The First Night With the Duke opened with a brilliant start as a route deviation romance fantasy.

The first episode of the KBS 2TV drama 'The First Night With the Duke' (directed by Lee Woong-hee, Kang Soo-yeon, written by Jeon Sun-young), which aired on the 11th, captivated viewers with the unpredictable actions of reality college student K possessed by the secondary character Cha Seon-taek (played by Seo Hyun).

Thus, the first episode recorded a viewership rating of 3.3% based on Nielsen Korea's nationwide household standards.

In that episode, right from the beginning, reality college student K reacted with anger after hearing the news of the suspension of her favorite novel 'The Tyrant's Obsession' by leaving a furious comment directed at the author, saying, "I could write something better with my left pinky toe," and unexpectedly became possessed by the secondary character Cha Seon-taek in the novel.

However, Cha Seon-taek was only briefly stunned by the reality of having been possessed, quickly adapting and expressing satisfaction with the luxurious character settings. Also, upon realizing that the day was the night of the full moon and the gathering of noblewomen, Daehonghoe, Cha Seon-taek even revealed her excitement at the prospect of witnessing the fateful first meeting between the heroine Jo Eun-ae (played by Kwon Han-sol) and the male lead Ibeon (played by Ok Taecyeon).

After that, Cha Seon-taek fully entered spectator mode. She enjoyed watching the unfolding quadrangle in real-time, observing the cold-blooded male lead Ibeon, the male lead's only friend and secondary male lead Jeong Soo-gyeom (played by Seo Bum-jun), and the heroine Jo Eun-ae, who was set to capture the hearts of both men, as well as the antagonist Do Hwa-seon (played by Ji Hye-won), who would interfere.

As the night of the protagonists' first meeting arrived, Cha Seon-taek prepared to witness the iconic scene by attending Daehonghoe. However, once the gathering started and Do Hwa-seon displayed excessive behavior towards Jo Eun-ae, Cha Seon-taek was swept up in an unexpected impulse. When she faced Jo Eun-ae's struggles, her desire to support her burst forth. In response, Cha Seon-taek made a somewhat offbeat suggestion, saying, "I want to drink alcohol rather than tea," redirecting Do Hwa-seon's attention from Jo Eun-ae to herself.

Fortunately, Do Hwa-seon gladly accepted Cha Seon-taek's suggestion. She ordered Jo Eun-ae to bring expensive alcohol and continued to torment her by instructing that the drink be poured for herself. To change the atmosphere again, Cha Seon-taek attracted Do Hwa-seon's interest by promising to showcase a new alcohol flavor and became the center of attention at the gathering by continuously creating unseen bomb shots.

Thus, with one bomb shot, Cha Seon-taek gained notoriety overnight but woke up suffering from a hangover. However, surprisingly, Ibeon was lying beside her, and his revealed skin and disheveled clothing hinted at something unusual having happened the night before. While Cha Seon-taek was flustered, Ibeon claimed with an inscrutable expression that she had been tormented by Cha Seon-taek the previous night, leaving the first episode with a chaotic ending.

'The First Night With the Duke' humorously blended the unique setting of a college student's possession of a novel into a romance fantasy worldview, thrillingly unraveling the unpredictable story of the secondary character Cha Seon-taek from the very first broadcast. Particularly, the fast-paced development, the immersive performances of Seo Hyun and Ok Taecyeon, and the stylistic direction heightened expectations for the upcoming story.

[Photo] Capture from the KBS 2TV drama 'The First Night With the Duke'

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