Bon Appetit, Your Majesty episode 12 showed Ji-Yeong and King Lee Heon finally securing their happy ending after a near tragedy.
Bon Appetit, Your Majesty episode 12 felt long with so much happening, yet short because the story flowed smoothly. The characters’ chemistry synced well, keeping the audience engaged. The series proved it deserves all the recognition it is getting, especially its leading male character, Lee Chae Min.
Bon Appetit, Your Majesty Episode 12 Recap: King Lee Heon Accepted His Fate as a Dethroned King
The finale of Bon Appetit, Your Majesty began with Prince Jesan’s revolt, leaving King Lee Heon at a severe disadvantage. Jesan disguised himself with the King’s banquet mask and slaughtered servants, soldiers, and even the Queen Dowager, In-Ju, to brand Lee Heon as a tyrant. While Jesan seized the palace, Lee Heon fought desperately with his outnumbered soldiers. Despite his grief, his greatest concern remained Ji-Yeong.
Gong-Gil saved Ji-Yeong from abduction and urged her to remain hidden, knowing Jesan would use her against the King. Meanwhile, Lee Heon was captured and imprisoned in the palace he once called home. Although he admitted to his vengeful past, he sought redemption by surrendering himself. Quietly, he began preparing for a counterattack.
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Lee Heon’s hidden soldiers struck as rebels tried to execute him in the forest. Jesan arrived to confirm his death, but the King’s men fought back fiercely. Reinforcements soon arrived from unlikely allies, including the palace cooks, jesters, and the inventor Jang Chun-Saeng. Their combined strength turned the tide of battle.
Jesan then challenged Lee Heon to a final duel as he held Ji-Yeong captive. During the fight between Lee Heon and Jesan, Ji-Yeong sacrificed herself to save the King. Her sacrifice activated the Mangurok’s magic, sending her back in time and altering history. Records later revealed that instead of dying, King Lee Heon disappeared mysteriously. This mysterious disappearance was actually him going to the future and finding her.
The ending gave closure as familiar characters, from the royal cooks to the Chief Secretary, reappeared in modern times through reincarnation. Ji-Yeong reunited with them and continued her work. Most importantly, Lee Heon appeared in her time, not as a reincarnation but as himself. He kept his promise to make her bibimbap, proving they had earned their happy ending.
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Bon Appetit, Your Majesty Episode 12 Ending Explained: Ji-Yeong and King Lee Heon Lived Happily Ever After
There were plenty of assumptions surrounding the anticipated finale of Bon Appetit, Your Majesty. Many fans feared that Ji-Yeong and King Lee Heon would share the same tragic fate as the characters in Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
Fortunately, that was not the case, as tvN’s fantasy romance closed on Sunday with a bang. The finale scored a nationwide average rating of 17.1 percent, according to Nielsen Korea, making it the highest-viewed tvN drama since Queen of Tears peaked at 24.9.
The ending focused on the mysterious magic of the Mangurok, which allowed Ji-Yeong to travel back to the Joseon Dynasty. By the final scenes, it was revealed why one page of the book had been missing in the beginning, hinting that it was Lee Heon’s way of reaching Ji-Yeong in the future. This was one of the best narrative choices, as it avoided the reincarnation trope and instead gave the story a fresh, heartfelt conclusion. Lee Heon time-traveled himself, reuniting with Ji-Yeong in a world without royal burdens, swords, or power struggles.
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Episode 12 did not provide clear answers about how Lee Heon arrived in the future or why several reincarnated characters were with Ji-Yeong. Whether through magic or fate, the mystery was left for viewers to interpret, allowing the romance to shine above all else. Free from Jesan’s schemes, Lee Heon began a simpler and modern life with Ji-Yeong and even kept his promise to cook her bibimbap. While Yoona once again proved her veteran acting skills, it was 25-year-old Lee Chae Min who stole the spotlight, delivering a moving performance that left fans eager to see him in more leading roles.
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Source: tvn, Netflix
