Recap Korean Drama "The King’s Affection" Episode 12

The King’s Affection is a Korean drama-romance TV series directed by Hyun Wook Song, based on Lee So-young’s comic titled Yeonmo. The series has 20 episodes and stars Park Eun-bin, Rowoon, Nam Yoon-su, Choi Byung-chan, and Bae Yoon-kyung, alongside other cast members. The King’s Affection episode 12 is 64 minutes long.

When the crown prince is killed, his twin sister assumes the throne while trying to keep her identity and affection for her first love a royal secret.

– The King’s Affection episode 12 recap contains major spoilers –

Oh, man! As much as it is a pleasure to watch Yi-hwi cherishing her true self for a minute, it’s heartbreaking to see that Hyejong now knows who she really is in The King’s Affection episode 12. We are left as shocked as Yi-hwi, but more shocking is the fact that Hyejong just leaves her without bothering her or, worse, murdering her for trying to imposter her brother.

Outside, in The King’s Affection episode 12, the people are losing their minds and asking Hyejong to make a decision. And a decision he makes – he asks her to be dethroned. People around her cry and beg the emperor to reconsider but Yi-hwi is weirdly calm in her room. I think she was expecting shit to hit the roof sooner than later.

As she meets her father, she asks him whether he decided to dethrone her because of Changun. He says that he hadn’t and that last night he was at her quarters. He says that he had known all along that she was a woman. We then see a flashback to when Yi-hwi’s mother was dying and Hyejong had heard her calling Yi-hwi her daughter.

 

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She asks him a pressing question in The King’s Affection episode 12 – why hasn’t he said anything to her? He asks her whether she resents him. She, however, says that she was afraid of this day and how it would play out. Although she does not resent him as the Crown Prince, she does resent him as his daughter who only wanted her parents’ love. If they had to go back to when she was born and if the late King wasn’t alive, would he have made the same decisions?

However, Hyejong does not answer her in The King’s Affection episode 12. Instead, he asks her to leave and live her alive. She tearfully tells him that although she has never lived alone her entire life, if that is what he wants, she will leave. Both father and daughter can only cry at this point.

 

On the other hand, in The King’s Affection episode 12, Ji-un is at the palace to meet Yi-hwi and sees her cross the wall to the other side of the palace. She takes in the sights of her former home, somewhere she might never be able to return and is shocked to see Ji-un there. The two look at each other and Yi-hwi looks very happy to see him. Ji-un hugs her and says that he will never leave her alone again.

She asks him to leave, in The King’s Affection episode 12, but he says that he will never leave and will protect her, regardless of what she says. This makes Yi-hwi cry even more and he then kisses her. Later on, he asks her whether she’d like to come with her – that way, they can spend every moment together and watch nature change. Yi-hwi, unfortunately, tells him that she cannot and that she needs to go on her own path.

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He tries to contest her words and tells her that he will protect her regardless of what she says. However, she asks him to be happy no matter what as a last favour. Meanwhile, Ki-jae looks pissed and Seok-jo tells him that Changcheon’s soldiers were at Mount Odae and that military supplies were moved there. He calls Hyejong foolishly greedy and asks Seok-jo to bring him back the moment he hears from him.

 

Yi-hwi later talks to Jehyeon and tells him to be strong and walk with assurance since there is no place for the weak within the palace. The latter cries and apologises to her and genuinely looks quite sad at her leaving. She also apologises to him for pushing him away for her own feelings of inferiority. Later, when she goes to meet Hyejong, the latter refuses to meet her and Bok-dong tells her that it is time to leave. She bids goodbye from outside as everyone cries and then leaves.

Inside, Hyejong tells Hyeong-seol to take care of Yi-hwi and thanks him for keeping her secret for all these years. Outside, Yi-hwi bids farewell to everyone and leaves with Jaeun. Wonsan looks extremely happy at her departure.

