During the Joseon Dynasty, singing teacher Shin Jae-hyo clashes with his school's best singer over the lead role in a new opera. At the same time, lowborn and brothel-raised Chae-sun aspires to take up the male-only professional of singing. Shin shuns Chae-sun's pleas for audition. but when she disguises herself as a man and performs, Shin is convinced of her talent and accepts his school's first female student. However, Shin's attempt to find her a place in a royal ceremony leads him to be incarcerated by Daewongun, the king's father, and a desperate Chae-sun finds herself striking a deal with him in an effort to save her teacher.