As the trolley passes by her, Eugene watches Ae Shin longingly from the other side of the tracks. Ae Shin repeats words in her head: “Sunshine… mister, sunshine.” Once the trolley passes, Ae Shin sees Eugene and tears up at the sight of him.
Keeping their distance, Eugene tells Ae Shin to be careful of walking in the snow, and Ae Shin asks that they talk somewhere out of plain sight. On a quieter street, Eugene notices Ae Shin’s cold hands and offers his gloves to her. She takes them and remembers when Eugene last held her hand, on the frozen river after he explained his backstory. Ae Shin apologizes for her unintentionally hurtful reaction to Eugene’s personal story.
She admits that she committed to be a fighter because she believed she was doing the right thing, despite the worry she burdened her family with. But the justifications for her world were invalidated by the end of Eugene’s story. She realizes that she never questioned Eugene’s identity because she assumed that he was also a noble. Overwhelmed with guilt, Ae Shin cries as she admits that she thought herself as different from other nobles, but she realized that she was just a privileged noblewoman spoiled in luxuries. With this confession, she pleads that Eugene not be hurt by her reaction to his backstory.
Eugene steps forward and puts the gloves on Ae Shin’s hands. He holds her hand for a little longer, and he assures her that she’s improving and that this was just a bump in the road. Eugene tells her to continue improving while he literally and figuratively takes a step back.
He admires Ae Shin’s tearful response since she could have easily chosen silence or ignorance. But he says that clear disparities exist in this world — of heart, of opinion, and of social status. He says neither of them are to blame and that they’ve merely met in this world of disparities. Eugene reminds Ae Shin that the lower class — like her servants, the innkeeper, and errand boys — live in her Joseon. He insists that she continue to live as a fighter while also living as a noblewoman, since that’s the smart and safe thing to do. He wishes that she lives a long life to protect her Joseon. He tells her to keep the gloves and not fall again like she did on the ice. With that, he walks away with a sense of finality.
Hina returns to Glory Hotel after her outing, and at the sound of the door, she turns around to welcome a new guest. But her face turns cold when she recognizes the man, Dr. Machiyama, who greets Hina as Kudo’s wife. Dr. Machiyama says that Wan Ik summoned him to work at the Hanseong Hospital, but Hina knows that there’s more to Wan Ik’s scheme. Dr. Machiyama reveals that Wan Ik is seeking the truth behind Kudo’s death, and Dr. Machiyama has the autopsy report for Hina’s husband. Hina looks a little shaken and says that this is distressing news.
At the embassy, Eugene hands Domi the yeot and thanks him for teaching him Korean. Their lessons continue in his office, and instructor Domi strictly refuses to teach student Eugene more advanced writing until Eugene solidifies his basics. When Gwan Soo enters the office, Domi quickly adopts the role of the student to hide Eugene’s secret, and Eugene looks at the kid with a grateful smile.
Gwan Soo scolds Domi for still being stuck in the basics and says that he’s too old to be at this level. He rambles that Domi needs to know learn quickly to write letters to his lover and understand phrases like “I miss you” and “Let’s meet.” Eugene realizes that Gwan Soo knows his secret and must be indirectly dissing him. Eugene says that he’s offended, and Gwan Soo scampers away before he’s scolded any further. Domi apologizes to Eugene for his poor cover-up, and Eugene childishly blames Domi for his disclosed secret. But he softens up and warmly says that he’ll probably miss Domi a lot.
Eugene visits Seung Gu at the shooting practice hideout to deliver the broken bowls and thank him. Seung Gu infers that Eugene is here for Ae Shin and says that she’s not here, which is a relief to Eugene. Seung Gu says that Ae Shin has been exceptionally accurate with her shooting recently, as if she’s determined to stand by Eugene. But Seung Gu tells him that their relationship is not possible in Joseon.
Eugene acknowledges this and expresses his wishes that Ae Shin will smile without his presence instead of crying in his presence. He asks to practice with the gun that Ae Shin uses, and he goes to the river to shoot. He thinks about Ae Shin’s delight in meeting him as a comrade on their first boat ride together, and looking at her gun, he says that he was pleased to have met her as well. He shoots the gun into the distance and holds the gun by his side.
Next, Eugene meets with Ae Shin’s right- and left-hand servants and buys them delicious jjajangmyun. The servants can’t take their eyes off the food but vow not to share anything about Ae Shin to Eugene. But the maid accidently lets slip that Ae Shin can barely sleep and wets her pillows every night from her tears. Overcome by the temptation, the servants decide that it would be wasteful to not eat the food, and they happily dig into their meals. Eugene hands them a box wrapped in a cloth and tells the two to stay healthy.
Afterward, the servants discuss Eugene’s farewell and figure that they should give the box to Ae Shin after Eugene leaves, since she’s already having a rough time. They wonder if it’s something that will rot, and they worry about where to store this mysterious item.
Ae Shin sits on the terrace and stares at the message she wrote to Eugene: “I missed you.” She remembers Eugene’s farewell and strokes the letters on the page. She covers up one character, and the message reads: “I miss you.” The lights turn off for the night, and Eugene looks out at a dark Joseon from the hotel as he prepares to leave the land.
At the English school, Ae Shin stares blankly in the distance with Eugene’s gloves in her hands. Her thoughts are interrupted by a familiar voice asking to meet his fiancée, and Ae Shin rushes to the door to find Hee Sung waiting for her.
Ae Shin scans Hee Sung’s familiar outfit, the one he fitted with the tailor to match Ae Shin’s coat. Ae Shin says that it’s nice to see him wear the outfit that she sent him, but Hee Sung says that he knows her plan. He tells her to meet him at the trolley if she’s curious about how much more he knows, and Ae Shin grabs his arm to warn him not to wear this dangerous outfit.
Hee Sung reacts nervously to Ae Shin grabbing his arm and says that he must wear this outfit. He says that she’ll find out what he means when she comes to the ride the trolley, and he runs off. On her way to ride the trolley, Ae Shin notices all the men on the streets wearing the Hee Sung’s same outfit. She’s astonished and wonders if her fiancé is sending her a gift or a warning.
Walking down the street, Dong Mae overhears a ticket vendor explaining to an angry customer that Hee Sung had bought out the trolley. Dong Mae’s eyes sharpen at this news, and he stands with his arms crossed right in the middle of the tracks to stop the trolley. He jumps on board after just nearly getting hit, and Hee Sung scolds him for dangerously standing in the tracks.
In the trolley, Dong Mae warns Hee Sung that he could get shot if he wears this outfit around, and Hee Sung reminds him that the trio decided to approach this matter separately. He proudly states that everyone is wearing the same outfit and boasts of his usefulness. Hee Sung tells Dong Mae to leave or pay for the trolley, and Dong Mae comments that he’s usually the one saying those words.
They’re interrupted by the arrival of Ae Shin, and Hee Sung lends his hand, which she doesn’t take. Hee Sung tells Ae Shin’s servants to wait as they take a ride around, and her servants are offended by his refusal to invite them for a ride. The maid compares Hee Sung to Eugene, who so generously bought them jjajangmyun, and she’s clearly bitter about not being invited to ride on the fun trolley.
Hee Sung explains to Ae Shin that it’s just them on the trolley — in addition to Dong Mae — because he bought out all the seats. Dong Mae interrupts to ask Ae Shin if she’s prepared the money (for their deal about the banknote that the girl hid from him), and she assures him that she’ll keep her promise. Hee Sung reminds Dong Mae that he comes from the wealthiest family in Joseon, so Dong Mae need not worry about Ae Shin paying back her debt.
Dong Mae stands up to leave and asks the trolley driver to stop. Hee Sung flies forward at the abrupt stop and ends up tightly hugging Dong Mae at their impact. They both freeze at their uncomfortable proximity, and Ae Shin struggles to hold in her laughter. Dong Mae considers killing Hee Sung again and hops off the trolley before they embarrass themselves any further.
Hee Sung asks how much she owes Dong Mae, and Ae Shin says that she’ll take care of it herself. Ae Shin asks why he bought out the whole trolley, and Hee Sung responds that he wanted to exclusively hear her explanation for her injured leg and where all his tailored clothes are.
Ae Shin responds that she sent his clothes to Japan, and Hee Sung says that he wore them well, though he both seem to be reading through each other’s lies. Hee Sung suggests that they go for a boat ride next time, and Ae Shin suggests that they go hunting instead. Hee Sung wonders if she’ll benefit from them going to the mountains and if she’ll kill him.
Ae Shin remains silent, and Hee Sung proposes a deal — that he’ll remain as her fiancé and her shadow. He doesn’t care if she fights for or against this nation wearing his clothes, and he tells her to hide in his shadow if she finds herself in danger. If this is the reason for his return to Joseon, he considers it an honor.
