Everyone looked perplexed at the King, who looked to be controlling his anger by taking deep breaths. His fists were clenched and his face was red with anger. 

Suddenly noticing the look Lee Gon was throwing to the other end of the sofa, Tae Eul got up and dragged the King away saying, "Please excuse us, I need to have an important discussion with him."

Jo Yeong silently followed them but stopped when Tae Eul-iee gave him a look, after receiving a nod from the King, Yeong sat back on the seat sighing loudly. Everyone could clearly see the disapproval oozing out of him.

Away from the earshot of their kinda-over extended family members Tae Eul-iee smacked the immature King's arm.

"Ah! It hurts", the King said his earlier anger momentarily forgotten staring at the woman who dared to hurt him.

"What did you think you were doing ?", Tae Eul-iee said indicating the erratic behavior he was displaying just few moments ago.

"He was looking and touching my daughter, what do you want me to do. Just watch and...what bless them" Lee Gon asked incredulously.

Placing both her arms on his shoulder to relax him, Tae Eul-iee said, "I know, I too figured she could only be your daughter. I mean who else would love to study science? Anyway she isn't your daughter yet and whoever her mother is, she might have a different opinion than you."

"What?" Lee Gon asked clearly confused and said, "You don't know who her mother is?"

"How could I? She might be someone from the Kingdom clearly and since she isn't here, I don't know. Anyway that boy could be my son or any of the other members son. So, cut them some slack. That boy was just comforting your daughter."

"And you, were you just comforting me too" Lee Gon asked stepping closer to her, his face just inches away from her.

Looking away from the intense gaze, taking an unnecessary breath she nodded and left thinking, 'That shameless man he clearly is going to have a child with another woman and he still looks at me like that.'

The King stood there thinking, 'How in the world did she become a detective.'

While the couple were having their private chat, many thoughts were running inside the other members mind. Eun Seob couldn't stop thinking that they looked like what his parents looked while they were fighting.

Seung-Ah couldn't stop the sympathy she felt towards the handsome bodyguard while Na-ri started thinking maybe Seung-Ah is wrong after all.

Eun Ah and Wook seemed to have an inkling on what the discussion and the outburst were about and moved away from each other as the King and Queen gave glances towards them.

Shin Jae wanted to punch the guy, he really wanted to. He buried his face in his palms making sure not to witness how lovey-dovey they were talking with each other. Yeong decided to be a friend and not a bodyguard and give the Lieutenant a chance. If the King's expressions were anything to go by she was there to stay.

As they all settled once more, the screen started to shine once again.

Kingdom of Corea, Busan Main Palace

The Fall Of 2019

A helicopter is shown flying around the city. A woman and a man are seen sitting in the copter. The woman is the Prime Minister Koo Seo-ryung. After checking some news she leans on the seat looking outside her window.

'Maybe she is the woman that man...is going to end up with' the Lieutenant thought glancing silently at the King who was for some reason pouting beside her.

Na-ri let out a squeal on finding out the Kingdom of Corea had a female Prime Minister.

She has to undergo a pat down as the metal wire in her dress sets off the alarm. "Yes, I'm caught today as well."

Shin Jae let out a silent whistle, making everyone.He made a face depicting 'What?'.

"Hyung[1] did you just notice a girl for the first time in your life" Eun Seob-ah asked with Tae Eul-iee nodding with him in excitement. "No!No!" Shin Jae replied horrified that even Tae Eul thought that.

"I just meant that she is lying through her teeth, it's obvious she is hiding a wire[2] on her."

 The King and Yeong nodded at his reply agreeing with him, they couldn't do anything to her as the King should not involve himself in politics and that woman was a viper with a smile. 

'Eun Seob and Tae Eul frowned in disappointment on hearing his explanation.'

"Prime Minister, please step up onto the platform. I need to do an additional pat-down search." She is being inspected by the female security guard.

The royal red dragon robe is shown. A man is shown getting his cloth put on him. A whip with the Kingdom's symbol is shown. He is Lee Gon.

"He is handsome" Na-ri said dreamily as Seung-Ah agreed with her. Eun Ah let out a disgusted scoff. It had been so many years and it was still weird for her to hear other women call her dad handsome.

