Character Relationship Map: The King's Case Note

Characters

• King Yejong of Joseon (played by Lee Sun-kyun) — protagonist

  The Joseon king and the investigation's central figure. He tests Yoon Yi-seo's memory, recruits him as a royal historian, and personally probes reports of supernatural creatures, hidden machines, and...

• Yoon Yi-seo (played by Ahn Jae-hong) — supporting

  A newly appointed royal historian who is expected to record the King's actions with fairness and objectivity. After King Yejong tests his exceptional memory, Yoon discovers that his duties include hel...

• Seon-hwa (played by Gyeong Su-jin) — supporting

  A popular woman whom people believe possesses magical powers. Her growing reputation coincides with the bizarre creature reports troubling the capital, so King Yejong asks about her while pursuing the...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• King Yejong of Joseon → Yoon Yi-seo (Professional Royal Appointer And Scribe) — Yoon Yi-seo serves as the King's official historian and recorder.

  King Yejong appoints Yoon Yi-seo as a new royal historian and explains that his duty is to record the King's actions fairly and objectively.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Yoon Yi-seo → Seon-hwa (Unknown Investigative Connection) — Yoon Yi-seo is indirectly connected to Seon-hwa through the investigation.

  Yoon Yi-seo participates in the King's investigation into strange events that includes questions about Seon-hwa's influence and reputed magical powers...

• King Yejong of Joseon → Seon-hwa (Unknown Subject Of Inquiry) — Seon-hwa becomes connected to the King's investigation without confirmed guilt.

  The King asks about Seon-hwa because her rise coincides with the strange events, but he does not assume that she is responsible and instead pursues ev...

Story Analysis

A royal historian joins King Yejong in uncovering human schemes hidden behind supernatural rumors while the King's survival becomes uncertain.

Plot Progression

1. The Historian's Trial — Yoon Yi-seo arrives at the palace and learns that royal history demands impartial recording. King Yejong tests his memory and expands his duties beyond writing.
2. Rumors Beneath the Water — Reports of bizarre creatures draw the King and Yoon Yi-seo into an investigation. The ghost fish and the turtle suggest that an apparent supernatural event may conceal a deliberate mechanism.
3. The Machinery Conspiracy — The investigation connects the devices to underwater travel, a diary, and an inventor's surviving lineage. A hidden passage and workshop reveal machines and weapons behind the rumors.
4. Poisoned Royal Blood — The King suddenly falls gravely ill, and the physician cannot identify the cause. Examination of his medicine reveals a potentially lethal combination of an herb and kidney pills.
5. The Unanswered Message — The allies prepare an antidote and a plan to remove the King from the palace. A messenger's arrival with the Queen Dowager's message leaves the immediate outcome unresolved.