In the medicine shop, Ae Shin (played by Kim Tae Ri) admits to Eugene (played by Lee Byung Hun) that “love” is harder than she thought. He tells her that they can stop if it’s too difficult, but Ae Shin insists that they continue, since they can choose to stop any day. She asks what the next step is in “love,” and he shyly reckons that she won’t be able to do it. He says that the next step after introductions and a handshake is a hug, and Ae Shin runs to hug him, which surprises Eugene.
With her arms wrapped around Eugene, Ae Shin explains that she already learned the letter ‘H’ in her English class. When she steps out of the hug, she asks if she did it correctly, and Eugene jokingly scolds her for studying English too diligently.
Ae Shin and Eugene squeeze in a rickshaw together, and Eugene seems slightly nervous about their proximity. The rickshaw bumps over a rough patch, and Ae Shin sticks her arm out to protect Eugene from jerking forward. They laugh at her protective gesture, which breaks the awkward silence between the two.
Eugene asks where they’re going, and Ae Shin admits that she didn’t think that far. She just wanted to sit alongside him on this ride, since they’ve already walked beside each other last time. Eugene suggests that they go to Glory Hotel, saying that he can return her mask.
When the two arrive at Glory Hotel, Eugene awkwardly tells his “friend” to meet him upstairs in his room as they approach Hina (played by Kim Min Jung) at the front desk. Ae Shin covers her face and silently walks up the stairs. As Eugene checks in with Hina, he explains that his guest is an old friend from New York and that this friend will be heading home after they catch up. Noticing the medicine in his hand, Hina offers the hotel service of brewing and delivering it up to his room. Eugene accepts the offer and heads up, but Hina notices that he’s distracted.
Meanwhile, Hee Sung (played by Byun Yo Han) visits the tailor to track down Ae Shin’s tailored suits. Playing the part of doting fiancé, Hee Sung says that he would like to re-tailor the suit that Ae Shin had matched for him, since the one she requested was too small. The tailor shows him the cloth that the suit was made of, and Hee Sung takes note of this.
Ae Shin walks around Eugene’s hotel room, and Eugene says that he’s never let someone into his room — it’s always been rummaged through without his permission. Ae Shin presumes that he must have valuable things in his room, and Eugene flirts that he just let another valuable into his room.
Ae Shin asks about the music box, and Eugene explains that it plays a folk tune called “Greensleeves” (referred to as “What Child Is This?” in the first recap). He offers to play it for her, and Ae Shin’s excited expression transforms into a pensive one as she notices the somber tune. As they listen, Hina passes by the room and comments on how peculiar it is for friends to be listening to this music box together.
Eugene asks if Ae Shin likes the tune, and she admits that she expected a more cheerful melody. She asks if there’s a story to this music box, and Eugene tells her about his rough adjustment in the U.S. as a young boy. He was unfamiliar with the language, afraid, and hungry. His hands were freezing and his wounds stung – that’s when he heard this tune. He remembers crying heavily.
Ae Shin asks if he’s listened to the tune upon returning to Joseon, and he says that he only recently listened to the song because he heard that someone was hurt. He’s referring to Ae Shin, who he knows was shot in the leg by Dong Mae (played by Yoo Yeon Seok). He warns Ae Shin about Dong Mae knowing her identity, but Ae Shin assures Eugene that she’s already confronted Dong Mae about it. She knows that he recognized her before shooting her, but he still didn’t commit to killing her. She expects that he’ll act the same way in the future.
Eugene asks if Ae Shin trusts Dong Mae, and she admits that she does because he’s indebted to her. She explains that she saved Dong Mae in their youth, and he tarnished her sincere gesture by clawing back at her. She expects that he’ll repay the favor by saving her this time.
Eugene isn’t satisfied with this trust in Dong Mae, but Ae Shin assures him that she’ll be the one to shoot first at Dong Mae if she meets him again in her disguise suit. She thanks him for the mask to continue her work, but Eugene requests that she stop utilizing her disguise, meaning she stop with the resistance work. He says that Joseon is becoming more precarious, which will put Ae Shin in further danger.
Ae Shin wonders why he only tells her not to do things — don’t stand out, don’t study English — but Eugene corrects her, saying that he told her that they could love. Ae Shin bashfully laughs at this, but Eugene still looks unsettled by Ae Shin’s commitment to the resistance. He remembers from his youth that noblewomen could live like flowers, and he asks why Ae Shin doesn’t defer to this life. Ae Shin says that she is living like a flower, except she’s a flame (in Korean bulkkot literally translated to “fire flower”).
She admits that she thinks about death every time she embarks on another insurrection, but that’s why she shoots accurately and flees quickly. She says that in her suit and mask — without a name or face — she’s just a soldier. And that’s why soldiers in the Righteous Army need each other. Although her reality is cruel for her grandfather, Ae Shin wants to burn bright as a flame before her defeat. She admits that she’s afraid of death, but she’s committed to this path.
