. Hahahahahaha! I’m so glad that our old Eun-soo is back.)
Eun-soo meets with Gongmin and Nogook. Gongmin says to Eun-soo, “I heard you left alone.” Eun-soo replies, “I was going to but I heard this guy”- she points to Young- “was is danger so I came running back. What a difficult night!” Gongmin asks her if something happened so Young answers for her, “Nothing much.” Eun-soo starts to say, “What do you mean nothing much? This guy…” She points at Young again but this time, Young grabs her hand to stop her.
Young informs Gongmin that they came to request that Eun-soo be placed with the Queen so her bodyguards can also protect Eun-soo. Gongmin asks Nogook if it will be okay and she agrees.
Gongmin wants to know more about what Eun-soo said about the future. What is this Joseon that she spoke of? Eun-soo struggles to be vague- “Joseon is this country that is faaaaar off somewhere in Southeast Asia…where a lot of “Lee’s” lived.” (Joonni: Joseon is the Lee/Yi dynasty.) Eun-soo stops her tale and simply tells Gongmin that truthfully, she doesn’t really know about the future. Young tells her to stop talking about something that she doesn’t know very well but Eun-soo continues. She says, “I don’t know if that future happened after I came here or if I know the future that happened before.” Young whispers to her, “Do you not hear me?”
Eun-soo retorts that she isn’t saying that she knows something. Still Young wants her to stop. Eun-soo stands up in anger and yells at him. “Can’t I even tell him that I don’t know?” Young is frustrated that she is telling the king stuff she doesn’t know. Eun-soo complains that this isn’t a partnership, with him telling her one-directionally what to do, so Young points his finger at her, telling her to stop. Eun-soo angrily pushes his hand away- “Stop what?” Gongmin, Nogook, and Lady Choi all watch this bickering in speechless surprise. Young clears his throat sheepishly when he realizes the show he just put on in front of them.
In her room, Eun-soo says angrily, “So…what do I have to do? Should I go in somewhere and live in hiding like I am dead? Don’t meet people. Don’t talk. Ignore people even when they are hurt…Should I not even breathe?! History? The future? Give those to the dogs because I want to live.” Eun-soo sits down. She has been yelling at a vase this whole time. (Joonni: Shenanigans!) Eun-soo wags her finger at the vase, pretending it’s Young. “What? Do you have a problem with my decision?” Eun-soo rolls around in frustration.
Deok-man is telling the other Woodalchi guys how Eun-soo put out her hand and Young grabbed it to drag her away. The other guys don’t believe that their daejang would have held the doctor’s hand like that. Deok-man wants Dae-man to support him but Dae-man replies that he didn’t see that happen. But he did see Eun-soo blow air into Young’s mouth when she was saving him. Not just once but many times! The other guys go into shock.
Young looks at his sword long and hard. He takes off the bandana and puts it in a box. Lady Choi comes in and says, “So it seems that Eun-soo made it on time- before you did something stupid.” She adds that she was surprised, though, that there was someone in this world who would be able to stop him. “Oh wait. She is not of this world.”
Young replies that because of Eun-soo, it’s gotten complicated for him. He now has to protect each and every person instead of just killing Ki Chul. Lady Choi smacks him upside the head. (Joonni: Good job!) Is he bragging about the fact that he was planning to die with Ki Chul?!
Young raises his hand to protect himself. “Do you know how busy I am? I have to first make sure that the people coming to the seoyeon (Confucian lecture that Gongmin is holding) are safe. Lady Choi offers Young her bodyguard group, the Moogakshi. Young tells her that they have to fight the Chilsa. Lady Choi says that the biggest problem is finding them. Young adds that the Chilsa’s greatest strength is their ability to hide.
Lady Choi remembers. Didn’t Young say that there was spy among them? Young replies that Ki Chul knew exactly that Young was coming to see him. Young wonders how that information leaked. Lady Choi’s eyes open wide. She said that to the queen. Young asks who else was there. Lady Choi replies that she will take care of it. Young tells her not too. They should use that spy for their own purpose. Lady Choi realizes that Young wants to use the spy to drag out the Chilsa. Young doesn’t want them to all come out at the same time, however. He can’t handle them all at the same time. She says she will take care of it.