The scar on his right side is shown as he is seen standing in front of a huge three way mirror in breeches[3]. As the guy doing his buttons gets near the scar the Emperor holds his hand suddenly preventing him from touching it as Yeong who is there as well, does the same.

"I will do it myself" Lee Gon says adjusting his lapels and buttons.

"Are you new?" Yeong asks eyeing the guy. "Yes, sir."

"His Majesty does not like others touching his body. This may be a mistake, but if it happens again, it's intentional. Keep that in mind."

Tae Eul winced as she heard it, she had man handled him from the start. But wait a minute wasn't he the one who hugged her first. Tae Eul eyed the King sitting beside her in contemplation. He really was an enigma to her.

"Yes, sir."

Lee Gon smiles at the guy and turns to leave as Yeong follows him replying in his wrist radio, "His Majesty is going to the VIP horse riding course."

"I'm going to drop by my bedroom first" the King replies taking his whip in hand making Yeong momentarily baffled for some reason. Recovering from his shock Yeong follows the King.

Wook not able to take the weirdness anymore from the woman who would be his mother, point blank asked his younger version father, "Why do you look nervous? He is only going to his bedroom? Why? Why?Why?"

Everyone looked at him in concern as he asked the bodyguard with his hands gripping his hair looking in shambles. Finally connecting the dots Eun Ah stood up and escorted the wide-eyed teenage boy back to his seat saying, "He is just stressed, Don't mind him."

Lee Gon face contorted in anger as her hand came in contact with Wook but for some reason only Eun Ah saw. She ignored that man, he wasn't even her own father and he wanted to be a parent. She will show him what teenagers are made off.

The head Court lady No Ok nam is seen hiding talisman all around the King's place. As she hides them her assistant seems to be following her around writing down notes on all the location of the talisman.

Eun Ah seemed to be whispering something to Wook, who nodded glancing at the screen letting out a sigh of relief.

"1.Picture in the hallway

2.Vase next to bed....."

"We have to replace these every month, so make sure to write down all the locations. The first one is behind the painting, and it goes counterclockwise. And don't say a word to His Majesty" the court lady says to her assistant as continues to keep talking.

"Ah they sure are diligent!" the King exclaimed giving a look to Yeong who was suddenly interested in his footwear.

"Gosh, I heard this talisman is the most effective for finding a lover. What? Why aren't you answering?" the court lady turns around and sees the Lee Gon watching her. She jerks back a little in fright.

"Lover?" Tae Eul thought in her mind before clasping a hand on remembering the paper he was carrying in his wallet when she arrested him.

Clutching her heart she says , "I almost had a heart attack." Recovering her composure she says to the King, "I heard the Prime Minister came early and is waiting right now. What are you doing here?"

The King looks down to the talisman in his hand and replies, "These really seem to be effective. I guess they have the power to pull people toward you. Prime Minister Koo must be coming early every time because of these. She might actually become the Queen." He smirks as he waves around the talisman.

"Really?" Seung-Ah was amazed at the teasing nature of her King, it wasn't something that was normally advertised.

"Oh, that ..I mean...My goodness. She cannot become the Queen. You said you don't believe in superstitions. These don't have any powers--" the court lady says panicked at the thought of the Prime Minister.

"Wow, so no one really seems to like her in that timeline ah?" Wook said disbelievingly with a dumbfounded Eun Ah agreeing with him.

Keeping the talisman out of her reach the King replies, "I don't, but you believe in them."

"What?"

"You believe that someone might actually answer your desperate prayers."

"I have my reasons, you know. The Royal court is unstable more than ever. So, you know, you should get married--" saying this the court tries to reach for the talisman once again with failure.

"Same as always" the King grumbled making Tae Eul mutter under her breath, "You did marry someone."

Turning away from her exasperated the King replies, "I do not want to."

"It is the King's duty to produce an heir, and--"

"Stupid heir and things, always politics" Eun Ah said her eyes tearing up remembering her sister Min Ah.

"I am not interested" the King says firmly.

"How can you not be interested when you are so young and decent? My goodness. This is unbelievable."

The King looks at the court lady disapprovingly and says, "You are the very first woman to be so rude to me since I sat on the throne."