Eugene looks with admiration at Ae Shin and wonders where his pathetic self lies in her spectrum from passionate to cruel. He ponders in his hypothetical letter to Joseph, “I thought I had reached my end, but I may need to go further into the flames — one step further. Joseph, I think I’m completely ruined.”
But Dong Mae isn’t one to fulfill expectations, and he tells his right-hand Yujo that they can report to Hayashi (the Japanese ambassador in Joseon) that they have their tail on one of the resistance shooters from Jemulpo.
Dong Mae stops a seemingly innocent commoner on the street and accuses him of being a familiar face on their train to Jemulpo and on the streets by the port. After a beating from the gang, the Righteous Army soldier is brought to Dong Mae, who tries to make a deal with the soldier. Dong Mae tempts him to betry another comrade by saying that he only needs one captive, but the soldier demands that Dong Mae just kill him.
Before they proceed, Dong Mae asks out of pure curiosity: Why do they do it? He’s curious why the Righteous Army fight to die rather than to live, and he tauntingly asks if they make a lot of money. Accepting that these may be his last words, the soldier says that he fights for his nation because the Joseon owns nothing. Everything Joseon belongs to the foreign forces — Japan, U.S., Russia, England, France — from train lines to the electricity. All the soldier can do is fight for whatever is left of his nation.
Dong Mae asks if there are many others in Joseon who are better than himself, and the soldier says that Dong Mae won’t hear another word about his comrades. With that, the soldier tries to kill himself with the sword intended to threaten him, but Dong Mae pushes him to the ground before he can do so. Dong Mae thinks the soldier is crazy, but the soldier says that all of his comrades will act by the same mantra: Flee if you’re discovered, die if you’re captured. Dong Mae isn’t satisfied with the soldier’s response and orders his gang to drag him away.
Dong Mae drags a man to Hayashi, but it’s not the soldier — it’s the geisha house Hwawollu’s owner. Hayashi isn’t pleased with this captive substituting the ones from Jemulpo, but Dong Mae argues that Hwawollu’s owner is the source of their grief anyway. Also, Hayashi misled the gang by pointing them in the wrong direction in the geisha chase, which resulted in injured gang members. Hayashi doesn’t argue with this compromise, and Dong Mae takes his leave.
That night, Dong Mae addresses the captured Righteous Army soldier and tells him to run away as far as he can from Hanseong. The soldier asks if he’s letting him free, but Dong Mae clarifies that he’s just not killing the soldier yet. Dong Mae vows to kills him if he sees the soldier again in Hanseong, and he cuts the ties on the soldier’s wrists. The soldier seems confused, but he takes the opportunity and runs for his life.
Dong Mae visits Hina while she’s taking a bath, and she isn’t fazed by his sudden appearance. She welcomes him into her room and puts on her bathrobe. Dong Mae notices the scars all over her body and asks how she has more scars on her body than a man who wields a sword. She responds with a question, asking how a Joseon woman must have lived in Japan.
Hina asks why he’s visiting, and Dong Mae admits that he’s in a bad mood because he let a soldier go free. She wonders why, and Dong Mae says that he thought the other soldiers would be saddened if he killed the soldier. Hina laughs at Dong Mae’s uncharacteristic mercy and says that’s the funniest thing she’s heard from him.
Dong Mae explains that most victims he captures beg him to save their lives, but this soldier insisted that Dong Mae kill him. He couldn’t fathom why this soldier would risk his life for this nation, and Hina agrees that there are some righteous and passionate hearts that you just can’t kill. She says that he did indeed lose this one, but she still says that it’s not too late to kill that soldier. Dong Mae says that he can’t do that now, since he’s one to keep his word. Hina laughs again, saying that’s the second funniest thing she’s heard from him.
Hina can see right through him and wonders what Dong Mae is risking his life for. Dong Mae thinks about shooting Ae Shin and claims to Hina that he doesn’t risk his life — he takes them.
Eugene comes down to ask Hina for that drink she owes him, and she comments that she didn’t even need to switch his key for him come to her. They start out with small talk about the fixed music box before Eugene asks how long she’s been in the hotel business. Hina explains that it’s rare for a woman to run a hotel in Joseon, but she benefitted from her late Japanese husband, through whom she was exposed to the hotel business early on.
Eugene thinks about Ae Shin’s words about the faceless and nameless soldiers, and he seems to suspect Hina is also involved with the Righteous Army. He asks Hina why she advised that he use the interpreter when he was summoned by the king, and she correctly presumes that the interpreter mistranslated Eugene’s words to favor Japan. He wonders if she works for the government, but Hina claims that she’s just a businesswoman.
Hina says that Glory Hotel carries a lot of intel and that she’s also a curious person. She asks what he decided to do, and Eugene asks if she has any information in all that Glory Hotel intel about him ending up dead. She wonders if he made a choice that would put his life at risk, and he’s in the same boat, awaiting the consequences of his decision.
Minister Lee Jung Moon, the foreign affairs minister and trusted advisor to the king, secretly meets with the interpreter who mistranslated Eugene’s message to the king. The interpreter looks shocked to see Minister Lee, having expected a client for a private interpreting service. Minister Lee accuses the interpreter for his deliberate Japan-favoring mistranslation to the king, and the interpreter trembles as he admits that he was ordered by Wan-ik to do so. The interpreter offers to investigate further, but Minister Lee shows no mercy and slays the interpreter with his sword.
