Original: 우아한 제국
A man and a woman take revenge desperately yet elegantly after being trampled on by enormous power.
During the commemoration of Jang Chang Sung's first anniversary memorial service, Jang Gi Yun embarks on the expansion strategy for the company he inherited. This move involves E promoting the two-billion-dollar business centered around VK Media Culture Valley. At this juncture, Seo Hee Jae emerges at WJ Entertainment, sparking Gi Yun's curiosity.
Two imposing men are pursuing Hee Jae, and it's at this moment that she crosses paths E with Gi Yun. Her demeanor and conversation immediately capture Gi Yun's attention. Back at NA Entertainment, Hee Jae has personal justifications for her decision to stay and engage. The team at NA Entertainment insists on her showcasing her skills. With no hesitation, she storms into WJ Entertainment to resolve matters promptly.
Seung Pil takes a picture of Gi Yun and Hee Jae together at a bar and sends it to Jacklyn to get her infuriated. Jacklyn recognizes Hee Jae right away as she looks exactly like Ju Kyung. Woo Hyuk advises Hee Jae to stay away from Gi Yun, while Jacklyn visits Gi Yun at his office the next day and runs into Hee Jae again.
Hee Jae manages to make Hyunta the new model of Miyu Cosmetics just before Na Hee's contract renewal. Gi Yun and Jacklyn lose control when they lose the deal to NA Entertainment. Therefore, Gi Yun comes up with another plan to persuade the CEO of Miyu Cosmetics. Meanwhile, Gi Yun discovers something interesting while investigating Hee Jae's family background.
Woo Hyuk is unable to move on from his feelings for Ju Kyung, and encountering Hee Jae, who bears a striking resemblance to Ju Kyung, only adds to his confusion. During a visit to Gi Yun's house to resolve unresolved matters, Hee Jae accidentally pours wine on herself. This results in her reluctantly borrowing one of Jaclyn's dresses, only to be caught off guard by Jaclyn's sudden intrusion.
Seeing Soo A in Gi Yun's residence triggers memories of the days Hee Jae spent as Shin Ju Kyung. A decade ago, Chairman Jang held unfavorable opinions about Gi Yun and desired Ju Kyung to be his spouse, hoping she would guide him on the correct path. Faced with numerous significant blunders, Gi Yun found himself compelled to wed Ju Kyung solely to outwardly fulfill his father's desires.
After marrying Gi Yun, Ju Kyung gives birth to a daughter named Soo A and is living happily. Ju Kyung picks up Gi Yun, who has returned from a business trip abroad. Coincidentally, Seung Pil is there, and he introduces Jaclyn, who had caught Gi Yun's attention during his trip. Gi Yun finds it difficult to suppress his feelings for Jaclyn.
Seung Pil decides to get his revenge on Gi Yun for his time in prison. He plots with wealthy Jaclyn to steal Gi Yun's company. However, when Gi Yun and Jaclyn cross paths at a hotel bar, it sparks mutual interest between the two of them.
Gi Yun confronts Jaclyn during her inaugural ceremony and successfully feigns condescension to capture her attention. Meanwhile, Assemblyman Yang Hee Chan strategically attracts Jaclyn to Gi Yun's new project as part of a plan to secure Jaclyn's investment.
Upon hearing Ju Kyung's assurance that she intended to make him the next chairman and fully support him, Gi Yun had confidence in her words. However, the announcement during the commemoration event catches both Gi Yun and Ju Kyung off guard, resulting in a profound shock.
The astonishing declaration of the new chairman catches Gi Yun off guard, pushing him to rely solely on Jaclyn. To win her favor, he strategizes to fulfill her every wish, showing a willingness to cross boundaries with Ju Kyung. While attending a hotel meeting, Ju Kyung is confronted with Gi Yun and Jaclyn's shameless demeanor, placing her in an uncomfortable position.
Ju Kyung tries her best to persuade Gi Yun at the hotel where he and Jaclyn are together to come home. However, Gi Yun doesn't want to leave Jaclyn. Ju Kyung tells Hye Rim about Gi Yun's affair, but ironically, Hye Rim takes Jaclyn's side. Ju Kyung has no choice but to expose everything to Chairman Jang, causing Chairman Jang to call Gi Yun and Jaclyn to his house.