"She seems sweet" Tae Eul said smiling at the screen.

Lee Gon smiled at the thought of two of them meeting.

The lady looks here and there avoiding his eyes as he suddenly grabs her hands and throws away the talisman by her hand into the trash.

"Oh my! You are breaking her poor heart" Na-ri said remembering her own grandmother and her antics.

The lady keeps saying 'Oh my, Oh my' at his actions as he glares at the lady saying, "You shall be beheaded."

"What?" The lady stands shocked at his actions. The King smiling leaves the room saying, "Tell Prime Minister Koo we'll meet in two hours as planned."

As soon as he leaves the room the court lady crouches down towards the trash fishing out the talisman saying, "My gosh. These are really expensive."

Then the court lady turns to the assistant and says, "Let's put these clockwise this time."

"Seriously!" the King was baffled at the audacity of the elder woman, while all the other members stifled a smile on seeing the frustrated King.

A forest is seen with the King riding a White horse along with his guards along the beaches of Busan. 

They get to the Royal stables. Lee Gon gets off his mount and walks along with Yeong who is trailing beside him.

Lee Gon walking with his horse tells Yeong, "Yeong, I found talisman again. Yeong looks away from the King as he says that.

"If this was a channel in a television, I would be seeing it everyday for this sight" Seung-Ah said to which Na-ri happily nodded which two different but same men frown for different kind of reasons.

"There were 8 today. That's 51 in total."

"Really" Yeong asks disbelievingly.

"Why? Is it not 51? Did she hide more than that when you were keeping a lookout?" The King asks rising his eyebrows smirking at his unbreakable sword.

Unflinchingly Yeong replies, "I didn't take an active part in it."

Tae Eul started laughing at that making everyone look at her. Suppressing her laughter she explained, "That there didn't it look like something Eun Seob-ah would do?"

Yeong glared at her in return as everyone pondered over her words.

"Well, I'm going to reprimand you actively, so just wait" Lee Gon says scolding with whip in his hand.

Then hearing a sound they turn to see the Prime Minister and press people coming. Yeong bows and takes his leave. Gon checks his watch and notes that it's only 10 'o' clock. The Prime Minister taking off her sun glasses haughtily bows before the King with her assistant.

"Wow she acts the same but that smile is a little too much isn't it?" Eun Ah said to Wook who was scared at seeing the Prime Minister with such a big fake smile.

With a fake smile she says, "I know I'm here early, Your Majesty. The weather was nice, and I missed Maximus, so I hurried a bit."

Smiling she turns to the horse and says, "Hi, Maximus." To which the horse turns away from the woman.

Yeong smiled at the scene in the screen which Seung-Ah noticed. She didn't know why she kept noticing everything he does. He just is so dreamy.

Grinning at his partner horse the King tells the Prime Minister, "It doesn't like women and it's spoiled, so it bites people too."

"I can attest to that" Tae Eul replied remembering the way that horse wouldn't eat anything she fed it.

Eun Ah was confused on hearing this and accidentally said out loud, "But she loves you!"

Lee Gon was grinning on hearing that while Tae Eul was confused hearing that from his daughter of all people.

Even though Yeong didn't like it he had an inkling of what was going with his King's smile. Seriously was Republic of Korea's detectives that slow.

"Me too, I bite people too" the Prime Minister replies to the taunt.

"Can you wave your hand. They're filming us 50 metres away. The Royal Affairs Office thought a photo here would look great."

The King just nods and replies, "It'll be hard to walk together. Just stand over there. Your left face is pretty" looking at her shoes he further continues, "And next time, wear more comfortable shoes."

"You're pretty considerate" saying this she once again with smiling face does as he told.

Seung-Ah knew this was a all a publicity stunt all part of her job description actually. But seeing it like this is making her believe her that all fake things her job entails is something someone else completes believes.

She was startled as the boy beside her Wook nudged her in a fashion to ask her if she was okay. She smiled at him and nodded, something was seriously up with that boy.

"You shortened the state affairs report time down to half, so I had no time to change my shoes" the Prime Minister starts saying as they both stand to pose for the photos trying to make it look natural as they talk.

