Oblivious to her charm, So-rang continues to evoke fondness and adoration from Lee Heon and Shin-won in the 4th episode of The Forbidden Marriage.
Her entanglement would at least assure her that she has someone to protect her since a looming danger orchestrated by her stepmom with Minister Jo is underway.
abbyinhallyuland watched The Forbidden Marriage on KOCOWA
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03| 04| 05 & 06 | 07| 08| 09| 10| 11 | Final Episode + Series Review |
The Forbidden Marriage Episode 4 Highlights
After the awkward fleeting kiss, Lee Heon gets adorably haunted by So-rang. Everything he does, he seems to be distracted hearing her voice, staring blankly somewhere and feeling bored.
Thankfully, his vigor returns when So-rang recuperated and tends to his need. Learning he was sleepless the past few days, she proposes to drink liquor.
“The love, hidden intention and desire you lost, should I restore it for you?”
Taunting the king of being a light drinker, they go for a drinking battle. After rounds of it, So-rang suggests they spice it up with a game since to which Heon agrees gladly.
They agree to the truth or dare game and So-rang was surprised to learn that the king has only made love to the late crown princess and never had any woman in his life.
Heon then asks So-rang about her relationship with Shin-won. To his insistent prying, if there’s more to her relationship with his best friend, she replies Shin-won is her friend and savior. Confessing inwardly, that she almost married him if not for the decree Heon declared, the king saw through her words that she did not lie but it’s not completely the truth.
Going strong with her turn, So-rang asked Heon if he ever saw her as the Crown Princess. When he replies never, she tells him to drink as it was completely not true.
Lee Heon conveys that she should not feel confused since he lost love and motivation already. Taking pride in being a self-confessed love expert, So-rang suggested taking care of his woes. She tries to convince him again of lifting the marriage ban which Heon strangely felt amused.
Assigning herself with a new task, So-rang, fortunately, meets an erotic artist who makes racy books. Thinking it would help with her task, she brings the book to the palace, but Lee Heon got only mad at her intention.
Thus, she gives the book to Shin-won who is bothered by how So-rang can give him such blasphemous books as if she does not see him as a man.
While So-rang enjoys an early rest at home, the two robust men who got hold of So-rang’s erotic books found themselves immersed in reading the “vulgar” books.
“You can’t be by my side forever.”
Barely getting sleep because he binge-read the books, Shin-won finds So-rang up early. She invites herself to join in sword training. Vowing he will be there to protect him anyway so she doesn’t need it anyway, she mutters how he can’t be by her side for a long time.
Waking up refreshed, the king is in a good mood surprising his eunuch and maidservant. But when he sees a flower bed, memories of what he read the other night flood his imagination.
Deciding to practice his swordsmanship, Lee Heon peeks at his best friend and So-rang in a seemingly intimate position. That is because So-rang keeps teasing Shin-won when she realized he read the book.
Baffled at how she does not see him as a man at all casually joking about the erotic books, he pulls her closer and warns that she could get in trouble if she keeps doing it. Lee Heon’s mood switches to being slightly enraged and tells his eunuch that So-rang should be in his chamber at night.
“You must have forgotten that all palace ladies belong to the King.”
At night, clueless So-rang reveals the swordsmanship training she had with Shin-won. She explains they were in a close position and relays the I-am-a-man-too warning Shin-won told her when she was making fun of him.
Bemused at Lee Heon who inadvertently confessed to reading the books, So-rang, of course, takes the chance to tease him. Chasing each other in the room, So-rang points out how he also softens like any other man. She even inches closer to prove her point when he held her hand.
But when he did not respond, she motions to leave. Suddenly he pulls her even closer and reminds her that all palace ladies belong to him, and to never tease him again like that as he is also a man.
The head eunuch and head maidservant notice the growing fondness of the king for So-rang so they scheme to make them even closer for the sake of the abolition of the 7-year marriage ban. They also loop Shin-won into their plan not knowing he harbors a fondness for So-rang.
Agreeing to check on his friend’s state of mind, Shin-won meets Heon to share that he has become warmer. However, that change is not supposed to be learned by his hidden enemies.
Bringing So-rang to their conversation despite not mentioning her name directly, Lee Heon asserted his willingness to protect and be by her side.
“There must be something fun that we don’t know about.”
Meanwhile, Minister Kim reports to Lee Heon about the lead captain of the royal army being bribed by his detractors.
It is also revealed that So-rang’s evil stepmother, Lady Seo, is having an affair with Lee Heon’s No. 1 foe, Minister Jo. Learning from one of her maids an appearance of a woman that looks like her stepdaughter, Lady Seo went to her tea house, thankfully Ajussi Ax was there to distract So-rang’s evil stepmom with a vision of her daughter becoming a queen.
However, later, her equally wicked daughter points out how she technically has another daughter that could also become a queen.
Proceeding with their plan to make Lee Heon and So-rang closer, the head eunuch and head court lady urge So-rang to wipe Heon’s face. She obliges even when there’s none but takes advantage of the moment to check with the king if he feels something odd being brewed for them.
True to Ajussi Ax’s discernment, So-rang was almost put in danger by the assassins sent by her stepmother. So, he brings her back to the palace to avoid danger.
The day when So-rang and Lee Heon are set to sleep with each other without their knowing arrives. But before So-rang enters Heon’s room, Shin-won gets her hand and drags her out of the king’s chamber.
The Forbidden Marriage Episode 4 Musings
We were not prepared for the early love triangle picture in The Forbidden Marriage. Nonetheless, if it makes our lovable female lead confused and happy, so be it. After all, she might not get lucky to escape the expected dangers her stepmother would wield.
Sometimes the story is a bit messy, but the charming synergy of the trio makes up for it. Interestingly, the depicted classic annoyance-inducing villains in period dramas are effectively drawn in a they-really-mean-to-cause-trouble kind of way.
It won’t be long before Lee Heon would realize that So-rang has already occupied his heart, and it would certainly create a rift in his relationship with Shin-won who feels the same. The latter would
As the story traverses the marriage ban declared by Lee Heon, what gravitates the narrative so far is the balanced treatment of romance and political struggle. Additionally, the attention to including uninhibited scenes that coordinate with the marriage restriction plot such as the woes of the people are done in a comic manner.
It is persuasive enough and also applies to how this episode presents how banned books entered the palace premise by placing the reality that no man, especially in heterosexual relationship-deprived Joseon, can say no to quick relief that can appease their yearnings somehow.
Right now, it is still hard to assess if So-rang is really into Lee Heon, despite all the hints. Because even her still thinks that the king is still not over his dead ex-wife and might be taking her as a substitute to relieve his longing.
What awaits Shin-won for his brazen act of defying Lee Heon? Can So-rang rely on the captain and the king who dote on her to the impending threat being prepared by Minister Jo?
Can love expert So-rang help King Lee Heon find a new queen that will be spared from death in The Forbidden Marriage? Watch the series on KOCOWA!
Photos: MBC Drama
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