SUMMARY: A modern-day college student wakes up in her favorite historical period romance novel. But wait! Is she dreaming or did she time travel?
In “The First Night with the Duke”, “K” is a modern-day college student who doesn’t have much of a social life. She’s obsessed with reading “The Obsessive Tyrant” because “reading a book is like a person’s life is coming to you”. Then she finds out that the book will no longer be published. WHAT? But the story hasn’t ended! How could the writer do this? Her only joy in life has been taken away. She was furious and sent the writer a direct message saying that she could write a better story with her left foot. Right after she wrote that, she stood up, slipped on an empty bottle on the floor in her room with her left foot, fell backward, and knocked herself out. The writer responded by writing: ”If you’re so good, you try writing a story.”
“K” didn’t read that message because she was unconscious. When she regained consciousness or thought she had regained consciousness, she was in the Joseon Era. She was Cha Sun Chaek, daughter of the Chief State Minister, a supporting character in “The Obsessive Tyrant”, the book she had been reading just before she knocked herself out. OK! “K” decides to try to make sense of the situation.
First, this must be a dream, even though it seems very real. But how could it be real? It’s a historical fiction romance novel.
Second, if it’s not a dream and it’s a time-slip and it is real, not fiction, will she be able to return to her normal life?
Third, since she’s inside her favorite book and she’s a side character, she should stay on the sidelines and watch the story play out. At least she’ll know how it ended.
Let’s hope this is all a dream. She already knows the storyline, and since she’s a minor character, there isn’t much for her to do anyway.
Her plan might have worked except that “K” in the role of Cha Sun Chaek started making minor changes to the plot. For one thing, noble ladies DON’T DRINK! At least, not in public. But she got sloppy drunk. Her judgment was impaired, but not her vision. As she was stumbling down the street, supposedly heading home, she saw this man. It was Yi Beon, a powerful duke (or grand prince), the male lead of the story. He had a cold-blooded personality, was possessive, obsessive, and handsome.
When “K” woke up the next morning, they were lying together in bed. She asked Yi Beon what he had done to her. The duke replied that he should be asking her that question. What had she done to him? After all, she was the one who made the first move. From the look on his face, he was quite pleased that he was not the one “at fault”.
YIKES! NNOOOOOO!!!! This is not how the story goes! Yi Beon, the duke, is supposed to fall in love with Jo Eun Ae, the original female lead of the novel.
Jo Eun Ae is an orphan, adopted by a nobleman, and she and Yi Beon, the duke, are supposed to fall in love. Jung Soo Kyum is the second male lead, and he is the duke’s only friend. Do Hwa Sun is an evil, conniving noblewoman who is determined to marry the duke because he is of royal lineage and tries to get rid of Jo Eun Ae.
Cha Sun Chaek is just an insignificant side character used for “fillers”. She’s not supposed to have any interaction with the main characters. She wasn’t supposed to sleep with the duke! Now he’s obsessed with her. This is not how the story goes! How is she going to get “The Obsessive Tyrant” back on track? If she gets stuck in the story, how is she going to get back? (O.o)
Do Hwa Sun (played by Ji Hye-won)
My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.
“The First Night with the Duke” got added to my watch list because of my addiction to historical period Korean dramas, especially the webtoon adaptations.
The First Night With The Duke Episodes 1-2 Review | But Why Tho?
A Time-Slip Romance for the Ages: The First Night with the Duke Kdrama – Modern × Joseon – ViuScene
K Drama Preview and Review. (2025). The First Night with the Duke [Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd0wV6RjYF4.
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