#keishuk

2023 - 2026

Disclaimer: Soo Won´s reasons for stepping down. Believe it or not, they are reasonable - for Soo Won. His reasons have - NOTHING- to do with Yona being a GLORIOUS LEADER! THIS IS MY PROOF THAT SOO WON IS A GOOD HUMAN BEING

I. Soo Won´s darkness and lie

Unfortunately, if you follow the manga closely it becomes apparent, that there is - at least - one lie Soo Won must have been telling himself constantly.

1. Yona´s intuition

In Xing, there was a certain reason, why Soo Won looked darkly at Yona during the Xing Arc, when she told him the following words:

„I see. But now, I understand, why uncle Yu hon could not become king."

Yona knew, of course, that Soo Won was sensitive regarding his father. Usually, however, like we can see in Xing, he reacts rather cooly to the cruelties his father had committed. So Yona´s guess would have not worked - in another case.

But the girl hit the bull´s eye.

Therefore the darkness in his face. It is something he had tried to suppress strongly.

So Yona was right, but she was also very wrong at the same time. (Yona´s intuition is not always 100 % accurate, but she can guess- more often than not - pretty near the truth).

2. Soo Won´s discovery in the diary

The diary of Soo Won´s mother Yon hi is a curious item that works like a mirror to three people - King Il, Soo Won and Yona.

All three people were - fundamentally - changed after having read Yon hi´s words.

Soo Won knows it now:

Why his father did not become king. Why his father would be a bad king.

I can savely assume, that it was really the diary, that changed his knowledge and even later his behaviour.

After the murder of King Il the mangaka was so kind to let Soo Won talk wide and long about one topic: He could simply not understand, why the weak King Il was chosen instead of his father.

And what did Soo Won discover?

The reason his father burnt down the priests:

His mother Yon hi.

Out of a personal reason his father committed a grave and horrible catastrophe.

3. Soo Won´s education and decision

Soo Won was educated how leaders are - usually - trained in Kouka Kingdom- it is a wartime. So they know the cruelties in war, yet there is a certain measure to "reign the beast".

The leaders of this country should act only due to the benefit of the country. NOT out of personal reasons. Or you have a horrible tyrant, who might really kill people for his own benefit.

For Yu hon it was the same. Every cruelty was well and justified if it solely happened for the wellbeing of the people. This was common sense. A simple maid explains these reasons to us.

The cruelties are justified since they are measures to protect the people, the country.

Curious, we even get a glimpse, how Yu hon drills this into Soo Won´s head.

"Don´t think of them as people. Think only of how to advance your pieces. Don´t be afraid to use fear or deceit if needed. Discard the unneeded pieces. Even if it´s your friend."

II. It is Soo Won, not Yu hon

1. Soo Won´s decision - He will become King

On the night his father was killed, both circumstances coincided: Soo Won´s wished for revenge, but always, always his love for other people.

Even when he was batshit angry, full of hate - Soo Won could not abandon the people, the country. Saving lives is so important to him.

Yu hon could kill people in order to save his wife, out of a personal reason, but Soo Won couldn´t. Not out of a personal reason.

Even after his father had died, and he wanted so much to kill King Il, Soo Won could not kill King Il due to his wish for revenge.

Soo Won´s eyes are so dark, and full of pain, when he had to decide...to kill the king. He hesitated. It hurt. It was so painful for him.

"I´ll get him to step down? Or perhaps"...

Little, itty-bitty Soo Won had not been able to really decide. His head was sunken down. This child didn´t really want to kill King Il. Even when he was absolutely, horrifyingly angry.

He knew of the pain, he would inflict on Yona (and Hak).

His mother didn´t see his face, he was turning his back to her. Even back then, he understood - He needed to be cruel to be kind.

We know, that Soo Won did not look that way, when he told his mother. I literally put the pictures in front of you. The mangaka screwd with our perception on purpose.