Realizing that her fiancé was sending her a gift, Ae Shin says that this is better than going to the mountains, where she’ll have a large advantage over him. Hee Sung smiles and considers it an honor that she doesn’t plan to kill him.
The American ambassador, Allen, returns from Shanghai, and Wan Ik’s assistant, Lee Duk Moon, reports to Wan Ik that the king has solicited Allen multiple times to borrow money, so Allen escaped to Shanghai. Wan Ik finds it amusing that the king thinks America is such a righteous country that they’re turning on Japan.
Duk Moon hands him the reports by all the interpreters who they’ve won onto their side, and Wan Ik says that their support will make the king waver. He puts the reports into his drawer, which also holds the Kudo’s autopsy report, and asks who’s been helping the king connect with the American ambassador. Duk Moon reports that he’s heard of a few consulates, and Wan Ik scolds him for not knowing any names.
At Glory Hotel, Hina thinks back to the mistress’ report that Wan Ik seemed to have a guest that he was looking to house. She looks through her register book and notices the name listed for room 205: Lee Duk Moon, Wan Ik’s assistant. Then, a man throws his key at her desk and walks out. It’s the key for room 205, but the man isn’t Lee Duk Moon — it’s the traitor that Wan Ik summoned from Manchuria.
While Dong Mae spars in the dojo, one of his scouts shares information about a strange man asking about Ae Shin’s house. He’s eager to earn money for his intel and shares that this man is also staying at Glory Hotel. Dong Mae flips his sparring partner and tells his scout that he’ll earn his money if he can identify the man.
Camped outside Glory Hotel, the scout points out man, the traitor from Manchuria, as he passes by, and Dong Mae signals his lackies to follow him. He pays the scout for the intel and heads inside Glory Hotel to investigate further through Hina.
Dong Mae asks for the hotel register book, but Hina refuses to share information about her guests. He aggressively takes the book from her, and Hina notes that his aggression indicates that this is associated with Ae Shin. She warns him not to make this girl his weakness, and Dong Mae puts his arms on her shoulders and softens his gaze. He thanks her for her concern but admits that it’s too late.
Wan Ik’s assistant, Duk Moon, interrupts Wan Ik’s breakfast to report that he’s found evidence that the king is seeking correspondence with the Americans. He delivers an intercepted letter addressed to Eugene from Joseph, and Wan Ik curses the missionary for getting involved in Joseon politics. Wan Ik orders his Duk Moon to search Eugene’s room and break a few limbs while he’s at it. He wonders if God is on Joseon’s side or not.
The hotel worker girl provides room service for the guests and hesitates to knock on Eugene’s door. She remembers her promise with Ae Shin to keep their interaction with Dong Mae a secret, and she steps away from the door. She sees the shadow of footsteps shining through the bottom of the door and heads downstairs.
When she comes downstairs, she sees Eugene’s room keys still at the check-in desk and informs Hina that someone seemed to be in Eugene’s room. Suspecting that the culprit may be man from room 205, she sends the worker to deliver a free drink to 205. Then, Eugene enters the hotel, and Hina hands him the wrong key. He turns around to ask if she deliberately gave him the wrong key again, and she nods.
Eugene enters through Hee Sung’s room and jumps over to his balcony with his gun ready. He silently approaches the intruder from behind and cocks his gun. The man raises his hands and immediately grabs for his gun. Their guns fire as they fight, and the man runs down the hall, where the hotel guests have gathered at the sound of their gunshots.
With the crowd of guests in his way, Eugene can’t shoot at the escaping intruder, but the intruder reappears holding the young hotel worker hostage. Eugene slowly approaches them and orders in English to move left. As soon as she moves, Eugene shoots the man’s left shoulder, and the girl runs to hide behind Eugene.
Eugene brings the intruder in for questioning and orders his soldiers to empty all the man’s pockets. He finds a picture of the intruder with his former comrades (Ae Shin’s parents), and Eugene demands to know who those people are. But the intruder shakes in pain from his wound and yells for drugs, so Eugene decides to revisit the interrogation once the man comes to his senses.
Investigating this incident, Eugene meets with Hina, who tells him that this intruder was listed as guest Lee Duk Moon, who happens to be Wan Ik’s assistant and Minister Lee Jung Moon’s younger cousin. Hina adds that Lee Duk Moon’s in-laws are Ae Shin’s family, which means that he’s Ae Soon’s husband. Eugene asks if there’s anything else he should know, and Hina thinks to Dong Mae’s aggressive suspicions about the guest in room 205. But she doesn’t share this information.
Eugene meets with the real Lee Duk Moon and asks why he put the room under his name. Duk Moon vaguely answers that he owed the intruder a favor from Manchuria and requests medical care for the intruder. Eugene tries to pry further details about this favor, but Duk Moon doesn’t cooperate with the investigation. Eugene offers a strict deal for only Dr. Machiyama to interact with the intruder without any other form of communication.
Minister Lee Jung Moon eats at the inn and asks the innkeeper to inform Eun San across the river that he wishes to meet with the missionary sooner. He also requests to see the interpreters’ reports that Wan Ik has within the next few days. The innkeeper nods and shoots an arrow with a yellow cloth at Eun San’s home. Eun San seems to understand this arrow message, though we don’t know what it means yet.
Seung Gu reports to Eun San that he went to check up on a comrade after not hearing from him, and he found the comrade’s home abandoned with a shoe hanging from the roof. That seems to indicate that he’s been discovered, and Seung Gu wonders if they’re being targeted by the Musin Society, since that was the last mission that their comrade worked in Jemulpo.
Eun San disagrees and says that the Righteous Army hasn’t been targeted by the Musin Society thus far, and antagonizing them based on speculation is too risky. He suggests that they focus on their work and shows Seung Gu the yellow cloth, which seems to indicate a summoning from the royal court. Eun San worries how they’ll fill the empty spot of their discovered comrade, and Seung Gu thinks back to Grandfather’s request that Ae Shin be used infrequently for their missions.
Thinking about Grandfather’s request, Seung Gu offers to take their comrade’s place, but Eun San refuses to allow this because of Seung Gu’s history with Wan Ik. He says that he trusts Seung Gu’s shooting skills, but not Seung Gu himself.
Ae Shin climbs up the mountain, thinking about Eugene. She wanders to the hideout, where she hears the familiar tune of the music box. Ae Shin runs into the hut, where her maid struggles to turn off the noise, and she asks how her maid got the music box. Her maid admits that she met Eugene a few days ago, and he asked that they deliver this box to her as payment for allowing him to ride on the boat. She also adds that Eugene seemed like he was about to leave, and Ae Shin looks devastated.
On the verge of tears, Ae Shin grabs the music box and barges out of the hut. She’s overwhelmed with emotion but stops when she sees Seung-gu, who reluctantly asks her to sub in for their next mission. She tearfully agrees to take on the mission, and Seung Gu instructs her to finish shooting the bowls before she leaves.
Eugene looks at the picture of the comrades found from the intruder’s belongings and notices the writing on the back. As he walks through the town, he sees a red pinwheel, which was a secret sign that he and Ae Shin agreed on to indicate that she was out on a mission.
That night, Ae Shin jumps over walls to reach her destination, and Hina also seems to be on a mission to the same destination: Wan Ik’s house. She picks the lock with her hairpiece and enters the house to search for the autopsy report. Both Hina and Ae Shin search different parts of the house, but Ae Shin finds something first. It’s the letter from Joseph to Eugene, and she recognizes Eugene’s name written in English.
Ae Shin’s gun falls to the ground, alarming Hina that someone else is in the house. She grabs a mask and a sword and slowly descends the stairs to meet her match. She waits behind the wall, and on the other side, Ae Shin waits for her opponent to make a move. They simultaneously come out of hiding and attack each other with their weapons, expertly wielding the sword and the gun.
Hina aggressively attacks Ae Shin, who narrowly avoids the blade directed at her face. They continue to attack and block each other’s blows, until Hina pins the mask off of Ae Shin’s face and Ae Shin knocks the mask off of Hina’s face. They end up in a stand-off, staring at each other with their faces revealed.
Outside, Dong Mae thinks about the mysterious man from the hotel who seems to be lurking around Ae Shin. When Wan Ik arrives at Hwawollu, Dong Mae welcomes him and notices the duffel in Wan Ik’s hand, presumably full of money. He offers to escort Wan Ik to the party, but Wan Ik asks for a separate room and tells Dong Mae to escort Allen to his room when the party is finished.
Dong Mae thinks back to Hina’s request to remove half of Wan Ik’s guards at his house during the night of the party. She doesn’t offer any more details and says that this can make up for Dong Mae using his worker to spy on her hotel guest. Following Hina’s request, Dong Mae orders Yujo to distract Wan Ik’s guards by taking them out to eat.
Hina and Ae Shin face-off, unmasked and with their weapons pointed at each other. They notice that the other has the document they’re looking for and agree to exchange the documents — Kudo’s autopsy report for Hina and the interpreters’ reports for Ae Shin — without further altercation. Hina suggests that they discuss this revelation later, since they’re both in urgent situations, and Ae Shin decides their rendezvous.
