You know how people are born into a family with a name?
You are someone's son,
someone's little brother,
someone's cousin or friend.
Even someone's neighbor.
I was never something to anyone.
I was always alone.
As if I'd just
dropped from the sky.
Who on earth are you?
I must know.
DEAR HONGRANG
That is your decision? You wish to go with him?
Yes.
Do you have a specific reason why?
I have already told you
that I would do what I could to free myself from being at your--
You know that a birthright cannot be denied when you want it to be.
As my blood, you have a legal right to the guild,
which is essentially my legal right.
That is the law.
Which is why it is necessary for me
that you remain here.
Do you understand?
If I stay,
are you certain it will help your cause?
I want to explore.
I want to experience life as a normal person for once.
Please let me go.
I cannot bear to be here.
Can you not understand?
She actually offered to leave with the pitiful stake herself?
- And the chief merchant approved of this? - Yes, my lady.
That cunning cow.
She is a clever one.
She always finds ways to save herself.
The chief merchant should know one thing,
and if he does not already,
then it is about time he realizes.
No matter how much he tries to squirm away,
he will always be
within my reach.
I thought I was clear when I told you to leave without complicating things.
Is that not what we agreed on when I saved your life?
So what is all this about taking Jae-yi with you?
Rodent Scrap.
You know that name, do you not?
I have nothing left to lose.
She is all I need, but I doubt you feel the same.
You must have had very good reasons
for casting aside your name for all these years.
Whatever your reasons may be
and whatever your intentions are, I do not care to know.
All I ask is that
you let Jae-yi go.
Does Jae-yi know?
Did you tell her?
Even Lead Merchant Jang is resigning?
He cannot turn to Her Ladyship, nor can he just sit still
and risk who-knows-what things that come his way.
He intends to just play it safe for now.
- Oh my. - Goodness!
The chief merchant is in dire straits.
With the discovery of that guild and the chief merchant,
who was very close to him,
backed into a corner,
even his close associates
are busy washing their hands of responsibility.
Why is he allowing his daughter to leave? I don't know.
She is the sole pretext for him to keep his place.
Now Chief Merchant Sim is nothing more than a paper tiger.
This is your first roll call as the grandmaster, is it not?
You have no idea.
I have been eagerly awaiting this day for so long now.
What is going on?
- Where is everyone rushing off to? - To the treasure chamber.
You should hurry there, my lady.
It moves me that you traveled all this way.
You have honored us with your presence.
The more I see, the more seemingly refined he is.
It is as if
I am looking at a waterfall
frozen in the snowy winter.
So pure, fair, and strong.
And yet merciless and effortless.
His winnowing intelligence and air
are that of no ordinary man I have encountered.
Even the most magnificent objects are useless
if you do not happen to possess them.
For an object that you cannot use
may lead to a downfall instead.
Indeed.
The sharper the blade of the sword may be,
the more threatening it becomes when it is in the hands of another.
On to other matters.
Regarding Lord Song's son who came back from the dead,
I heard he eventually passed away.
Yes, Your Highness.
If the boy was fated to die,
it would have been easier if he had not returned at all.
But, Your Highness…
when the family dug his grave to place him back in his coffin…
…they discovered it had the body of the child
they buried the previous year in it.
Due to Lord Song's repeated appeals, the royal court has issued a decree.
They want the Royal Investigation Bureau to look into the matter thoroughly.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Justice Agency
is to search for children who have gone missing or vanished over the years
and increase patrolling efforts.
They are enforcing stricter curfews for children.
They are to question witnesses to try and find the Snow Man.
Pursuing a delusion…
…it will not guarantee a thing.
Suppose they catch it. Then what?
Why waste their energy on such a futile endeavor?
This leaves me with no other choice.
I may have to create a painting that captures the essence of yin and yang.
The recent state of disarray in the country
is very likely a result of an imbalance between yin and yang.
Many years ago,
my beloved painting of yin and yang was lost, was it not?
It has always weighed on me
that I have not been able to paint anything as profound since then.
Here is what I expect of you.
Avoid excessive concern with guild matters or secular customs,
and instead focus on issues of greater importance.
I shall do so with the utmost sincerity.
Apart from the burns and bruises found on the body of young master Song,
many injuries and inflammations
caused by exposure to toxic substances were observed.
Upon analysis, traces of limestone,
alum, arsenic, and other similar substances
were found inside the child's body.