"Your reports last for an average of 18 minutes, so I believe 30 minutes is enough" turning his head towards the woman he says further, "Shall we begin then?"

"Should we shorten five more minutes since we're busy?" leaning in closer to the year, "Like I said in my written report, the country is peaceful, and the people are happy. And they'll be happier when they see our photo." The cameras are clicking continuously as the King also uses the Prime Minister's same tactics and speaks near her ear, "It is all thanks to you."

"Wow, I'm so sorry!" Tae Eul said frowning at the screen to the King. Lee Gon was baffled as to why she was saying sorry which was clearly depicted on his face.

"It's just that you look so uncomfortable, do they make you do this every time. I can't even imagine it. and here I thought she was the.....What what is there something on my face?" Tae Eul asked noticing the look the King was giving her.

The King opened his mouth and closed it a few times before replying in awe, "You are awesome." Tae Eul blushed at his words before ignoring him and seeing the screen.

Saying this the King turns to his horse but the Prime Minister starts asking, "I'm thinking of learning horse riding as well. Do you think I'd do well, Your Majesty?"

"When you learn to ride, this is what you hear first. If you have trained honestly every time, your horse will take you to the edge of the world. Prime Minister, are you honest?" Looking at the Prime Minister for a moment the King continues, "I received your report,  and we took enough photos, so shall we end it here? I have to get washed up for my next schedule."

"He does know how to be rude" Shin Jae muttered under his breath still upset upon the previous comment he received from Eun Seob.

Here Lee Gon has just finished showering and looks in the mirror ruffling his hair and he moves to wipe the steam in the mirror when he gets shocked to see Yeong there.

'Wow! No wonder his mother thinks his father likes the King. He is giving all the wrong signals for the right reasons', Wook thought in his mind giving out a huge sigh.

Eun Ah suppressed her laughter on noticing Wook's face, his face was surprisingly expressive in these situations.

"Oh my gosh!" Confirming that the person standing behind him was Yeong the King sighs loudly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! This is treason."

Jo Yeong calmly taps his watch, "You should hurry. You might be late. "

"You really are a creepy man"Eun Seob-ah said giving Yeong an accusing look which of course the unbreakable sword ignored. He really had the nerve of steel.

"What will you do if I'm late? And how long have you been standing there?" the King asks nonchalantly.

Yeong gives him a look before exiting saying, 'Do you really want to know?"

Eun Ah laughed at that attracting everyone's attention which she brushed it off as with a shrug and followed her godfather's example in ignoring everyone and watching the screen.

"You're getting beheaded for sure."

"This is when we say, 'You reap so you sow.' You bolt like this all the time. And I don't know if you've dug some kind of tunnel in your bathroom."

'Really, he just seems to always be there', TaeEul thought hearing these things is making her question everything she observed about the King.

"You know it's really weird to see your mom and dad not being lovey-dovey" Wook said to Eun Ah who seemed to be enjoying the conversation she was seeing in the screen. She just shrugged what could she do, she knew her mother would avoid the truth as far as she could.

"How can you say 'bolt' to your king?"

"As you ordered, we got rid of the term "single-parent family and the banners."

"Yes, good job. But how can you talk like that to your King? Everything here is mine" the King gestures agitated at his room and things.

"Get it? It's all mine!" Yeong nods at the King's childishness and leaves with the King saying, "You know that now, don't you? hey, unbreakable sword. Aren't you going to answer me? Do you get it now?'" The empty case which once hold the Manpasikjeok is shown.

"You are childish" Shin Jae remarked on seeing the scene that was playing, to which Tae Eul giggled at the outrage crossing the King's face. It was cute.

The event banner Fairy Tales Told By The King is shown. "Alice didn't even think about how she would return and jumped into the hole after the White Rabbit," the King wearing a traditional Hanbok[4] narrating to a group of children gathered around him. "She fell down and down." The reporters are all taking photos whereas the adults are all gathered behind the children who are seated in front of the King.

"This is my favorite book" the King said leaning towards Tae Eul said who suddenly forgot to release the breath she was holding at his close proximity.

"She was falling endlessly. She said in a loud noise, "How many miles have I fallen?" The head court lady signals someone with her eyes. Smiling brightly the King says, "This is my favorite book. The author was a mathematician too. How is it? Is it interesting?"