Ae Shin safely flees the scene by hopping over the wall, but Hina gets caught by Duk Moon as she leaves through the front door. He approaches her from behind and demands to know her identity, and Hina grabs her sharp hairpiece in preparation of a fight. But the man is knocked out by someone else. Hina whips around swinging her sharp weapon at her mysterious savior, but it’s Dong Mae, who stops her hand and quickly leads her out to the bustling streets.
When they reach the safety of the crowd, Hina asks how Dong Mae ended up at Wan Ik’s house. He admits that he was worried and flirts the he’s been slacking has the apple of her eye recently. Dong Mae says that they’re even now and tells her that she can make it home alone from there. He says he’s off to the bar because this next half month (when he’ll be meeting Ae Shin) isn’t going past enough. He walks off into the rain, and Hina watches him with a sympathetic gaze before heading on her way.
Eugene drinks at the bar thinking about the red pinwheel (an indication that Ae Shin was on a mission), and Dong Mae joins him. Dong Mae mentions the gun match between Eugene and the intruder and asks he’s figured out the intruder’s motives. Eugene says that he’s still in the midst of investigations, and Dong Mae advises that he work fast since Wan Ik is currently meeting up with Allen to make a deal for the intruder’s release.
Dong Mae also warns Eugene to stay away from Wan Ik if possible, since that man is fully Japanese despite being a Joseon person. Eugene sarcastically that those words sound particularly sincere coming from Dong Mae, but Dong Mae claims that he’s an American temporarily, since he’s recently received dollars for a service. Eugene thanks him for the intel and offers to buy appetizers in return. So Dong Mae yells for a large order of sashimi, but stingy Eugene quickly reduces the size to a small.
Wan Ik and Duk Moon check the house to see what’s been stolen, and Wan Ik wonders if there were two different thieves or just one person doing both jobs. Duk Moon reports that their guard posts were empty at the time that the intruders rummaged through the house, but Wan Ik says that there’s no need to punish them because he knows this is Dong Mae just digging deeper into his own grave.
Duk Moon worries about their Manchuria agent, Kim Yong-joo, spilling any of their information when his opium wears off, but Wan Ik assures his assistant that Yong Joo will be released soon. Wan Ik orders Duk Moon to lock up Yong Joo upon his release in the safest place, the Joseon jail. Wan Ik then wonders why their thieves also stole the letter and complains that he hadn’t read it yet.
Eugene returns to the medicine shop, where he stares at the red pinwheel again. He thinks about Ae Shin claiming to be a blame and watches the pinwheel fall into the mud. He walks through the rainy night and comes face-to-face with Ae Shin on a bridge. Eugene stops and stares at her, but Ae Shin slowly walks past him without engaging. As she passes by him, she notices the red pinwheel in his hand.
At the medicine shop, Ae Shin looks deflated and pulls out the letter addressed to Eugene. She doesn’t understand it and just stares at Eugene’s name.
At the embassy the next day, Eugene asks Gwan Soo if he knows anything about Wan Ik. Gwan Soo makes the jump in logic that Wan Ik must have been the one who wanted to kill Eugene, and he explains that Wan Ik is behind Lee Duk Moon, who acted as Kim Yong Joo’s proxy. Gwan Soo wonders why Wan Ik would want to kill Eugene, but Eugene thinks that they just wanted to threaten him. If they wanted to kill him, there was no reason for Kim Yong Joo to sneak into his room — they could have just shot him from afar.
Eugene says that he’s waiting for their next move, but he doesn’t know Wan Ik well enough. Gwan Soo shares that Wan Ik is rumored to have the support of Japanese prime minister Ito Hirobumi, which is why people have been opposing Wan Ik’s appointment into the royal court. But this refusal to appoint Wan Ik has coincided with the consecutive deaths of the foreign ministers, which is rumored to be Wan Ik’s doing.
Gwan Soo adds that he’s witnessed a strange sighting in Hamgyeong, where he saw pictures of Wan Ik’s legal wife being posted on bulletins. Wan Ik isn’t looking for his wife, since he remarried to a Japanese woman; rather, it seems that Glory Hotel owner Hina is searching for her. Not knowing that Hina is the daughter, Eugene finds this news strange — why would Hina be searching for Wan Ik’s wife?
In her room, Hina looks at the autopsy report and then to her mirror to check on her wound from her fight with Ae Shin. She flinches at her painful bruise, but she seems impressed by this gun-wielding noblewoman. Ae Shin also flinches at her busted lip and wonders why Hina would want the autopsy report.
At the inn, Ae Shin delivers the interpreters’ reports to Seung Gu. He asks if she found any other relevant documents, and she says that she didn’t, even though she immediately thinks about the autopsy report. Seung Gu thanks her for helping, and she responds that this was her decision.
Seung Gu asks if she resents him, but Ae Shin says that she’s thankful that Seung Gu stopped her when he did because she would have impulsively run to Eugene. But when she stopped, she was able to think. She thought about all the moments she met Eugene — his decision and her decisions.
She reflects, “His decisions were always quiet, heavy, and they appeared selfish and cold. But he was always walking in the right direction. That’s why I don’t regret any feelings I had for him. I cannot return to when I didn’t meet him, and it’s right for me to lose him now. Because if I don’t, I think I will risk too much.”
Eugene interrogates Kim Yong Joo, who’s somewhat come to his senses. He asks why Yong Joo searched his room and his relationship with Wan Ik, but Yong Joo doesn’t answer anything. Eugene wonders if Yong-joo already knows that he’ll be released, since he seems to be comfortably killing time.
Eugene shows Yong Joo the picture of his comrades, and that gets a visceral response. Yong Joo lunges forward trying to grab the picture from Eugene’s hand, and Eugene asks who these people are. Thinking back to Ae Shin’s mother and her last words, Yong Joo responds in Mandarin that he killed one person and two others will kill him. Before Eugene can hear his response in Korean, they’re interrupted by a soldier summoning Eugene to meet with Allen. Eugene sighs, realizing that he’s already out of time.
In a quick flashback, we see that Wan Ik had offered the duffel of money to Allen to bribe him to release Yong Joo. Back at the embassy, Allen orders Eugene to release Yong Joo, since locking up an innocent Joseon man looks bad for the American reputation. Eugene reasons that an American was attacked by this man, but Allen says that it’s their job to maintain the peace in Joseon.
Allen quotes a proverb: “Blood is thicker than water.” Eugene takes offense to this pointed comment implying that Eugene is considered a Joseon person in this situation. Allen orders Eugene to stay quiet on this issue before he’s transferred to another country, in accordance to his request.
Eugene hands over Yong Joo to the Joseon police and tells Duk Moon that whoever planned this scheme was smart, since the Joseon jail is the safest place for this criminal. Eugene hands over Yong Joo’s belongings without the photo, and Yong Joo realizes this, he screams manically for it. But Eugene feigns ignorance and says that Yong Joo should have talked to Eugene when he had his chance. Eugene leaves, and Duk Moon tries to silence the deranged man’s threats for his photo.
Ae Shin’s servants whisper about captured Duk Moon as they pass by, and Ae Shin peeks out of her carriage out of curiosity. Duk Moon’s eyes widen in fear at the sight of Ae Shin and her striking similarities to her parents. He shivers wildly and yelps in fear, and the guards need to drag him away. Ae Shin’s servants quickly close Ae Shin’s window and usher themselves away.
Eugene meets with Hina with a question, and Hina revels in the moment in which Eugene is finally curious about her. He asks why she’s searching for Wan Ik’s wife, and her excitement quickly dissipates. She responds that she’s not looking for Wan Ik’s wife but her mother, but she also acknowledges that Wan Ik is her father.
Suspicious of Hina’s intentions, Eugene asks why Hina gave him the wrong key the day the Yong Joo broke into his room. Hina seems offended that Eugene is suspecting her to be on Wan Ik’s side, but he says that there’s no evidence to say otherwise. Hina accepts his doubts but says that the only evidence is her genuine hope that he would survive. She further explains that if she wanted him to die, she could have given him the actual key to his room, hired gangs, or poisoned his food, but she didn’t.
Hina and Ae Shin eat some cake at the bakery, and they address their run-in at Wan Ik’s house. Ae Shin notes that Hina seemed skilled with the sword, and Hina explains that she fences. Hina asks about Ae Shin’s handling of the gun, and Ae Shin says that it was just the first weapon around. When asked for her reason learning fencing, Hina explains that she fences to protect herself and asks Ae Shin what she’s trying to protect, but Ae Shin doesn’t answer.
