After last week's episode of Hwon holding Yeon Woo in such a romantic position, we continue this week with the same one, except they insert a short scene of Woon getting shocked at Hwon's action, just to show us that he's there.

Hwon shouted for maids to bring in candles and light up the room, so that he could see who was the person who dared to touch him. When the candles were brought in, he stared at Yeon Woo's face.

It kinda tickles me to know that he held her in such a position from the point where he woke up, to the palace maids scurrying around for candles, and until they placed the candles around them. 

When they finally sat up, Hwon asked in this scary voice why Yeon Woo was there and if their first meeting was also planned, "To seduce me? If not, then to strangle my neck with this hand?" The Professor of Prophecy came into the room in a panic and told Hwon that she's just a living talisman. Hwon stared at the both of them and asked, "But, if you are not a human, how dare you reach out and touch my body?" Professor gave Yeon Woo a shocked expression. 

Yeon Woo finally spoke up. She told him that she just wanted to take away the weariness of government affairs and the pain in his heart. Hwon asked if Yeon Woo touched him so that she could read into his heart, and Yeon Woo quickly clarified that it was because she heard him calling out a girl's name in his sleep, and she knew it was related to the pain in his heart. Hwon's expression changed as he told himself that Shaman Wol couldn't be Yeon Woo, for she had no reaction even when she heard her own name called, and that he needed to pull out of this. He ordered for Yeon Woo to be chased out of the palace. Professor was really angry with Yeon Woo and decided to shut her in a secret cell. Not even Nok Young could do anything. 

Yang Myung remembered the three thugs saying that, "It seems like the Professor has caught the shaman." Professor instructed the guards not to leak Yeon Woo's matter out, and after they left, he was dismayed to find that Yang Myung had come to find him. Yang Myung played around with him at first, saying that the Professor that the thugs were referring to couldn't be the History Professor and that the Professor of Law wouldn't personally do such things.

Knowing that he was cornered, the Professor of Prophecy cooked up a story for Yang Myung, saying that the Shaman was arrested on accounts of promiscuity. Yang Myung asked if she was sent to the place where expelled shamans were placed, and he lied that they sent her far away because she had evil energy. With no more leads to go after, Yang Myung left and ran into Hwon's mother (aka current Dowager) and the Great Dowager. 

Yang Myung saw that the both of them were going to visit Hwon and genuinely asked after Hwon's health, but Great Dowager felt that Yang Myung had ulterior motives. She asked about the vicious people gathering by Yang Myung's side and he said that he had nothing to do with that. Great Dowager emphasised, "As long as I'm alive, you will never be the King." They turned to leave, but Yang Myung managed to give Great Dowager a blow (or rather, many blows) by telling her that those people gathered around him because Hwon couldn't produce an heir and that he's going to live much longer than her.

He ended with a, "I wish for your strong health and longevity." 

I love how Yang Myung managed to make Great Dowager looked so scandalised, but this is also a clear sign that Yang Myung could ever waver. 

Great Dowager cautioned Hwon about Yang Myung, and hurried him to produce an heir. Yang Myung went to visit his mother, who had converted to Buddhism. As they sat down for a talk, Yang Myung looked at his mother with pride and said that she looked just as beautiful without any accessories. His mother admitted that she just couldn't shave her head even after converting, but was shocked when Yang Myung told her not to, "If His Majesty meets with an unfortunate event, then you will become the Dowager." His mother reminded him that he should never waver from his loyalty to Hwon. 

Yang Myung asked if she believed in reincarnation, "If there is another life, there is one person I wish to see again. I'm afraid that she will not be able to recognise me. I'm also afraid that this time round, she will not choose me. I'm afraid that even if I've met her, I will lose her again."

Aww T.T 

With the sad piano chords playing in the background, Yang Myung went back to the place where he and Yeon Woo had run through the coloured cloths. 

Woon sat with Hwon and asked if he suspected Yang Myung. Hwon replied that he's scared people around Yang Myung would intentionally make him waver. "The so-called throne…means that I need to view my blood brother as a political enemy." He sounded really down and tired, and suddenly recalled Yeon Woo saying that she just wanted to take his pain away. He ordered Woon to bring the registry records for him to check. Woon asked, "Do you want me to investigate if she's a spy…or do you want me to make sure that she isn't." Hwon closed his eyes and didn't reply.

Then from here, we have a series of people all reminiscing over Yeon Woo.