Eun Ah wiped a tear that fell on her cheek. She remembered many nights spent on hearing father say the same sentence to her.

"No! No! It's boring" all the kids yell as Lee Gon laughs at their response."I've never seen anyone talk so honestly to me since I became King."

 A little girl raises her hand and asks the King in front of her, "Your Majesty, do you have a girlfriend? This is what we really need to ask."

The King thought if that girl asked the question now would he have the same answer as before before glancing at the Lieutenant.

"Oh no! So even this young girl is worried about the royal court" the King says looking at the head court lady. Sighing the King replies, "All right. I know who ordered you to ask that, but I will answer you."

The King straightens as he looks at all the people gathered at the book reading and replies, "I do not have a girlfriend yet." The kids laugh at this. "Then you should follow the White Rabbit too, your Majesty" the young girl says to the King.

Tae Eul was surprised, the King was handsome sure and kind so she didn't know how he didn't have a girlfriend still.

"Should I? All right, then I guess I should keep reading--'Alice...'" the King continues to read the fairy tale as the kids once again yell "No! It's boring please!"

"See Na-ri I told you know all books are boring" Eun Seob said turning to Na-ri while she smacked him on the head lightly. "Oh you idiot! Those are the same books you read to your siblings."

"Really?"

Yeong looked somewhat intrigued when he heard that his doppelganger has siblings.

A charity event is taking place. Many people are walking in the bridge is a woman with short brown hair covered by a black cap, wearing a heavy jumper running through the crowds pushing people. Many people are cheering for the event that is taking place as the woman who is being chased takes a jacket placed on a chair and runs off. Few men are chasing her as the woman wears the rabbit jacket in order to disguise herself.

"Isn't she?" Eun Ah said pointing her finger at the screen to Wook who could only murmur his agreement. Although it was nice to see Eun Ah not in a depressed state anymore.

"Move it! move! Find her! Where the hell did she go?" the men yell searching for her.

Five-Six rowing boats are seen cruising through the water in a race. Each boat consists of nine members and the King is in one of the boats which is closely followed by the Royal Guard in a motor boat. The members of the King's team seem to be from the naval academy who are rowing with all their efforts.

"Long strides, Keep it firm. Navy Academy. The 88th class! The 88th class!" the chants motivating the Naval Academy members as they win by a margin with people cheering them. 

"You were in Navy?" Shin Jae questioned which received a nod from from both the men from the Kingdom. At least he wasn't incompetent because it looks like Tae Eul will not be his in this lifetime.

"The 88th class will take the rowing cup again" the announcer announces.

While this happens from the spectators, Yeong is shown walking inside a building with glass windows looking over the competition and checking the security. 

Here from the crowd is Myeong Seung-Ah and her friend, Seung-Ah angles her camera towards Yeong taking pictures and smiling. Her friend replies watching the competition, "Hey, men should wear a little and move a lot!"

"Hey, some men look awesome even when they're all covered up" Myeong Seung-Ah replies once again angling her camera towards Yeong smiling.

"Excuse me! Can you help me something" some woman whose face was obscured asked Seung Ah who nodded taking a final picture of the Captain and turned to the woman.

Everyone turned to look at Seung Ah who looked at the ground so that it could swallow her up. Eun Seob was now for the first time jealous of his doppelganger it seemed like Na-ri's doppelganger likes him.

Wook was grinning like mad, Eun Ah couldn't help but shake her head at the similar look of glee on her father's and her unbreakable sword's face. Men! Ugh!

Yeong replies to his radio the position of the King, "He's moving to the finish line." The Naval academy wins followed by UX construction and Zenist in the 2nd and 3rd place respectively. All the citizens are happily cheering at the results jumping here and there as the King and his crew hi-fi each other.

"I was awesome, wasn't I?" the King asked his future Queen to which she could only shake her head in exasperation. No need to give him a big head.

 A man is selling cold bottled water on the aftermath of the race yelling to the crowd, "You'll need some water later. Iced water for 1,000 won. I have iced water here." As he was trying to sell the run away woman dashes him into on purpose but makes it look like an accident to deter her pursuits leaving the man yelling at her running figure, "Hey! That crazy ! Damn it! I haven't sold any today yet!"