Hina asks what her cover-up was for her busted lip, and Ae Shin seethes that no one dared to ask her. Unshaken by Ae Shin’s authority, Hina says that she’s asking now. Ae Shin warns Hina not to consider this a weakness, since it could be a ticking time bomb. Hina agrees and says that they’re both hold double-edged weapons. They both agree to forget what happened that night, since neither of them seem to be willing to unveil their vulnerabilities.
Ae Shin asks Hina how she explained the bruise on her face, and Hina claims that she lied about being involved in a lovers’ quarrel. Rumors of this attracts more men to the hotel, and she benefits from the business. Ae Shin asks what she buys with all the money, and Hina playfully points to all the food in the bakery.
Ae Shin visits the U.S. embassy, where Eugene eagerly watches her arrival with the red pinwheel in hand. But Ae Shin is there on business terms and curtly asks Eugene to translate a letter. Eugene worries about her busted lip and asks if she’s been injured anywhere else, but Ae Shin only asks for his translation.
Eugene takes the letter and asks where Ae Shin got this letter addressed to him from Joseph. Ae Shin doesn’t reveal anything and demands to know the name of the sender. Eugene reveals that it’s Joseph, the missionary father-figure in his life. Ae Shin realizes that this is the American man who saved Eugene, and she listens to his translation of the warm personal letter.
At the end, Eugene translates a line asking about the woman Eugene mentioned in their last correspondence. Ae Shin’s eyes widen at the mention of her, and Eugene asks once again why Ae Shin has this letter. She asks for the letter back and doesn’t answer his questions. She promises to return the letter to him once she’s done it and if he’s still in Joseon then.
As Ae Shin walks out, she stops to ask one more question about why he decided to return the banknote to Joseon, if he intended to let Joseon get ruined. Eugene says that he must have done that so that Ae Shin would look back on him one more time like she just did. Ae Shin tries not to let her emotions overcome her and walks out.
When Eugene returns to the hotel, he finds Dong Mae and his gang rummaging through 205, the room that Kim Yong Joo stayed in. Dong Mae says that he didn’t find anything significant other than a packet of opium, and Eugene asks why he’s searching the room. Dong Mae claims that he’s just bored, but Eugene can tell that he was searching for something and asks to help. Given their history with the banknote, Dong Mae declines the offer and heads out.
Eugene looks around the room and finds a letter addressed from Hamgyeong. He doesn’t open it or find it significant, but we should probably remember it for future reference.
As they eat, Eugene asks Gwan Soo about Ae Shin’s grandfather and his sons. Gwan Soo shares that Grandfather had two sons who both died tragically. His first son died during the anti-Catholic riots while saving villagers, and his younger son, Ae Shin’s father, returned from Japan cremated around the time of the Unyo incident. Gwan Soo tells him the names of the sons — Go Sang Jin and Go Sang Wan — and Eugene thinks back to the names on the back of Yong Joo’s photo.
Eugene visits the pawnshop to ask them to find a specific model of a gun. Il Shik complains that they’ve already done dangerous work for him and that Hanseong is becoming a dangerous place, with the foreign minister killings. In addition, they have to follow regulations, but Il Shik offers to find this gun at an expensive price.
Ae Shin sits by the river practice spot and hears rustling from afar. She points her gun toward the sound, but it’s just Eugene with a new gun in hand. He approaches Ae Shin and offers this gun as a gift to her, since she may have not held this model before. He asks if she wants to learn how to use the gun, and if she does, he offers to stay in Joseon for a little longer to teach her.
Ae Shin accepts the offer and says that she’ll take a long time to learn this gun. She makes it clear to him that she will always be Go Ae Shin, the noblewoman of the Go family, so she will never be able to stand by Eugene as an equal. But Eugene doesn’t mind this and says that he’s satisfied with the simple fact she’s in his life today.
Eugene coaches Ae Shin on lifting the gun and instructs her to practice this movement until the gun becomes lighter. He says that expert shooters like Ae Shin are called “snipers” in the U.S., and Ae Shin likes this name. Ae Shin cocks the gun, and Eugene gets close to adjust her posture before she shoots the gun off into the distance. Ae Shin remembers the night they first met and asks what Eugene was discovered for that night. She admits that her romance was discovered, and Eugene jokes that his shooting skills were discovered.
Eugene happily returns to his office and silently greets Kyle so he can scare Domi from behind. But Domi isn’t fazed at all and casually greets Eugene. Kyle delivers good news about Eugene’s relocation and tells him to choose his next destination from a list. Experiencing a sudden change of heart, Eugene takes the list and stuff it in his mouth. Kyle informs him that the list is a copy, and Eugene spits it right out.
Under Kyle’s watch, Eugene runs around the embassy as he trains with multiple bags on his body. Despite the strenuous training, Eugene smiles at the thought of his recent developments with Ae Shin.
Wan Ik runs into Eugene, who he’s met briefly when he bought the house from Mrs. Taylor. Wan Ik shares that he was robbed recently, and Eugene says that he also had an intruder break into his room. Eugene mentions that the intruder seemed to be good friends with Wan Ik’s assistant, and Wan Ik pretends that this is news to him.
Wan Ik then asks if Eugene is married, and they look to Hina, who’s watching them from her window. Wan Ik reminds him to lock his doors before limping away, and Eugene comments that Wan Ik exceeds all expectations.
When Eugene enters the hotel, Hina asks him what they talked about. Eugene says that Wan Ik asked if they were married, and Hina tells him to just say he’s a patriot next time. She offers to prepare warm water, and Eugene smells himself to check if his body odor from training is obvious.
Dong Mae revisits Jemulpo and thinks back to shooting Ae Shin in the leg. He realizes that she must have taken a hard fall from so high up. Yujo asks why he came back here, and Dong Mae says that he plans on visiting the temple since time won’t go fast enough.
At the temple, a monk scorns the Japanese man for visiting the temple, but she quickly become amicable when Dong Mae speaks Korean. He asks about Ae Shin visiting in her mourning garment, and the monk explains that her parents’ mortuary tablets are hosted there.
Dong Mae finds the mortuary tablets and greets Ae Shin’s parents respectfully. He says that he somehow ended up here after following Ae Shin and asks if they know what she does. He then asks if they know she does the work because he can’t understand why.
He looks down at his sword and apologizes for showing up with his weapon. He admits that the first person he cut was Ae Shin, and he thinks back to the stinging curse at young Ae Shin for being a spoiled noblewoman. He confesses, “I chose the sharpest words to cut her. Did they hurt her? While I hope that she still hurts, I also hope that she’s completely forgotten. Even though I hide her and pretend to not know, I wouldn’t have a chance, would I?”
Ae Shin and Eugene enjoy chicken soup in separate but adjacent rooms, and Ae Shin suggests an alternative way to exchange letters. She says that she can utilize market days to visit the medicine shop and drop off her letter in a specific plant medicine box.
On days that she can’t exchange letters because she’s working as a sniper, Ae Shin says there will be a red pinwheel at the medicine shop. Eugene remembers this from her last mission and belatedly realizes this message.
They go to the frozen river, and Eugene asks if Ae Shin returned his music box as a farewell gesture. She denies this and claims that it was just an indication that she stopped by. She asks the same question about why Eugene returned the music box to her, and Eugene says that it was a farewell gesture indicating that he was leaving. Ae Shin curses at him and says that she really thought he left. Eugene teases her further, asking if she cried, and Ae Shin lies that she just cursed him.
Ae Shin admits that she visited more than that one time to return his music box, since she couldn’t send letters to illiterate Eugene. To prove that he’s not completely illiterate, Eugene writes Ae Shin’s name in the air but admits that he just memorized the spelling of her name. Eugene claims that he knows how to read and write English, Japanese, and Chinese — he just doesn’t know Korean. Ae Shin says it’s a relief and teases him by saying that she thought she would have to draw pictures to communicate.
Eugene says that he missed her, and Ae Shin looks touched by his sudden confession. He claims that he can write the phrase as well, but he struggles to spell out the words fully. Then, Eugene asks if Ae Shin has seen the ocean, and she says that she did at Jemulpo, though she was busy shooting. She shows off that she learned the word in English and lists of the ‘S’ words: “Sea, sunrise, sunset, sunshine.” Eugene proposes that they go see the sunrise at the sea, and though it may be difficult, Ae Shin agrees that they should go sometime.
Eugene sneaks into the medicine shop and eagerly searches for the medicine box with Ae Shin’s letter. He finds Ae Shin’s letter sharing that she learned the word “zebra” and asking if such striped horses really exist. When Ae Shin opens the medicine box, she finds the box full of flowers and a written response explaining that Domi had brought them to the embassy. He asks if she’s smiling and says that the wind must have blown the flowers off the tree to make her smile.
Eugene returns to the medicine shop and trips over his own feet trying to read his next letter. Ae Shin writes that they should go see the sea, the vast one that he’s seen, the one that he crossed for over a month. She proposes that they also watch the sunrise at this sea.
