Hui Ju
Contract Relationship
Yi An
Seong Hui Ju proposes a contract marriage to Grand Prince Yi An as a calculated move to secure royal status, and he agrees for reasons of his own. What begins as a transactional alliance between two people trapped by their social positions gradually deepens into genuine mutual affection. Their bond is the emotional core of the series, tested by palace intrigue and corporate politics on both sides.
Romantic · Changed
Yi An
Best Friend
Jeong U
Grand Prince Yi An and Min Jeong U have been close confidants since their Royal Academy days, with Jeong U serving as Yi An's closest political ally as Prime Minister. Their friendship is strained once Yi An becomes romantically involved with Hui Ju, a woman Jeong U has feelings for himself. The tension between personal loyalty and rivalry over Hui Ju threatens their long-standing bond.
Alliance · Changed
Yi An
Political Rival
I Rang
Queen Dowager Yun I Rang views Grand Prince Yi An as a direct threat to her young son's throne due to his popularity and bloodline, and works to neutralize him through a controlled marriage. Yi An, in turn, must navigate her influence over the royal household while protecting his own position as regent. Their rivalry drives much of the palace political conflict in the series.
Political
Hui Ju
Inheritance Rivals
Tae Ju
Beyond their sibling bond, Hui Ju and Tae Ju are locked in an inheritance battle over control of Castle Group. Their rivalry forms the corporate half of the drama's central tension, running parallel to the royal marriage plot.
Conflict
Yi An
Uncle/Sister-in-law
I Rang
Yun I Rang is the widow of Yi An's late brother, King I Hwan, making her his sister-in-law and the mother of the young king he serves as regent for. Their family tie is layered with old tension from their Royal Academy years, when I Rang had feelings for Yi An before marrying his brother instead.
Family
Hui Ju
Half-Siblings
Tae Ju
Seong Hui Ju and Seong Tae Ju are the two children of Castle Group chairman Seong Hyeon Guk, born to different mothers. Tae Ju is the legitimate elder son positioned as the safe successor, while Hui Ju, despite her illegitimate status, consistently outperforms him in business.
Family
Hui Ju
Daughter
Chairman Seong
Seong Hui Ju is the illegitimate second daughter of Castle Group chairman Seong Hyeon Guk. Her status as his child but not his legitimate heir underlies much of her drive to prove herself and secure legitimacy through marriage.
Family
Hui Ju
Boss
Hye Jeong
Do Hye Jeong serves as Seong Hui Ju's chief secretary at Castle Beauty, managing her schedule and affairs. The two frequently clash due to Hye Jeong's fiery personality, but she remains one of Hui Ju's most reliable and trusted staff members.
Professional
Yi An
Ally / Attendant
Choi Hyeon
Choi Hyeon publicly serves as Grand Prince Yi An's aide while privately acting as his personal squire. He is the only staff member Yi An retained after dismissing his formal royal security, reflecting a deep personal trust between them.
Alliance
Yun Seong Won
Father
I Rang
Yun Seong Won is the father of Queen Dowager Yun I Rang and patriarch of the prestigious Yun clan, which has produced several queens. His deep pride in the family's status shapes much of his daughter's own upbringing and worldview, and he continues to exert influence over her political maneuvering as Queen Dowager.
Family
Yun Seong Won
Political Rival
Yi An
Yun Seong Won publicly presents himself as progressive but privately opposes Grand Prince Yi An's choice to marry Seong Hui Ju, seeing it as a threat to the noble class he champions. As the head of the powerful Yun family, his opposition adds another layer of political resistance to Yi An and Hui Ju's marriage.
Political
Tae Ju
Son
Chairman Seong
Seong Tae Ju is the eldest and legitimate son of Chairman Seong Hyeon Guk, positioned as the conventional heir to Castle Group.
Family
Tae Ju
Husband & Wife
Da Yeong
Seong Tae Ju is married to Han Da Yeong, the eldest daughter of the former Minister of Justice. Their marriage bolsters his standing as Castle Group's legitimate heir and ties his family to a prominent legal dynasty.
Romantic
Yi An
Boss
A Reum
Lee A Reum is a servant on staff at Grand Prince Yi An's private residence, working under him in an ordinary household capacity as far as he knows.
Professional
Yi An
Boss
Yeong Seon
Kim Yeong Seon serves as the primary manager of Grand Prince Yi An's private residence, maintaining a confident, friendly rapport with him while overseeing the household staff.
Professional
Hui Ju
Mentor
Court Lady Choi
Court Lady Choi Jin Suk arrives to train Seong Hui Ju in royal etiquette and protocol as she prepares to marry into the royal family. Their relationship is a formal mentor-student dynamic centered on Hui Ju's transition into royal life.
Mentorship
Hui Ju
Sister-in-law
Da Yeong
Han Da Yeong is Seong Hui Ju's sister-in-law through her marriage to Tae Ju, placing her within the Castle Group family circle amid the inheritance tension between the siblings.
Family
Yeong Seon
Sibling
Yeong Mun
Kim Yeong Seon is the younger sibling of Kim Yeong Mun. Beyond this family connection, little else about their relationship or Kim Yeong Mun's role in the story is confirmed.
Family · Unknown
Hui Ju
Employee
Seung Hui
Park Seung Hui is a staff member at Castle Beauty, the company run by Seong Hui Ju. Limited detail is available on the specifics of their working relationship.
Professional