The next day, Il Shik meets with Eugene. Eugene asked about his request, and Il Shik reports that Minister Lee Jung Moon made his move last night. We see that Il Shik and Choon Shik followed the minister and the interpreter, and they discovered the interpreter’s dead body. Eugene realizes the consequences of his decision and decides to make his next move.
Hina greets Ae Shin as she enters Glory Hotel, and Ae Shin announces that she’s here to meet her fiancé, Hee Sung. Hina informs her that Hee Sung is not yet awake but should be down soon for his morning coffee. Hina introduces Ae Shin to a sweeter coffee, but Ae Shin isn’t fond of its taste, wondering why people enjoy this bitter drink. Hina says that over time, the bitterness becomes sour, savory, and sweet. She says poetically, “It makes your heart race, makes you lose sleep, and above all, it’s expensive. Much like futile hope.”
Ae Shin asks if Hina is selling futile hope, and Hina responds that the more futile, the more expensive it is. People spend a lot of money on this hope, she claims, like people who hope to make it rich by selling their country, people who pitifully hope that their efforts will prevent their country from being sold away, people who effetely hope that they can break off their engagement.
Ae Shin’s face hardens at Hina’s pointed comment, and Hina explains that she just inferred this, since Ae Shin wouldn’t be visiting the hotel if her marriage plans were going smoothly. Ae Shin says that Hina must have a particular interest in her, but Hina responds that it’s only because Ae Shin is in the way of her interest (in Eugene). Hina wonders if she’ll have to cry or bite, but since she’s received a handkerchief, maybe she’ll cry. She holds Eugene’s handkerchief in her hand, the one he gave to her when she injured her hand while kicking out the repulsive customer.
Hee Sung interrupts their conversation before the tension builds any further, and he says his dream about a field of flowers must have indicated that Ae Shin was coming to visit him. Hee Sung tries to avoid the looming conversation by offering to teach her how to play pool, but Ae Shin gets straight to the point about breaking their engagement. Hee Sung says that this will be difficult because it’s a promise made between their families, but Ae Shin suggests that they attempt this feat.
Hee Sung asks if Ae Shin has another lover, and Ae Shin responds by asking if that would be reason enough to break off their engagement. Hee Sung doesn’t back down and says that he’ll need to fight whoever it is. She tells him not to, and Hee Sung gets in her face and warns her not to provoke him.
Ae Shin tells him not to waste time on her, as he must have dreams of his own. But Hee Sung claims that he has no dreams. He says that he can’t work in government because he’s not a morning person; he won’t protest because it’s too physically straining; he won’t side with the Japanese because it’ll wear on his heart. He claims that he likes useless things like the moon, stars, flowers, the wind, laughter, and jokes. He wants to die enjoying these things.
Ae Shin thinks that he’ll end up like that, but she doesn’t support him because their destinations are different. Hee Sung says that it’s okay because no one is rooting for him in this life anyway. Since they can neither get married nor break off their engagement, Hee Sung suggests that for today, they remain friends.
Taking him up on that offer, Ae Shin asks Hee Sung to teach her how to play pool. A sharp shooter, Ae Shin learns quickly and sinks consecutive balls into the holes. Before she can catch herself, Ae Shin limps around the table, and Hee Sung notices but doesn’t make it known. Ae Shin continues to play while Hee Sung cheers her on from the other side.
Dong Mae enters the local bar, and he reluctantly joins Hee Sung’s table because the house is full. Hee Sung offers his glass for cheers, but Dong Mae tells him that he prefers to drink along. Hee Sung explains that the cheers gesture is one to inform the other party that they have not poisoned their drink, since the drinks flow into each other when they clink. Dong Mae says that’s further reason not to join their glasses.
Hee Sung asks if everything is going well with Dong Mae’s work, which he vaguely understands as capturing people, beating up people, and killing people. Based on that job description, Dong Mae admits that work isn’t going well and takes a drink. Hee Sung asks why he does such work, and Dong Mae responds by asking why Hee Sung doesn’t do any work. Hee Sung says that he’s been getting that question a lot recently, and he claims that if he does something, he’ll become someone great. At that, Dong Mae mutters that he should really carry around poison. Ha!
Eugene enters the full bar, and Dong Mae kicks an open seat as a gruff invite to their table. Hee Sung looks less enthusiastic than usual about their trio, mainly due to his confrontation with Eugene about his family. Hee Sung belatedly welcomes Eugene back to Joseon, and Eugene responds that it sounds like he’s ushering him to leave. Dong Mae quite enjoys this tension between the two and asks if there are any more developments in their rivalry, but Hee Sung says that they’ve got plenty as it is.