On horseback, Eugene and Ae Shin ride through the hills headed toward the sea — just the two of them reveling in their moment together. Eugene and Ae Shin ride through the hills on horseback on their way to the ocean. As Ae Shin catches up to Eugene, her hat flies off into the water, which is apparently the only thing disguising her as a man. Eugene puts his hat on Ae Shin, and she gets all giddy about him fixing the hat on her.
At the shore, Eugene prepares canned food, and Ae Shin comments that there are many fascinating things in this world: this novel food, the sound of the waves, and the horizon. She says that her imagination was limited and asks if Eugene misses anything in the U.S. beyond that horizon. He shares that he misses a few things, like the books, music, and hamburgers. (Googled it and yes — hamburgers were invented and popularized by this time.)
Ae Shin marvels at the canned food and asks if this hamburger tastes better than her current meal. Eugene finds her reaction adorable and watches her enthusiastically eat her meal. Ae Shin asks who he’s learning Korean from, and Eugene admits that Domi, the young boy worker at the embassy, is his teacher — a strict one, in fact.
She then asks who taught him English and wonders if it was the man he’s exchanging letters with (Joseph). Eugene explains his hardships in the U.S. and how everything seemed so big to him when he arrived — the land, the buildings, the people, even the sky. He followed Joseph because he believed that was his only way to survive. He says that he probably would have died without Joseph.
Ae Shin takes out the letter and offers to return it to him, but Eugene looks doubtful. She says that she can always take it back, so he snatches it out of her hand. Ae Shin asks why Eugene’s name is the same in Korean and English, and he explains that a name with the same pronunciation exists in English, meaning great and noble. Eugene credits Joseph for allowing him to live with this name. Ae Shin says that the name fits him, and Eugene jokes that he had a difficult time living up to it.
Ae Shin asks what Eugene will write in response to the letter, which asked how he’s doing with Ae Shin. Eugene says that he’ll write about going to the ocean but not seeing it because he was focused on seeing this one woman. He says that he’ll write that it’s unfair because this woman saw the ocean while enjoying canned food.
Eugene then offers coffee to Ae Shin, and she remembers it just being bitter. She takes a sip, and he asks expectantly if it tastes bitter today. Ae Shin says that the coffee tastes sweet today and says that she must be harboring a futile hope that she’ll one day travel further than she did today. Eugene asks where that is and if he’s there with her. Ae Shin confirms that he’s there because it’s just a dream.
As Eugene enters the hotel, he tries to avoid eye contact with Kyle in the restaurant but completely fails. Kyle motions him over and asks where Eugene has been all day. Eugene nervously explains that he went to the east coast to strategically scope out the area when he had the chance. He asks Kyle if anything happened at the legation, and Kyle says that there was nothing — no Eugene, no horse, no canned food.
Kyle asks Eugene if he likes to eat documents, referring to the list of potential deployment locations that Eugene requested before he decided he wanted to remain in Joseon. Kyle assures Eugene that he dealt with Allen, the U.S. ambassador, about the issue and suggests that they conduct their regular check of firearms. Eugene chokes on his beer and nervously agrees to this.
At the ass crack of dawn, Eugene wakes the pawnshop duo and urgently asks if they have any bullets. The sleepy duo is clearly annoyed, but Eugene reminds them of the young slave boy shivering in fear, hiding in the box. Il Shik and Choon Shik show him their large pot of bullets and asks him how many he needs. Eugene looks surprised at their collection and says he just needs three.
At the firearm check, Eugene unloads him gun for Kyle with all the bullets. Kyle asks how many bullets Eugene used in his confrontation with the Japanese soldier, and Eugene reports that he used exactly three. Eugene belatedly realizes his mistake as Kyle asks why his gun is then fully loaded. Kyle shakes his head and says that those canned foods were his favorite! In his petty revenge, Kyle sends Eugene running around the embassy in full gear as punishment.
As Eugene runs, Domi accompanies him and asks why he’s running this time. Eugene says that he miscalculated and responded with the wrong strategy. Domi can’t make sense of this, so Eugene shoos him away, too out of breath to explain further.
Ae Shin picks out some fabric for the young girl — now the worker at Glory Hotel — who wanted to make a vest for her younger brother, Domi. Ae Shin meets the girl at the bakery for more PPL rainbow cake and offers the fabric to her as a token of her gratitude for the girl’s loyalty. She’s referring to the girl’s refusal to reveal the identity of the person she gave the banknote to, and Ae Shin assures her that she protected something great.
We finally learn the name of this young girl — Soomi — and that she has four younger siblings. Ae Shin realizes that the fabric may not be enough, but Soomi says that it’s plenty to hand down the clothes. Later that night, Soomi stitches together a vest with the blue fabric and looks at it proudly.
The next day, Domi arrives at the embassy sporting his shiny new blue vest, and Kyle compliments him in English. Domi thanks him in English, and Eugene looks surprised that Domi can understand that much. Gwan Soo comments that Domi should know that much by now and disses Eugene by instructing Domi to teach their slow learner more Korean.
At the English school, the teacher shares good news of their anticipated school supply delivery at the embassy and asks for a volunteer to practice their English through a visit to the embassy. All the students shake their head in reluctance, but Ae Shin shoots her hand up, claiming, “I can do it!”
When Ae Shin arrives at the embassy, she yells at the passing soldiers, “Come here! Come here!” While the literal translation in Korean would work as a summon, her shouts don’t make any sense to any of the Americans. Eugene witnesses this and cringes hard before saving Ae Shin from further embarrassment. He receives the document from Ae Shin and corrects her summoning to “Excuse me,” trying his hardest not to burst into laughter.
Ae Shin claims that the school sent their best student to deliver this memo, and Eugene goes along with it even though he clearly doesn’t believe her. He calls for Domi and hands him the memo, and Ae Shin recognizes his new vest. She reveals that she knows his sister, Soomi, and Domi asks if she’s the beautiful and noble person who gifted his sister with the fabric. Ae Shin smiles at the flattering comments, and Eugene rolls his eyes at Domi’s way with words.
Domi thanks Ae Shin for her generosity, and Ae Shin uses this opportunity to tease Eugene for his elementary Korean. She tells Domi that Eugene hasn’t advanced to consonant attachments, and Domi regrets that they’re working hard on the basics. Ae Shin says that he probably could only write “come here” in Korean, since that phrase has no consonant attachments.
Domi admits that Eugene is a slow learner, considering his ambition, and Eugene gets flustered by this teasing. Ae Shin laughs at his reaction, and her maid notices how brightly she’s smiling. Later that night, the maid wonders if Ae Shin looks so beautiful whenever they go there because she likes Eugene.
At the palace, Minister Lee shares some good news about their awaited missionary arriving in Jemulpo, but the king is still anxious about being manipulated in the hands of the Japanese. He needs to urgently meet with the U.S. ambassador in China for a loan to build their own railroads before Japan seizes them.
Ae Shin checks the secret medicine cabinet for correspondence from Eugene, and she laughs when she sees that Eugene had simply written words with complex consonant attachments. She responds with, “Good job,” and Eugene laughs in delight. Ae Shin reads another letter from Eugene asking if she needs a rower for the boat, and he adds that there are eleven characters with consonant attachments in this letter.
Eugene and Ae Shin arrive at Eun San’s home, and the apprentice is ordered to collect the broken bowls as usual. Eugene gives Eun San a bag of beer, and Ae Shin asks if she can have one. Eun San refuses to share and says that rich Ae Shin can go buy them herself. Ae Shin can’t believe that Seung Gu is friends with petty Eun San, and she mutters audibly that Eun San isn’t that great of a ceramist considering he has so many broken bowls every time.
Eugene asks if Ae Shin knows who she’s talking to, and we revisit Eugene’s sudden epiphany of the Righteous Army’s connections. Ae Shin seems completely unaware of Eun San’s identity, and Eugene just warns her that she’ll regret this later. When Eun San walks away to hurry his apprentice, Ae Shin tries to grab a bottle furtively from the bag. But Eun San catches her in the act and tells her to put it down, saying that he counted exactly seven bottles.
As they walk with the bowls, Eugene shares with Ae Shin that he belatedly realized that many people helped him escape Joseon, including Eun-san and the pawnshop duo. Ae Shin says that she should treat Eun San better, but she still thinks that he was super petty with the beer.
Eun San watches the two with a beer in hand and wonders why Ae Shin needs a rower to accompany her if they can walk across the frozen river. He seems to suspect the answer and looks upon them with concern.
Ae Shin compliments Eugene’s improvement in Korean, and she laughs at the mention of his two words with complex consonant endings. Eugene stops to soak in her laughter, and he says that he likes to see her laugh, but fears that he may make her cry. He then shows her the photo from Kim Yong Joo (the man who betrayed Ae Shin’s parents and attacked Eugene at the hotel), but Ae Shin doesn’t recognize anyone in the photo.
