This has around about spoilers and just binged 6 ep. This drama is a definite 10+ across the board Story, Acting and Music/Ost. Its familiar and different as the story start with the FL/ML meeting as kids, BUT this set up the rest of the drama so DON'T give up & watch it: The ML(CP/San) sneaked out and on his way to pay his last respect to his grandma he meets the FL that's sent to represent the court ladies. They hear the King coming and she pushes him(san) out the window and she bowed on the floor. The King being calm and speaks nice to FL about the queen Yeong and gives her a book the queen wrote to follow her dream and to never see the boy again. She has 3 BF that goes thru thick and thin together and protect each other welfare. Then one day FL sees 2 ladies whispering that the CP is hiding a forbidden book she had just learned about it. She runs to the library and finds it as they start looking she tears out the pages and throws the book and the ML aide Hong deok ro takes credit. Years go by and she's turning 18 and will become a lady of the court working for the ML assigned to the library. She loves it until one day she runs into the ML disguised and they argues he's frustrated and this goes on for days/weeks. He cant tell her his identity so he gets back at her by being the CP and making her life hell. Later she finds out he's the CP and is mad they talk and cleared it up, but now she treats him like a CP and he's sad as he liked there private time in the library. Its the yearly court ladies party and the CP & army are hunting a lion in the palace when they find he's heading toward the party. FL finds 3 kids & send to safety then finds the 4th covered in blood as the hugh lion stares at her. As he slowly moves towards her the CP throw a fire arrow and the lion head towards the exit. The CP kills the lion in the palace and his aunt uses it against him trying to detrone him. The king is furious and punishment is given, but again the aunt isnt happy she wants him gone(dead). While kneeling in the court yard he GF shows up and tells him it hurts him to do this. (flashback we see the FL asking the king to forgive him) The aunt finds out the FL helped the CP and sets her up to be hit 100x by paddle when the ML shows up defending her. While with the Queen each explains there side when the queen offers her a pay cut the ML agrees, but the aunt didnt. The king shows up and thinks its ridiculous everyone does it unintentionally then he see its the FL he laughts. We find out the ML mother put the FL into the palace & kept her brother outside in order to survive as their father was a royal guard killed with the 1st CP as a traitor and mom committed suicide. Rumors are the CP frequent brothel and his mom want her to follower so she trails him until she caught. She is almost killed by the lord hong when the CP arrives and she tells hm the truth.
UPDATE up to Ep 12 and it's still exciting as more developments happens with the FL getting and being used into unnecessary problems, but not at her own expense. It seems Head Court lady Jo has her own agenda to protect the girls from history repeating. She has molded the FL all these years to make her marry the CP and be there spy, but she refuses. She then followers Lady Jo to her underground court and prison in which they saved Court Lady Park who told the real story about who and why the past CP Sato went crazy and killed 100+ ladies. It all stem from jeousley of 2 court ladies (Jo vs Yeong) and both had the kings attn. The King choose Lady Yeong and you'll see the outcome while watching. The ML finally realized that they met as kids while our FL is trying to get out from being killed or be maim and the king remember. The story continues with FL being used as a pawn by Empress/queen and Lord Hong and in order to protect he kicks her out from palace to his sister. A year goes by and they meet by accident at his sister house and of course they fight. A few days later she ordered back to the palace to work under the new Consort Yun without the kings permission. When he learns the new consort is harassing the FL he bedds her into his newest consort. So now watch the last few episodes. It really has a twist at the end💜