Episode 1

Gong Jung-hwan

Park Ki-woong

Kim Min-sang

Choi Deok-moon

Le Ji-hoon

(more)

## Episode Synopsis

Goo Hae-ryung tells Goo Jae-gyong that she doesn’t want to get married. Yi Rim is curious about how the public truly feels about his writing.

## Plot Summary

In early 19th century Hanyang, Joseon, crowds of women swoon over *Moonlight Love Affair*, a romantic novel written by the infamous Maewha. Meanwhile, Goo Hae-ryung reads aloud the tragic ending of *The Sorrows of Young Werther*, disappointing her audience with the gruesome suicide of Werther, as they expect to be read romance and a happy ending.

Goo Hae-ryung is kicked out and refused pay. In retaliation, she leaves erotic novels (which the noblewoman prefers) for the noblewoman’s husband to find.

In the meantime, eunuch Heo Sam-bo catches a young court woman and another eunuch together. When the caught couple try to defend each other from punishment, a young nobleman enters the room and asks them to recall how they fell in love, eagerly listening and writing down notes. This young nobleman is Prince Dowon, the King Hamyeong Yi Tae's youngest son, and also the secretive novelist Maewha.

The next morning, Goo Hae-ryung is hurriedly woken up by her housekeeper, Seol-geum. Goo Hae-ryung is shocked to have overslept, and realises that her alarm clock has stopped working. Prince Dowon writes his new novel inspired by the court woman and eunuch.

    In bridal lessons, Goo Hae-ryung is one of the oldest students. When asked about the best day for a married couple to conceive a male heir, Goo Hae-ryung is rebuked for being too confident and outspoken, despite giving a correct answer. The students are told that a virtuous woman must hide her talents, and must not do anything good or great.

Goo Hae-ryung and her brother Goo Jae-gyeong sit out later that night and drink. Hae-ryung no longer wants to attend bridal lessons, but Jae-gyeong tells her that it is time for her to get married, saying that unmarried women are subject to punishment. Jae-gyeong is suddenly summoned to a meeting.

The meeting is conducted by the Second State Councillor, Min Ik-pyeong, who announces that a newly published book, *The Story of Ho Dam*, must be banned and all of its copies destroyed. He refuses to state why.

The next day, Goo Hae-ryung visits the apothecary, where he fixes the alarm clock. On her way back home, the packaged clock is snatched by a dishevelled child. Hae-ryung follows the boy to a house where she witnesses him being slapped across the face. She forces her way in and almost manages to take the boy with her, but is stopped by the thug's leader who says that the boy was sold to him as payment for a gambling debt, and thus is his property. Goo Hae-ryung is escorted out.

Prince Dowon, or Maewha, finishes his latest novel – *Moonlight Love Affair: Volume III* – and asks for an opinion from his eunuch and court maidens. They promptly become emotional and praise his writing, but he is cynical. Against the King’s orders, Prince Dowon leaves *Nokseodang* for the first time in two years with Heo Sam-bo to witness the reactions to his latest book himself. On the way out, the two come across the Crown Prince – Ye Jin, who is discreet and tells the two to come home at *sulsi* (7-9pm).

Outside the palace, Goo Hae-ryung asks bookshop owner Kim for another bookreading job, who refuses on account of Hae-ryung’s refusal to read romantic novels and angering his clients. Prince Dowon notices happy reactions of those reading his book and is pleased himself, until he comes across Hae-ryung, who yawns loudly at *Moonlight Love Affair*.

The two clash – Prince Dowon aghast and defensive at Goo Hae-ryung’s scathing review of his novel (“My heart cried at the waste of precious paper for this book”) and quickly exchange intellectual barbs.

> **Prince Dowon**: There’s a saying that goes “You only see what you know.” A pig sees the world from a pig’s point of view. The reason you don’t enjoy reading Maewha’s novels is because you know nothing about beauty.
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> **Goo Hae-ryung**: There’s also “Perfection can be found in sentences.” True beauty is not something you can see. Beauty is something that should exude naturally. It’s not something that can be forced out by using techniques.
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Goo Hae-ryung suspects Prince Dowon of being Maewha. In the meantime, Heo Sam-bo collects Maewha’s royalties from Bookshop Kim, and is pursued by two thugs who are after the lucrative opportunity to discover Maewha’s identity. Heo Sam-bo interrupts Prince Dowon and the two flee back to *Nokseodang* to escape the thugs.

In the palace at the Office of Royal Decrees, historians bustle at work. Officer Yang Si-haeng questions why historians Son Gil-seung and Hwang Jang-goon are back early from a royal lecture, who answer that they had been kicked out so the King could have an individual meeting. Officer Min Woo-won quickly leaves.

King Yi Tae and Second State Councillor Min Ik-pyeong discuss the new order to ban certain books. At the mention of *Ho Dam*, the King becomes angry, and is interrupted by the arrival of Officer Min Woo-won, who insists on recording their meeting, as per the law. The Second State Councillor exits and confronts Min Woo-won, and refuses to let him in or tell him what transpired in the meeting.

The leader of the thugs from earlier threatens Bookstore Kim after the failed attempt at capturing Maewha. The two plan to stage a meet-and-greet with a fake Maewha to get money. Goo Hae-ryung is recruited for the role of fake Maewha, and she refuses being bribed into taking the job until Lead Thug offers to give up ownership of the young boy from earlier. She accepts and leaves the boy in Bookstore Kim’s care for a few days.

The historians react to the order of banned books, while Crown Prince Ye Jin confronts Second State Councillor Min Ik-Pyeong about the dubious new order, taken aback when he finds out that the King had allowed the order to go ahead. Among the banned books – *The Story of Ho Dam*, foreign novel *The Sorrows of Young Werther*, and Maewha’s *Moonlight Love Affair* volumes.

Goo Hae-ryung reads from Maewha’s new novel at the meet-and-greet behind a privacy curtain to an admiring crowd while guards are dispatched to enforce the new rule. Someone lines up to get an autograph from Goo Hae-ryung, questioning her about a particular scene in the novel. He reveals himself as the real Maewha. The two are shocked to recognise each other.

## Cast

### Main cast:

* Shin Se-kyung as Goo Hae-ryung
* Cha Eun-woo as Prince Dowon
* Park Ki-woong as Crown Prince Yi Jin
* Lee Ji-hoon as Min Woo-won
* Gong Jung-hwan as Goo Jae-gyeong
* Kim Min-sang as King Hamyeong Yi Tae
* Choi Deok-moon as Min Ik-pyeong

### Recurring:

* Kim Yeo-jin as Queen Dowager Yim
* Heo Jeong-do as Officer Yang Si-haeng
* Kang Hoon as Officer Hyeon Kyeong-mook
* Nam Tae-woo as Officer Son Gil-seung
* Yoon Jung-sub as Officer Hwang Jang-goon
* Ji Gun-woo as Officer Seong Seo-kwon
* Oh Hee-joon as Officer Ahn Hong-ik
* Lee Jung-ha as Officer Kim Chi-gook
* Park Ji-hyun as Apprentice Song Sa-hee
* Lee Ye-rim as Apprentice Oh Eun-im
* Jang Yoo-bin as Apprentica Heo Ah-ran
* Jeon Ik-ryung as Mo-hwa
* Sung Ji-ru as Heo Sam-bo
* Yang Jo-a as Seol-geum
* Lee Kwan-hoon as Gak-soi
* Ryoo Tae-ho as Song Jae-cheon
* Kim Yong-woon as Gwi Jae