I absolutely loved it! It was simple yet it managed to capture the complexities of relationship in an era where every relationships were governed by rules and morality.

This story is about the daughter of a concubine from a prominent family who will end up marrying her deceased sister's husband to safeguard her nephew's future.

It didn't sound exiting to me when I first read the synopsis and I started this drama as a filler but soon enough I was absorbed by the intricate plot of this drama.
It's quite new for me as I usually watch period dramas that are set in the royal palace. Here it takes place outside of it, in a high-ranking family household and while we hear about the Emperor and see the characters being subjected to his command, we never see him or hear his voice. It was quite refreshing to see how people lived outside the palace, how they fared and how a household was run.

What I loved the most was the slow-burn love between the leads. We could see and feel them fall in love with one another and one could just swoon while watching them.

The characters are well written: FL is a modern woman of her era who while respectful of the rules still wants to stay independent despite marrying in a noble family of high status. She's open-minded and treat everyone fairly -which might have to do with her being born and brought up by a concubine ; she's nice, smart and wise despite her young age. All in all, she's an anomaly which might be why she was the only woman who was able to melt the ML's heart.

As for the ML, he's upright, cold, dutiful, patriotic and uptight. He's praised for all his achievements and his sense of justice. Despite having already been involved with 4 wives/concubines when he marries the FL, he's not lustful or player. He's instead a filial son who always obeys his mother when she asks him to take a concubine for one reason or the other.
He's someone who does everything out of duty and doesn't seek any pleasure out of life ; that's why I loved seeing him fall slowly fall in love and sometimes bend the rules for his wife. It was heartwarming.

Both characters might seem sickeningly sweet to some, but I feel one has to watch this drama in its entirety to see how these two could actually hurt others with their behavior.

The ensemble cast was great and all the characters added to the drama.


THE MUSIC was beautiful. I'm listening to it on loop.
It was perfect for the drama because it's soft and enhances the emotional scenes. My favorite is Fallen Ink sung by Wallace Chung (the lead actor).


RE-WATCH VALUE is a strong 10 for me because I actually want to go back and watch it all over again (which I'll actually do soon enough). I still have a strong hangover.