Joo Jin-mo won the Best Actor award at the 45th Baeksang Arts Awards for his portrayal of the conflicted King.

Cinematographer Choi Hyun-ki contrasts the sterile, freezing cold of the palace corridors—where the King’s gaze is inescapable—with the warm, secretive chambers where the bodyguard and the Queen find a connection that was never part of the bargain. The tragedy lies in the betrayal: Hong-rim does not just betray his King by sleeping with the Queen; he betrays the King by falling in love with her.