Soo Won literally told her, that he would come to no decision, if he "put all his feelings in one box". He would just - like his mother - being torn apart by guilt. And help exactly nobody.

"Father used to say if we don´t apply our reasoning with efficiency to swiftly arrive at answers, the country will be ruined."

Even then - as a literal child- the wellbeing of other people was the reason, Soo Won did not give in to his selfish wish to kill King Il. But he also had to be "cruel to be kind". He might have to kill King Il in the future.

2. Soo Won´s nightmare - his lie

After his coronation, Soo Won read the diary. This fact is emphasized in the latest chapter. It is one of the last keys to Soo Won´s story.

After Soo Won had read the diary - he knew: He knew, that it had been a lie...a lie...a lie...a lie. His father had lied to him.

1.Soo Won knew, that his father had lied to him.

2.He had killed King Il

3. He even believed, that he had killed Yona and Hak

4. There was a whole country in wait for him.

Soo Won could not go back anymore. He had "brought down the judgement" on King Il, therefore he had to fullfill his plan.

And so he did then, what he has always done. He put this knowledge in a box and closed the lid.

Soo Won was really succesful. He even believed the lie - wholly - himself up until Yona had to force the lid open in Xing.

STOP THINKING. I HAVE CHOSEN. THROWN AWAY ALL UNNEEDED BOXES. THAT WAS WHAT FATHER DID.

Truly Soo Won. Your father just burnt a couple of priests for your mother. You read about it...However, this was not the only measure he took. (This picture is from the Castle Arc and one of my proofs, that Soo Won lied to himself!!!)

3. NO PERSONAL FEELINGS ALLOWED

Soo Won did react to this revelation in two ways. The first one is, that he forbid himself from literally having any personal feelings. He did so from the start, but I believe, he truly wanted to kill his heart, after this revelation. BECAUSE Soo Won mentions something quite icky. Highly interesting - indeed.

Look, how Soo Won judged his father´s deed. It is told to us, in this manga:

"Any country ruled by a king who prioritized one individual would fall to ruin."

(He literally had read the proof. His own father and this was his sons judgement. Ouch).

"If I do not choose the very best path for this country, there would be no point in my sitting upon the throne."

This Soo Won told Min Soo as answer to the question, if he would really want to inflict even more suffering upon that person? (Yona).

Yes, it is EXACTLY the Xing issue.

It is so funny: It was Xing, that demonstrated his sincerity, his deep wish for the wellbeing of other people.

(I was rolling in laughter, after I have realized it. Do you even know, how many people I have argued with, that Soo Won is not bad? Exactly after the Xing Arc? Too many.)

Soo Won tried to get rid of his personal feelings for the wellbeing of his people. In order not be become a tyrant.

How did Ju do express it?

"Reuniting the five tribes, protecting this country from foreign countries invading during this time!! You had the resolve to throw away everything."

So many boxes, so many "people, he liked" that he had discarded...

Was Soo Won afraid, that he would end up like his father? He was Yu hon´s son, after all. I bet...

4. Soo Won´s plan

Still, Soo Won´s plan encompassed widening the countries borders and turning the neighbouring countries into vassal states. All to counter the Kai Empire that showed already the first signs of disintegration.

Soo Won was determined to follow this plan to its bitter end (for himself, not for other people).

By no means did Soo Won wish to die sooner...

5. The ideal king

As a king, he´s ideal, concluded Lily her observation. He was his aim so near. Nearly he would have secured Kouka Kingdom...yet, there was a different outcome...

III. Soo Won´s downfall

1. The contraction of the Crimson Illness

The second reaction to the pressure, the lie, and pain was Soo Won´s immense death wish. He already demonstrated signs of it, directly after the murder of King Il.

Soo Won´s Crimson Illness started around the same time Soo Won read the diary. After his coronation.

Additionally, every person we know, who became ill with this disease hid a strong death wish.

However, it is - of course- not clear, if these death wishes were just merely coincidences or actually the cause. But it would be - at least - a sound explanation, why only a little more than 50 % fell ill. Maybe it was- merely- a contributing factor.