Lady Choi wants to know what Eun-soo did to stop him. Did she lay out some heavenly law? Young replies that she laid out her life. His voice rises as he describes how Eun-soo drew a sword at her own neck, even though she said she hates the smell of blood! He sighs and leaves the room angrily. Lady Choi watches with her mouth wide open.
In her room, Eun-soo can’t believe that they want her to wear so many layers. Lady Choi offers to help. As she holds up the clothes, she says to Eun-soo, “I have a favor to ask but Young didn’t want me to, saying that because you are from heaven, you wouldn’t want to lie.” But Eun-soo is eager to help and her eyes widen. “So you want me to help by lying?” Lady Choi replies that if Eun-soo doesn’t want to, she can find another way.
Eun-soo suddenly sits Lady Choi down and asks her, “Do you remember your face in your twenties?” Eun-soo touches and examines Lady Choi’s face, listing the things she can do to make her younger. Lady Choi excitedly asks if that is possible. (Joonni: Even our gruff Lady Choi is vain! Hahaha!) Eun-soo laughs. She was just lying. See, she lies very well. She does it all the time! (Softy: LOL; Joonni: Plastic surgeons are all liars! Hahaha!)
Gongmin is drawing while Nogook is preparing the ink. He says to her, “There are only four days left until the seoyeon. They say today and tomorrow are the most critical days.” She assures that since everyone is on alert, everything will be okay. Gongmin is still worried. “He really plans to kill everyone who comes to me.” Nogook assures that Ki Chul will be stopped.
Gongmin continues. “Killing everyone who is on my side- how can he regard people’s lives so lightly.” His voice rises as he says, “What am I for him to kill so many people over?” Nogook interrupts him and says, “You are not the same as him.” But Gongmin still doubts himself. He is the one that decided to hold the seoyeon- he risked so many lives just for himself. Nogook replies, “Still. You are different from him.” He asks how he is different. Nogook replies that he can show Ki Chul that he is different. “If you don’t believe in yourself, the people who are working so hard for you…they become pitiful then.” (Joonni: I’m melting here. Gongmin confiding in Nogook and Nogook reassuring him. Love love love!)
The Woodalchi and Moogakshi change into plain clothes. (Joonni: And we get a little fanservice here. Teehee.) In voice over, we hear Young and Lady Choi order them to make sure that they don’t get caught or recognized.
Eun-soo is telling Gongmin, in front of the spy girl, that he doesn’t need to worry about Teacher Lee Jae-hyun and his students because they are not on his side and will later go to Yuan. Jo Il-shin crosses out Lee Jae-hyun from the list.
Ki Chul hears that Eun-soo has started telling Gongmin about the people who will help him or not. She is also not telling him all at once but one name at a time.
Eun-soo continues to give Jo Il-shin some names. She has a cheat sheet written on her hand. The spy girl leaves to report and thankfully, Lady Choi now knows who the spy is. (Joonni: Yay! *throws confetti*)
Ki Won informs his brother that the list of people Eun-soo is giving does not have the same people they ordered to have killed. But there is a name of a person that they did order to kill. It’s all very confusing for Ki Chul and his men.
Teacher Lee’s student, the one who was sleeping when Young first met him, is dragged away by the Woodalchi, and the grandmother is led away by the Moogakshi.
Eun-soo tells Jo Il-shin that in history, it was written that Gongmin took the people that he needed most and hid them in something like a “witness protection program.” Only one person knew of the secret location and that person was the king’s bodyguard. The spy girl goes off to report again. (Joonni: La! I’m so happy!)
The Chilsa guy goes to a man’s house and ends up killing him.
Ki Chul hears that people have disappeared. “The list that we had and the new list. Now we don’t know who is our enemy or not.” Now Ki Chul isn’t sure if the people he killed could have been on his side later. Ki Won reports that Eun-soo said there was only person who knows where everyone is hidden. Ki Chul assumes that it must be Young. Young is basically telling Ki Chul to send everyone to him instead of running around trying to kill others.
Eum-ja offers to go but Ki Chul tells him that he has something else for him to do. He wants Hwa-Eum to go and bring back someone. Hwasooin asks where they have to go- she hates all this politics and want to go somewhere far from the palace.
Young is there to escort Lee Jae-hyun. Lee Jae-hyun asks if the situation is that dangerous. Young replies that he thinks it will be. Lee Jae-hyun asks about the others and Young tells him that they have safely been hidden.
