'Pure Love' IU Shockingly Tells Byun Woo-seok, "Let's Divorce"..'Grand Duchess' Hits 11.7% Series High [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

IU and Byun Woo-seok face a crisis following the leak of their marriage contract.

In the MBC Friday-Saturday drama '21st Century Grand Duchess' (script by Yoo Ji-won, directed by Park Jun-hwa and Bae Hee-young, planned by Kang Dae-seon, produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment), aired on the 8th, Seong Hee-ju (played by IU) and Prince Lee An (played by Byun Woo-seok) find themselves on the defensive after the marriage contract leak. To protect Prince Lee An, Seong Hee-ju declares a divorce.

Following the leak of the marriage contract, rumors surrounding Seong Hee-ju and Prince Lee An intensified, and public criticism grew fierce. As public opinion deteriorated, Prime Minister Min Jeong-woo (played by Noh Sang-hyun) rudely demanded that Prince Lee An cease his regency. Deputy Yoon I-rang (played by Gong Seung-yeon) and Vice-Minister Yoon Seong-won (played by Jo Jae-yoon) also launched a full-scale offensive to push Seong Hee-ju and Prince Lee An out, viewing them as a thorn in their side.

Especially, it was revealed that the person who leaked the marriage contract to target the Grand Duke and his wife was none other than Min Jeong-woo and Yoon I-rang, doubling the anxiety. Min Jeong-woo, in an attempt to win over his unrequited love Seong Hee-ju, and Yoon I-rang, seeking to conceal the late king's will to hand over the throne to Prince Lee An, joined forces. The shock reached its peak when it was also revealed that the assassination attempt on the wedding day targeting the Grand Duke couple was orchestrated by Yoon I-rang's father, Yoon Seong-won, who sought to eliminate Prince Lee An.

Unaware that this crisis was a scheme by the two, Seong Hee-ju and Prince Lee An, despite continuing threats, prioritized finding ways to protect each other over themselves. While fearing that their own existence might harm the other, they maintained calm expressions to reassure one another whenever they were together, adding poignancy to Seong Hee-ju and Prince Lee An's scenes.

Compounding the situation, the fallout from the marriage contract leak spread beyond the royal court to the Castle Group, making Seong Hee-ju increasingly anxious. Consequently, Seong Hee-ju told Min Jeong-woo, "I like him. I like him very much," revealing her true feelings for Prince Lee An and asking for a way to resolve the issue. However, Min Jeong-woo, who had no intention of protecting Prince Lee An, dismissed Seong Hee-ju's request with the words, "That's truly a pity."

Having nowhere else to turn, Seong Hee-ju eventually went to her father, Seong Hyun-guk (played by Jo Seung-yeon), fell to her knees, and tearfully begged for his help. Seong Hyun-guk then asked whether she wanted to resolve the issue for herself or for Prince Lee An. Seong Hee-ju requested that he protect Prince Lee An before herself, leaving him speechless. At the same time, Prince Lee An, despite his position narrowing due to obstruction by Min Jeong-woo and Yoon I-rang, was silently enduring his hardships without Seong Hee-ju knowing. Thus, Prince Lee An gently embraced Seong Hee-ju, who threw herself into his arms, and tried to lighten the mood with a joke, "Is this a gift?"

Swallowing her tears in her husband's arms, Seong Hee-ju looked at Prince Lee An and unexpectedly said, "Let's divorce."

The viewership ratings for '21st Century Grand Duchess' on this day's broadcast reached 11.9% in the Seoul Capital Area, 11.7% nationwide, and 5.1% among viewers aged 20-54, setting new series highs in both the Seoul Capital Area and nationwide. Furthermore, the drama achieved a triple crown by ranking first among all Friday programs in nationwide, Seoul Capital Area, and 2054 viewership ratings. The peak viewership per minute soared to 13.4% (based on Nielsen Korea).

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*This content was translated by AI.