Yi Won

Yi Won (이원)
Older As Emperor Younger
Alias	Jin Won (진원)
Nickname	"Apple Lord" (by Ma Mi Song) "Drunkard" (by Hong)
Title	13th Emperor of Ga Guk
Age	20 years old
Debut	Chapter 0.1
Gender	Male
Hair	Red
Eyes	Gold
Relationships
Father	Yi Hyul
Mother	Yoon Yeon Lee
Half-brother	Yi Hwi
Concubine	Jang Rei
Love Interest	Nabi

“	Well, I guess the human heart is a pesky thing. After all, I can't control my own... How stupid. Both you... and I.	”
–Referring to Yoo Dan Ah

Yi Won is the 13^th Emperor of Ga Guk.

Appearance

      See also: Yi Won's Outfits
Yi Won is a tall, fair-skinned, and slim man with distinct long red hair, golden eyes, and visible Adam's apple. Befitting his status as emperor, he wears various elaborate bright outfits during his excursions and in the court. He has a mannerism of putting his left hand behind him and he is never seen without his pipe.

Personality

Yi Won is usually grumpy and hot-headed, especially when attending the court with his ministers. He does not usually care about other people's affairs despite being the emperor and he is very frank in conveying his message to others. However, when it comes to Nabi, he appears to be vulnerable and obsessive towards her, and gets jealous whenever she is with other people. Aside from his vices of gambling and drinking, Yi Won is also a heavy smoker and a womanizer. He regards Hong as his friend with whom he spent some memorable times such as getting into a fight at a gambling den and sharing "secrets" to each other. At first, he is a cold person towards Yoo Dan Ah who he does not like to see crying and following him, but soon they developed a rather close relationship. Despite knowing the fact that she is in love with him, he agrees to elope with her but he still does not reciprocate his feelings for her. Unbeknownst to her, Dan Ah will be marrying him in which he later knew that she is the Prime Minister's daughter. As shown in the first part of the series, Yi Won is able to single-handedly beat up Nam Yang Heon and as noted by Hong, he is physically strong.

Plot

Yi Won succeeded his father, Emperor Jin Hyul, when he was no more than ten years old under his official title Jin Won. Because he is still too young, his mother, Yoon Yeon Lee, acted as his regent until he turned 20 years old. His indolence during the long regency and his irresponsible and autocratic attitude towards ruling had long disappointed his ministers. Combined with his less than illustrious lineage, the ministers no longer had any faith left in the Imperial Family.

During the festival in Ga Guk, Yi Won is seen being introduced to the Water Beetle Game on the marketplace when he, along with the people, hears two people arguing: Nam Yang Heon and a disguised Dan Ah. Unlike the people, he does not care about the two of them and sits idly, smoking his pipe. After the lad was revealed to be a girl and carried by Yang Heon, Dan Ah asks help from Yi Won which he does not entertain. When Nabi throws a fan at Yang Heon, he loses his balance, tipping over to Yi Won with Dan Ah as well. The fan's owner then apologizes and is revealed to be Nabi. After recovering from the fall, he witnesses Nabi's criticism of Yang Heon and laughs at approval with her, even angering Yang Heon more. As Nabi is slapped, she tells him that he should become a person first, much to Yi Won's delight. He then attacks Yang Heon with his smoking pipe before he could hit him first. As Yang Heon's subordinates come to kill him, Dan Ah, and Nabi, Yi Won single-handedly beats Yang Heon, making his condition worse. After the fight, Yi Won's excitement fades away and ruins his outfit, making him angry. He looks around to find Nabi, but fails to do so.

File:Yi Won 17.png

Yi Won is rejected by Nabi

The next day at the palace, Yi Won asks Baek Yoo Shin about any information on Nabi, to which he found out that she is a gisaeng from Yu Hyang Ru with which he is then revealed to be the current emperor of Ga Guk. In court, he only thinks and mumbles of Nabi, even asking his ministers about her. He later finds out that she is still a dong-gi, much to his excitement. He immediately leaves the court, complaining that they are always asking for his permission regarding political matters. He then left for Yu Hyang Ru to meet Nabi, giving her one bottle of alcohol. With this, she rejects him, explaining that even a grandiose present such as a pavilion did not get her much favor, advising him to try much harder if he truly wants to have her. He then leaves the place and wanders off, drinking the alcohol alone, commenting that Nabi is rather shrewd. He then encounters Dan Ah, hiding from her servants. He remains silent and continues drinking, as if he did not see Dan Ah. When her servants leave, he also leaves and goes to the palace, having spent all his money on liquor. Dan Ah thanks him for his "help" and for last night as well, repaying him with liquor. At Yeon Wol Jung, Yi Won drinks until he is fully satisfied, but since the liquor runs out, he lies on Dan Ah's lap and tries to get some sleep, singing the Butterfly lullaby, much to Dan Ah's surprise. He is then asked if he still remembers her from ten years ago at Bi Hwa Rim.

While Dan Ah searches and wanders around the creek at Bi Hwa Rim, Yi Won sings the Butterfly lullaby, causing Dan Ah to find the person. To her surprise, she finds him singing and is continuously asked by Dan Ah if he truly is the person from ten years ago, answering frankly that it was not him. Yi Won then reminisces of his moments with his late father at Bi Hwa Rim. Going back to the palace, he hears of Yoon Yeon Lee's and Yoo Ja Gyeom's conversation about the Crimson Moon and bursts in singing the Crimson Moon song, much to the exasperation of his mother. He asks about Jin Yeon's status and the Prime Minister answers that the rumor that he is alive seems to be true. He states that he thought they have already killed him ten years ago, offending the Prime Minister. Yi Won then unsheathes Baek Yoo Shin's sword and threatens a servant to sing the song in return for her life. She then sings it but was personally beheaded by Yi Won, stating that she still should not have sung it.

In his chambers at night, Yi Won and his concubine are woken by Jang Rei and informs him that his reward is ready outside. He then praises her because she seems to always have what he wants even before he asks. He then goes out with Baek Ryung to Yu Hyang Ru and visit Nabi. Arriving at Yu Hyang Ru, he gets caught up in a ruckus with a servant of the place and beats him up while the servant keeps on apologizing. Wol Young Hwa then arrives and asks for the matter. He demands to see Nabi, bringing forth tons of nyangs with him as payment.

Quotes

• "(laughs) The bug has fallen on its back!" (To Nam Yang Heon)
• "To me, this place is just... A past that is as cold as a knife's edge. My only peaceful memory." (Referring to Bi Hwa Rim)
• "Mother, why are you getting so angry? It is only a song." (To Yoon Yeon Lee about the Crimson Moon song)
• "You still shouldn't have sung it. It upsets me. Oh my, another person has died because of the Crimson Moon. Or, is it because of me? (laughs)" (Referring to a palace servant)
• "As expected of a princess of the great Seo Seo! Quick to catch on, quick to calculate, and quick to react. " (To Jang Rei)
• "Bring Nabi to me! There should be enough money here to last for her entire life and even afterlife!" (To Wol Young Hwa)