However Soo Won - surely - was not the only one to have a death wish and contract this disease. Since King Hiryuu had already suffered by it, we can - at least - assume that the revolt of the descendants might have had nothing to do with the Crimson Illness.

2. "Soo Won´s "I am not going to marry"-numbers"

While I definitely think, that the impossibility to have strong personal relationships was definitely a factor for Soo Won´s unwillingness to marry, another good reason was maybe - exactly - that he did not fancy a loveless marriage.

I think one "very wrong perception" of Soo Won is, that he does not care about romantic love. According to my very own understanding of this person he is - actually - pretty romantic.

In fact, that guy was not too eager to marry even before he read the diary. When Yona and Soo Won discussed Soo Won´s possible engagement, he was about as happy as if having to go to the dental office.

Our dear, dear Soo Won is actually pretty giddy, if it comes to romantic love. You can literally observe it in the Earth Tribe Arc - I just say General Geuntae and his wife Yun ho.

"Even a famous, brave general like you is weak against their wife, huh?"

Soo Won was chuckling - oh Soo Won, this little statement is going to bite you in your ass so greatly...

Soo Won - absolutely - adores their relationship. He is grinning so often, when it comes to their relationship. It is just so beautiful to him.

And he absolutely makes fun of General Geuntae for to it.

I think I need to find an 18 year old boy, who adores the love relationship between two "middle aged" people so greatly like Soo Won. Of course, they remind him of his parents. But this is the point. Soo Won is a child that was born, because his father and mother loved each other.

And it - more often than not - ends bad for Soo Won. Because like a boomerang Soo Won would receive the "unending" question: "What about you, your Majesty?"

In "what goes around comes around" - the title is perfect - Soo Won basically received a well-deserved question regarding his own love life.

He basically shot himself in the foot, because he was enjoying the relationship between General Geuntae and his wife so much.

And the next time, too. Soo Won considered their child "very cute", and immediately, he received again the not very amusing question shot back regarding his own - unique - relationship status.

Soo Won will literally tear his own heart apart for the country, but marriage? Na.

In contrast to the chapter "what goes around comes around" Soo Won appeared- after his illness showed- more serene and not at all strongly conflicted. At least in that regard it did seem to have set him free of the expectation to marry.

"His parents in spe - Judo and above else Keishuk - have tried so much to persuade their "damn mule of a king" to find a suitable candidate.

Ju do speaks even from "I´m not going to marry" numbers. Obviously Soo Won is "really good at" them.

3. Xing

While Soo Won´s followers - along with the Fire Tribe - had pursued Yona and Hak at the beginning, Soo Won stopped the search abruptly. Then Yona and Hak "died" - falling down a cliff, into the depth of a ravine. Usually they would have died, but some people survive basically anything. After "their reawakening" Soo Won was so glad, that he acted like he always does: He pretended officially like they didn´t exist, while he collaborated with them along his big goal. All was ponys and rainbows in the Fire tribe, Earth Tribe, Water tribe and even until Sei.

And then came Xing - suddenly their aims diverged. Yona and Hak believed in a non-confrontial solution, Soo Won didn´t.

Their invitation for a meeting Soo Won ignored and while Hak was moving towards the Wind Tribe, Yona, Min Soo and Yona were lightning the beacon. Today I wonder, if we had it not backwards. Maybe Yona just had - intuitively - known that an attack would occur. She has her mother´s powers, after all.

Nevertheless this was considered as one big influence of Yona. When she finally encountered her cool cousin on his horse - this time even in contrast to the Fire Tribe Arc in a fine armour - she used quite different measures to persuade him.

From moral arguments till practical conditions (Algira), she even used - unconciously - the blood bond between Soo Won and her. Her great influence in the Fire tribe (Tae Jun) horrified the people along with Soo Won. 7 times Yona striked and 7 times did her measures account to not much more than to an almost-visit in the dungeon. Soo Won was determined to choose the best option for the country, after all.