Eugene asks Dong Mae if he’s found the limping man he was seeking, and Hee Sung immediately thinks to Ae Shin limping during their game of pool but remains silent. Eugene claims that he saw a limping person: Wan-ik. He wonders if Dong Mae is close with Wan-ik, but Dong Mae refutes this by claiming that he’s long parted ways with Wan-ik. Besides, he’s looking for a young limping man, Dong Mae says.
The waiter comes to their table to refill their alcohol, and he comments that they must be friends. They all deny this, and Hee Sung says that the three of them all just joined this table out of coincidence, describing their group as: the American Joseon person, the Japanese Joseon person, and the handsome Joseon person. With that Hee Sung announces that the handsome Joseon person is taking his leave. He limps on his way out, and when Dong Mae comments that it’s the other leg, Hee Sung switches his limp.
Dong Mae wonders if Hee Sung actually knows what’s going on, and Eugene presumes that he does because he always acts out of sincerity. Dong Mae suspects that Eugene also knows, and Eugene claims that he does — it’s Wan-ik, he says.
Eugene says cryptically that for the sake of all three of them, the limping man must be Wan-ik, and Dong Mae’s silence seems to indicate agreement.
Ae Shin waits for all the lights at her home to turn off before hiding in her closet to listen to the music box that Eugene lent her. She listens to the sad tune, smiling as she thinks about Eugene.
Eugene meets with Seung Gu the next day, and they talk ambiguously using their exchange currency of alcohol as their topic of conversation. Since Seung Gu received an ample payment — sneaking their comrade So Ah out to Shanghai — for the alcohol, Eugene requests that Seung Gu support his alcohol cost this time. Seung Gu immediately puts down his alcohol and does the whole “oh no, I just quit drinking, sorry.” But Eugene says that Seung Gu will support this next mission, which targets foreign affairs minister Lee Se Hoon (who sides with the Japanese).
Ae Shin waits in front of the U.S. embassy and fakes her exhaustion about being constantly summoned to the embassy. Then, Eugene arrives and tries his best to hide his smile at the sight of Ae Shin. Ae Shin takes her rightful seat at Eugene’s desk, and Eugene smiles as he says that he doesn’t recall summoning her to the embassy. He wonders if she’s here to return the music box, but Ae Shin says that she’s saved that excuse for a later time. This time, she’s here to ask about how to translate a phrase to English. She shows off her notebook with her name in English, and then she shows him the written phrase in Korean. It reads: I missed you.
Unfortunately, Eugene can’t read Korean, so he just laughs off the phrase, saying that it’s so easy that she shouldn’t ask him about it. That’s not the reaction that Ae Shin was hoping for, and she tries to leave in a hurry. Eugene asks her when she’s going to pick up bowls next, hoping that she’ll need someone to row the boat. Ae Shin begins to tell him the time, and then it dawns on her that Eugene didn’t, or maybe couldn’t, read her last letter.
Ae Shin shows him the page with her written Korean phrase again and tells Eugene to read it, but Eugene tries to avoid this by greeting his fellow soldiers passing by the halls. He mumbles that he’s good at English and walks away, leaving Ae Shin thoroughly amused that Eugene can’t read Korean.
Eugene claims his banknote from the pawnshop and thanks the duo for endangering their lives. Next, Eugene confronts Minister Lee Se Hoon once again blocking the road on horseback. The minister’s carriage bearers recognize Eugene and immediately make a run for it, leaving the minister with a weaker defense. Eugene jumps off his horse and tells the minister’s guards that he has no hard feelings towards them, only the minister.
Upon the minister’s orders, the guards all attack Eugene, but Eugene expertly defends himself. He knocks out all the guards with only a scratch on his face, and he approaches Minister Lee with one of the guard’s swords. He strikes the sword through the wooden seat and cuts the minister’s neck, vowing to kill the minister today.
Minister Lee says that an American soldier dare not kill the foreign affairs minister of Joseon, but Eugene says that the minister will die in the hands of a Joseon person today. Tearing up, Eugene recalls his mother who threw herself in the well, his father who was beaten to death, and his younger self escaping for sins unrightfully bestowed on him.
This stirs Minister Lee’s memory, and he laughs that this must be a joke. But he quickly realizes Eugene’s identity and begs that Eugene save his life. Eugene tells him to stop begging lest he kill him now, since Minister Lee’s death is planned elsewhere.
Minister Lee returns home to find his room rummaged through and his gold all gone. He screams for his stolen wealth, and then shots began to fire towards his room. They’re from Eugene and Seung-gu, and Minister Lee frantically crawls through his room to find his gun.
With his gun in hand, Minister Lee runs out of his room and orders his servants to call the Joseon forces. He can’t seem to figure out the gun and accidently shoots a young servant girl, who falls with a fatal injury. He feels no remorse for his fatal shot and blames to girl for being at the wrong place. Meanwhile, Eugene sneaks into the minister’s room and slips a paper into a vase.
The servants try to carry this young girl out to seek treatment, but Minister Lee points his gun at the servants, threatening to shoot again if they don’t call back-up forces first. Then, a shot fires and hits Minister Lee in the arm. It’s Seung Gu, and he reloads his gun to aim at the minister again.