The crew members of the winning team along with the King are cheering themselves on the stage as Yeong smiles a little at their cheeriness. 

"You can smile" Tae Eul said in wonderment to which Yeong gave her a dark look. The King tutted at his unbreakable sword for that.

All the spectators are rushing towards the stage to see the winners as the thugs in the crowd are searching for the runaway woman. In the frustration a man from that group shoots his gun at the air alerting everyone. Yeong follows his instinct and tried to cover the King from harm as the other Royal Guards raise their gun at the man.

"I am really serious right now, okay? If you don't want to die, move aside!" the agitated man screams to the people on the ground crouching. The man-an accomplice maybe says, "Boss wait! Don't move. Stay still" in order to make his boss understand the gravity of the situation.

"These kind of men can cause so much damage with their instability" Shin Jae said shaking his head in disapproval.

"You idiot! How can I get her if I stay still?" the man yells at his accomplice as the woman in the rabbit jacket hides behind a wall silently listening to the commotion.

"Who is that?" Eun Seob asked which received no reply from any of them.

"What's this red thing on you?" the boss asks his accomplice checking his cloths yelling and jumping scared, "What is that?"

They both raise their hands in surrender as the soldiers with machine guns descend upon them. Yeong who is covering the King says to him, "We should get away from here first. Team One, take those jerks to the police." The King is looking at something curiously mesmerized as the rabbit from the Alice in Wonderland flashes through his mind barely listening to the Captain Guard giving instructions to the rest of his subordinates, "Team Two, let's the VIP away from here."

"You are going after the culprit yourself, why?" Tae Eul asked to which the King only said, "So that I could meet you." Tae Eul couldn't decipher what the emotion that was flowing in the King's eye was but it was pleasing as well as uncomfortable. Whoa! was it hot here or what?

Alice chasing the rabbit from the book is shown while the woman under the rabbit jacket uses the opportunity to make her escape. Yeong turns back to the King, "Your Majesty" only to notice him missing.

"Over there! His Majesty went that way!" Myeong Seung-Ah yells to Yeong as her friend tries to reel her in. Exalting a heavy breath Yeong takes off in the same direction with a pair of shoes in his hand.

"You have a hard job, don't you?" Seung Ah said remembering the debacle which was caused due to the King's disappearance back in the Kingdom.

Yeong suddenly looked uncomfortable at that question or was that from the who asked the question.

The King is running after the woman barefoot trying to catch her through the streets and pavements. He is determinedly following her."Mom, His Majesty is really following the White Rabbit with the clock" the young girl from before tells her mom on the phone as she watches the King from the bus passing through. They are still running jumping over fences and all relentlessly. The King looks around the glass covered buildings left and right with no sight of the woman. Disbelieving he looks at his reflection but he doesn't see some woman looking at him with sad eyes.

"It always happens like that" the King thought in his mind while Seung Ah tried to remember where she had seen the woman whose reflection was there beside the King.

Yeong catches up to him and says, "You have really good stamina. You rowed 2,000 meters and you ran like that right after. Why did you suddenly run like that?" 

"I just saw the White Rabbit with the clock" the King replies panting looking at their reflection.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you saw a rabbit or a clock?"

"Weren't you listening when I was reading Alice in Wonderland?"

"I was busy organizing my team's schedules."

"You really need some fairy tales in your life."

"And I think you need some shoes, Your Majesty" saying this Yeong places a pair of shoes in front of the King.

"This is like Cinderella" Eun Ah said to which Tae Eul started laughing with her. Lee Gon couldn't maintain his anger at the look of mirth reflected in both the women's face. He would gladly be teased if they could be laughing like that always.

The King pushes the shoes away saying, "These aren't my shoes" making Yeong look up at him.

 

 

 

[1] Hyung - Older brother mainly called by men in Korea.

[2] wire-  A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone.

[3] breeches - short trousers fastened just below the knee, now chiefly worn for riding.

[4] Hanbok - A  traditional Korean dress for semi-formal or formal attire during traditional occasions such as festivals, celebrations, and ceremonies.