Yun-seo (Han Suk-Kyu), a world weary Korean aristocrat, and Gwang-heon (Lee Beom-Soo), an old enemy of Yun-seo’s family, come together in the story of the Heukgokbisa, one of Korea’s most famous and lurid novels. The historical drama follows Yun-seo as, chancing upon an erotic novel, he decides to publish his own—and enlists Gwang-heon to illustrate it. When the Heukgokbisa starts circulating at court, the scandalous story takes on a life of its own.