IU's Bold Move: A Strategic Marriage Proposal to Royalty in '21st Century Grand Princess'

IU, known for overcoming her humble beginnings with sheer talent, has set her sights on the royal family by choosing Grand Prince Byun Woo-seok as her husband amidst the threat of an arranged marriage.

The first episode of MBC's '21st Century Grand Princess' (directed by Park Joon-hwa, Bae Hee-young/written by Yoo Ji-won), aired on the night of the 10th at 9:40 PM, depicted the inevitable reunion and conflict between Castle Group's second daughter and Castle Beauty's CEO, Seong Hee-joo (played by IU), and Grand Prince Lee Ahn (played by Byun Woo-seok), who is in charge of the royal regency.

In this episode, Seong Hee-joo, who has consistently topped her class since her days at the royal academy, made a striking entrance at the king's birthday celebration in a bold red outfit, defying her label as a commoner and illegitimate child.

Despite the envy of others, Seong Hee-joo shattered a glass, asserting her unique presence, but faced a life-changing crisis when her father, Seong Hyun-guk (played by Jo Seung-yeon), pressured her into an arranged marriage with an incompetent partner.

To escape the trap of an arranged marriage, Seong Hee-joo chose to marry Grand Prince Lee Ahn, the real power behind the throne. With her secretary Do Hye-jung (played by Lee Yeon), she sought a suitable match and considered Lee Ahn, who matched her in wealth and looks, recalling their past conflict over school rules at the royal academy as a pretext to request an audience.

Despite repeated rejections from Lee Ahn, Seong Hee-joo remained undeterred, fueled by her competitive spirit, and eventually secured a meeting under the guise of being a junior. In their encounter, she boldly proposed, "Marry me," delivering a thrilling moment to the audience.

Meanwhile, Grand Prince Lee Ahn found himself isolated amidst the power struggles within the royal family. Suspected as the mastermind behind the fire incident during the king's birthday celebration, he suffered the humiliation of being slapped by Queen Dowager Yoon Yi-rang (played by Gong Seung-yeon) in front of everyone, earning the modern-day title of 'Suyang Daegun.'

Later, Yoon Yi-rang apologized to Lee Ahn but urged him to marry the woman they had chosen, wary of the regent power threatening the young king's position. Lee Ahn, feeling disillusioned with his symbolic role in the royal family, found himself torn between Yoon Yi-rang's marriage demand and Seong Hee-joo's sudden proposal.

In a society where social status discrimination exists, Seong Hee-joo's ambition to win at all costs, regardless of the means, began to extend towards the formidable fortress of the royal family.

The audience is keen to see if Seong Hee-joo, who once silenced the taunts of noble Min-seok with her skills during their royal academy days, can win over the cold, principled Lee Ahn. The romance between a woman who gambles her fate on a grand prince and a man fighting a lonely battle at the pinnacle of power raises anticipation for the impact it will have.

Reporter Chaeryeong Lim, Ten Asia syjj426@tenasia.co.kr