Ju Kyung tells Chairman Jang that Gi Yun had used company assets as collateral to get an immense loan. Gi Yun senses danger after getting rebuked intensely by Chairman Jang and plots to bring Ju Kyung down from her position in the company. Meanwhile, Ju Kyung falls into Gi Yun's trap and gets taken away by the police for embezzlement.
After Chairman Jang learns Ju Kyung was arrested by the police unfairly at the hands of Gi Yun, he angrily demands Gi Yun to get her released immediately. Gi Yun can't take his father's words anymore, and he decides to get rid of him by secretly giving him an overdose of his medicine. As Chairman Jang suffers in pain, Ju Kyung walks into his room.
At Chairman Jang's funeral, Ju Kyung is apprehended on allegations of murdering him. Due to Gi Yun's interference, every attorney declines to represent Ju Kyung. Adding to the adversity, Hye Rim provides false testimony, claiming she saw Ju Kyung commit the murder. Overwhelmed by shock, Ju Kyung collapses and bleeds.
Having already experienced a miscarriage, Ju Kyung now faces an impending prison term due to false murder charges. What makes it even more agonizing is her inability to be with Soo A. Gi Yun views this as a chance to pressure her into signing divorce papers, although his true motives are concealed. In the confines of prison, Ju Kyung weighs her remaining choices.
With Jaclyn now wedded to Gi Yun following Ju Kyung's imprisonment, her current objective is to eliminate Woo Hyuk. Their actions have not only snuffed out Woo Hyuk's chance to thrive as an actor but also compelled him to perform menial tasks around the office. Amidst it all, Woo Hyuk endures the humiliation, eagerly anticipating Ju Kyung's return.
Ye Kyung searches for evidence frantically to prove Ju Kyung's innocence, while Gi Yun and Jaclyn consider Yu Kyung to be a thorn in their sides. One day, Ye Kyung leaves to retrieve evidence proving Ju Kyung's innocence after receiving an anonymous text message from someone claiming to have it. But she sustains a deadly fall in a parking elevator shaft and gets rushed to the hospital.
Although Ye Kyung survives the horrible accident, she seriously injures her leg. Woo Hyuk believes the accident was not a coincidence. Meanwhile, Gi Yun and Jaclyn visit Ju Kyung in prison to tell her that Soo A can't remember her and is having a hard time because of her. Tormented by their words, Ju Kyung tries to take her life.
Ju Kyung makes the firm choice to dedicate herself to Soo A's well-being once she's released from prison. On the day of her release, she anxiously watches Soo A from a distance, as a restraining order prevents her from getting closer, and is taken aback when her daughter passes by without recognizing her. Ju Kyung is certain that Soo A is not being cared for with love.
The distressing fact that Soo A could be in harm's way due to Gi Yun and Jaclyn terrifies Ju Kyung. Worried about Soo A's well-being, Ju Kyung anxiously monitors the kindergarten pickup, but nobody shows up, allowing her a chance to bond with her daughter. However, Gi Yun soon discovers this and manipulates the situation to his advantage.
After parting ways with her colleagues at NA Entertainment for Soo A's sake, Ju Kyung finds herself in a month's time facing Gi Yun's refusal to honor their agreement, mocking her innocence. It dawns on Ju Kyung that she's fallen for Gi Yun's deception once more, prompting her to take action in retaliation.
Woo Hyuk gets caught for wanting to become an actor by Jun Hee. He decides to leave his family to continue to become one. With nowhere to go, he heads to NA Entertainment. Meanwhile, after watching Seung Pil leave his seat to answer Jaclyn's phone call, he becomes suspicious of him.
While half asleep, Soo A recognizes her mother's face. She leaves the hospital alone and heads to the address she remembers from Woo Hyuk. Meanwhile, Jaclyn leaves the house after fighting with Gi Yun and goes to Seung Pil's house to make Gi Yun jealous. However, when she gets there, she sees Soo A.
Upon hearing that Gi Yun wants to reunite with Ju Kyung, Jaclyn is shocked, and jealousy begins to take root within her. At the same time, Woo Hyuk acknowledges his love for Ju Kyung and decides to confess his feelings. Ju Kyung herself begins to harbor similar feelings, and Woo Hyuk's confession moves her. However, their blossoming relationship doesn't go unnoticed by Gi Yun, who devises a plan to disrupt it in the most unpleasant manner.
