Dear Diary Episode 19 Recap
> Dear Diary Recap
In ancient times, the Hessett city was engulfed in flames, its people captured amidst the chaos of war. Prince Keane, also known as Ouyang Wen Shan, was seized by Murong Jielun. Murong Jielun, holding the sacred Deborah Sword of the Hessetts, kicked Keane and demanded to know what the artifact represented. Keane, surrounded by his terrified kinsmen, declared it signified "loyalty, eternal loyalty."
Murong Jielun then asserted that both Keane and the sword now belonged to him, offering to spare the lives of Keane and his remaining people in exchange for Keane's lifelong loyalty. Keane accepted, pledging his eternal fealty. Seven years later, a beautiful Hittite princess arrived in Babylonian City for an arranged marriage. Her guards expressed outrage that only Keane, now a guard in Babylon, was sent to greet them after their arduous journey.
The princess, however, calmly stated her belief that Prince Murong Jielun had a better arrangement in mind and reminded her retinue that she understood her duty to unite the two nations, despite the Babylonians' reputation for being cunning and skeptical. Within the Babylonian Empire, history lessons recounted the glorious conquests of King Sin-Muballit, declaring that he would conquer all lands under the guidance of the lunar deity, and even the archenemy Hittite would be obliterated.
The students, however, were distracted by the sight of Prince Murong Jielun training the army. They rushed to watch him spar with Keane. Murong Jielun, despite his late arrival, swiftly disarmed and defeated Keane, who then surrendered and reaffirmed his "eternal loyalty." Spectators hailed Murong Jielun as the "God of War of Babylon," noting his apparent divine protection.
While the girls who engraved historical clay tablets were called back to work, they gossiped about the Hittite princess, with many longing to be the Prince's chosen. Keane led the Hittite princess and her retinue to a gloomy, prison-like area. Despite her protests, she was forced into a water dungeon, with Keane explaining she should adapt to their culture. The princess denounced this as despicable hospitality, suggesting Babylon preferred war over peace.
She asserted that the glorious Hittite Empire had never sought conflict and asked why Babylonians, who claimed to be lunar deity descendants, were nothing but brutal and barbaric. Keane dismissed her as a "pawn abandoned by Hittite," stating that Prince Murong Jielun had long since uncovered their hidden agenda behind the arranged marriage. When she cursed them as "despicable" and Murong Jielun as a "bastard," Keane ordered her attendants killed as punishment for her words.
He informed her that while the Prince would visit, she was destined to spend the "rest of her days in darkness." The official in charge emphasized the sacredness of the clay tablets, which recorded the empire's royal history and were protected by deities, demanding a "foolproof" engraving process. During a sacrificial ritual, though it inexplicably involved the blood of young girls, King Sin-Muballit, presenting himself as a "humble believer," received a chilling oracle.
It declared that despite his efforts in building the city and securing peace through bloodshed, he was "not the eternal king." Instead, his son, whom he had disdained as a "bastard," the "God of War of Babylon," was destined to rise and replace him, his name to be engraved on the sacred tablets. The King flew into a furious rage, refusing to accept that such a "bastard" could usurp his throne.
He vowed to erase his son's name from history, ensuring that he, "the Great King of Babylon," would be remembered forever. The young girl, tasked with engraving the tablets, overheard this shocking revelation and became profoundly distracted. On her birthday, she received a pen and, feeling a newfound purpose, resolved to secretly compose a new chapter for Prince Murong Jielun, envisioning a future "completely different from the history of the king," hoping for divine favor in her endeavor.
Despite knowing that the Hittite princess was a useless hostage due to his victory over Hittite, Prince Murong Jielun decided to visit her in the water dungeon. He explained that a rumor from Hittite deemed her "ominous," and he needed to ensure she would not disrupt his father's sacred sacrifice ritual, as he detested "the sorcery of illusion." He ordered her to be guarded closely until after the ritual.
Unbeknownst to Murong Jielun, his father, King Sin-Muballit, stood atop the castle, issuing a royal decree commanding his son's elimination before the upcoming blood moon sacrifice, reiterating that "only I can be the eternal king." As the blood moon began, King Sin-Muballit's guards, following the "edict of His Majesty," stormed the water dungeon to "kill the unfilial son." Prince Murong Jielun bravely fought them off. In the chaos, Keane, who had been injured, ambushed him.
Murong Jielun, stunned by this ultimate betrayal and the revelation that his own father desired his death, questioned Keane, who confessed his disloyalty was for his kinsmen and "all people in this world from being slaughtered," accusing Murong Jielun of being "brutal" despite his "illustrious war exploits." Keane reasoned that if he remained eternally loyal, the subjects would suffer. Murong Jielun, recalling Keane's oath seven years prior, demanded an explanation.
Keane challenged Murong Jielun, asking if anyone was "truly loyal" to him, even his "biological father wants to kill you." Murong Jielun, injured and reeling, declared his sole ambition was "to win every war." From her confinement, the Hittite princess interjected, calling Murong Jielun "pitiful" for his misplaced trust in his father and his guard.
Murong Jielun shot back, reminding her that her own birth brought "disasters" to Hittite, branding her "the ominous person in everyone's eyes," and that her kinsmen sent her hoping he would "remove her" as a pretext for war. She retorted that he was "arrogant and obstinate," prophesying that he would "never win," "lose everything," and that "Babylon's bastard will be condemned by God," with Babylon's current troubles being "just the beginning."
Murong Jielun dismissed her, pointing out she was "doomed to stay here alone for the rest of your life." Bearing the injured Keane, Prince Murong Jielun ascended to the ancient Babylonian city walls to confront his father, King Sin-Muballit. He demanded to know why, despite being his father's "slaughtering machine," he was still not satisfied. The King furiously denounced him as a "bastard," an "eternal bastard" who could "never replace me," accusing him of "overshadowing the master."
Murong Jielun asked if his perceived worthlessness stemmed from his slave mother or the fact that his enemies had been eliminated. The King confirmed, declaring he would make Murong Jielun a "sacrifice for the lunar deity tonight," adding that Murong Jielun shared "the same dirty blood" as his mother and would "never be trusted." As the King moved to kill his son, the girl who had been engraving the tablets rushed forward, urging Murong Jielun to flee.
The King, infuriated, disparaged her as a "low commoner" unfit for "his holy mountain," but she bravely proclaimed that the words she had engraved possessed "deity-empowered" strength. With the "witness of the lunar deity," she asserted that the Prince she wrote about was "destined to be different." She then spoke of a future where a girl would love him on her behalf, understanding his benevolence, and he would reciprocate that love, cherishing her in his heart like an imprint.
She promised he would "forget all killings and sufferings and embrace a new memory." As she spoke, under the ominous blood moon, Murong Jielun, the Hittite princess, Keane, and King Sin-Muballit all began to slowly fade and disappear as if weathered away. In the present, Murong Jielun, now understanding his past, trembled as he removed his hand from the ancient clay tablet.
