Seol Hwa

* Older
* Younger

**Seol Hwa** is the daughter of Sa Baek Hwa and the foster sister of Yi Jeok and Yi Hwi after their escape from the palace. Affiliated with her mother's gisaeng house Yu Hyang Ru, she is also a member of Deung Ha Bul Myung, usually acting as a spy. During King Jin Won's bridal selection, Seol Hwa entered the palace using her mother's name **Baek Hwa** (뱈화) as a nursemaid of Hyun Bin to aid Nabi inside the palace.

## History

### Jeogwa Revolution

*Main article: Jeogwa Revolution*
In the midst of the Jeogwa Revolution orchestrated by the former king's consort Yoon Yeon Lee, Seol Hwa found two boys hiding in their house, one of which was greatly injured. She immediately notified her mother, who she bumped to along the way. Upon encountering the two, she asked her mother whether she should call the doctor, but her mother ordered her to call the guards instead. Jeok and her mother engaged in a brief argument, with the child defending his companion from Young Hwa's insistence to dispose of the injured boy. In the end, after Jeok's sacrifice of his own eye in exchange of having to kill Hwi, Young Hwa agreed to take the boys into her home and ordered Seol Hwa to call for a doctor to treat Hwi's injuries.

A week later, Seol Hwa found Hwi to have awakened from his recovery. Despite Seol Hwa's advice for him not to overexert himself, Hwi rushed out and looked for Jeok, whose hair had turned white due to excessive stress and the self-sacrifice he experienced during their escape.

Later, Seol Hwa caught sight of royal guards outside their house finding for the crown prince Jeok, taking with them boys aged 7 to 11 and with a mark on their nape. Since the latter and Hwi hid in their house, she informed them at once. Seeing that the guards did not take female children, Young Hwa had Hwi act as a girl, making Jeok the only boy in the household. Additionally, Jeok had only one eye and his hair was white, making him unsuspicious. At one point, royal guards found the three children, but Young Hwa's plan succeeded. Eventually, they were spared from suspicion, after which the guards left.

From then on, Seon Woo and Young Hwa devised a plan to keep the crown prince safe from Yoon Yeon Lee, which was ultimately to make Hwi the crown prince's decoy until they reclaim the throne. Amidst initial protests from Jeok, Hwi accepts this task willingly. As Hwi took the title of crown prince, Seol Hwa and her mother Young Hwa were to keep the secret within themselves, Gil Mu Jin and Baek Ho were to serve him with loyalty, and Jeok would serve Hwi as his liege until they reclaim the throne. Seon Woo also burned a mark on Hwi's nape, similar to Jeok's birthmark, to remove any trace that he was not the crown prince.

## Plot

### Fateful Encounter Arc

Ten years later, Nabi is visited by Yi Won but was immediately rejected. Seol Hwa then spends some time with Nabi in a pavilion of Yu Hyang Ru and tells her that he must have been a wealthy person judging from his physical aesthetic. Jeok then arrives from Nam Hyeon and Seol Hwa welcomes him despite his sudden appearance.

### Compact Heist Arc

One night, Seol Hwa welcomes a visitor at Yu Hyang Ru and that everyone else has departed, advising him to speak freely and comfortably with some members of Deung Ha Bul Myung. She then leaves them to speak amongst themselves. She then unintentionally interrupts her mother's and Seon Woo's conversation due to an ensuing ruckus outside.

On the night that Nabi was poisoned, Wol Young Hwa had a drinking bet with Yi Won. In line with this, she twisted her ankle a bit. When Nabi arrives, Seol Hwa is seen with Jeok taking care of her mother and tells Nabi that Young Hwa has already seen a physician.

### Revolt Procurement Arc

At a place near Yu Hyang Ru, Seol Hwa eavesdrops by the window and listens to the conversation between Nabi and Jeok. Nabi notices her instantly, but Seol Hwa signals her to keep it a secret. However, Jeok immediately catches her, telling her that eavesdropping is not a nice thing to do. She tells them that she only wanted to see the two ever since Nabi was taken off the gisaeng registers. He realizes that Seol Hwa became lonely and pats her on the head. Blushing, she denies that she did not get really lonely. The two then agree to include Seol Hwa in their "secret discussion". Jeok tells her that they are planning to sell Yu Hyang Ru to earn 100,000 nyang. Seol Hwa becomes surprised and tells him that her mother might faint at this thought.