Eugene reveals that one of the names of the people in the photo caught his attention: Go Sang Wan. At the mention of her father’s name, Ae Shin stares at the photo intently and admits that she didn’t know her father’s face. She says that she was told that her father met a woman in Japan and married humbly before giving birth to Ae Shin. They died soon after, and Ae Shin was sent to her grandfather.
Ae Shin tears up as she looks at the photo and says that she’s been told that she has her father’s eyes and his stubborn expression is the same as hers. Her maid had never seen Ae Shin’s mother, so she said that they could see her mother by taking out her father’s features. Ae Shin correctly identifies her father in the photo and says that she knows that this is him. She cries, and Eugene reaches his hand out to wipe her tears, but he can’t get himself to make contact.
Later that night, Ae Shin asks her maid to tell the story again — the one that starts with getting married at seventeen. As she brushes Ae Shin’s hair, the maid retells the story of being married at seventeen and arriving as a servant at this house, and first meeting Ae Shin’s father, who was fifteen at the time. He was handsome, smart, and kind to all the servants, so they all adored him.
Ae Shin thinks back to her conversation with Eugene, who took back the photo for his investigation of one person in the photo who attacked him. Ae Shin couldn’t fathom how one of her father’s friends would have any reason to attack Eugene, and he told her that the most probable explanation is that this attacker was also a traitor. He promised to share any information from his investigation with Ae Shin, as this is her only source of information on her parents.
Back to her maid’s story, Ae Shin tears up as she listens to her maid marvel at Ae Shin’s resemblance to her father whenever she gets stubborn.
Ae Shin’s grandfather stares into the night sky and wonders how much longer he’ll live. Grandfather sends his servant on an errand to retrieve items from the paper shop and find out more about where Hee Sung is staying.
When Hee Sung arrives at the hotel, the receptionist informs him that a guest has been waiting in his room. Hee Sung enters his room to find Ae Shin’s grandfather waiting for him, and he apologizes for making him wait. He immediately bows respectfully in greeting and sits with him to discuss his engagement with Ae Shin.
Hee Sung apologizes for visiting Ae Shin without realizing that he broke traditions, but Grandfather is wise and understanding about Hee Sung’s actions. He knows that Hee Sung stayed in Japan for so long to escape the shadow of his grandfather, and Grandfather says that he allowed for this engagement because of this disposition. Grandfather says that Hee Sung should now take Ae Shin’s hand in marriage.
But Hee Sung thinks back to Ae Shin’s insistence on breaking their engagement, and he lies to Grandfather that he doesn’t like Ae Shin. Expressing the complete opposite of what he feels, he says, “The way she smiles, walks, her every glance, her every touch — I don’t like anything about her.”
Knowing Ae Shin, Grandfather says that she probably told him harsh things to break their engagement, but he asks that Hee Sung embrace all of that. Grandfather fears that he may not have much time left, and he asks Hee Sung to protect Ae Shin if anything happens to him.
As Grandfather makes his way on carriage, the servant notices Eugene approaching them on horseback, and he turns his head away to avoid recognition. Eugene hangs his coat in his hotel room, and the red pinwheel drifts to the ground. He stares at it as if it were foreshadowing some looming mission.
That night, Grandfather writes letters asserting that the Japanese are trying to use their currency to buy Joseon and its people, which will lead to a loss of sovereignty. The servant sends the letters at the post office, and the owner of the post office reads this letter, trembling as he reads Grandfather’s summoning of all the nobles to break their silence and gather at the end of the month to discuss their plan of action.
The post office owner brings this letter to Wan Ik, who seethes at this unexpected source of rebellion. He orders the post office owner to burn all the letters and vows to bury Grandfather in his grave soon.
Eugene oversees the arrival of U.S. goods at the port, and he runs into Dong Mae, who’s on his way to another job. They greet each other but stand awkwardly in silence next to each other. Dong Mae comments that they have nothing to say to each other in this uncontentious situation outside of their usual run-ins at the bar or while rummaging Eugene’s room. Eugene thinks likewise and tells Dong Mae to make lots of money. Dong Mae walks away and wonders if he should have made small talk about the weather, and Eugene notes that Dong Mae didn’t tell him to “take care” this time.
Dong Mae meets with his client at the Japanese embassy, who requests more police forces at the embassy. He seems worried about the Joseon mobs destroying the railroads and revolting, and Dong Mae listens curiously.
Joseph arrives at the U.S. embassy and leaves a bottle of liquor on Eugene’s desk. Domi arrives with tea, but Joseph tells him that he needs to leave and asks that he just deliver the bottle to Eugene.
On the train, Gwan Soo picks leaves from branches, trying to decide if he should accept the money from Duk-moon. Eugene watches this bizarre hysteria and later asks Gwan Soo what he was doing with all those leaves. Gwan Soo comes clean and reveals to Eugene that he was offered a large sum of money to report on the U.S. embassy as well as information on Allen and Eugene.
Gwan Soo expresses huge relief for finally telling Eugene the truth and says that it was worth losing the money. But Eugene tells Gwan Soo to take the money, since Duk Moon will likely solicit others at the embassy if Gwan Soo rejects the offer. Gwan Soo wonders to what extent he should report to Duk Moon, and Eugene suggests that he only tell the truth, like the fact that Eugene is smart, with a good voice and good looks. Gwan Soo adds that Eugene can’t read Korean, and Eugene corrects that to “currently learning Korean.”
Ae Shin thinks about the photo of her father, but her thoughts are interrupted by her servant delivering a letter from the temple. The monk writes about a suspicious man in a kimono asking about Ae Shin and sitting in front of the mortuary tablets of Ae Shin’s parents. Ae Shin seems threatened by Dong Mae’s investigation of her, and she makes moves to get him off her tail.
Ae Shin writes a cryptic letter to Hina requesting to meet, and they meet once again at the PPL bakery. Ae Shin asks to borrow money from Hina, and Ae Shin says that she’ll need to threaten her if Hina refuses to lend money. Hina doubts that the threats will work and says that Ae Shin will be more inconvenienced if she reports their run-in as thieves to the police, but Ae Shin says that she’ll reveal that she had a comrade to Wan Ik.
Ae Shin remembers the autopsy report that Hina took from Wan Ik’s house, and Hina correctly guesses that Ae Shin is indebted to Dong Mae, since nine out of ten debtors owe money to Dong Mae. Hina offers the money to keep Ae Shin silent about their secret, but she offers a mere coin. Ae Shin says that she has that much too, but Hina says that this amount should be enough since this will be a personal matter.
Ae Shin arrives at the dojo thanks to Hina’s intel, and Dong Mae motions his gang to leave. Dong Mae comments that Ae Shin must be interested in him to find him here, but Ae Shin corrects him to say that she’s wary of him — the person who demanded that they meet in person to repay a debt, the person who shot her leg.
Dong Mae confirms that he did shoot her, and Ae Shin asks if he plans to sell her over to the Japanese. But Dong Mae says that he intends to do nothing. Ae Shin doesn’t believe him and asks why he followed her tracks to the temple. Dong Mae insists that he mistook her that day and plans to continue to mistake her for someone else. If someone clearly recognizes her, he plans to kill that person. He claims that he needs to know Ae Shin better to protect her, so that’s why he tracked her down to the temple.
Ae Shin doesn’t want his protection, but Dong Mae reminds her that she saved his life without his permission when they were children. He asks for the money, and Ae Shin drops a bag of coins on the ground. Dong Mae takes only one coin — just as Hina had predicted — and returns the rest. He says that he won’t investigate the girl or the receiver of the banknote any further since he’s now accepted payment, and he tells Ae Shin that he’ll receive a payment every month.
Ae Shin asks if this means that Dong Mae plans to see her for their whole lives, and Dong Mae confirms this, as long as Ae Shin keeps him alive. She predicts that he won’t be able to receive all the money, and Dong Mae says that those words hurt. But he assures her that he’ll heal on his own.
At the embassy, Eugene happily reads over the letter from Joseph. Domi runs to him with the bottle that Joseph brought, and Eugene says that Joseph will likely visit again during his missionary rounds. Domi wonders what he’s reading, and Eugene plays the role of teacher now, instructing Domi to sit up straight while translating the English words.
Then, the post stamp on Joseph’s envelope catches Eugene’s eye, and he remembers the same stamp from the Hamgyeong post office on the envelope he found in Kim Yong-joo’s room. Then, Gwan-soo runs toward him with breaking news about an American man’s body found in Jemulpo. The Hanseong police have now recovered the body, and they believe it was murder.
Eugene makes his way to the police station and slowly walks toward the covered body. He notices the cross in the dead man’s hand, the same one that he carved for Joseph in his youth. Trembling, Eugene folds over the mat to reveal Joseph’s face.
Overwhelmed with sorrow, Eugene kneels down next to Joseph, and he thinks about his upbringing. We hear Joseph’s narration as we see Eugene growing up with him: “As I cut your hair and apply mere medicine to your wounds, I prayed to God to grant this foreign child freshly baked bread and clean water, to reap cold and provide warmth.”