Then, the Joseon forces enter Minister Lee’s home, and the minister looks relieved until he realizes that they’re lead by Minister Lee Jung Moon, his rival foreign affairs minister. Minister Lee Jung Moon orders his forces to thoroughly search through Minister Lee Se Hoon’s home and calls the minister a criminal.
The soldiers bring Minister Lee Se Hoon to his knees, and in a flashback, we see that Eugene visited Minister Lee Jung Moon to set up this situation. Eugene offered to return the banknote to its rightful owner, but they would have to do this his way. He told Minister Lee Jung Moon that he would plant the banknote in Lee Se Hoon’s home and asks what his punishment would be. The minister told him that Lee Se Hoon would be sentenced to death, and Eugene seemed pleased with that answer.
Back at Lee Se Hoon’s home, a solider finds the banknote in the vase, which proves Minister Lee Se Hoon’s crime. The king arrives, and all the servants lay prostrate at his entrance. But from above, Seung Gu thinks back to his youth when Wan Ik informed the war captives that the king had abandoned them. Seung Gu cocks his gun and aims it at the king, but Eugene stops him. He tells him to save it for another time, as one traitor is enough for tonight.
The king receives the banknote that was discovered in Lee Se Hoon’s home, and despite Lee Se Hoon’s insistent pleas that this was a set-up, the king declares him guilty of treason. The king orders that Lee Se Hoon be sentenced to death, and Minister Lee Jung Moon kills him with his sword without a moment of hesitation. The servants spit on this wretched minister’s dead body, and Eugene watches the death of his enemy from above.
Eugene waits for Ae Shin at the dock by the inn, but the river has frozen over. When Ae Shin arrives, she notices the cut on his face, and Eugene lies that it was from training. He says that she no longer needs someone to row the boat, but Ae Shin says that now they can just walk together beside each other.
Walking on the frozen river, Ae Shin tells Eugene about the commotion over Minister Lee Se Hoon’s death. Eugene feigns ignorance and asks more about the minister, since he’s not familiar with Joseon politics. Ae Shin says that she was merely wary of the minister but had no significant interaction with him. She adds that no one is mourning his death.
Ae Shin asks Eugene to tell the story of how he ended up in the U.S., as she’s curious about his long backstory. Eugene says that when he’s finished with his story, they’ll need to part ways. She wonders why, but he continues with his story: He ran away from Joseon when he was nine years old, and with the help of an American stranger, he sailed to the U.S. for a month as a stowaway.
Ae Shin asks why a nine-year-old ran away to the U.S., and Eugene quotes Ignobleman’s command to kill young Eugene, as it will be a good lesson for his fellow slaves. Eugene says that this is his last memory of Joseon — the words from his owner.
Shocked and speechless, Ae Shin’s eyes fill with tears as she realizes the truth that Eugene was a slave in Joseon. At Ae Shin’s reaction, Eugene asks if she’s shocked by the inhumanity of Ignobleman or by his slave status in Joseon. He intended to step foot in Joseon and then promptly return to his country, the U.S., but he wavered when he met one woman.
He asks, “Who lives in the Joseon that you’re trying to save? Can butchers live? Can slaves live?” Eugene tells Ae Shin to leave first, saying that they can no longer walk beside each other, and Ae Shin silently turns to walk away.
As she slowly walks away on the ice, Ae Shin falls to the ground, shaken by Eugene’s perspective. Eugene helps her up, and they part ways. Ae Shin thinks about the unnerving revelation in her carriage, unsure how to respond.
King Gojong enjoys a cup of coffee as he discusses the uses of the banknote with Minister Lee Jung-moon. With England funding Japan in the potential war against Russia, Minister Lee projects that Joseon will take a big hit from this conflict. Therefore, Minister Lee suggests that they reinforce their own royal military forces, and King Gojong agrees. King Gojong wonders who would be fit for this task — someone who won’t be swayed by the Japanese or selfish motives.
Minister Lee catches onto King Gojong’s implicit suggestion of Eugene, who the king knows helped in their mission to retrieve the banknote. The king wants to trust Eugene with this task, but Minister Lee is wary that Eugene may have ulterior motives. He thought that he had control of Eugene, but in retrospect, Minister Lee realizes that he was a pawn in Eugene’s game. He says that he’ll investigate Eugene further with caution.
Ae Shin dresses her wound at her hideout and thinks about Eugene’s looming question about who can live in the Joseon she’s saving. She also hears young Dong Mae’s biting insults, calling her a noblewoman spoiled in luxuries. Both criticisms haunt her as she prepares for shooting practice.
When Ae Shin comes out of the hut, she happily greets Seung Gu. He asks about her injury and doesn’t believe her when she pretends to be in more pain than she actually is. They converse in a fun banter before Ae Shin asks in a serious tone about who’s the leader of the Righteous Army. More specifically, she asks if the leader is a noble and who can live in the Joseon this leader is trying to save.
Seung Gu finds this out of character for Ae Shin, who always followed orders without asking questions. She says that she was asked this question, but the inquirer and the receiver of the question were both hurt.