And then came Lily. This girl shamed the Sky Tribe soldiers - and his Majesty unvoluntarily along, while lifting up her friend to new heights. This hurt. Soo Won was beaten down. (Tetora was crying tears of shame...Lily was awfully blunt, like always).

The following I will state as a sort of axiom: It really must be hurtful to hear the girl that a person loves saying - in front of thousands of soldiers and their own subordinates - that you are basically such a horrible person, while elevating your contrahent, your cousin Yona.

This time Yona´s approach worked - her belief in Soo Won´s kindness. She did not believe, that he wished for the death of so many.

Indeed - Soo Won was influenced as well. This must have truly disturbed him. After all, he deviated from his earlier approach, not because he had been convinced this was the right option. This time Soo Won had adapted based on his own feelings towards Yona (and Lily). Still not much, if there had been not more, he might have been not as concerned.

After all, he still reached his goal. Soo Won adapted to the situation. Still...

Mentioning his father, feeling Yona´s "power"/"their bond", her "influence"...this all let King Il´s words resurface.

Had he been wrong in his way to protect Kouka? Not Yet!! Not did he not give in. His face was still dark, but he would not doubt anymore! This Soo Won had promised himself, while standing high above everybody else. Not Yet!

"I came here for a discussion between humans. Gods are of no use here."

4. Sen Province - Soo Won´s inner doubts

Still...Soo Won heard Yona´s steps behind him. The lid was not quite open, but - almost. It worked in Soo Won.

Here he sat with Lily at Hiryuu Castle, while Keishuk and Ju do went out. Hak´s glorious success, using Soo Won´s tactic.

Later, Ju do remembered that it had been Soo Won´s idea to stay. Not anyone else. "Is that so?", the councelor asked. Keishuk will then add later, that Soo Won said, that a successor would take too much time.

Lily observed the darkness in Soo Won´s face, when he stood in the mausoleum. A true and deep hate...towards his murderer. The murderer of his mother. The Crimson Illness resurfaced.

"So this is all it is", Soo Won said with such deep hatred in his voice.

"I became Ill. How could I be unaware of the Crimson Dragon King?", Soo Won will later confess.

"What am I, some kind of shield?"

Lily asked, a little pain in her voice, when Soo Won confessed "he used her"; talks of marriage have stopped coming up while she was nearby. For the time being. So you being here is more convenient for me as well," he added, quite matter-of-factly.

But Soo Won had heard her. He had to add:

"The people within the castle are various and complex...On that point, Miss Lily never hides her thoughts, which leaves me at ease."

"I take that as a compliment", she confessed, not showing it, however, on her face - but Lily was glad. So glad. Poker-face him. Poker-face her.

At least one truth Soo Won, after you had told a lie again, Soo Won. Say, Soo Won, how bad was the Crimson Illness already? How was the "monster in your blood", that bound you?

How dependant have you been on Lily, to "leave you at ease" in order to "protect yourself" against the Crimson Illness?"

Lily had been "your shield" all along, right? The one, where you could be more yourself than with any other person. You could still laugh, being silly, while you were with her. Your true smile - we will hardly see it in the Castle Arc.

This was the answer to her question: Why have you stopped telling me to go home?"

Yes, why would you stop her to go home? Why did you not want her to leave you? Tell us, Soo Won.

I wonder, who bothered you with marriage? The shadows? Keishuk couldn´t be it, after all, you hid it from him, that she was even here.

"I was the one, who asked her to stay"

Warmer Soo Won, not quite hot, but the water has quite warmed to you. The sparks are flying. And it is almost the truth, right?

With a cold face you try to persuade Keishuk to let Lily stay. She is no danger- wrong, but you don´t care. You could control her- on the day you lay with your feet on the ground, maybe. She does not have much influence - don´t you have to laugh, when you hear this?