### Rebel Army Suppression: Execution

As the royal army's forces launch a surprise attack at Yu Hyang Ru, Seol Hwa is caught by a royal guard and resists him, refusing to beg to a king who thinks lowly of his people. On the verge of being killed, her mother immediately comes to her aid and sticks an arrow on the guard's neck, seemingly subduing him. She orders her daughter to flee, but Seol Hwa collapses from her previous injuries acquired from the archers. As Young Hwa cradles her daughter helplessly asking for help, the guard she struck earlier impales her with his sword, before being stabbed afterwards by Hwi, who finally arrives at the scene.

Hwi carries Seol Hwa and escapes together with Young Hwa, who orders Hwi to go ahead and take Seol Hwa somewhere safe. Amidst Hwi's initial reluctance, he takes Seol Hwa to a safer location. He reaches Baek Ho and asks him to take Seol Hwa out of the chaos.

### Bridal Selection Arc

In the aftermath of the attacks, Seol Hwa comes to know of her mother's demise, Seon Woo's incarceration, and the rebel army's defeat, making her traumatized and motionless. At the rebel army's interim headquarters, Baek Ho becomes worried about her and tells Jeok how he wished for her to express her frustration. Since Hwi, who is closest to Seol Hwa, is not around, Jeok instead comes up to her and apologizes repeatedly. Afterwards, Seol Hwa cries and hits Jeok unceasingly, all while he continues to apologize.

Sometime later, Seol Hwa enters the palace under the alias "Baek Hwa", serving as Hyun Bin's nursemaid for her baby prince. At a gathering with the bridal candidates, Hyun Bin calls for Baek Hwa, who subtly greets Nabi. Baek Hwa then brings forth the child to Dan Ah, who sings a lullaby to him. Later, as Hwang Se Ryeon arrives, Hyun Bin asks for Baek Hwa to take the child away. Baek Hwa also secretly gestures to Nabi that she shall contact her in a while.

Later, when Se Ryeon approaches Dan Ah in her small herbal garden, Nabi stares blankly at Dan Ah, unable to notice Seol Hwa quietly sneaking behind her. Nabi reprimands her for entering the palace as dangerous as it is, but Seol Hwa tells her that she cannot just do nothing unlike the others. Besides, she assures Nabi that she is a mere messenger for the Crown Prince of Seo Seo to inform how his aunt and cousins are faring. Moreover, the palace people are quite busy and therefore do not pay much attention to her.

In any case, she tells Nabi to stop worrying and relays a message from Hyun Bin to Nabi wishing to summon Dan Ah to the consort's quarters. As they arrive at Hyun Bin's quarters, a flock of maidservants are gathered for what seems to be a merchant sale. Seol Hwa ushers Dan Ah to Hyun Bin's quarters, while Nabi stays behind.

### Minister Retrieval Arc

As soon Seol Hwa hears about Hwi's failure to meet up at the meeting point after they retrieved Seon Woo at the palace, she instantly rushes to Nabi's quarters in the morning. Seol Hwa chances upon Dan Ah leaving the room and tells her that Hyun Bin wishes to see her. Dan Ah tells the maidservant to escort her to her quarters first before Hyun Bin's quarters, but Seol Hwa insists to check on Nabi. Dan Ah sternly instructs her not to bend her orders and delay their excursion any further. In the end, Seol Hwa accompanies Dan Ah along the way, worried about Nabi's welfare.

Upon arriving at Hyun Bin's quarters, Seol Hwa grabs and asks Nabi what happened. With a sullen expression, Nabi tells Seol Hwa that she is "fine", which Seol Hwa obviously does not acknowledge. Seeing that Nabi is quite exhausted with all the burden he has to carry, Seol Hwa decides to tell the others especially Jeok about his misery, more so because he has never complained before despite his hardships. She asks him to vent out, to which he cries and admits how hard he has repressed his emotions.

