King Joon-seok, once celebrated for his wisdom, has fallen into a dark obsession after his wife, Queen Minji, abandoned him for Duke Hyun. Consumed with betrayal and rage, he strives to mold his son, Prince Dae-hwan, into the perfect heir, projecting his bitterness and unrealized dreams onto the boy, while neglecting his vulnerable infant daughter, Eun-ji. Driven by his own insecurities, Joon-seok's possessiveness mirrors Minji's apathy, suffocating Dae-hwan under relentless expectations, while his new wife, You, is relegated to the shadows of royal life, her love lost on a king haunted by past betrayals.