Seung Gu reveals to Ae Shin that Eugene returned the banknote to the king and framed Lee Se Hoon for treason, and that Eugene also helped their comrade So Ah escape to Shanghai. This is news to Ae Shin, and she asks why Seung Gu is suddenly disclosing this after always insisting that it’s better for her stay in the dark. Seung Gu answers that it seems important to Eugene that she know and asks if it’s also important Ae Shin. She confirms that it is.
Seung Gu asks if Ae Shin found out Eugene’s background, and she’s surprised that he already knew. He admits that he initially treated Ae Shin disrespectfully and made her claim all those hills, expecting that she would give up in a few days. But she’s endured ten years of training, which have given her the answers to any questions she’ll ever be asked.
Then, Seung Gu gets on his knees and speaks to Ae Shin with honorifics. He says that if people discover their relationship and his treatment of her, then he will be sentenced to death for dishonoring a person of higher social status. He asserts that this is the law and the way of the world; therefore, her relationship with Eugene must also end. Hearing this sobering reality, Ae Shin tears up but can’t contest her teacher’s words.
Little Domi hangs Eugene’s coat as he returns to his office at the embassy, and Eugene suggests to Domi that his older sister go to Glory Hotel for a job. Domi thanks him for the referral, and Eugene asks for a favor in return — teaching him how to write Korean.
Domi goes through each consonant of the alphabet and instructs Eugene to repeat the letters as he writes them. He adorably straights Eugene’s posture, saying that good posture will help Eugene learn properly. Domi even teaches Eugene how to phonetically spell his name in Korean.
Then, Eugene remembers what Ae Shin wrote for him, and he tries to replicate it based on memory. It looks like an unfortunate jumble of hashtags and illegible Korean, but Domi is a genius and deciphers the real message: I missed you. Domi teaches Eugene how to properly write the phrase in Korean, and Eugene looks at the written phrase and says, “Me too.”
At Glory Hotel, Dong Mae recognizes the new worker, Domi’s older sister, who used to work as the caretaker for Logan Taylor’s (the assassinated American) baby. He encountered her during his search for the banknote at Logan Taylor’s home, and the girl looks frightened to see him. As he passes by the hanging laundry, Dong Mae recognizes the cloth used to swaddle the baby, and the girl explains that she wanted to repurpose the cloth as clothing for her younger brother.
Dong Mae doesn’t think too much of it, but at second thought, he realizes that he didn’t search the house thoroughly enough. He knows that the banknote must have been hidden in the cloth, and he threatens to kill the girl if she doesn’t spill who she gave the banknote to.
The girl leads Dong Mae through the streets before she makes a run for it, begging for help and banging on the door of the book shop where Ae Shin looks up with surprise. Dong Mae’s lackey throws the girl on the ground, and Ae Shin angrily scolds Dong Mae about hurting his own people, especially such a young girl.
Dong Mae says that he’s never seen his own people helping each other and tells her to mind her own business. Ae Shin asks if she only catches him in these moments or if Dong Mae only lives these moments. The girl runs to Ae Shin begging her for life, and triggered Dong Mae grabs her hair, asking Ae Shin if these are the moments she’s talking about.
Ae Shin slaps Dong Mae across the face for his unbearable inhumanity, and she seethes, “I hope you live these moments as well.” Dong Mae looks at her with a fierce hatred in his eyes, and Ae Shin orders her maid to provide refuge for the girl. Dong Mae says that he lost a large sum of money because the girl delivered a document to someone else, and Ae Shin offers to pay the difference to save the girl’s life. He agrees to this deal and orders Ae Shin to meet him alone next month to hear to exact amount she owes him.
Dong Mae looks satisfied with this deal and walks away with his gang. Later, as he walks with his right-hand, Yujo, he smiles as he recalls Ae Shin’s curse at him. Yujo seems startled by Dong Mae’s smile, and Dong Mae explains his interpretation of Ae Shin’s hope that “live these moments” of the slap as Ae Shin wanting him alive. Just recently, when she confronted him at the train station, she wanted him dead.
The girl thanks Ae Shin for saving her life, and Ae Shin asks about the important document that she had in her possession. The girl doesn’t know exactly what the document was, but she was told that it held the fate of Joseon. She refuses to tell Ae Shin who she gave the document to, and Ae Shin allows the girl to protect whoever she’s loyal to.
Then, Ae Shin puts together the pieces — Eugene’s mention of his rummaged-through room, Seung Gu’s disclosure that Eugene returned a document to the king. She asks the girl one more question about how she came to possess this document, and the girl looks around to make sure no one is listening. She says that she used to work for an American man who hid documents in the baby swaddle. After the man died, she gave the document to a person she was indebted to. Ae Shin deduces who this was and asks the girl to keep their encounter a secret from the person she’s loyal to.
At the tailor shop, Hee Sung gets fitted in his new suit that uses the same cloth as the suit that Ae Shin got fitted in. He wonders who will recognizes him in this new suit. Jump to Dong Mae and Eugene dragging a protesting covered figure into Glory Hotel. The protesting figure lifts the cloth over his head to reveal that it’s none other than Hee Sung, who declares that he’ll walk on his own even with his injured leg. Hina watches this commotion as the men go up the stairs, and she wonders if Hee Sung is injured or soon will be injured.