Eugene holds Joseph’s hand and weeps, asking how they’ve been reunited like this. In his narration, Joseph adds, “It was wrong of me to say ‘mere medicine,’ as it was quite expensive for a missionary. I miss you, Eugene. I learned how to make alcohol, and I’ll try not to drink all of it on my way to Hanseong. Great and noble one, my son… wherever you are, I will pray for you.” Joseph signs off by hoping that God will be with Eugene even on nights when he doesn’t pray for him.
Ae Shin comes across Eugene mourning Joseph, though she’s prevented from leaving her carriage by her maid, who firmly reminds her that she shouldn’t be seen here. Eugene is in tearful disbelief and recalls Joseph’s last words to him in his letter: “My son. I shall pray for you, wherever you may be. And even when I do not, I hope that God is always with you.” Kyle arrives and instructs his troops to move the body to a hospital.
Meanwhile, Ae Shin and her maid wait in the apothecary and receive news about the missionary, who we learn was shot in Jemulpo. Ae Shin puts two and two together to figure out that the man that Eugene talked about on the beach, the one who helped Eugene survive in America as a boy, is the same man who’s ended up dead.
Word spreads quickly about Joseph’s death, and Dong Mae hears from his right-hand man that the murder happened in his territory. For now, Dong Mae orders his subordinate to look into the situation and see whether one of his underlings committed the crime.
Back at the embassy, Kyle and Gwan Soo go through Joseph’s things while a pale Eugene blankly stares at his desk. Kyle figures the murderer was looking for something specifically judging by the ripped bag, while Gwan Soo notices that Joseph had a ferry ticket to Shanghai dated three days ago.
Gwan Soo muses out loud how strange it is that letters from Hamgyeong were found in Kim Yong Joo’s room and that Eugene’s letters were found elsewhere. That makes Eugene recall his run-in with Wan Ik outside the hotel, when the latter mentioned a thief who broke into his home, and Ae Shin’s subsequent visit to the embassy with a busted lip and his letter. Gwan Soo figures that all of these events are connected, though he isn’t quite certain as to whether Eugene was being used to get to the missionary, or the other way around. A soldier reports just then that Kim Yong Joo had been released by the police four days ago, which means he became a free man one day before the murder.
Duk Moon hand a blood-stained letter to Wan Ik, who isn’t at all worried that Kim Yong Joo will link them to Joseph’s murder, since they’re keeping tabs on his family back in Japan and “there are no better shackles than family.” Now that they have a secret letter written by the king, Duk Moon seems to think that Wan Ik is all but officially the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, though Wan Ik chides him, saying they should be careful not to give away that they’re the ones behind Joseph’s death.
Eugene’s caught on already, though, and he arrives at Wan Ik’s residence with a contingent of American troops to conduct a search of the house, giving orders above Duk Moon’s indignant protests. Wan Ik asks Eugene if he has a deathwish, and the latter explains that he suspects Kim Yong Joo is Joseph’s murderer, and that Wan Ik is the real mastermind behind it all.
Wan Ik doesn’t back down, though, and tells Eugene that he can act with impunity in Joseon, mainly because after a failed assassination attempt years ago (the one involving Ae Shin’s parents), Wan Ik had everyone and anyone remotely related to the incident killed, giving him a reputation for ruthlessness.
But, just as Wan Ik isn’t subject to the consequences of his actions, neither is Eugene bound by the restrictions he might have felt as a Joseon person, since he is an American, as he reminds Wan Ik. Eugene assures him that whatever orders Wan Ik gives will incur consequences going forward, which leaves Wan Ik sputtering insults and asking whether Eugene wants to make an enemy of Japan. Eugene says that’s not within his power, but what he can do is make Japan turn against Wan Ik. The minister doesn’t back down though, and is confident that the “real culprit” will have been caught by now.
Dong Mae and his men being held at gunpoint by officers, led by none other than Mr. Belligerent who we first saw harassing the tarot card reader a couple episodes ago. One of Dong Mae’s men gets shot while trying to take the blame for the missionary’s murder, and quickly realizing he could lose a lot of his men, Dong Mae agrees to go with Belligerent.
As he’s being escorted through town in ropes, Dong Mae, Belligerent, and Co. come across Hee Sung, who stops them all to ask what’s going on and request that the officers to treat Dong Mae fairly. He promises to visit Dong Mae in prison, and Dong Mae quietly mutters to Hee Sung’s servant for him to prevent him from doing any such thing.
Eugene also gets word of Dong Mae’s arrest, and Gwan Soo just finds it odd that anyone cares about Dong Mae committing this specific murder, since he’s killed so many before with no punishment. Eugene is convinced Dong Mae isn’t the culprit, though, because that was the day they had run into each other in Jemulpo harbor, and Dong Mae was genuinely happy to see him. Gwan Soo doesn’t follow his logic.
Regardless, Eugene intends to focus on Kim Yong Joo, and sets out to arrest him within the next five days, before the next ferries leave for Shanghai and Tokyo. To that end, American soldiers start combing through Hanseong for Kim Yong-joo, with instructions to take in for questioning anyone suspicious.
Meanwhile, Dong Mae is subjected to torture, since the authorities won’t believe he went to Jemulpo twice on business (the second time was when he visited the temple where Ae Shin’s parents’ mortuary tablets are housed). He briefly unnerves his interrogator when he says he should be allowed to kill someone to prove Joseph’s death wasn’t his doing, since his victims are mutilated beyond recognition. How pleasant.
Wan Ik and Hayashi both agree to let Dong Mae take the fall, and use this opportunity to restructure the Hanseong branch of the Musin Society. There is an undercurrent of animosity between the two though, as Hayashi says those who are not quite Japanese nor Korean will end up a weakness to Japan, which Wan Ik interprets as a barb towards himself. Hayashi is curious as to why Wan Ik is so eager to get rid of Dong Mae… and it turns out that he witnessed Dong Mae piggybacking Hina the other night. So, he’s getting rid of Dong Mae for flirting with his daughter? What a psycho.
Back in the torture room, the police bring another witness in, Dong Mae’s Japanese-speaking client who complained about the “Joseon mob” stalling railroad construction. We see in flashback that Dong Mae had taken issue with his derisive tone, which is probably what prompts the client to lie about the timing of their meeting, which was on the same day as the murder and could have acted as an alibi.
Wan Ik hands over the secret letter to Hayashi, which turns out to be a request from the king to the American government for a loan, in order to circumvent the need of a loan from Japan. According to Hayashi, this letter will guarantee control over Gu Dong Mae, the American ambassador Allen, and the Joseon king. Why and how, you ask? Who knows.
Turns out, Wan Ik has another target in mind, and Dong Mae is explicitly told by the police that he is to pin the murder on Go Sa-hong, Ae Shin’s grandfather. The police chief in charge of Dong Mae’s interrogation has already been bribed by Wan Ik with an appointment to the head of the royal guard within the palace.
His bravado falters at that, and Dong Mae is faced with a terrible choice, as all of his men are taken hostage, and he is told that every day that goes by without his fake confession, one of his men will be killed.
Eugene approaches Hina for all the other unopened letters that were found in Kim Yong Joo’s hotel room, and she says she’ll collect her payment for the letters from Dong Mae, since Eugene’s investigation will help save his skin.
Eugene notes that some of the letters were intercepted from the Kyungheung post office, and they turn out to be pieces of an annotated map of Shanghai, all posted under Biblical aliases. At the pawnshop, he commissions a trip to look into Joseph’s activities in Hamgyeong province, and the duo immediately agrees to do it once he offers a blank check for their services.
On his walk back from the pawnshop, the sight of several students from the English school prompts him to leave a letter at the apothecary for Ae Shin, urging her not to worry about him. As Ae Shin passes by the Glory Hotel and sees her red pinwheel on his balcony, Eugene reads in voiceover that the next stage of their “love” must be longing: “I used to wait on my balcony in the hopes of glimpsing you on your way to the market.”
Ae Shin arrives at the apothecary after Eugene has left and leaves his gloves in the medicine cabinet as a reply to his letter.
The king is told that his secret letter is in Wan Ik’s possession and is despondent at the futility of his efforts. I mean, I’m getting despondent at how useless he is. Wan Ik comes to court with the letter, and declares that this letter couldn’t possibly be real, since the Japanese would use this as an excuse to demand something, and the letter would hurt relations with America since the king was trying to go over Ambassador Allen’s head. We see that the king had secretly met with Joseph, who was acting on his belief that no nation should use force to persecute another.
The king has no choice but to acquiesce to Wan Ik’s version of events, which paints Joseph as a con artist trying to defraud the American government by forging the king’s seal on the loan request. Wan Ik also indirectly lays claim to the Minister of Foreign Affairs position, and assures them that they can send his appointment to him later, since there are more urgent matters to be taken care of.