But then came Yona, right? Lily was not in Hiryuu Castle in the Castle Arc since Yona came. Lily is Yona´s best friend - she will try to protect her. Keishuk would have torn her apart.

Soo Won ,you let Lily go. You nearly banished her from Hiryuu Castle. To Protect Her. (Have you found solace, when the damned castle burnt down, by the way?)

But now, you are all alone agains the Crimson Illness. Her life was just so important for you, right? Even if you might not reach your aim...You are slipping, Soo Won.

IV. Soo Won´s vision

I. Counselor Keishuk´s decisions are pivotal to Soo Won´s downfall

It is Keishuk, who endangered Lily´s life and banished Soo Won´s only solace during this hard time. And it is Counselor Keishuk, who invited Hak and Yona - the most dangerous people regarding Soo Won´s kingship- back into Hiryuu Castle.

Keishuk´s decisions drove Soo Won into a corner. As long as there had been a physical distance between them, Soo Won had had a chance to "suppress" his unconfronted issues. But with Yona and Hak at Hiryuu Castle? - it was impossible.

Counselor Keishuk is a very intelligent, cunning person, who tends to act very rational. It was rational to collaborate with Yona and Hak, as they both had certain abilities along with the Dragon Warriors that could be used for the benefit of the country. Keishuk tends to think very similar to Soo Won in that regard. He, too, was a "heir" of Yu hon, after all.

Keishuk´s strengths are his rational thinking and his swift decisions. His weakness is his non-emphatic way of handling other people. Keishuk always makes people mad (Even General Jon Gi).

However, stone-cold and brutal Keishuk can be "reigned in" - Soo Won presented Yona in chapter 276 Keishuk´s archille´s heel: Soo Won - himself.

Keishuk wanted to kill Shin ha in dragon form only, when he endangered "his Soo Won". He did not care to lose a leg himself. When Soo Won´s illness had been so cruel, Keishuk wanted for Soo Won to go back to Hiryuu Castle and wished for a retreat of the troops after the war with Kai. This absolutely is not a rational decision. Keishuk knew, that Soo Won would die.

Keishuk really would give his life for the country, but not Soo Won´s. (Yona knows this, by the way. Soo Won didn´t need to tell her this.)

2. Soo Won´s lonliness, isolation and pain - the Pandora´s box opens

Kusanagi is a cunning woman herself - most likely not only based on my personal, subjective estimation. She did hardly show, how desperate Soo Won really was. However, she demonstrated this by the actions of another person with the same disease - Meinyan.

Meinyan is a shadow to both Yona and Soo Won. They both clash during that arc- both their educations and point of views.

So it makes sense to introduce a character with certain characteristics of both - Yona and Soo Won - into the story.

Her little animal companion - Little Hoh - was very important to her; Meinyan depended heavily on the little squirrel, especially when she felt lonely. In fact, merely when she became a concubine and experienced Chagol´s abuse and the isolation from her friends did she get little Hoh.

Similar to Meinyan Gulfan appeared after the death of Soo Won´s parents - Soo Won had already longer hair; I guess he let his hair grow out after his mother´s death. In fact, King Soo Won demonstrated a very curious behaviour: In the middle of a conversation he suddenly would search for Gulfan, running to the falcon.

Both Meinyan and Soo Won experienced an attack of the disease after strong emotional encounters.

3. Yona is Yona, Hiryuu is Hiryuu

Definitely Soo Won had felt threathened by Yona being the reincarnation - he had a big nightmare of her being his murderess, after all. And he treated her rather coldly.

Yet, his own psyche played a trick on him: Hak became a soldier of the Sky Tribe - this was too much for Soo Won. The joy, he was not supposed to feel ,let Soo Won experience his worst attack of the disease.

He broke down - in Yona´s arms. Freud would have sang a Hallelujah! Of course he had gone - unconciously- to Yona´s room, because he needed her in that moment.

