Hwang Se Hyung

**Hwang Se Hyung** was the father of Hwang Se Ryeon and the former Left State Councilor during King Jin Won's monarchy.

## Appearance

He had white hair that had black streaks, rolled to a bun with a red tie. He also had gray eyes and sported a mustache.

## Personality

Yoon Yeon Lee once said that he was contented with the power he had as the Left State Councilor. Having a weaker power base than the chief state councilor, she perceived him as someone who would not attempt to control the king if given the chance.

Outside his professional attitude, Se Hyung was apparently anxious and even scared of his own daughter, Se Ryeon. When ordered to dispose her maid, he instructed (almost pleaded, at the least) his guards to kill the maid, frightened that they shall die if they fail to catch the witness.

## Plot

### Fateful Encounter Arc

One court session, King Jin Won asks the chief state councilor whether he knows "Nabi". Ja Gyeom replies whether he meant a butterfly, the meaning of *nabi*. Se Hyung enlightens him whether he rather meant Nabi, a young gisaeng from Yu Hyang Ru. Upon realizing his luck to find out she is a dong-gi, the king immediately goes out of the courtroom to find her.

### Bridal Selection Arc

Following the eradication of the rebel army partly thanks to Se Hyung's efforts of enacting interrogations for caught rebels, the public's attention diverts to the king's bridal selection. Along with Yoo Dan Ah, his daughter Se Ryeon is chosen as a bridal candidate by Queen Mother Yoon Yeon Lee. After Hyun Bin is chosen as the third bridal candidate per King Jin Won's decree, the palace holds a banquet for them.

At the gathering, he and another minister listen at the compliments thrown to Chief State Councilor Yoo Ja Gyeom. He becomes wary of this, but his fellow minister advises him not to worry, since the queen mother personally recommended his daughter as a bridal candidate and therefore stands a greater chance of being the king's bride. The minister also tells Se Hyung to divert his attention to Hyun Bin after the king personally chose her seemingly at the last minute, rather than worrying about the chief state councilor's daughter Dan Ah, who is infamously known to be quite sickly and scandalous.

### Minister Retrieval Arc

Se Hyung exits the Queen Mother's chambers one morning and notices Ja Gyeom approaching his way. He merely brushes past the chief state councilor with a smirk.

### Persecution Arc

Immediately after the king has personally chosen Hyun Bin to be his bride for the royal wedding following the Queen Mother's paralysis, Se Hyung anxiously rushes to his daughter to tell her about the news. Originally, the Queen Mother had promised to choose Se Ryeon as the king's royal bride, only for her to collapse soon after, causing Jin Won to choose his bride himself. Amidst his panic, Se Hyung reprimands his daughter for apparently having done nothing during the bridal selection period to earn the king's favor. Se Ryeon calms her father and merely smirks at him, indicating that she had set a plan after all.

Following the indictment of Dan Ah for allegedly murdering the baby prince, Se Hyung visits his daughter in her chambers, who laughs loudly and revels at her success. As a final step before she achieves her ultimate triumph, she orders her father to silence her maid permanently. Se Hyung then anxiously abides by her words, thinking how his daughter is quite scary.

That night, Se Hyung heads out with his guards to chase Se Ryeon's maid. He nervously orders them to catch the maid, lest they shall all die if they fail to do so. As his men try to kill her, Se Hyung catches up to them and asks why they are not answering him, only to find his guards killed.

Some time later, Se Hyung visits his daughter in her quarters with a troubled expression. She assures him that everything shall be fine as long as he has disposed of the maid witness. She then confirms whether he has truly handled the rest of their plans, to which Se Hyung acquiesces. Suddenly, palace guards storm Se Ryeon's quarters to arrest him and his daughter. Se Hyung and his daughter are tortured for their implication in murdering the baby prince as confessed by the maid that he has failed to dispose. As conclusive evidence surface that prove their guilt, Jin Won charges Se Hyung and his daughter of high treason and orders for their execution. At that moment, they are drawn and quartered by ox carts, resulting to their instant deaths.

## References

1. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 45
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 67
3. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 2
4. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 46
5. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 59
6. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 60
7. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 61
8. ↑ *Twelve Nights* webtoon, chapter 75