 |
| Photo=MBC |
In the April 11 episode of MBC’s Friday–Saturday drama 21st Century Grand Royal Consort, episode two centers on Seong Hee-joo (IU) as she tries to get Prince Lee An (Byun Woo-seok) to accept her marriage proposal.
In the previous episode, Seong Hee-joo persisted through repeated audience requests until she finally confronted Prince Lee An and declared, “Marry me.” He paused as she approached and asked, “What are your terms?”
Unfazed, Seong Hee-joo answered bluntly, “I’m wealthy.” When he said he expected something more inventive, she shot back, “Why be creative? A contract marriage is straightforward. People tend to choose the familiar.”
She continued to list her perks: “Good education. Strong capability. An older brother you don’t need to worry about—he’s not the type to cause trouble. You don’t like meddling in-laws, right? I’m tough. I’m from a chaebol family, though I’m an illegitimate child. Do you know how much verbal abuse I take daily? Use me as a scapegoat. Our contract will end in divorce anyway—I’ll take the arrows then.”
 |
| Photo=MBC |
Despite her pitch, Prince Lee An refused. “I can’t accept,” he told her. “There’s something more important than wealth, skill, or looks. If I name it, can you provide it?” He revealed that what she lacked was “love”—he wanted a marriage rooted in romance.
Learning that, Seong Hee-joo began trailing him everywhere: the riding grounds, meals, even the cinema. When he tried to leave, she quipped, “Are you volunteering at the stray-cat shelter? Taekon, Taeguk?” He reacted as if baffled—“Did you investigate me? How dare you?”—and she winked: “You said you want a romance. I’m going after your heart.”
She perched in the passenger seat while he drove and mouthed “I missed you,” then blew a heart from the roadside. At the theater she told him, “You watch the movie. I’ll be watching you,” never taking her eyes off him. Even while he jogged, she matched his pace: “Want to run together?”
Meanwhile, Prince Lee An escorted the young King Lee Yun (Kim Eun-ho) to an awards ceremony attended by Seong Hee-joo, who was there as CEO of Castle Beauty. When she accepted the Best Entrepreneur prize, she cheekily asked Lee Yun to place the honor on her himself. She also teased Prince Lee An, hinting there was a gift she hoped to receive from him.
 |
| Photo=MBC |
After the ceremony, Prince Lee An complained of a sudden headache. Choi Hyun offered to fetch medicine and suggested a trip to the nearby royal hospital if his fever didn’t drop. Lee An declined—“It’s packed with the queen dowager’s brothers,” he said, reluctant to draw attention.
Seong Hee-joo ran into Choi Hyun at the hotel and accompanied him to where Prince Lee An was staying. She told the prince’s physician, “Make it look like I’m the one who’s ill. I’m always getting hurt. Doctor, you only saw me today, right?”
She also handed Choi Hyun a sandwich and fussed over him. When she urged him to return to the palace, he explained, “Prince Lee An hates being stared at. If officials see him, there’s an uproar. The royal medical team goes on 24-hour alert. The royal hospital is the same. The moment he steps in, photos and rumors start.”
At that moment, Choi Hyun received an urgent call and warned Seong Hee-joo that the queen dowager (Gong Seung-yeon) had arrived. Prince Lee An then appeared in a bathrobe, catching Yun I-rang off guard.
Yun I-rang, scanning the room, noticed a bag on the sofa and realized someone else had been there. He returned to the bedroom, found Seong He-joo with Prince Lee An, and told him to explain the day’s mistake in the morning before leaving.
The fallout hit the next day when word of a secret hotel rendezvous circulated online. Seong Hee-joo scoffed at the idea that she was Prince Lee An’s secret woman. Do Hye-jung (Lee Yeon) seized on the leaked photos, and rumors even suggested a premarital pregnancy. Seong Hee-joo dismissed it all: “People here have wild imaginations. Premarital pregnancy?” she scoffed.
The prince left his residence and ordered that Seong Hee-joo be summoned. “Apologize,” he told her—for dragging him into scandal and for becoming the scapegoat. Then he asked what she wanted. She shot back, “If I tell you, can you provide it? What I want might be difficult.”
Seong Hee-joo produced a dried official badge and said, “I want to raise my status. I’ve missed dozens of opportunities because I only have a name and no real standing,” renewing her marriage proposal.
Prince Lee An finally agreed. “Prepare to become the Grand Royal Consort. Your partner will be the entire nation,” he said, accepting. Seong Hee-joo lit up with a bright smile.
 |
| Photo=MBC |
Meanwhile, the episode also unspooled a hidden piece of royal history tied to the late King Ihwan (Sung Joon). In flashback, Ihwan—overwhelmed by the throne—tried to pass the crown to his brother, Prince Lee An. Queen Yun I-rang erupted in fury, calling him mad and burning the abdication papers, insisting she’d rather die for the crown prince. Ihwan later died in a fire.
[Sports Today reporter Kim Tae-hyung ent@stoo.com]
「The closest, most fun news © Sports Today」
