I genuinely want to like this series. I found myself forcing myself to keep watching, hoping it would improve and hopefully explain some of the questions that still lingered. However, the ending left many of those questions unresolved, and I'm still trying to understand my feelings.

First, I believe this series is more symbolic than it initially appears. For someone who hasn’t read the book, this could lead to confusion and even frustration, making it hard to enjoy the series as much as I had hoped. The storyline is captivating, but I struggled to understand why the FL was holding back in her relationship with the ML.

What I Liked:

• The Cast: I adore the cast! I was pleasantly surprised by the FL’s performance, as I haven’t seen much of her work before. And who doesn’t love Junho?

• Symbolic Scenes: One scene that stood out was when the FL said goodbye to her free spirit upon becoming a concubine. Given her nature, losing that freedom was deeply emotional for me and made me teared up a bit.

What I Found Uncertain:

I was told their chemistry was off the charts, but I felt more like he was chasing her while she was a tease and “played hard to get,” despite clearly adoring him. Did I miss something about her personality in the early episodes? It wasn’t until the end that her friend mentioned she likes to bluff, which helped me understand her behavior better. I appreciate the sexual tension Junho brought, but the FL seemed to keep everything in check.

The Open Ending:

The open ending. Was it a dream? A nightmare he woke up from? Did he pass away? Was this him and her in their afterlife? The ending really upset me because of the buildup I felt along the way. I felt there was not enough information as time passed or the transition of how things went. For example, when three years passed after the death of the former king, we are suddenly switching to the marketplace. Why did their friend leave the court maid life? Was there really a marriage alliance with ML right man’s younger sister? Again, I think there were some symbolic things that happened that probably weren’t properly explained in the series or the director just couldn’t transition those scenes as smoothly for viewers like me to understand.

The ending felt rushed. I didn’t like how FL and ML suddenly came together after such a rapid sequence of happy moments in the last few episodes, especially given the weird transition surrounding the crown prince’s death. I longed for a smoother transition and a deeper emotional connection between the ML and FL.

As I’m writing this, one thing I do appreciate about the symbolic ending is all the hints and everything that happened in the “nightmare”. FL knew that ML loves his people as a king, he would be a great king just not a great husband because of the duties he has to shoulder. She even hinted that she wishes they were commoner and she often imagined it. He didn’t get the hint and just stated you’re a good court maid and he can’t imagine not being where he is at. This doubt weighed on her, yet she accepted that this was the path she chose. This is why when she visits her friend in prison, you can see the connection and the understanding she feels when her friend states she doesn’t regret making the decision for the man she loves.

The direction and potential of this film were strong, but I wish the execution had been smoother. Certain scenes and transitions created confusion, leading to my lower rating. I reiterate my initial sentiment: I truly want to like or even love this series, but the unanswered questions and editing left me feeling dissatisfied.

Rating: 4/10