First Night with the Duke episodes 7 & 8 recap: Prince Seongyang’s arrival disrupts Seon-chaek & Lee Beon’s love story

On July 2 and 3, 2025, First Night with the Duke episodes 7 and 8 have been released on Viki. The K-drama follows the story of a regular university girl, K, who finds her suddenly wakes up inside the pages of her go-to period love story. She’s now Cha Seon-chaek (Seo-hyun), a minor noble-born figure meant to blend in and live quietly.

However, that calm story arc derails fast when she ends up spending a night with Lee Beon (Ok Taec-yeon), the sharp-edged royal heir who's still carrying the weight of a broken past. The prince was initially fated to fall in love with Jo Eun-ae, the story’s main heroine. Still, he keeps drawing back to her.

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First Night with the Duke episode 7: Past promise resurfaces as Prince Lee Beon & Lee Gyu face off over Seon-chaek

Tension grew shortly after in First Night with the Duke episode 7, when Hwa-seon was said to have shoved Seon-chaek into a pond during a private scuffle. Lee Beon, however, acted instantly, pulling Seon-chaek from the water and giving her air.

Following this, Seon-chaek gives Lee Beon a string bracelet. That evening, they spent a second night together. Even when her father, Ho-yeol, explodes in anger over her growing closeness to the prince, Seon-chaek stands her ground. She is more determined than ever to marry the man she loves.

Elsewhere, Soo-gyeom appeared relieved by the scrapped selection. He later met with Eun-ae at a children’s center. The two connected during the visit and went on to share a meal. Their outing, however, ended abruptly when Soo-gyeom left upon noticing his father following him.

Separately, Prince Seongyang, also known as Lee Gyu, returned to the capital and ran into Seon-chaek. He brought up a past marriage promise from their youth, though she didn’t seem to recall it. The atmosphere shifted when Lee Beon arrived. The princes exchanged a sharp look, hinting at rising tension.

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First Night with the Duke episode 8: Seon-chaek gets abducted after walking into Lee Gyu's setup

In First Night with the Duke's episode 8, Lee Beon shares an intimate moment with Seon-taek, carrying roses and leaning in close. Seon-chaek's father catches the scene and blocks her from visiting Lee Beon again.

In protest, Lee Beon sits in the snow, stating he wouldn’t move unless her father approves of their love. Eventually, Ho-yeol agreed, but with conditions, only if the couple could meet during the day.

Around the same period, Seon-chaek meets a fortune-teller who warns her of a turning point in her life. Separately, Soo-gyeom had reached out to Eun-ae to make up for leaving their previous get-together abruptly.

Elsewhere, both princes then have a face-off in a Gyeokgu match that turned tense enough for the King to cut it short mid-round. The next day, Seon-chaek then gets kidnapped after showing up at a spot she thought Lee Beon had called her to through a handwritten note.

But the message was a trap set by Lee Gyu. Once she reaches the location, she is brought into a locked area, where she comes face-to-face with a masked figure holding a blunt weapon.

Earlier, Soo-gyeom had noticed Eun-ae passing by and casually trailed behind. He later saw her meet someone in disguise, quietly handing over an unknown object. That same person is now believed to be involved in Seon-taek’s capture.

At the end of episode 8, Lee Beon, after hearing about Seon-chaek's sudden vanishing, despite having earlier promised her father he wouldn’t cross the line by meeting her in secret or staying overnight.

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Watch First Night with the Duke on Viki. Episodes 9 and 10 are scheduled to release on July 9 and 10.