(Full Synopsis)

Set between 1895 and 1910 in late Joseon Korea, the musical unfolds through a framed narrative centered on the search for a photograph of Empress Myeongseong, intertwining personal memory with historical tragedy.

In 1910, shortly before the fall of the Joseon dynasty, an old man visits a photography studio in search of a photograph of the late queen. The photographer, connected to her past, reflects on fragmented memories, shifting the story back to the years leading up to her assassination.

In the past, Hwi and Seonhwa grow up together and are engaged to be married. After losing his family due to a misunderstanding involving the queen, Hwi becomes an assistant to a royal photographer, harboring resentment toward her. Meanwhile, Seonhwa enters the palace as a court lady and comes to understand the queen’s inner struggles.

As political tensions rise, foreign and domestic forces converge around the queen. A Japanese journalist seeks to obtain her photograph to aid in assassination plans, while the queen consistently refuses to be photographed, fearing exposure.

The narrative builds toward the Eulmi Incident of 1895, where the queen becomes the target of political violence. Through intertwined personal stories, the musical explores conflicting perspectives on her life, presenting her not only as a political figure but as a complex human being shaped by her circumstances.

The story ultimately reflects on how history remembers—or fails to remember—individuals, questioning the absence of her image and what it reveals about identity, power, and memory.