Chapter 45 (Iseul): Summary and 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
The chapter opens with Iseul recalling Wonsik's remark about the fleetingness of life. She compares her memory of Daehyun to a worn-out book she cannot stop reading, desperate to keep him alive. She cares for her sister Suyeon in an abandoned mountain hut after their grandmother refused to take them in. Yul visits and informs them that the deposed king Yeonsangun died of a natural illness, not execution. Iseul reacts with bitter disappointment, wishing he had been punished for his tyranny. Crow explains that killing a former king is against the kingdom's customs of former loyalty. Iseul then applies a paste made from bongsunghwa flowers to Suyeon's fingernails, a tradition said to predict true love if the stain lasts until the first snowfall. Suyeon offers to do Iseul's nails, but Iseul refuses because her own love (Daehyun) is already lost. The chapter also describes the ongoing suffering of commoners: land seizures, tax increases, rebellions, and the distribution of the deposed king's women. Deputy Commander Park is noted for hoarding many women in a private mansion.
Key Events
- Iseul reflects on Wonsik's philosophy about the brief season of mortal life.
- She describes Daehyun's memory as a worn book she revisits obsessively.
- Suyeon shares news of Yeonsangun's natural death, delivered by Yul.
- Iseul expresses anger that the tyrant died without facing punishment.
- Crow defends the decision by citing former loyalty and tradition.
- Iseul tends to Suyeon by applying bongsunghwa flower paste to her nails.
- Suyeon asks to do the same for Iseul; Iseul declines, referencing her lost love.
- Background details reveal worsening conditions for commoners and the fate of the deposed king's women.
Character Development
- Iseul: Her grief for Daehyun remains raw. She channels her protective love into caring for Suyeon while struggling with bitterness toward Yeonsangun's unpunished death. She rejects hope of new love.
- Suyeon: Though fragile, she shows emotional awareness by offering to care for Iseul's nails. She acts as a conduit for news and remains connected to Yul.
- Crow: He stays loyal as a guard, offering comfort by guarding the sisters and explaining political decisions.
- Yul: (off-screen) She is a supportive friend who brings news and tends to Suyeon's mental health.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Memory as ghost: Iseul clings to Daehyun's memory, fearing that to forget him is to abandon him in the river grave.
- Justice vs. political pragmatism: Iseul's desire for violent retribution contrasts with Crow's explanation of former loyalty and the kingdom's customs.
- Bongsunghua flowers and nail stain: The orange stain symbolizes hope for true love, tied to seasonal cycles (first snowfall). Iseul's refusal to participate underscores her belief that her love is finished.
- Fleetingness of life: Wonsik's remark frames the chapter, echoed in Iseul's assessment that her love was found and quickly lost.
- The worn-out book: Metaphor for how Iseul revisits pain; the creased spine and stained pages indicate prolonged grief.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter bridges the revolution's political outcome with personal aftermath. Yeonsangun's natural death spares him the execution Iseul craves, raising questions about justice in a restored kingdom. Meanwhile, Iseul's private grief shows the emotional cost of resistance: she saved her sister but lost Daehyun. The bongsunghua ritual offers a glimpse of traditional Korean culture (the real-world balsam flower nail dye) while foreshadowing whether any character will find new love. The chapter also grounds the story in the ongoing suffering of common people, reinforcing that the political change did not immediately improve their lives.
Study Questions and Answers
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How does Iseul describe her memory of Daehyun, and what does this reveal about her emotional state?
She calls it a worn-out book with a creased spine and stained pages, a story she returns to over and over despite its pain. This reveals her deep, unprocessed grief and fear that forgetting him would betray his memory. -
Why is Iseul disappointed that Yeonsangun died a natural death, and what counterargument does Crow offer?
Iseul wanted the tyrant to be quartered or otherwise violently punished for his abuse of power. Crow explains that killing a former king contradicts the kingdom's principle of former loyalty—Yeonsangun once received heaven's mandate, so even a tyrant cannot be executed without violating deeply held custom. -
What does the bongsunghua nail tradition promise, and why does Iseul refuse Suyeon's offer to apply the paste to her own nails?
According to their mother's tale, if the orange stain lingers until the first snowfall, it signals that one will find true love. Iseul refuses because she already found her love in Daehyun and lost him; she believes no new love awaits her, and the stain would fade too quickly.