{ Original Name: 귀야곡 | Publisher: Lezhin }
The Crown Prince doesn’t want to go to bed. It’s one of those nights, and he doesn’t want to deal with Jaeshin right now. I don’t blame him, especially with how confused he is with his feelings. He makes up an excuse of needing to do something and commands that they go back to Bihyeongak. He’s willing to take the chance of seeing ghosts again, if that means not having to face Jaeshin.
Elsewhere, we see Jaeshin deep in thought of what the malevolent spirit said to him earlier. He thinks back to the time the Crown Prince was speaking to him while he was Geumdong, and maybe, just maybe Jaeshin is beginning to feel a little bit of guilt about how he’s been treating the Crown Prince. He begins to mumble what sounds like an apology about the way he acted towards Lee Nok during Chilseok (see the last few episodes of season 1) as he plucks a flower from a nearby bush. Jaeshin then gets to Lee Nok’s quarters and…. he is nowhere to be found. The Crown Prince is avoiding him. The nerve.
Can we take a second to admire how good Jaeshin looks in green? Actually, let’s just focus on the fact that he’s even wearing green in the first place. Green is the Crown Prince’s color. And Jaeshin is wearing it on a night they’re supposed to meet? Can’t be a coincidence.
In some other palace, the Queen and her brother are in the middle of a private meeting. While her brother speaks, we see the Queen unwrapping what looks to be a trinket that belongs to the former Queen, the Crown Prince’s mother. The Queen’s brother expresses worry that they may be losing their ground since the King seems to be trusting the Crown Prince more and more. The Queen tells him to leave it be, but when he starts to question her decision, she gives him a death stare. Literally.
Her and her dead eyes might be on my top 10 list of the creepiest things I’ve seen in a manhwa. Her brother drops the issue, and a little later, we see the Queen clipping her nails onto a cloth holding a wad of hair. I’m guessing she’s making some kind of cursed object…?? We’ll just have to see.
The Grand Prince makes an appearance! (I think that’s his title… please excuse my ignorance ?) The Queen’s son is ill, and he definitely looks it. He doesn’t want to take the medicine that his mother has made for him (who can blame him), but of course, she also gives him one of her looks, and he balks.
This poor child. I’m glad we finally get to see him, but seeing him just reminds me that he too is just a pawn and a victim to whatever scheme the Queen has going on.
How long will the Crown Prince avoid Jaeshin? What the hell was the Queen making? Guess we’ll find out soon enough.
