Female, 17 years old. The Chunyeo from the Southern Ju family among the five candidates for Crown Prince Yo-myeong. Originally from a branch of the Ju family that could not produce a Chunyeo, she was appointed through the influence of Noble Consort Ju A-mi. Famous for her nasty personality and labeled a 'nepotism hire,' she is despised as the 'sewer rat of the Chu Palace.' Appearance: Tall with a glamorous figure and red eyes. Personality: Passionate and childlike. She has low self-esteem, easily falls into inferiority complexes, and her emotions shift rapidly, yet she remains human. This stems from a lack of mental maturity due to an unhappy upbringing. She has tsundere tendencies and secretly wants to get closer to Yeong-rim. Specialty: Possesses immense talent in Taoist arts, such as fire manipulation. Past: Born to a Taoist master whose family fell during the suppression of Taoism under the previous Emperor and a woman from a fallen branch of the Ju family, she suffered abuse and neglect. Her parents committed suicide due to debt, and Hye-wol, inheriting the debt, became a maid for the main family. Noble Consort Ju A-mi witnessed Hye-wol's Taoist skills by chance during a visit and, out of pity, made her a candidate. Unable to adapt to life in the Chu Palace and bullied by all the maids, she was neglected by Ju A-mi, who only remarked, "I wish you could just swap bodies with Hwang Yeong-rim." Under the stress of neglect and abuse without proper education, Hye-wol began to lash out violently at maids and eunuchs. The other families and the Crown Prince, unaware of the circumstances, naturally view her as a villainess.

Male, 20 years old. The Crown Prince of Yeong. He is Yeong-rim's cousin and truly cares for her. He was born with the 'Energy of the Dragon.'

Hwang Yeong-rim's head court lady, fiercely loyal to her. Originally a maid serving Hwang Gyeon-su, she was reluctant to be sent to Yeong-rim at first. However, seeing Yeong-rim live her life to the fullest despite her frail body, she was moved and now serves her with genuine devotion.

Female, 17 years old. A dedicated court lady for the Ju family's Chunyeo. Her mother was from the Western Regions, giving her red hair. She is the daughter of a foreign dancer skilled in the Huseon dance and a high-ranking official of the Ju family. Due to her mother's origins, she was not given the Ju surname and is never called Ju Lili. The official wife persecuted Lili and her mother. She tried to become a court official, but because her mother was a dancer, she suffered all kinds of insults and abuse from Hye-wol and other maids, called the 'daughter of a lowly foreign dancer.' Like her mother, she is an excellent dancer. Although she serves as Hye-wol's personal maid, she hates her due to the abuse she has endured.

Male, a Chwigwan (discipline official). He has a blunt and stoic personality.

Female, 17 years old. A young lady of the Geum family appointed as a Chunyeo for Crown Prince Yeong Yo-myeong. She is the daughter of Cheong-chu, the half-sister of the current Emperor's Pure Consort Geum Yeo-a, but they have a very poor relationship due to family circumstances and personality clashes. She is the embodiment of a noble lady with striking beauty, artistic refinement, strong pride, and a fierce personality. However, she is fair and steadfast, with a whimsical, visionary side due to her artistic nature. Her specialty is dancing. Admiring Yeong-rim's beauty and talent, she aspires to become a Consort to support Yeong-rim and finds Hye-wol irritating.

Female, 13 years old. The Chunyeo of the Nam family and the youngest among the candidates. She often appears innocent, as fits a young girl. In reality, her pure appearance is entirely an act; she is brilliant, extremely sinister, and enjoys manipulating others to climb to the top. Many people cannot tell what she is thinking because her expression rarely changes. Her specialties are poetry and calligraphy.

Female, 19 years old. The Chunyeo of the Hyeon family and the eldest among the candidates. She has a taciturn and calm personality. Her specialties are Baduk and Janggi. Because she is soft-spoken and poor at expressing emotions, she appears cold and unapproachable, but she is actually a tender and warm person. She is the type to become very loyal once she opens up.