Alum, limestone, and arsenic?
Substances that are not commonly used.
There must be a location with a consistent supply of these materials.
- We must find it. - Yes, sir.
We must hurry.
Now that the situation has escalated, they are most likely rushing as well.
- If you leave, will you ever come back? - I am not sure.
Still, it must be a relief that you are going to be with your brother.
Yes, that is true. It is better than marrying into a random household
or facing her mother's constant abuse.
What about Hongrang? Did he not object to you leaving?
In other words, you are willing to abandon everything,
regardless of whether some stranger comes in and takes over,
taking control of the guild and the household.
He is an imposter.
That is why you have gathered all your belongings.
You are going to look for the real Hongrang, are you not?
Are you not disgusted by him?
Why are you turning a blind eye?
It is not about that.
I cannot forgive myself.
For being fooled?
Do you know what the first thing I felt was?
The feeling I had inside when I found out?
It was relief.
I felt a sense of relief,
even though he had been deceiving me and everyone else.
He had stolen my brother's name.
And even though my real brother might still be wandering around somewhere,
when I found out that he was not really him,
I felt so relieved.
You see, even then,
I did not want him to get hurt.
I could not bear the thought of him getting hurt.
That is why I go.
I cannot do it.
I cannot forgive myself.
Welcome, my lord.
That pair is light and sturdy, my lord.
- I shall take these. - Right away, my lord.
Grandmaster, sir,
I suggest you reveal that he is an imposter.
If you do, he will not be able to avoid the punishment of death.
Once he is gone, you should no longer have any concerns about the young mistress.
No.
I cannot do that.
Why not?
At this moment,
Jae-yi's heart belongs to him.
She will never be able to forget him if she loses him right now.
Does it not anger you that all the years of hard work you have endured
will be for absolutely nothing?
They were hard years.
Very difficult to endure, indeed.
Jae-yi was with me the whole journey. She helped me.
That is why I cannot bring myself
to lose her now.
What is more…
I cannot be the one to send him to his death.
He saved my life.
He has done it several times now.
- Please spare us! - Have mercy on us!
Stand up!
Calm yourself and stop squirming.
I will make your skin as fair as porcelain.
Jae-yi!
Jae-yi.
Hello, brother.
They are Java sparrows.
Once they find a mate, they remain together their whole lives.
If one of them dies,
then the surviving partner often does not live much longer.
It cannot go on.
I suppose they are each other's lifeline.
I hope that you will take good care of them.
I can too.
We will both raise them at Gapsan Mountain together.
All right.
We can do that.
Promise me something.
What?
That you will try to forget.
All of it.
All that has happened at the Min Family Guild.
To be honest,
this place has been like a battlefield to me.
I never knew what would be flying at me from where and when.
I never knew what would become a weapon that would end up hurting me.
I was always anxious and scared.
Anything could become a sword
or an arrow that could pierce me.
Anything at all.
Except for you.
I know.
I felt the same way.
Of course.
Now that it is just the two of us,
I hope you can forget the rest.
You will never have to be scared or anxious about anything.
You and I can
become like the Java sparrows. We can be each other's lifeline.
All right.
I will forget it all.
I have to.
What do you think you're doing, you rapscallion bastards?
Forgive us our indiscretion.
I am here to escort you.
My master wishes to speak with you on an urgent matter.
An imposter?
That is what I said.
I am well aware
that for many years now that is all you have done.
Bring me imposters.
That is all the more reason for you to trust me.
Since I created all those imposters,
I should be the best at discerning who is an imposter or not.
However, I do not base the observation solely on my keen instinct.
The rogue is not acting alone.
There is a mastermind who sent him to infiltrate the guild.
A ruthless group of black-clad swordsmen,
trained solely for killing, are defending him.
If true, what do you think they are working toward?
They want you.
They want to overthrow you and take the guild for themselves.
Have you heard of the Snow Man?
Huh. If you have not, I assume you have heard about Lord Song's son.
It's been the talk of the town lately.
Those scoundrels are planning something to do with that incident.
They are trying to tie you somehow to the boy's return and this Snow Man.
Their goal is to
tarnish your reputation and undermine your position.
Are there any grounds to support this theory of yours?
Irrefutable proof.
Those rogues have devised a trap
that, inevitably, you will find yourself falling into.
Why do you hesitate?
I am offering you saving grace.
Think about what has been going on.
The circumstances in the guild of late.