Lee Jae-hyun sighs and looks up at the sky. “I thought this when I heard that a new king was coming. If everything remained peaceful, there was no hope. But if there was going to be change, then blood will be shed.” Lee Jae-hyun feels sorry for Young- a warrior like him born into this era has to continue to kill until he is killed.
Eun-soo is taking in some fresh air. Young comes up behind her and asks what she is doing here. Eun-soo is surprised by his sudden appearance and complains that he doesn’t even make footstep sounds. Young asks where the Moogakshi are and she points them out. She tells him that she just wanted to walk alone. She assures him that all she did was just take a small walk. There is no need for him to worry. (Joonni: Aw, that shy and pleased look on her face!)
Young tells her he heard that she got involved. Eun-soo: “Oh, you mean giving away heaven’s knowledge? How was it? Did it help?” Young asks her, “Even if I stop you, you will keep doing what you want, right?” Eun-soo complains that Young is always serious and worried. She hits his shoulder again telling him he will get ill if he keeps it up.
Eun-soo twirls around and asks Young what he thinks of the new clothes. The queen gave it to her. Does she look like a Goryeo person? Young clears his throat and just tells her to go back inside.
Eun-soo sits down on a bench and asks, “How is this place?” She tells him that in her world, partners share a drink at the end of the day. Since there are no bars in the palace, they should meet here and have a drink every day, around this time. Young blankly asks, “Meet and do what?” (Joonni: Boy, you are so dense! She wants to see you everyday!) Eun-soo answers, “Meet to discuss what to do next and encourage each other.”
Young clears his throat again. (Joonni: Do you have some kind of phlegm problem? You’re going to clear that throat dry! ROFLMAO.) Young tells her that it will be difficult for some time since he is going to be busy.
Eun-soo stands up and says seriously, “I know. I am that one that said the only person who knows is the king’s bodyguard.” Young smiles. He heard that she lied and pretended very well. Eun-soo asks worriedly, “So are you going to fight them all by yourself again?” Young replies that it’s easier waiting for them to come to him then going around looking for them. Eun-soo asks, “Can you win if you fight?” Young smiles and reassures her. “If I fight properly, I don’t think I will lose.” Eun-soo sighs and nods. (Joonni: Goodness gracious. My mouth is going to rip apart from all this grinning.)
Young tells Eun-soo to lift up her skirt, while he grabs her leg. He ties a knife to her leg. She asks him what she is supposed to do with it. Young tells her to use it in an emergency. Eun-soo can’t believe he wants her to stab someone when she is a doctor. Young advises her to stab first and treat later. “You did the same to me.” Eun-soo retorts, “Didn’t you say not to stab if I don’t know how to.” Young tells her that he will teach her. He doesn’t know if he can come here everyday but if he can, he will teach her here. He warns her to stay close to the Moogakshi.
Before he leaves, she calls out to him and waves goodbye and says, “Come back soon.” He smiles and leaves. (Joonni: Oh my god, I just had a terrible thought. If this drama ends with Eun-soo going back to the future alone, she is going to wave goodbye like this and Young is going to do the same. OMG. What a sad, horrible, beautifully romantic thought. ㅠㅠ). Eun-soo’s smiling face turns into a worried one as soon as he turns away.
Young walks in on the Suribang siblings fighting. The man asks if Young is sure that everyone is only targeting him. Young is pretty sure. The sister is worried that seven (Chilsa) is a lot. The brother assures Young that while the Chilsa guys are good at surprise attacks, if Young fights them one by one, he can defeat them. In case, though, of a surprise attack, the Suribang will be there to help. The sister adds that the Suribang will help them only a liiiiiiiiittle. Young laughs.
The brother asks why Young is laughing. Young says, “(Even though you act that way) you’re happy to help someone.” The sister denies it but Young tells her to speak truthfully- he knows that they’ve been bored. The siblings deny it but Young continues to tease them. The sister just angrily says that she will give him food so make sure he eats since he has to fight. (Joonni: Aw, everyone is so gruff and rough but they all care about each other. <3<3<3)
Jang Bin is teaching Eun-soo how to read someone’s pulse the eastern medicine way. He stands up in surprise to see Ki Chul here at the palace. Eun-soo hides behind Jang Bin. Bin asks how Ki Chul got in but Ki Chul replies that he came to see Eun-soo. He heard that Eun-soo has been telling Gongmin a lot of information. He wants to know what he can do for her to do the same for him- treating her nicely or threatening her hasn’t worked. Eun-soo replies that she told him that if he gives her back her diary, she will try talking to him. Ki Chul asks if that is the only way.