The trio enter Hee Sung’s room to discuss in private, and Dong Mae first tries to settle matters with Eugene by revealing that he’s seen this person at Jemulpo. Eugene doesn’t reveal his cards, and Dong Mae seems irritated that Eugene isn’t cooperating to kill their shared secret.
Trying to catch up on this secret, Hee Sung asks if their conflict will be resolved perfectly if he’s the one limping in this suit. Dong Mae says that the three of them shouldn’t be fighting over this, and Eugene adds that the three of them shouldn’t be consulting each other on this either. Eugene suggests they address this in their separate ways, since it seems that they all have different information.
As per usual, Hee Sung suggests that they all share a drink. Dong Mae refuses because he thinks he’ll kill one of them if he has a drink, and Eugene notes that he may be target tonight. Hee Sung tries to deescalate the situation by ensuring the men that this suit will be the new fad since he wore it that day, and Dong Mae switches his target.
Outside, Hina smokes a cigarette and wonders what the three men are discussing behind closed doors. She thinks about the three men individually and calls them all fools. She wonders what’s so special about Ae Shin anyway.
In her room, Ae Shin cuts up red paper to make a pinwheel and explains to her maid that she wanted to have a secret signal between her and Eugene. The red pinwheel would indicate that she’s out on a mission so that he wouldn’t wait endlessly at the medicine shop. Sensing Ae Shin’s sadness, her maid suggests that they try out the pinwheels in an attempt to lift her spirits.
Ae Shin and her maid blow at the pinwheels and watch them turn to the wind. Ae Shin looks deflated by this now useless pinwheel and rests her head on her maid’s shoulder, disheartened.
In his office, Eugene asks Kyle if he can be transferred to a different country post and wishes to be transferred as soon as possible. He mutters that he shouldn’t have come to Joseon.
Surrounded by relatives, Grandfather is asked to adopt a son into his lineage to inherit his wealth. The relatives don’t believe that Hee Sung’s family will allow their son to live in Grandfather’s home as his heir, and they urge Grandfather to accept the deaths of his sons. Grandfather refuses to accept his children’s deaths and he demands that the relatives stop their futile requests to adopt a son.
Ae Shin practices shooting at her hideout and longs for her parents. She had overheard Grandfather’s angry denial about his children’s deaths, and she mournfully wonders who she inherited her beauty and shooting skills from. She says that she doesn’t know her parents faces, so she cannot miss them. With her eyes filling with emotion, she asks her parents, “Are you there together? Are you happy after leaving me here alone?” She pleads that they come visit her in her dreams, to bring her to her senses or even to scold her.
Eugene rides through the forest to visit his parents’ graves, and he narrates his letter to Joseph: “I may have had hopes about coming to Joseon — that I had changed, that Joseon had changed. From the first time I saw her, I also hoped to walk beside that woman. But I can’t seem to escape that box. Even though I expected her reaction at the end of my long story, I’m once again running away from Joseon and that truth. I’m running away outside of Joseon, I don’t think I can see you before I leave. Please be well.”
When Eugene returns to the hotel, Joseon soldiers stand guarding the entrance. Hina escorts him to the restaurant, where King Gojong is waiting for him while enjoying a cup of coffee. The king asks Eugene to be the instructor at the Joseon Military Academy, as Eugene’s aid to Joseon has proven him as a righteous man and the right person for the job. But Eugene rejects the offer and admits he used Joseon to help with his revenge. He adds that he also intends to leave Joseon soon.
Hina walks in with coffee and overhears Eugene’s plan to leave Joseon. The king asks if someone in Joseon has brought him grief, and Eugene says that he’s leaving to avoid hurting someone. As Eugene is not a Joseon citizen, the king can’t control his actions and accepts Eugene’s stance on the offer.
After Eugene leaves, Hina notes that the persuasion didn’t go as intended for the king. The king acknowledges this and says that not everything works out just because he’s the king. Hina coyly says that she’ll need to collect payment for the coffee, as she won’t let him by just because he’s the king.
Eugene arrives at Eun San’s home and repeats the same pleas he used in his youth, asking grumpy Eun San to house him for one night as he’s fatigued from his journey. Eun San smiles and redirects him to the inn on the other side of the river, but Eugene tempts him with a bag of American beer.
Eun San complains about the taste of the beer but continues to chug them as Eugene expresses his farewell. He knows that Eun San found the ornament when he rummaged through Eugene’s room, but Eun San denies knowing anything. Eugene says that it was a relief that he could meet Eun San again, and he tells Eun San to stay grumpy and well.
Eugene explicitly reveals that he was the young slave that Eun San saved and thanks Eun San for saving his life. He apologizes for not adequately paying him back and bows in gratitude as his final farewell gesture. As Eugene puts on his shoes to leave, Eun San says that he received all of Eugene’s payments — from saving the undercover geisha So Ah, returning the banknote, and punishing Lee Se Hoon.