Gi Yun's plan to drive a wedge between Ju Kyung and Woo Hyuk backfires, leaving him anxious about the potential leverage she may have. He urgently hunts for Chang Sung's hearing aid, suspecting it may house a hidden camera with incriminating content that could corner him. His extreme distress compels him to concentrate solely on recovering the missing hearing aid.
In a heartbreaking moment, Ju Kyung must bear witness as her beloved Ye Kyung's life is taken away in a tragic car accident, leaving her in a state of utter despair. Her tears fall, a turbulent mix of sadness and fury. Later, at the funeral, she uncovers the disturbing truth that Gi Yun is the one behind this tragedy and swears to seek vengeance. The first step in her plan involves faking her own death in place of Ye Kyung's.
Hee Jae appears after completely wiping out Shin Ju Kyung's past. Finally, with Seung Pil's help, she gets to unsheathe her blade in revenge against Jang Gi Yun. Meanwhile, Gi Yun becomes captivated by Hee Jae's provocative charms without having the slightest clue that she is the late Shin Ju Kyung, and Jaclyn, who has to witness it, becomes infuriated.
Jaclyn and Gi Yun keep getting into fights with Hee Jae in the picture, and Hee Jae watches them with a smile of satisfaction. Meanwhile, Woo Hyuk visits Yu Kyung's niche and confides in her about the confusion over Hee Jae, and Hee Jae takes Jun Hee to the hospital for suddenly collapsing.
Hee Jae picks Jaclyn as her primary focus, and the situation already begins to lean in her favor when she brings Gi Yun home, who is almost passed out from excessive drinking. Later, Gi Yun shares with Hye Rim his feelings for Hee Jae, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Ju Kyung. Meanwhile, Woo Hyuk stumbles upon the revelation that Hee Jae is actually Ju Kyung herself, the person he has pined for.
Once Woo Hyuk uncovers her identity, Hee Jae opts to inform him about her true self while keeping her pursuit of Gi Yun a secret. As WJ Entertainment marks its foundation day, Gi Yun invites Hee Jae to his home. At the same time, Hee Jae begins implementing her strategy to intercept Jaclyn's money before it arrives in Gi Yun's hands.
Gi Yun gets drunk and looks at his father's picture in deep remorse. Hye Rim falls to the floor when she hears Gi Yun tell her that he knows about the secret of his birth. Meanwhile, Hee Jae's heart breaks when she realizes she can't tell Soo A she is her mother.
Hye Rim is thrown off by the surprising fact that Gi Yun and Jaclyn aren't sharing a bedroom. Things get spicy at NA Entertainment as Jaclyn spills the tea on Hee Jae and Gi Yun's secret relationship. Woo Hyuk wears a look of disbelief when he hears about Hee Jae's deep connection with Gi Yun, but his trust in her is unshaken, standing strong against any fleeting doubts.
Gi Yun openly expresses his love to Hee Jae but swiftly concludes their romance as it clashes with societal norms. In the meantime, Jaclyn delves into the background of Suzuki Yamato, believed to be Hee Jae's father, uncovering his fictitious existence. Recognizing this as her singular opportunity, she endeavors to permanently eliminate Hee Jae from her life.
Woo Hyuk is surprised when he learns Jun Hee is the chairwoman at Jung Capital, where Soo Ho works. Meanwhile, Hye Rim guides Dr. Oh secretly down to the basement, and Jaclyn asks Hee Jae to come and be the translator for a meeting she has with a Japanese investor.
Jaclyn slides over an envelope full of money to a man impersonating Suzuki Yamato to get him to testify that he isn't Hee Jae's father. Meanwhile, Hee Jae returns an expensive necklace to Gi Yun that he secretly gave her, and Jaclyn finds it in Gi Yun's desk drawer.
Jaclyn's face turns red with embarrassment when Suzuki says the opposite of what he promised to expose in front of Gi Yun. When asked about the money he had borrowed for Woo Hyuk, Soo Ho can't say a word. Meanwhile, Hee Jae worries that Woo Hyuk will get hurt because of her.