Yona´s compassion in that moment helped Soo Won to differentiate between Hiryuu and her. Even if she was the reincarnation of Hiryuu, he merely refused the concept of the reincarnation, not Yona herself.

Hiryuu might be a threat to him, and he hated him; yet this did not encompass Yona. It became apparent, when Yona screamt at him. if he hated her, he should say it to her face. Of course she felt pain, since she was so used to her being seen as the reincarnation of Hiryuu, that she would have never came to understand Soo Won´s mental gymnastics.

He hated King Hiryuu, yet not Yona. Soo Won loved her.

(Not as a woman. He lay on her bossom for a while, but was merely ashamed of the shit he told her.)

4. Politics are personal

After Soo Won had come to a conclusion, he could live with Yona being the reincarnation. There was only the problem with their overall different point of views regarding the systems both Yona and Soo Won were raised in.

During this time Soo Won´s illness cost him too much strength. Sleep-deprived he and his followers tried to prepare for the war with Kai Empire. Keishuk looked like some kind of zombie beside his master. Soo Won´s failing health was a massive concern to his counselor.

At the battle field Soo Won was completely on edge. One fatal failure and the whole country was in jeapardy.

The Kai Generals were bewitching nice lads throwing prisoners from catapults. Yona wished that Soo Won intervened, but earnt herself only scorn from his side.

She was King Il´s daughter, after all...

This was war and he had his head full with trying to win at the end of it. His head was aching. The suppression of his guilt took a great toll on him.

Of course, General Geuntae, who can easily accept that others sacrifice, would not accept the great pain for the Earth Tribe. So he honored Yona and Hak, who had helped the Earth Tribe; he easily forgot, that Soo Won had contributed, even more massively in the past. The king, however got merely told that Geuntae would resign his position as a general and that he would not try to influence the war too greatly.

Politics are very personal - unfortunately.

Of course people accept more readily a loss of a different fraction than from their own.

Still Geuntae basically betraying him, Yona´s pain and Hak´s disappearane lead to a complete break-down of Soo Won. It was evidently the suppression of his own feelings, his own guilt that lead to this. His death wish reached another maximum.

Soo Won´s strength - his empathy- became within the system of his father his archille´s heel.

He could not discard Yona and Hak- Soo Won failed. With luck - Hak was succesfully damaging their enemies - Soo Won and Yona avoided the loss of this battle. Their plan with the retreat of the troops had unfortunately pretty much failed, as the enemy had used back-up.

5. Soo Won steps down - Yona as his heir

Unfortunately this guy really meant, what he said.

Soo Won stated:

There would be no point of him sitting on the throne, if he could not choose the best path for this country; this entails that he will -inevitably - abdicate, if this was no longer the case.

The system of his father had failed. He could not cut out Yona and Hak. They were more important than the country for him. And this was dangerous for Soo Won. After all:

"Any country ruled by a king who prioritized one individual would fall to ruin."

And this Soo Won did not wish.

But why of all people did he then choose Yona? - Miss personal feelings incarnate. Good, Yona is a little more clear-headed than this, but still will choose more personally than Soo Won. She is also - obviously- not exactly a down-to-earth kind of person. This much is crystal clear.

But it was a logical conclusion - this much is also clear.

One hint was that the Keishuk - apparently - came to a similar conclusion regarding the successor. And while Keishuk is not Freddy Krueger, he might not be called exactly a friend of the Lucky Bears (I hope, people still know, what I mean).

I think, Soo Won´s choice of words is also very curious the first time, when he told his decision to Hak.

Soo Won wanted for Yona and Hak to search for "Zeno and the dragon warriors".

Soo Won told us all of Yona´s supposed abilities as a leader (leadership, decisiveness, wisdom, popularity, unifying power)

He added the following:

"If it´s her, the four dragons and also you, you will be able to protect this country even when I am not here."

The second time also. Yona was - visibly- unsure. This girl was 16 years old, after all.

So Soo Won enumerated the people, who would help: himself, Ju do, Keishuk and also Hak.