Eun San jokes that Eugene should have brought more beer with him and offers to house him for the night. Overwhelmed with emotion, Eugene tries to hold in his tears but ends up crying at Eun San’s doorstep.
Ae Shin stares at the snowfall as she continues to learn English with her friend. They move onto the next letters starting with ‘S’, and Ae Shin says that she already knows a word for that: “sad ending.” Looking off in the distance, Ae Shin says that the foreign stranger already knew that they would have a sad ending.
Ae Shin’s friend looks confused by her words out of context, and Ae Shin clarifies that she was asking for the word for “stranger.” Her friend comments that it’s also an ‘S’ word, and Ae Shin comments that ‘S’ has a lot of sad words. But her friend says that there are also other words, like “snow,” “sunshine,” and “stars.” Ae Shin notes that all of these things shine in the sky. Her friend says that “sky” is also an ‘S’ word and asks which one of these words is her favorite. Ae Shin isn’t sure and ponders that question.
Ae Shin follows her entourage as she walks home in the snowy night. The street lamps flicker as the train passes by, and she repeats the words she learned: “Moonlight, miracle, mister, stranger.” She remembers her first encounter with Eugene and thinks about Eugene saying that he was hurt by her reaction even though he expected it.
The train passes by, and Ae Shin remembers the train passing between her and Eugene when they first met. Ae Shin’s eyes well with tears at this thought, and on the other side of the tracks, Eugene watches her. She continues to repeat the words: “Mister, sunshine.” Then, she looks across the tracks and finds Eugene there. She cries at the sight of him, and they stand looking longingly at each other.
It’s so satisfying to finally see Eugene take some action and be willing to face the consequences. Joseon is constantly changing, but some points of change have yet to fulfill the hopes of the abandoned Joseon people. Eugene faces the harsh realities of Joseon society that still treat him as a foreigner, a stranger in his own home country. Realizing his unfulfilled hopes, Eugene takes a step back and reconsiders his allegiances to a nation that never considered him as their own. He’s still fairly distant from the resistance that Ae Shin so deeply believes in, and I think the final scene really addressed his reasons for his hesitation. He doesn’t believe that Joseon has a place for outsiders like himself or Dong Mae, since he’s only experienced a Joseon that embraces wealthy nobles. I hope that his confession to Ae Shin about his background will spark some reflection in Ae Shin and give us more about the resistance than her naïve perspective as a noblewoman. There are reasons why people have betrayed their nation, and I would love to see Ae Shin come to terms with those valid reasons.
As always, I enjoy watching these three admirers interact because they’re so wary and reluctantly friendly with each other. It’s funny that the person that brings them together is also the person that makes them enemies, and watching this three-way game of chess between these guys is so entertaining. They’re calling each other out without explicitly doing so, and I’m holding my breath waiting to find out who will break this silence first. I’m interested to find out how Dong Mae and Hee Sung will respond to catch Ae Shin’s attention, since they do have the potential to wield a significant amount of power for or against her movement.
Ae Shin’s blooming relationship with Eugene is sweet, and I think I’ll be satisfied if the relationship continues to give us adorable moments without forcing us invest in the romance too much. The romance lost in translation is actually quite enjoyable, and I found it so adorably tragic that Ae Shin’s romantic gesture was totally lost on Eugene because he’s illiterate. It probably touched me more than it did him, and that irony is just wonderful. I feel like this show is finally reaching a nice balance without anything feeling forced, and I hope they continue with this pace.
And now, we all know where our title comes from, Mr. Sunshine. For Ae Shin, the meaning of and attachments to English words transform as her relationship with Eugene changes. I think that’s a clever way to expand the emotional capacity of the show, and I think that also allows this show to reach a wider audience. The romance lost in translation have been sources of both comedy and poignancy, and I think that accurately describes the relationship between Ae Shin and Eugene.
I appreciate that Ae Shin’s internal turmoil regarding her social class was a central conflict in this episode. Her interaction with Seung Gu at the hideout was so sobering for Ae Shin as a character, even more so than her conversation with Eugene. Over ten years, their relationship has been so established as teacher and student. So when Seung Gu fell to his knees and spoke to Ae Shin using honorifics, she suddenly realized the weight of her status. She’s a blazing flame in the movement, but she’s also privileged with noble status. Though she committed ten years to learning how to shoot and becoming a part of the movement, she still has her social status to fall back on. And only now has she realized that may be her biggest weakness.
And I really amazed with how Kim Eun Sook could create a historical romance in which social class was a central and main conflict, which is somewhat fact and reality. Why love is so hard, even at those time?
I am not sure what's gonna be the ending of the story, but I wish we didn't end up with a sad ending. Even though I had a feeling that Eugene would one day accept King's offer and become a nobleman. But, let me check when the regulation for different social class was diminished?
I really love how Kim Eun Sook made an important connection between English and Korean language and connection between Eugene & Ae Shin. She has such a trademark for romance in words that cannot be explained in any other words. It's always so deep and meaningful.