Nogook enters the scene and yells at the Moogakshi for letting Ki Chul in. The Woodalchi show up and inform Ki Chul that the king is asking for him. Ki Chul says to Eun-soo, “I think you and I got off on the wrong foot from our first meeting. Let’s try to have a good meeting later.” Ki Chul leaves with the Woodalchi.
Eun-soo asks Nogook why Ki Chul came. Nogook answers that she doesn’t know since Ki Chul is a slimy snake. (Joonni: So I added the word slimy. Can’t help it.) Eun-soo wonders if something happened to Young.
Gongmin sarcastically says to Ki Chul, “My palace is like your front yard.” He asks Ki Chul if he came to see if there was anyone else to kill. Ki Chul replies that he only came to see how Eun-soo was doing. Gongmin asks when Ki Chul will realize that the people around him are not people who are going to be shaken by Ki Chul’s threats. Ki Chul asks Gongmin if he is sure. “I bet Young is running around, trying to clean up the mess you made with your words (about the seoyeon). Even if it is someone like Young, won’t he become tired of doing this many more times?”
Gongmin looks a little shaken. Ki Chul continues. Eun-soo is quite smart. Won’t she figure out who has the power to protect her? Gongmin glares at Ki Chul. He’s figured out why Ki Chul came today. He came to put doubts in Gongmin’s mind. Ki Chul laughs and informs Gongmin that he got a message from his sister, the Yuan empress, asking if the king is worthy of serving. Does Goryeo need a better king?
Nogook declares that she will do it herself. Nogook takes off her outer robe and starts to clean up Gongmin’s desk. She shyly asks Lady Choi want other women do when their husband is having a hard time or is troubled. Lady Choi replies that she doesn’t know. So she asks Gongmin’s aide who’s married, what his wife does. He replies that his wife prepares a wine table (offer alcohol).
Nogook wonders what kind of alcohol so Lady Choi offers some choices. Nogook asks if Gongmin will feel better if she offers prepares a wine table for him. The aide tries to reply that it’s not just preparing the wine but what happens after but he can’t finish such descriptions in front of the queen. He begs for her to take the question back.
Nogook doesn’t understand why the aide is reacting that way. Lady Choi urges the aide to continue. (Joonni: So our virgin Lady Choi doesn’t know either? HAHAHAHAHA!) The aide is forced to say that he and his wife go to “bed” together. Nogook and Lady Choi’s eyes open wide in shock and embarrassment.
Gongmin enters the room and he is surprised to see the aide on the floor. He asks what’s going on but Nogook quickly rushes out with Lady Choi chasing after her. Gongmin asks his aide, who is called Do-chi, “What happened?” Do-chi begs to be killed.
Hwasooin introduces herself to man called Deok Heung. She tells him that Ki Chul sent them. Did he receive the message they sent ahead? Deok Heung yawns. Hwasooin asks if he knows how to ride a horse. If not, shall they prepare a carriage?
Deok Heung reads out loud a Confucian(?) teaching that says that even though it seems like there is no road because of the mountains and streams, among the blooming flowers, there stands another village. Deok Heung leaves laughing. Eum-ja asks Hwasooin what the heck the guy just said.
The Chilsa have come to fight Young. They are fast, almost like they are invisible.
In another location, Eun-soo is walking outside, saying the air is good.
In the forest, another Chilsa guy is chasing a Suribang guy disguised as Young.
Three Chilsa attack the real Young and he kills all of them. He counts, “Three.”
Young is at a smithy. He says out loud, “Let’s end it here. You’re killing for money so if I die, it’s the end for you.” Young sits down and pulls out his sword. He says, “I know this person and for that person, the most important thing is living. But you and I don’t know that. For us, living is simply not dying. But for that person, it is different. That person is really living. Vigorously.”
One Chilsa guy shows up and Young kills him. Young continues to talk. “So when I look at her, I start to think- ‘what the heck am I doing right now?’” Young closes the dead guy’s eyes and counts four.
Eun-soo feels her own pulse, trying to learn how to read it like Jang Bin showed her.
