Episode 2: Rules of the Palace
Su Hee-joo settles in as a palace "guest" while Prince Lee An secretly investigates her true origins
Episode 2: Rules of the Palace
Air Date: July 6, 2025 | Rating: 7.1%
Synopsis
Introduced to the court as "Lady Choe of Gangwon Province," Su Hee-joo is housed in a quiet wing of the palace. Armed with her doctoral knowledge of Joseon history, she tries her best to navigate court etiquette — yet keeps stumbling over the smallest rituals, drawing whispers from the ladies-in-waiting.
Meanwhile, Prince Lee An quietly orders his most trusted aide to investigate the mysterious "Lady Choe." With each new detail, he becomes more certain: this woman is no ordinary noble's daughter.
Key Scenes
Etiquette Class Disaster
Su Hee-joo is summoned to a royal etiquette lesson. Bowing protocols, table manners, formal speech levels — all completely foreign to a 21st-century PhD student. She blunders repeatedly, yet wriggles out of each mishap with quick modern-minded logic, leaving the head court instructor equal parts exasperated and quietly impressed.
To Watch For: The "ignorance" Su Hee-joo displays is layered — she lacks the rote social conditioning of a Joseon noblewoman, but her analytical mind lets her reverse-engineer the reasoning behind each rule on the spot. This dynamic, brains over breeding, becomes her core survival strategy throughout the series.
Moonlit Conversation
Late at night, Su Hee-joo stands alone in the courtyard, gazing at the stars and murmuring to herself: "This same sky… 2025…"
Prince Lee An appears from the shadows, his voice cool and precise:
"2025 — what province is that?"
"…It is simply how we reckon years in my hometown, Your Highness. Please think nothing of it."
He holds her gaze a moment longer than necessary, then walks away without another word.
Why Ratings Climbed
The episode jumped from 6.2% to 7.1%, driven by:
- Strong audience response to the IU × Byeon Woo-seok on-screen chemistry
- The moonlit courtyard scene going viral on Korean social media within hours of broadcast
- The "2025" line resonating deeply with modern viewers — that small slip of anachronism captured in a single line
Historical Context: Court etiquette in mid-18th century Joseon (King Yeongjo's reign) was codified by Confucian ye (禮) principles. Violations — even accidental ones — could carry serious social consequences. Su Hee-joo's blunders are comedic now, but the show signals they will matter later.
Next Episode
Episode 3: A powerful court faction takes notice of the mysterious Lady Choe — and the palace grows dangerous…