First, Yeon Woo's mother. She woke up from a dream, muttering Yeon Woo's name, and there, Yeon Woo was next to her. She fussed over Yeon Woo and told her to wear more since it's cold. Yeon Woo reached out to caress her mother's face, and reminded her to take care of herself.

Ah, I love this young Yeon Woo. She was sooo good with little Hwon!

Then Yeon Woo's mother woke up again, this time for real. Yeon Woo murmured, "Mother, mother…" in her sleep. Seol was really, really worried about Yeon Woo and couldn't understand why Nok Young would just sit there and think. She suggested in a frenzy that they should go tell Hwon that Yeon Woo was well, Yeon Woo, but Nok Young stared at her with anger and told her to shut her mouth or she would tear out her mouth. 

Omg that was scary. 

Next, Yeom. He went back to their old house and cried as he looked at it. He turned to leave but stop when he heard sobs coming from within the house. Turns out that it was Yeon Woo's mother, clutching on to Yeon Woo's belongings and crying hard. She told Yeom that Yeon Woo had visited her and that child must have something she wanted to say but didn't because she didn't want to worry her mother. Yeom tried to contain his tears as he watched his mother. 

Princess wanted to ask Yeon Woo's mother more about embroidery and went to her room, but was shocked to see Yeom carrying his mother back. He told her that his mother just went to the old home, and Princess's expression changed, knowing that his mother was like that because she missed Yeon Woo again. Leaving his mother in Princess's care, Yeom left to take keys. 

Third, Bo Kyung. She dreamt of the young her bowing to the then Crown Princess Yeon Woo, and woke up from the 'nightmare'. Hwon couldn't sleep either, as he thought about what Yeon Woo had said, wanting to take away the pain in his heart. The next morning, he asked the palace chefs if they had gave him the same stew soup again, and they answered Yes, thinking that he's going to praise them. However, Hwon gave them a glare and asked if they wanted him to die from drinking the same stew soup.

Sigh, back to grouchy Hwon! Bo Kyung heard the palace maids fangirling over Hwon's smile and pretended like she was fine with it. She went to Hwon's mother's quarters and told her that she wanted to be allowed to visit Hwon's quarters whenever she liked it, because there were rumours circulating in the palace and she didn't like it. Hwon's mother advised her against it, telling her that there's a female shaman placed as a talisman, and that Hwon's health had improved ever since. 

Argh, Bo Kyung is such a hypocritical woman. 

While Hwon was in courts, he kept starting his sentences with, "Pi," thus giving Minister Yoon's faction many, many scares because they thought he was going to bring up the matter of Pi Han Do (the guy who was supposed to be assassinated). The ministers discussed over this and were sure that Hwon knew something. Minister Yoon commented that he's just waiting, to catch all of them in a clean sweep. 

Bo Kyung requested to see her father, and told him to remove the female shaman. Her request wasn't met (seriously it just sounds ridiculous, even to me.) but her father learnt that Nok Young was placed back as the Head Shaman. He went to find Great Dowager and even though inside, Queen Dowager was thinking, "Who do you think raised you to this position," and Minister Yoon, "She thinks she still holds great power," the both of them talked normally. He requested for Great Dowager to remove Shaman Jang (Nok Young) for she was involved with the incident eight years ago, but Great Dowager was adamant on keeping her because she's the strongest Shaman right now and there's no reason why she shouldn't make use of that. 

Yeon Woo was brought out from her prison cell, and tied to a chair. A branding iron was removed from hot coals and brought near to her face.

I love this expression!

Woon told Hwon that he had investigated and that Yeon Woo wasn't a spy. If Hwon wanted to punish Yeon Woo, then he should punish him too for taking the girl's side. 

I always knew that I will love Woon. I wish he remained young though. 

As Hwon placed another arrow on his bow, he said, "I know, the dangerous one isn't her…but me." 

As the branding iron got closer to Yeon Woo's face, Nok Young asked A-Ri what she should do. Should she tell the truth so that Yeon Woo would be saved, but she would die soon, or let her live a life that's not even worth living. As the music and the acting build up to a high point, Hyung Sun came running in for them to stop whatever they were doing. Hwon had revoked his command, and now wanted Yeon Woo to continue taking care of him. 

Phew. 

Hwon asked a silent Woon, "Do you think that I'm bewitched, that I should push her away? Yes..I'm bewitched…but I just can't push her away."

