Chapter 21 Summary: Daehyun’s Gamble

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Two days after Lady Seungpyeong’s death, Daehyun attends the king’s meal. King Yeonsan, paranoid and grief-stricken, orders the food tasted again despite prior checks. A court lady chokes on a fish bone but recovers. The king barely eats and lashes out, accusing Daehyun of involvement in Lady Seungpyeong’s murder. He reveals that an apothecary testified that Min Hyukjin obtained kyungpo-buja, the poison used. Yeonsan interrogated Hyukjin’s sister, Court Lady Sonhui, but she revealed nothing. Daehyun, panicking but composed, tells the king that Sonhui came to him on the night of the murder and reported seeing Hyukjin hide a white substance in Lady Seungpyeong’s chambers. Daehyun claims he dismissed her story initially but now fears that Nameless Flower blackmailed Hyukjin and then killed him. The king, terrified of Nameless Flower, orders Investigator Gu summoned and dismisses Daehyun. After leaving, Daehyun vomits, then uses meditative detachment to regain calm. He meets Maid Jiyu at the palace well and gives her two tasks: first, to tell Sonhui that Hyukjin is dead and persuade her to blame her brother for the poisoning; second, to find a courtesan named Suyeon (also known as Jonggeum) at Wongaksa Temple for a secret assignment.

Key Events

King Yeonsan’s meal proceeds with repeated poison-testing; a court lady chokes on a fish bone.
The king rages about losing Lady Seungpyeong, knocks over tables, and grabs Daehyun by the collar.
Yeonsan reveals that Min Hyukjin obtained the poison and that Sonhui was tortured but silent.
Daehyun, struck and threatened, recounts Sonhui’s alleged confession to deflect blame.
Daehyun suggests that Nameless Flower manipulated Hyukjin and then killed him to cover the crime.
The king, afraid of Nameless Flower, orders Investigator Gu summoned and releases Daehyun.
Daehyun vomits in a courtyard, then practices detachment to control his fear.
He meets Maid Jiyu and instructs her to convince Sonhui to blame her dead brother.
Daehyun also asks Jiyu to find a courtesan named Suyeon (or Jonggeum) at Wongaksa Temple.

Character Development

Daehyun: Under direct threat from the king, he must think fast to protect himself and the women connected to the case. He uses his knowledge of the king’s paranoia about Nameless Flower to redirect suspicion. Daehyun’s trauma from witnessing his brothers’ execution resurfaces; he struggles to breathe but forces himself to adopt mental detachment. This chapter shows his resourcefulness, his capacity for calculated deception, and his growing resolve to shield Sonhui and Jiyu.
King Yeonsan: His grief over Lady Seungpyeong has curdled into violent paranoia. He is quick to strike and accuse, but his fear of Nameless Flower outweighs his suspicion of Daehyun. The king’s instability makes him a dangerous and unpredictable ruler.
Maid Jiyu: Remains loyal to Daehyun and agrees to undertake risky errands, demonstrating her courage and discretion.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Survival through Deception: Daehyun fabricates a story that aligns with the king’s fears. His lie exploits the known fact that Nameless Flower killed Hyukjin, making it plausible and saving his own life.
Trauma and Detachment: Daehyun’s flashbacks to his brothers’ decapitation and exile show how the past haunts him. He deliberately numbs his emotions (“imagined himself as a speck… on a snowy mountain”) to function in the present – a survival mechanism that costs him part of his humanity.
The King’s Meal as a Symbol of Paranoia: The elaborate, redundant poison‑testing ritual mirrors Yeonsan’s fractured mind. Even his favorite dish brings no comfort, underscoring his consuming grief and suspicion.
Nameless Flower as a Phantom Threat: By invoking the assassin, Daehyun weaponizes the king’s terror. Nameless Flower becomes a convenient scapegoat, allowing Daehyun to frame Hyukjin as a pawn and himself as innocent.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is a turning point in Daehyun’s storyline. He directly intervenes in the investigation by shifting guilt onto the dead Hyukjin and by enlisting Jiyu to manipulate Sonhui’s testimony. For the first time, Daehyun takes active steps to shape events rather than merely react. The chapter also deepens the reader’s understanding of his traumatic past and his fragile relationship with Yeonsan. The introduction of Suyeon/Jonggeum sets up a future plot thread involving Wongaksa Temple and the thousand courtesans.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Daehyun tell the king that Sonhui came to him about her brother?
He needs to explain why he might have known something and to plant a plausible story that diverts suspicion away from himself and Sonhui. By claiming he initially dismissed Sonhui’s words, he avoids appearing complicit.
What role does the king’s fear of Nameless Flower play in this scene?
Yeonsan is terrified of the assassin who killed Hyukjin. Daehyun exploits that fear by suggesting Nameless Flower orchestrated the poisoning and then eliminated Hyukjin. The king’s paranoia makes him accept this explanation without questioning Daehyun further.
How does Daehyun’s past affect his actions here?
The memory of his brothers’ execution nearly overwhelms him during the king’s assault. He forces himself to breathe and detach, a coping mechanism he developed from that trauma. It enables him to lie convincingly and then give Jiyu orders with a cold, blank demeanor.