Always, always Soo Won mentioned other people, who would help and collaborate with Yona on the throne.

So instead of a perfect queen/king Soo Won appeared to search for a leader that would - above all - unify the different voices. And Yona did - in fact - not exactly "rule absolutely" in her small group. She accepted advice, where it was needed.

If you have more people involved - even if it´s not yet a democracy - the danger that a tyrant would rule - absolutely- purely out of self-interest is smaller. Yona is more used to accept help than Soo Won- she was raised differently, after all.

So instead of his boxes and the denial of personal feelings, Soo Won most likely wanted to use "more people".

And people do want to help her, since she cares for them individually. However with Keishuk, Ju do and Soo Won there is a clear "overweight" of the other fraction. That guy is not stupid, after all.

(My guess is, that Zeno and Lily might become part of this "council" to "reign in" Soo Won and protect him at the same time).

If Soo Won does - in fact - invite the "personal aspect with Yona" back into the reign, since the system of his father failed, his judgement was therefore wrong.

Nowhere did he say, that he did regret the murder of King Il in itself.

V. Where there´s smoke, there´s fire 1. Lily is the red elephant

I really do not want to make this extensive long post, even much longer but I have to add Lily in that context.

I just add the different posts, I have made here:

Both - Lily and Soo Won - do share quite some similarities. Soo Won was impressed by Lily´s determination.

Both wish to fight in the following parts. Lily was the reason for the unification of the tribes. When Soo Won was however asked, if he wanted to meet Lily - his refusal was extraordinary strong in a context Soo Won would be usually polite.

Especially in Sei did Lily demonstrate great determination.

Here Soo Won´s noteworthy mentality is demonstrated. I still believe, he did tell Zeno the truth. He just came to save Lily, but this didn´t mean he couldn´t take over Sei.

Soo Won gained himself a "friend", even though this guy was not supposed to have relationship that could influence his decisions.

Soo Won was very impressed by Lily´s deed. She wanted to - similar to her friend Yona - find out more about him. It was alluded that Soo Won had "bottled up" feelings for somebody.

Lily pursued Soo Won, whom she valued "purely" as king. We got to know, that he was not exactly her type.

Lily "betrayed" Soo Won openly and in front of thousand of people - still, it isn´t her he cut out. The Crimson Illness worsened.

Besides the generals even the people in Hiryuu Castle were persuaded that Soo Won and Lily are an item. It was Soo Won, who did not want to let her go.

Lily demonstrated that she disliked a marriage between Yona and Soo Won. There is an additional section, where Lily claimed she will correct everybody, who will get it wrong - of course purely only for Yona´s sake^^. Soo Won was so happy to see, that nothing had happened to Lily, that he did not even listen, what she said- at first.

In a way, they are both a little stupid. Amor could basically throw a boulder at Soo Won and he would most likely only get a headache. That guy only noticed, that he had a death wish, when he literally threw himself in front of Shin ha.

Of course, both Lily and Soo Won have much to lose, if they like each other. Soo Won couldn´t allow himself a strong personal relationship, or it would have ended like with his parents. And Lily? I guess, Yona was/is the reason. Would she lose her friend if she had stronger feelings for Soo Won? Additionally both might think the other is not interested - this is a lil bit complicated.

2. the second candidate?

One thing that is definitely interesting, is Soo Won´s expression for the denial.

He repeated several times, that he "would not make Lily his queen" - therefore he always alluded to the position of queen in relation to Lily. Of course this could have purely pointed to his inability to have a real romantic relationship.

But it could mean more. Yona also sat on the queen´s chair in relation to a possible marriage to Soo Won. Later she became a queen in her own right.

According to my very personal estimation Lily does have very similar feartures to Yona; she is also more realistic than her friend and possesses a stronger determination.

But hey, even Hak considered Lily "the second princess".

So was Lily another candidate for the title as queen? I would have died to know.

And y’know when else he heard that someone close to him died falling off a cliff?