Chapter 3 (Daehyun) Summary & Analysis

⚠️ 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

Prince Daehyun, the bastard son of the former king, opens the chapter reflecting on a shaman’s prophecy: he will be put to death before the year ends. He resolves not to die at the hands of his half‑brother, King Yeonsan. Daehyun is determined to commit treason if necessary.

During a royal hunting expedition, Yeonsan tells Daehyun about a dream in which a brother steals his dragon robe and sits on the throne. The king asks if Daehyun has ever coveted the throne. Daehyun responds with practiced humility, calling himself an “upright ant” and insisting he would never defy heaven’s will. Yeonsan comments that Daehyun is a trickster whose true nature remains hidden.

Daehyun recalls the precise moment he lost himself: the day two years ago when his foster mother, Lady Jeong, was executed by Yeonsan. He forces himself to suppress the memory.

Yeonsan shoots and kills a doe with an arrow. Daehyun forces a smile despite the echo of Lady Jeong’s warning to run from the king. The king then announces a game: all princes must return by sundown with a hunted carcass or face execution. Daehyun grips his reins, steeling himself for the challenge ahead.

Key Events

Daehyun recalls the shaman’s prophecy that he will die this year and decides he must live long enough to commit treason.
King Yeonsan tells Daehyun about a dream of a usurping brother and questions his loyalty.
Daehyun deflects with flattery, calling himself an “upright ant”.
Daehyun reflects on the loss of his foster mother, Lady Jeong, and the day he changed.
Yeonsan kills a doe; the fawn escapes orphaned.
Yeonsan declares a hunting game: any prince who returns without a carcass will be executed.

Character Development

Daehyun is revealed as a deeply conflicted survivor. He adopts a mask of sycophancy to survive Yeonsan’s court, but internally he burns with the desire for power—not the throne, but enough power to defy fate and see the tyrant cower. His identity crisis is laid bare: he wonders where the “old Daehyun” has gone, replaced by a cold, hollowed man. The loss of Lady Jeong two years ago marks the moment he lost himself.

King Yeonsan is shown as paranoid and capricious, baiting Daehyun with the dream and later forcing the princes into a life‑or‑death contest. His one‑eyed gaze and sharp smile convey menace and pleasure in cruelty.

Lady Jeong is present only in memory, but her death fuels Daehyun’s resolve. She told him to run, and the image of her corpse with a sack over her head haunts him.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Prophecy and Fate: The shaman’s prophecy drives Daehyun’s determination to trick the heavens. He refuses to accept a predestined death.
The Mask of Sycophancy: Daehyun wears a “well‑practiced mask” of obsequiousness, a survival tactic in the face of a tyrant. The king himself acknowledges that Daehyun is a trickster whose true thoughts are hidden.
The Hunt as Power: Yeonsan’s hunting of the doe and his turning of the hunt into a lethal game symbolise his arbitrary power over life and death. The doe’s fawn becoming an orphan mirrors Daehyun’s own loss.
Memory and Trauma: Daehyun’s recurring flashback to Lady Jeong’s death demonstrates how trauma shapes his present actions and emotional state.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter establishes Daehyun’s core motivation and the high‑stakes environment he must navigate. The prophecy that he will die this year creates a ticking clock, while the hunting game literally places his life on the line. We see the lengths Daehyun will go to conceal his true self, and we learn that his planned treason is born not from ambition for the throne but from a desire for vengeance and survival. The chapter also deepens the portrait of King Yeonsan as a paranoid, cruel ruler who enjoys psychological torture as much as physical.

Study Questions & Answers

Why does Daehyun call himself an “upright ant” in front of Yeonsan?
He uses flattery and self‑deprecation to appear harmless and loyal, hoping to deflect the king’s suspicion. His words are a calculated performance to survive.
What event does Daehyun pinpoint as the moment he lost himself, and why?
The twentieth day of the third lunar month two years ago—the day his foster mother, Lady Jeong, was executed by Yeonsan. The trauma of her death hollowed him out and forced him to adopt a cold exterior.
How does the hunting game reflect Yeonsan’s style of rule?
The game weaponises the princes’ fear and pits them against one another for survival. It shows that Yeonsan treats even his family as disposable, using arbitrary death sentences to maintain control and entertain himself.