Hee Jae notices that Soo A naturally gravitates toward her when she picks her up from kindergarten, and Jaclyn is powerless to prevent Hee Jae, the biological mother, from assuming that maternal role. Gi Yun feels a sense of comfort seeing his daughter's happiness with Hee Jae. Meanwhile, Gi Yun believes it's only fair to remove Jaclyn from the picture and welcome Hee Jae into his life.
Jaclyn finds herself with nothing after falling victim to a scam, and now she fears that Gi Yun might leave her, seeing no value in her. She strongly suspects Hee Jae orchestrated the scam but lacks evidence. Determined to secure funds, she resorts to any means necessary, ultimately arriving at Jung Capital, where a familiar face awaits her.
Hee Jae wins Gi Yun's favor when she hands him a large sum of money after seeing him broke and looking for a solution. Gi Yun accepts her offer and falls even harder for her. Meanwhile, one step at a time, Hee Jae gets closer to her revenge and watches Gi Yun become more anxious.
Hee Jae can't stand the thought of leaving Soo A alone with Jaclyn, who abuses her. She resolves to move in with Gi Yun for the time being. Hee Jae plans to move in with Gi Yun on Woo Hyuk's birthday after leaving Woo Hyuk a heart-breaking goodbye and kiss. Meanwhile, Gi Yun finds out the movie investment he had made with Hee Jae's money was a scam.
Jaclyn devises a plan to destroy Hee Jae, who has now taken over the master bedroom she once shared with Gi Yun. One night, Jaclyn waits for Hee Jae to leave work in the basement parkade to kidnap her. Meanwhile, Woo Jae watches over Hee Jae on his phone through a GPS tracking application.
Jaclyn believes she perfectly destroyed the evidence of her crime and leaves the scene. Woo Hyuk saves Hee Jae from the fire, and Hee Jae loses consciousness. Meanwhile, Gi Yun is worried about Hee Jae as she has not returned home.
After surviving an almost fatal encounter with Jaclyn, Hee Jae opts to leave the house. Weary of Jaclyn, Gi Yun contemplates divorce, but she derides his financial constraints. Gi Yun must strategize another way to eliminate Jaclyn for the well-being of Soo A and Hee Jae. Meanwhile, Hee Jae pities Woo Hyuk, fully aware of the impending end to their relationship.
After getting renounced by her mother-in-law, Hye Rim, Jaclyn has nowhere to go. She remembers the address of her mother's nursing home Seung Pil had given her, and she decides to go there. However, when she gets there, her mother doesn't remember her.
Jaclyn cries in pain as her mother, Sun Ja, cannot recognize her, and Seung Pil feels bad for both of them. Meanwhile, Hee Jae and Woo Hyuk plan to hand over the evidence of Jaclyn's attempted murder to Gi Yun, and Jun Hee finds out Hee Jae is living under a fake identity.
Even though Gi Yun finds out about Jaclyn's attempted murder, she blames Ju Kyung for her crime and takes it out on her. Gi Yun gets infuriated at Jacklyn and wants to kick her out of his house immediately. Meanwhile, Hee Jae is disappointed in Seung Pil as she realizes he is on Jacklyn's side.
Chang Sung miraculously gains consciousness after a year-long sleep, and Gi Yun calls Hye Rim immediately. They plan to soundproof Chang Sung's room secretly while Jaclyn is asleep. However, Seung Pil gets suspicious and barges into Gi Yun's house as he cannot reach Jaclyn.
Following Woo Hyuk's collapse, Gi Yun firmly warns him to stay away from Hee Jae, cautioning him about potential consequences if he continues to be a problem. This warning instead fuels Woo Hyuk's determination to protect Hee Jae from harm. Meanwhile, Woo Hyuk's mother calls Hee Jae, demanding truthful answers amidst the unfolding drama.
After being pushed into a corner by Jaclyn for her investment money, Gi Yun orders Sung Gu to kidnap Jaclyn and put her in a mental hospital. With Jaclyn, a thorn in his side, out of the picture, Gi Yun finally lets out a relieving sigh of satisfaction. Meanwhile, Hee Jae discloses her plan for revenge to Jun Hee and gains her support.
