Summary
Things get more complicated than ever as Lee Hwi becomes the King of Joseon. What will happen to Lee Hwi and Ji-Woon?
This recap of the Netflix K-Drama series The King’s Affection season 1, episode 13 contains spoilers.
Read the recap of the previous episode.
Things are getting pretty angsty in the world of The King’s Affection — season 1, episode 13 starts with Lee Hwi revealing her secret to Ji-Woon by removing her upper clothes to show that she’s a woman. After all these years, she finally decides to reveal herself amid her most vulnerable state. Ji-Woon who is lost and confused still decides to treat her wounds first instead and put on her clothes while gathering firewood.
The King’s Affection season 1, episode 13 recap
As the night goes deeper, both of them try to talk everything out. Lee Hwi approaches the dazed and confused Ji-Woon. She tells her about her past and her with the late twin brother, the original Crown Prince, and how she turns out to be the Crown Prince. Lee Hwi asks if he feels resentment towards her where he quickly admits that he does feel resentment but not towards her; it’s for himself for not recognizing her sooner and letting her carry all the burden and hardships by herself. Ji-Woon confronts her fear by reassuring her that the person she is now is the most important and goes for the comforting hug.
Amidst the chaos that’s happening in the Palace, the two fall asleep soundly as each’s others shoulder in the forest. They even plan the future and promise to stay together. Well, characters are allowed to plan but the writer is the one who decides. So, let’s just hope their plan comes true.
The death of the King
Of course, we have seen this coming but it still, pain us when it happens. Someone pressures one of his servants to poison his herbal tonic. The ones he always drinks before going to sleep. Meanwhile, he is not the only one who comes for the Kin. There is another man who also has an unresolved business with him, our Kim Ga-On. He put his swords on his Majesty’s neck. Ga-On asks for an explanation on why the King helps him escape Seok-Jo with the help of Commander Yoon. So in the previous episode, they are not working together but it is rather an intentional help in the unintentional situation.
The King confront him with the truth. He explains how he fails to protect his good friend which is Ga-On’s father who is beheaded right in front of him while Ga-On is still a child. His sword drops after hearing his words how he tries to take his late father’s legacy by fulfilling their promise of building the world that they belives in. Just about time, the servant who brings a poisonous herbal tonic comes. Ga-On hides and sees the King drink the poisoned herbal tonic. After the servant leaves, the King calls Ga-On with his real name, “Eon-Seo,” and gives him the direction of his father’s grave as a way to resolve the misunderstanding. “You should visit him,” says the King.
Unfortunately, not long after that, The King also digs his own grave. He dies while coughing blood right before he sleep. Ga-On is looking surprised about what happened. The next day, the news about The King’s death is spread all over Joseon while Lee Hwi and Ji-Woon soundly sleep together in the middle of the forest.
Living the life she wants, really?
After separating his way from Lee Hwi, Commander Yoon becomes a prisoner. He asks for the water from the guardian, splashes it all over his face, and knocks him down. What perfect timing, Hyun comes to the rescue. He helps him to escape. Commander Yoon urges him to find Lee Hwi first because Seok-Jo is in the middle of searching for her while obtaining her bloodstains in the middle of the forest. Meanwhile, Lee Hwi and Ji-Woon are strolling the valley together. They’re heading to Mount Bukseong, the place where she will reunite with everyone. Upon seeing her bloodstains, Ji-Woon suggests she change the clothes first. He caught Lee Hwi looking at a woman’s jewelry.
Lee Hwi comes back after changing her clothes. She is back with the clothes she uses to wear; men’s clothes. “The clothes feel more familiar to me,” says Lee Hwi. Everything still feels surreal for her that after years living the life of someone else’s, she finally get the chances to live her own life as a woman. Ji-Woon smiles and reassures that once everything is settled down in the future, he will buy her pretty clothes and she can dress whatever she likes with all the hairpins and flowers. He also offers her a snack and asks her to wait a little bit because he’s about to buy a gorgeous hairpin for her.
Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan. A group of men wearing black clothes, which is no other than Seok-Jo’s people suddenly appears and takes Lee Hwi to meet Seok Jo and her biggest fear, Lord Sangheon. He asks her to come back to the Palace and inform her about the King’s death. Meanwhile, Ji-Woon who anxiously search for the missing Lee Hwi also heard about the King’s death through the villager and believes that it is connected to Lee Hwi’s missing.
