A historical K-drama isn’t a true historical K-drama without a little melodrama, evil schemes, and sudden struggles for the main leads. True to its genre, “The First Night with the Duke” is heading to the end but not before putting Cha Sun Chaek (Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun) and Yi Beon (2PM’s Taecyeon) through hell once more. As sad as it is, they will have to prove again the strength of their love. Hopefully, this time they’ll find their way to a happily ever after. Here are some of the most frustrating moments in this week’s episodes!
Warning: spoilers from episodes 9-10 below!
1. Cha Sun Chaek being kidnapped
One of the disadvantages of any female lead in a fantasy novel is that they are constantly targeted by the villains. And given Sun Chaek is the lead in this story, her kidnapping isn’t that much of a surprise. At this point, we have lost count of all the times Sun Chaek has been in danger. Thankfully, she is smart enough, and her survival skills are so on point that she gets to escape right on time before she gets murdered.
It is not surprising that Yi Beon would arrive right on time to rescue her as well, but it is still frustrating to see that he is constantly being outsmarted by a petty mercenary. Even more so when Sun Chaek pleads to Yi Beon to not kill him, partly because they need to interrogate him and also because she doesn’t want to see him killing people anymore. Although goodness is intrinsically part of any main lead, this later on will bring more trouble.
2. The King manipulating Yi Beon to execute his enemies
As if finding the culprit behind Sun Chaek’s kidnapping wasn’t enough, Yi Beon has to deal with the consequences of his actions during the rescue. Using royal guards to find Sun Chaek was pretty impressive and not many male leads would be able to do that, but the King isn’t as impressed. On the contrary, this poor excuse of a King finds this situation perfect to test Yi Beon’s loyalty. Powerful people can be really dangerous, but if they are powerful and also stupid, it is even worse.
Manipulated by Prince Yi Gyu (Lee Tae Sun), the King orders Yi Beon to execute some former ministers to prove that he is still in control of the kingdom. How exactly this will prove his power to the empire is still a mystery. And Yi Beon has no other choice but to comply, even if he loathes the mere idea of doing it. Sadly, he has his back against a wall this time. Now his desperation is evident, since our male lead has to make a choice between his heart and principles or saving his life.
3. Prince Yi Gyu teaming up with Jo Eun Ae
If you have high blood pressure, then seeing Jo Eun Ae’s (Kwon Han Sol) villain arc will be too much for you. She’s not only a cold-hearted witch, but she is despicable enough to laugh in the face of Jung Su Gyeom (Seo Bum June) once he confronts her about Sun Chaek’s kidnapping. However, she isn’t foolish enough to not cower in front of Prince Yi Gyu when he finds her red-handed after killing the mercenary she had hired to kill Sun Chaek.
As the old saying goes: the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Having set his mind on taking down the King, Prince Yi Gyu isn’t afraid to use everything and everyone in his hands to see it happen, so he takes this chance to help Eun Ae and get a bait for Yi Beon. It is fair to say that many were expecting a second lead romance, but instead we got this cheap, unnecessary, and tragic alliance that surely will create more problems for Sun Chaek and Yi Beon in the near future.
4. Cha Sun Chaek misunderstanding Yi Beon
One of the most frustrating things in these episodes is seeing Sun Chaek falling for Yi Gyu’s manipulations. He is clearly a master of playing with people’s minds, but it would be an understatement to say it was disappointing watching Sun Chaek believe his words so easily when he states that Yi Beon is the one who killed the mercenary. Furthermore, Yi Beon has been nothing but loyal and true to her since the beginning, so watching his disappointment is also quite heartbreaking.
But there’s no true happiness without some challenges, so this misunderstanding serves to tighten their bond when she realizes he couldn’t have done it since she asked him not to kill anyone anymore. As always, communication is the key to solve any problem when it comes to a relationship. Sun Chaek and Yi Beon love each other so much and appreciate every effort they make to demonstrate it, and they seal the deal by finally tying the knot. In this sea of rocky waters, seeing them staying strong and united is truly a blessing, especially knowing what it is to come.
5. Prince Yi Gyu’s plans of rebellion moving forward
You reap what you sow, and it was clear what was coming the moment the King decided to put his trust in Prince Yi Gyu. As dumb as it is, it is also understandable that a weak ruler would rely on a person who just arrived from exile rather than the person who has been by his side since childhood. Why? Because he is afraid of finding out that he was never in control of Yi Beon, even more now that he has a strong reason to defy him.
Sadly, Yi Beon has no other choice but to accept the King’s punishment and depart to the border to fight barbarians, a mission almost impossible for someone else but not for our male lead. As he bravely departs to the battle and the rebellion starts to develop inside the country, Sun Chaek will get a key to find the answers she so much needs. The final pages of this story have been written, and next week we will get to see the very anticipated ending of “The First Night with the Duke”!
Watch the latest episodes of “The First Night with the Duke”:
Hey Soompiers! Are you watching this K-drama? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know all about it in the comments below!
Andy zar is an avid drama watcher, from K-dramas to C-dramas, she believes any weekend is a good weekend to enjoy 12 hours of binge-watching dramas. She loves romance, web comics, and K-pop. Her favorite groups are EXO, TWICE, Red Velvet, and BOL4.
Currently watching: “The First Night with the Duke” and “Law and The City”
Plans to watch: “Reborn“