Young washes his bloody hand with the rain. Another Chilsa guy attacks and Young kills him. Young counts five that he has killed so far.
Eun-soo is practicing some sword fighting moves when Deok Heung shows up. Deok Heung introduces himself as Gongmin’s uncle (on his mother’s side). He tells her that he heard she is from heaven. He offers Eun-soo her diary saying, “He said you would be glad to see me if I gave you this.” The Moogakshi pass the diary to her.
Young kills the sixth Chilsa but he drops his sword and falls to the ground in pain.
Softy’s Comment:
Cinderella got glass slippers. Most of us want nice shoes too, but poor ES gets a knife tied to her leg. I didnt know if I was supposed to swoon over something like that. on the one hand it’s romantic as heck cuz he wants to keep her safe, but on the other hand it’s sobering to realize she might really need to use that one day. I think what i love the most about this couple is they are just not predictable. You never know what they will do or say to each other and every time it’s something surprising. romantic, but still shocking. There is a saying about couples like this – if there is this much intensity building, no one knows when it will come to the surface and erupt. I am willing to bet good money it’s going to be worth the wait.
Written before it aired: Every night before a recap, I search for a photo to paste -something that will trigger an idea for me to write an intro. For the dramas I love, inspiration comes to me even as early as the night before. That’s what happens often for Faith. I get so lost in the characters by putting myself in their positions and see and feel things from their perspective. Last night when I saw this scene, I almost stopped recapping cuz it was so beautiful. As everyone knows by now, my bias for this guy’s side profile is unparalleled so I chose this cuz he looks like a camera director’s dream come true. But more importantly the look on his face evokes the range of emotion his character is feeling in this moment. He made a decision to do something that could cost his life and after all this time being so determined to carry out his duties, it’s like he allowed himself to pause and look back. For a brief moment, I think he was being human and might have been having second thoughts. When he confided that “there’s nothing for me to regret losing or to look back on,” those words were the exact opposite of what he was feeling. I bet he wanted the chance to do things differently. I just know he had regrets losing the opportunity to be more open with Eun Soo about his feelings. He let her walk away from him so she can protect him so he would stop fighting for her sake. I bet he even thinks this way she might get her smile back. What he doesn’t understand is that the reason Eun Soo was coming to stop him was if anything happened to him, she would lose her ability to smile for a long time to come. He already lived through that pain for seven years so I don’t get why he wants to put her through that as well. It sort of makes you wonder – why can’t he see that the price he is paying to protect the one he loves is just too high. In this case, it’s going to cost both their hearts.
Joonni’s comment:
What a fantastic episode. I think it’s the first time I swooned and giggled so much for this drama. Sad Eun-soo was no fun and now with both Young and Eun-soo with their heads on straight, I think we can expect some more swoon in the future.
The question of death is something that looms over this drama constantly and this is what I love about sageuks. Now with the addition of time-travel, that question becomes even more interesting as Ki Chul struggles hard to fight “fate.” Ki Chul has sort of received a death sentence from Eun-soo and so he is struggling to stay alive against that deadline. He fears death. For Young, there was always the danger of death so he does not fear it. But unlike before, when living had just been a journey towards death, life has a purpose.
I love how Gongmin and Nogook can now sit with each other and confide. Our beautiful royal couple has come so far! Now they should start making babies. I expect to see more of Lady Choi’s cupid activities.
Question: Do you think that Young fully comprehends that he is in love with Eun-soo?
Is it next week yet???
Edit:
Realized something deep into a sleepless night, thanks to SH‘s comment. The juxtaposition of those scenes between Eun-soo learning how to read pulse and practicing how to fight, and Young giving the speech and fighting the Chilsa show exactly how much Eun-soo really does live “vigorously.” Those scenes of Eun-soo also show her finally making a place for herself in this world, getting involved and willing to learn. Both she and Young are fighting in their own way to “live” properly.
Can’t wait for episodes 14 and 15… Ever since Joonnie mentioned that DH tries to take the throne from King GM, I can’t shake off the feeling that he’s going to try to woo the heavenly doctor, ES into a romantic relationship for power and leverage. I would love to see CY out of his comfort level and become jealous and show his true feelings? *Swoon… I would hate to see ES get kidnapped again if DH forces himself on her. This is just my guess…
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