 

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On the way, Yi-hwi sees several red cloths dangling from the trees and realises that it’s Ji-un doing this because of when she had appreciated the red flowers all that time ago. Their eyes meet after some time and she acknowledges his gifts. Meanwhile, Ji-un sees a bunch of masked people waiting for Yi-hwi. Jaeun asks everyone to stop and to prepare for a rest. He asks Lady Kim and Bok-dong to get water and clothes for Yi-hwi which honestly shocks them. Soek-jo is a bit confused too, but Jaeun tells him that she is tired that she needs to rest.

In a flashback, we see Jaeun telling Hyeong-seol to take Yi-hwi away from the procession. The latter also tells her that the King has asked him to take her to a safe place. Back at the procession, a fight breaks out and Jaeun tells a confused Bok-dong and Lady Kim to follow him and that Yi-hwi is safe. Meanwhile, Seok-jo is following a running Hyeong-seol and Yi-hwi and he is almost able to land a shot when Ji-un foils his plan.

 

Ji-un and Seok-jo get into a sword fight and the latter ask him to get lost if he doesn’t want to be framed. He is also left confused when Seok-jo tells him that Yi-hwi must return to the place at first. At the safe house in The King’s Affection episode 12, a flashback shows that Hyejong had asked Hyeong-seol to keep Yi-hwi’s secret till the end. In the present, Hyeong-seol hands Yi-hwi a gift from Hyejong containing a letter.

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The letter says that he is ready to have her resentment as long as he can keep her safe. This is the reason why he did not want her to be the Crown Prince in the first place. He says a lot of things and describes many of Yi-hwi’s questions. It’s such a heartbreaking scene and will drive you to tears, just like Hyejong and Yi-hwi both. Yi-hwi sobs while holding her father’s gift to her.

 

The next morning in The King’s Affection episode 12, Ki-jae goes to talk to Hyejong. The former asks him whether he had a good night’s sleep since thinking about his son’s safety must have been a difficult thing. Plus, he had to go through so much to keep his son safe since when he was born, he had to kill his daughter. Hyejong says that this is the reason he doesn’t like him – he forced him to kill his daughter. He asks him who will take the throne now and Hyejong mentions that it has to be Jehyeon. Ki-jae simply asks him to take care of himself as Hyejong takes a sip of tea.

At the docks, Ji-un and Seok-jo are both trying to search for Yi-hwi but they are unable to find her since she is dressed as a woman. Hyeong-seol bids Yi-hwi goodbye and leaves her to travel on her own since the guards know him. However, Seok-jo gets to know their ploy and asks his men to check every woman’s face. On the boat, Yi-hwi’s cover is about to be blown when Ji-un swoops in and refuses to let the guards see his “wife’s” face. The others also pipe in ask the guards to leave her alone.

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After the guards leave in The King’s Affection episode 12, Ji-un tells her that he knew that she’d be in disguise but it looks good on her. She, however, refuses to go into details since they are not alone on the boat. It is quite evident that both of them are uncomfortable with what is going on, considering she looks hella cute in that outfit. Once off the boat, Ji-un tells Yi-hwi that now that she is away from the palace, how will she live in this harsh world? He has to take care of her now.

 

At this, Yi-hwi is almost about to confess to Ji-un that she is actually the person he fell in love with all those years ago. But the confession is foiled when Seok-jo and his men catch them and they have to run away. He rushes off with her after she is hit by an arrow and leaves her by the side of a pond to fetch herbs to treat her.

 

Sitting by the pond, he tries to take her shirt off to treat her wound. However, she tells him that she will do it herself, in a bid to confess her identity, leaving Ji-un shocked at the revelation.

Final Thoughts: The King’s Affection episode 12

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I mean, what a way to let your lover know that he probably isn’t bisexual and that you are actually a woman. Jokes aside though, ah man, two confessions in one episode. It’s too much for my heart to take! At this point, it is pretty evident what the two factions wanted and although it isn’t explicitly stated, it’s worth taking a guess.

On the other hand, Hyejong has come out in a good light. However, I am confused as to where Jaeun went all of a sudden after sending Yi-hwi off with Hyeong-seol. Either way, The King’s Affection just keeps getting better and better and I am thrilled to learn what comes next, now that Ji-un knows the truth.