I thought this scene looked familiar
And I knew immediately—
Heeryang 🤝 Seungho
Only difference is Seungho is a saint of a governor compared to Heeryang
Steel Under Silk is set in 15th century Joseon (1448 according to the first chapter), while PotN is set in the 18th century (judging from the merchants selling the music box), so there are quite a few liberties that the latter century had compared to the former. The palace had the sole power in during the 15th century, but latter years changed it to families of the court having equal or more power over the king
Steel Under Silk, ch90 vs PotN ch37 and 123
Also, the fact that both of them had nasty fathers really make it seem like they’re two peas from a different pod
Steel Under Silk, ch48 vs PotN, ch86
Heeryang and Seungho really need a lifetime of therapy😭
I am still sad that we never saw even a glimpse of the Yoon brothers’ mother. Fuck you, Chang-Hyeon 😡
PotN ch86
Steel Under Silk, ch63
Heeryang speaks fondly of his mother, which leads me to think that, since both series have some similar elements to a degree, the Yoon brothers probably loved their mother very much as well. The Yoon brothers’ mother also most likely loved her sons very much. She was definitely a noblewoman and not a courtesan, and had most likely been forcibly sequestered by Chang-Hyeon everytime he took Seungho away to the brothel, and that’s why she ended herself after hearing/seeing what happened to her son
I hope that in the AU, we’d see a glimpse of the mother, bc everything there is reversed, with Na-Kyum having parents and siblings, maybe in the reversal, we’d see Seungho and Seungwon’s mother but this time, Chang-Hyeon is the dead parent? 🥺🥺🥺🥺
Anyway.
I still think that Seungho is the type of governor who’d only work when Na-Kyum tells him to, not because Seungho’s lazy, but because he wants all his time to be spent with Na-Kyum🥺
Na-Kyum would nag him to no end until work is actually done for the day 😭
Since ascending to governor, Seungho most likely bent the law in some form to marry Na-Kyum, as seen through some of BD’s art
Second pic is from either the following day of Seungho’s arrival in the village (as he’s thinking of long-haired Na-Kyum), or a celebration of sorts, idk
Also confirming that they have gotten married is through the game, Zerowake Gates, where Seungho referred to himself as Na-Kyum’s husband🥺🥺🥺 Did Seungho manage to pass Na-Kyum off as a woman in the registry? Did the village just turn a blind eye that their governor married a man?
(I am still trying to max Seungho’s level and every single skill)
Which brings me back to Steel Under Silk: will Heeryang bend the law further for Yeonjo, or will he remain loyal to the king? Heeryang already bent many laws by letting Yeonjo live and take him back without any punishment even after burning down part of his manor. What iron fist he has over Hamgil-do is a stark contrast to Seungho’s leniency, which is understandable bc Seungho never wanted to be an official and only did it for Na-Kyum’s sake, whereas Heeryang needed to prove everyone he was not just a courtesan’s son
I can see Steel Under Silk ending in two ways: a happy ending, or a sad ending
They could be happy if Heeryang would just abandon all his pride, his station, and just take Yeonjo far from the capital and make a lifetime of amendments for murdering Yeonjo’s family. Either that or, if somehow, Yeonjo manages to forgive Heeryang and accept that in some way, he was happy being with Heeryang
Or, they could end up being both dead. Yeonjo kills Heeryang, Heeryang accepts the punishment, and Yeonjo kills himself afterward, just as how Yeonjo planned it. But from how the story is going, Yeonjo’s plans always foil in some form in the end, usually by Heeryang. I like how both are so conflicted with one another. Heeryang accepts dying by Yeonjo’s hand but at the same time he wants to be with him and live together. Same goes for Yeonjo, too
Suddenly I had a thought. What if Yeonjo takes the state exam to get a government post and fight against Heeryang? Then I remember… he can’t get one, because his family is branded as traitorous😞He wouldn’t get past the registration gates 😭
Then I thought, what if he uses his intellect to aid Heeryang if there ever was a chance he’d forgive the governor? Possibly to overthrow the current king?👀👀👀 They could be a force to be reckoned with if they ever unite in that way. Both have the brains, Heeryang has the brawn and influence, Yeonjo has enough spite and he can throw all that spite against the king who ordered Heeryang to murder the Lee family. Oh, the POSSIBILITIES THIS SERIES CAN GO THROUGH🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️