Hina visits Dong Mae at the police bureau, and while she tries to assure him that Eugene is determined to find the real culprit, she warns that his interrogation might get worse tomorrow because the autopsy report will be released and the medical examiner is in Wan Ik’s pocket. Said medical examiner is detailing his findings to Eugene, and tells him that the shooter was tall and likely inexperienced with a gun due to the positioning of the bullet holes. Thankfully, Eugene calls bullshit on the medical examiner, and threatens him into revising his report.
Hee Sung thinks back to Ae Shin’s grandfather’s words during his visit at the hotel, and near his home, he notices Kim Yong-joo lurking in the shadows. Hee Sung recognizes him as a fellow customer at the Glory Hotel and gives chase out of curiosity when Kim Yong-joo runs away, only to lose him when he’s stopped on the street by a woman asking after his absence at the card table.
When Eugene returns to the American embassy, Gwan-soo reports that the case has been closed by the police and that the missionary was found to have been attempting to steal money in the king’s name. Additionally, Gu Dong Mae, as accomplice and murderer, has been ordered executed. Furious, Eugene barges into Minister Lee’s house and asks why the investigation has concluded with these lies. Minister Lee tells him to butt out, but Eugene’s figured out that Joseph died while trying to protect Joseon and the king, and he won’t let his father-figure die as a convict.
Eugene enlists Kyle to help him, and the latter successfully cows Ambassador Allen into allowing the American military to continue with the investigation. Meanwhile, Eugene and several of his men enter the police torture chamber, and just in time, since the police chief was about to force Dong Mae into signing the fake confession. But Eugene isn’t exactly here to save his butt, and Dong Mae drily notes that he’s gone from one prison to another.
Eugene questions why Dong Mae had gone through Kim Yong Joo’s room, to which Dong Mae answers that the slimy traitor (my words, not his) had been lurking around Ae Shin and been asking around about her home. Eugene wants to know if Dong Mae’s been getting reports on Ae Shin, which goes unanswered as Dong Mae offers tips on how to rat out Kim Yong-joo instead. He adds a cryptic warning that his men might turn on Eugene, since that’s what Wan Ik would want.
Over at villain headquarters, Wan Ik’s in a state at how things have turned out, and nearly has an apoplexy when he hears Allen refuses to meet with him. Flashbacks of Ae Shin’s mother’s dying words overlaps with Eugene’s warnings, and he tells underling Duk Moon that he might’ve messed with someone he shouldn’t have. Not one to back down on a threat, he orders Duk Moon to find any of Eugene or Dong Mae’s weaknesses, and that Dong Mae’s men should be released with instructions on how to save their leader.
Affected by Dong Mae’s words about Kim Yong Joo and Ae Shin, Eugene offers to provide protection to Ae Shin’s grandfather, but the latter refuses. Instead, Go Sa-hong says he must accept why Joseon refuses to protect him, instead of accepting protection from a foreign country. Uhh, noble idiocy at its most patriotic? In any case, Eugene respects the elder’s wishes, and leaves with his troops.
Ae Shin hears about Eugene’s presence in her home after the fact, but he’s long gone by the time she rushes out to see him. Or so she thinks, since Eugene turns back on his horse to see her. He raises his hand to show he received his gloves, and the two make sad-eyes at each other over the stone wall.
Back at the American embassy, Domi recognizes a face in Kim Yong Joo’s photo, and says that he’s someone who comes to the embassy every so often to help out, and was just here that very day to check on the plants. Eugene opens his desk drawer to find that the letters he had gotten from Hina are missing. Those letters are presented to the Righteous Army leadership, who are now worried that Eugene will catch on to them. We get glimpses of the Righteous Army undercover soldiers (including the baker, who knew?) placed all over Hanseong.
Minister Lee warns that Eugene’s investigation is threatening their carefully laid plans, and might even reveal the whereabouts of a person named Song Yeong in Shanghai. Even though Eun San tries to paint Eugene as an ally, Minister Lee is convinced of Eugene’s hatred of Joseon and warns that the Joseon-American officer is a threat to their plans to acquire weapons through this Song Yeong. And so, their only choice is to kill Eugene. Ah yes, let’s just have all of Hanseong paint a target on Eugene’s back. Also, is that what you’ve been doing all series, Righteous Army?
Speaking of which, Eugene gets cornered by Dong Mae’s men, and fires his pistol into the air to summon help. Hilariously, what it actually does is attract Hee Sung’s attention, much to Eugene’s dismay. Though Eugene wants to hold the standoff until reinforcements arrive, Hee Sung just seems to invite trouble and instigates a sword fight. With his wooden stick.
Thankfully, Dong Mae’s right-hand man stops the brawl and begs forgiveness on behalf of his underlings, saying they were desperate enough to play into Wan Ik’s hands. Their loyalty to Dong Mae is almost touching, if it weren’t so misguided.
Eugene and Hee Sung clean up their wounds at the embassy, leading to an uncomfortably intimate moment as Eugene tends to Hee Sung’s cuts on his face. On the upside, it sounds like Hee Sung’s aimless wandering, plus his innate curiosity, can prove useful as he relays that he ran into Kim Yong-joo, who smelled of incense.
That would be because the little rat is hiding out with a shaman, as Eugene correctly guesses, and when the shaman asks Kim Yong-joo why he remains in Hanseong despite all the men looking for him, he rather ominously replies that he wants to tell Ae Shin who her parents’ murderers are. Ae Shin is pretty much bound to her house thanks to Kim Yong-joo, and requests that Seung Gu sneak her out.
He’s wary, and asks whether she wants to go to Eugene. In response, Ae Shin tells her teacher that the farthest she’s ever been is to the East Sea, and that the next time, she wanted to venture even further. She considers that next time to be now, and that going to Eugene is farther away for her than the eastern coast. And just as she’s carried out her missions with unquestioning loyalty, she asks that Seung Gu similarly refrain from inquiring further, to which he agrees.
When Eugene arrives back in his room at the Glory Hotel, he senses a presence in the room and attacks Ae Shin before getting a good look at her face. Lol, don’t go sneaking up on a man with a city-wide target on his back! After she recovers from getting the wind knocked out of her, Ae Shin confirms that she recovered Joseph’s letters addressed to him from Wan Ik’s house, and that she too missed him in response to the letter he left at the apothecary.
She regrets not having stopped to comfort him at the beginning of the episode, but Eugene says she’s already comforted him. With a hand over his face, she recites Joseph’s last words to Eugene while he struggles to contain his tears.
Their moment is interrupted by a gunshot, and Eugene quickly assesses that the shooter is in the building across the street. Drawn by the noise, Hina appears at Eugene’s door and Ae Shin requests her help in escaping the building without blowing her cover to all the hotel occupants.
After Hina guides her customers to safety, she finds herself staring down the barrel of a gun wielded by Belligerent, here to take care of unfinished business with the tarot card reader (or Hotaru). Leading him downstairs, Hina manages to disarm him with her fencing sword, and Ae Shin picks up the dropped pistol.
Hina requests that the man not be killed, and Ae Shin knocks him out with a cheap vase to the head instead. Yay, go team!
Outside, Eugene takes down the shooter, who turns out to be a Righteous Army member, and one of the four men in Kim Yong Joo’s old photograph. In his own interrogation room, Eugene questions why the Righteous Army are targeting him only now, when they’ve had plenty of chances before. The man has no interest in answering his questions, but wants to know what Eugene’s relationship with Ae Shin is.
Eugene pulls out the old photograph and informs him that he received a telegram from one of the pawnshop duo that Song Yeong is thought to be in Shanghai. Listing each of the men in the photo, Eugene asks if the man in front of him is Jeon Seung Jae, and in lieu of an answer, Seung Jae says that Eugene shouldn’t know those names, and that his knowledge about their activities is what made him dangerous to their organization.
Meanwhile, Ae Shin goes to the apothecary still in her disguise and is met by the tavern lady, who says she will be guiding Ae Shin to their leader. Eugene confirms that the Righteous Army have chosen to eliminate him, and hurt, he asks whether Eun San really gave the order for his death. Seung-jae responds that it’s for a greater cause, and also asks that Eugene distance himself from Ae Shin, since she might be the one who has to kill him. Eugene assures Seung-jae that Ae Shin won’t fail, since he won’t try to dodge her bullets.
Ae Shin finally meets with the leader of their organization, Eun San, as Eugene makes his way across the river towards Eun San’s house. The tavern lady flies an arrow tied with a black ribbon to announce his arrival, and Eun San orders Ae Shin to kill whomever is crossing the frozen river.
Ae Shin guesses it must be Eugene, and Eun San tells her that the American soldier might be acting on good intentions, but those good intentions will lead to Joseon’s downfall. Eun San gives the order to kill whoever is crossing that river as Eugene walks towards them, eyes full of purpose and rifle in hand.
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