Yeon Woo requested permission from Nok Young for her to go out for a while, because she wanted to clear up the misunderstanding between her and Hwon. She knew that she's just a shaman, and that she shouldn't cross the boundaries. Nothing taught her more than this near experience that she had.

Sigh. It's so painful to watch Yeon Woo being sad that she was nothing more than a lowly shaman, when in fact, she was supposed to be the Queen. 

She went to the rice paper shop to buy some paper. The shop keeper asked kindly if she was going to write a love letter, and she replied that it's a letter of apology. Suddenly, young Yeon Woo's voice rang in her head with the same sentence, "It's not a love letter, but a letter of apology." She left the shop and went to the coloured cloths…and guess who she met. Yep, Yang Myung. 

Yang Myung went back with her to the shop so that she could buy her paper, and she thanked him for what he had done for her. She asked why he wasn't wearing the monk's outfit, and he answered in his usual Yang Myung flippant manner that he was a fake monk. He's still unmarried because freedom's as important as the heavens. 

He noticed the injury on Yeon Woo's face and asked about it, "If you want to escape, just tell me." Yeon Woo replied that she's in a safe place and he didn't need to worry, when Yang Myung's offer to elope with her eight years ago rang in her head. She asked if Yang Myung was the King's brother, and Yang Myung was really excited, asking her how she knew.

His excitement died down when he heard that it was just her shaman powers. 

Funny how Yeon Woo's memories were like her powers that allowed her to pretend to be a shaman, but also prevented Hwon and Yang Myung from suspecting more. Yeon Woo asked if she could advise him something, and Yang Myung told her to go ahead. "Let go of the person buried in your heart, and open that place for someone new. Don't try so hard to hide your real feelings with smiles. Deceiving your heart and living like that…isn't it something that hurts a lot?" 

Yang Myung had tears in his eyes as he asked for Yeon Woo's name. Yeon Woo told him that she's called Wol, and as Yang Myung savoured the name, Yeon Woo thanked him once more and promised that she would pray for him a marriage predestined by fate. She turned to leave, and Yang Myung jerked out from his stupor.

Yeon Woo covered her face and bumped into Princess and her own mother. She apologised before walking off, and Yang Myung came chasing after her. Princess asked if she was his lover and because he wanted to get away quickly, he said yes and ran off. Yeon Woo's mother lamented that she should have seen the girl's face, "Maybe she's the same age as my Yeon Woo." Princess's face fell. 

I wonder what will happen when everyone else all finds out that Princess actually knew why Yeon Woo died…and I wonder if she knew that the reason she died wasn't because Dowager wanted to give her a chance to marry Yeom. Yeon Woo brought the paper home and wrote a letter to Hwon. At night, she went into Hwon's quarters again but was shocked to find him awake.

He declared that he would never drink the tea again and she should be responsible for taking away the weariness and pain in his heart. Bo Kyung on the other hand, fretted over the female shaman and decided to storm into Hwon's quarters. 

Hwon asked Yeon Woo if she could do it, and she asked for a chance to block the bad things from Hwon's life. Since they had an agreement that would last for a month, she would try her best in this month. Bo Kyung heard Hwon commanding Yeon Woo to look at him and quietly opened the doors, despite Hyung Sun telling her not to. She was worried when she saw Hwon looking at Yeon Woo with a gentle expression in his eyes. 

-the end-

I'm so sorry for such a late recap! I really can't wait for more developments or even a good huge conflict because right now, it's just a lot of rising action and Hwon's internal struggle with Shaman Wol/Yeon Woo. I wonder where did the hairpin go, the one that Hwon gave Yeon Woo, because that would be just the thing to prove that Yeon Woo was Yeon Woo! How exciting. 

I didn't take a lot of screen caps for this episode though. It seems like I went mad on the childhood and decided to be chill over the adult parts. Or maybe it's just because the episode wasn't filled with exciting/sad scenes all the way. 

I really like the conflicted Hwon and how he struggled with wanting to know more about Yeon Woo, and pushing her away. Kim Soo Hyun had been quite good at handling those kind of scenes so I'm satisfied, but there wasn't any scenes yet between the two of them that could rival the acting between the young Yeon Woo and Hwon in Episode 5 and half of 6. 

I've watched Episode 10 already, and can't wait to recap it:D

<3thoughtsramble