For the sake of his revenge, he willingly accepted to perform arduous tasks, but, in the end, he still ends up disappointing and hurting Dan Ah. He regrettably tells Seol Hwa that he would have never given in to his selfishness if he only knew it would merely hurt him — especially Dan Ah — so much in the future.

### Persecution Arc

Due to the Queen Mother's sudden illness and the baby prince's tragic death, the palace gates are shut closed. People inside the palace are prohibited to leave until the culprit behind the baby prince's poisoning is found, leaving Seol Hwa and Nabi trapped within their enemy ground.

Some time later, Nabi reads a letter from Jeok, while Seol Hwa tends to her wounds, which have worsened lately due to her lack of rest. Nabi promises her that she shall not die until they win their war, with which Seol Hwa remarks if she has then turned into an immortal. Eventually, Seol Hwa leaves some medicine for Nabi to apply regularly.

Before telling Nabi about the maid asked of her to look into, Seol Hwa also notices Nabi's paintbrush and ink stone both wet, inferring that she has might have painted recently. Nabi also claims that the activity has helped her clear her mind. After Nabi burns Jeok's letter, Seol Hwa asks her for their next course of action as secretly written by Jeok in the letter like a code. Nabi grins and gives Seol Hwa some instructions for their next plans.

Nabi instructs Seol Hwa to light a single explosive at the main gate during the night of their revolt, which shall be the signal to light the fuse for the others to follow. Seol Hwa reminds her that it is Nabi's task, though the latter tells her to do so in case anything untoward happen to her.

The day after Dan Ah's arrest, Nabi informs Seol Hwa that she shall surrender as the one who murdered the baby prince for the sake of saving Dan Ah. As Nabi reasons out her rationale behind her confession, Seol Hwa hits him and realizes that Nabi gave her the instructions before because Nabi knew all along that something would really happen to her that might render her unable to perform her task for the revolt. Nabi promises her that she shall not die until the revolt, lastly requesting Seol Hwa to look after Dan Ah by then.

Following Nabi's surrender, Seol Hwa informs Rok Ha about Nabi's confession that led to her arrest. Though Rok Ha plans to ask Jeok to revise their plan, Seol Hwa assures him that everything is according to Nabi's plans, hence having no reason to delay their revolt any further. Moreover, as the one who shall light the fuse, Seol Hwa promises him that she shall not fail her task as vengeance for her mother. As Rok Ha leaves to tell Jeok about the news, Seol Hwa worries for Nabi and hopes for her safety until the revolt.

Following the execution of Hwang Se Ryeon and her father Hwang Se Hyung, Dan Ah is escorted and confined in her quarters, where the windows and doors are barred. Baek Hwa comes to her and assures her that Nabi is indeed alright, informing her that Nabi is also confined in another room like Dan Ah. After informing her that her father has been summoned by the king, Baek Hwa asks Dan Ah to immediately pack her belongings, afterwards asking her to call her by the name "Seol Hwa", the one Nabi mentioned before to place Dan Ah's trust on when the time comes.

### Crimson Moon Rebellion

*Main article: Crimson Moon Rebellion*
As the rebel army's revolt commences, Seol Hwa lights up an explosive at the west side of the palace per Nabi's instruction before. This then signaled the rest of the army to follow through, specifically at the east side of the palace. Afterwards, she heads out to the rendezvous point with the others. There she and Baek Ho are instructed by Hwi to look after Dan Ah as they are to escape the palace during the revolt. However, after Hwi sets out to find the king, Seol Hwa and Baek Ho find that Dan Ah has gone missing.

## Quotes

* (Referring to Nabi) "*Idiot! Dimwit! Dunce! Just don't die…*"

## Trivia

* It is highly presumed that her father is Seo In Seon Woo.

## References

1. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 0.1
2. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 0.2
3. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 88
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 89
5. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 2
6. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 8
7. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 10
8. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 12
9. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 26
10. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 44
11. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, part two final chapter
12. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 50
13. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 53
14. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 59
15. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 61
16. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 64
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 69
18. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 76
19. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 79
20. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 80