Lee Hwi comes back to the Palace
At the funeral, everyone is shocked upon seeing Lee Hwi entering His Majesty’s final memorial service. She can’t believe what happens in front of her eyes. Now, Lee Hwi is all alone battling herself in the Palace. Lord Changheon protests the Queen dowager to punish the Crown Prince for attending The King’s funeral alongside Lord Sangheon who escorts her. But right about time, Lord Sangheon comes to the room and asks for privacy with the Queen, pushing Lord Changheon out from the room. His main intention is always clear from the start. To urge the Queen to crowned Lee Hwi as the King. He brings evidence of Lord Changheon’s data of building his army and colliding with the late King over the scholar’s appeal. On the other side, Lord Changheon is being betrayed by Hyun’s brother whose hoose to back put from their plan against Lord Sangheon.
Meanwhile, Lee Hwi seeks Prince Jahyeon, her half-brother, who secretly crying outside all alone. She reassures him that everything is going to be alright. It’s ironic how Prince Jahyeon, who is innocent and all I being framed because of the forces behind him. Lord Sangheon, on the other side, framed Lord Changheon and The Queen, Prince Jahyeon’s mother, as the King’s murderer. Not long after, they also take Prince Jahyeon. Lee Hwi confronts Lord Sangheon and asks about what’s happening with all the arrests. The next thing we know is that Lord Sangheon threatens Lee Hwi so she will take the throne as the King of Joseon, just like what he always dreamed of. He threatens her with the lives of all the people she cares about. From Ji-Woon, Commander Yoon, Court Lady Kim to Eunnuch Hong. “Do you wish to see how far I’ll go to make you the King?” says Lord Sangheon. “Take the throne. If you wish to protect the people you love, you must have the power to do it,”
“I was the one who lead the death of the King,”
Lord Sangheon’s guardian takes Lee Hwi to the quarters. Hyun appears and goes to escort Lee Hwi from the Palace. Despite the number of the soldier, he does not hesitate to put his life for her. Lord Sangheon stops all the fuss and warns Hyun to not interfere with anything by bringing how his brother, Lord Wonsan, is also contributing to the King’s death and appealing to the scholars. They immediately take him away. I hope that Hyun will not d-word in the series because my guts say so. On the other side, Ji-Woon goes back to the Palace to see the Crown Prince. Seok-Jo slaps him for aiding her escape out of his worries that Ji-Woon will get into trouble and inform him that his coronation will come soon. Ji-Woon helplessly runs towards the Palace despite Seok-Jo’s warning. It’s ironic how Seok-Jo is torn between serving his master and protecting his family.
Meanwhile, Lee Hwi Comes to visit Prince Jahyeon in the prison. He asks the truth behind his family’s accusation of killing the King. He also shares his fear that the greed of his mother and grandmother will lead to his death in prison. Lee Hwi apologizes upon hearing his brother’s fear. “I was the one who lead the death of the King,” says Lee Hwi while shedding her tears. She holds Jahyeon’s hand and reassures him that he will not die and she will protect him. He is the only relative that is close to her heart now.
The ending
So today’s episode starts by fluttering our heart to breaking our heart in one go. After all the things that happens, Lee Hwi decided to take the throne with one condition: letting Prince Jahyeon’s life and ensuring the safety of her people. Lord Sangheon greatly accepts her words. Meanwhile, Ji-Woon puts his life to meet Lee Hwi. The two finally stand in front of one another. He notices her wound and reaches his hand to check it but she flinches away. ” I am sorry, I am truly sorry,” says Lee Hwi. Ji-Woon helplessly doesn’t want to believe everything that happens. “But you promise that we will stay together,” says Ji-Woon. Lee Hwi warns him that he is not allowed to be by her side anymore. He begs for one more thing: treating her wounds.
Finally, after the heart-breaking encounter, the coronation of Lee Hwi becoming the King of Joseon comes. Kudos to Park Eun-Bin on becoming the first actress to play the roles of The King and wearing King’s throbs! Anyway, Lee Hwi walks towards the throne with a flame in her eyes. The moment she sits down by the throne is the moment that her revenge begins. “Let the morning assembly begins,” says Lee Hwi.
You can stream The King’s Affection season 1, episode 13 exclusively on Netflix.