Your position is becoming increasingly precarious.
If that is the case, the discovery of Hongrang as an imposter
would become an opportunity for you, would it not?
Give me 5,000 nyang, then hand over the imposter to me.
I would like to know what proof you have.
Ten o'clock tomorrow night,
bring me the money.
Then I shall present it to you.
Tell me.
Who is the painter?
Where is he?
I have no idea.
I do not know!
I said I don't know!
Shall I help you remember?
Oh no!
Limestone powder.
Alum powder.
Calm yourself.
I will make your skin as fair as porcelain.
I see you remember now.
The question is, where did young master Song get all of those wounds?
When he appeared, his entire body had been burnt black.
Either a large fire occurred somewhere
or the child was confined in an enclosed space that was lit on fire.
Seeing as he managed to return home in such horrific condition,
it suggests that he was likely nearby.
But, apparently,
when they examined the clothes he was wearing when he returned,
there was a piece of broken ceramic stuck to the fabric.
Do you see where this is leading?
Now,
take a look.
No need to look surprised. I suggest you see for yourself.
Do you know who this stone kiln belongs to?
It is one of yours.
Of course, you were not aware of this.
As chief merchant, you are not concerned with an abandoned kiln.
That is what those bastards are counting on.
Correct?
- Dispose of him. - Yes, my lord.
What?
What is it?
If the child had escaped, you should have done him in right away.
What reason do you have for abandoning the kiln site?
If you moved the other children,
you should have reported their new location to me immediately.
Reported?
Who do you take me for? A slave who reports to you?
- What was that? - A money king, my foot.
More a money slave.
What you hold in your hands is merely the facade of the Min Family's Guild,
and you are on the verge of losing that.
So how dare you speak to me like that?
Here. Take this to save face.
It will help stave off destitution for you.
Can you even imagine how much this piece will sell for?
In other words,
I am now worth far too much to be humoring the likes of you.
You have lost your mind.
You are now merely a piece that has lost its function and purpose.
It is me! Open the door!
Open the door, quick!
At last I've found you.
This is not the painter.
I miss her.
I just…
I want to see her.
Young master Hongrang.
Are you in, my lord?
Where have you been all day?
You are coming home so late.
Pardon me, my lord.
I thought you could bid young master Mu-jin
and young mistress Jae-yi farewell
before they leave tomorrow.
So you are sure…
Hongrang…
is an imposter?
I was waiting for you.
To say goodbye?
No, Jae-yi.
Then why?
I deceived you.
I…
I am not your little brother.
I am not Hongrang.
Then who are you?
What are you?
I am no one
of any importance.
It might have been better if I were normal,
but I never was.
I was born into a nobleman's household as a lowly and insignificant slave.
For a while,
I was a living talisman
who suffered the pain on behalf of the young master there.
Then, one day, I just ran away.
I was on my own.
I was living on the run.
I was constantly being pursued.
And then I met him.
You mean the…
The Snow Man.
He took me to a place somewhere.
That is where it all began.
I had to endure things that I could not make sense of.
I could not understand it.
But when I found out why,
that is when I realized I could never live a normal life.
I could not tell you.
I was too ashamed.
Even for myself…
I was hideous.
Contemptible.
That is why…
you were the last person I wanted to tell.
Knowing what I was,
knowing I had no right to…
I waited for you here. I had to.
Hoping.
Yes.
Sincerely hoping you would come,
despite the fact that I have deceived you
and caused you so much pain.
I have missed you so.
I simply had to see you again.
I love you.
I think it is love I feel for you.
I think so.
If it is not that, then
I could not explain it.
Whatever you are,
it changes nothing.
Even if everything has been a lie and you have been deceitful.
Even if no one,
not even myself,
offered to forgive me,
I still desperately…
want only you.
That is why I decided to leave.
Do not go.
You cannot.
I won't let you.
There we are!
Hold this here. Oh my goodness.
All right, there.
Pull this rope here.
Goodness!
That looks right. Now rest a bit.
- Oh. - I think we're all done here.
Where on earth has she gone?
Did you search the garden? I have no idea where she could be.
Where could she be?
They have taken the horses.
The one that belongs to the mute is gone too.
They may have realized something was amiss and escaped.
They cannot be far.
Search every nook and cranny for them. Hurry!
Yes, my lord.
Jae-yi!
Grandmaster, sir!
Hongrang,
he's disappeared as well.