After their confrontation with Dong Mae’s gang, Eugene and Hee Sung piece together Kim Yong Joo’s whereabouts based on Hee Sung’s sharp nose that caught the whiff of incense on their culprit. Hee Sung says that there are too many shaman houses to find Kim Yong Joo in time, but Eugene has the manpower: Dong Mae’s gang.
Dong Mae’s lackeys embark on this manhunt and successfully find Kim Yong Joo at his shaman house hideout. Attempting to delay his capture, Yong Joo holds the shaman at gunpoint, but the hostage does nothing to stop these assassins. Yujo stabs his sword through the shaman and into Yong Joo without a blink of an eye.
We return to the cliffhanger, in which Eun San orders Ae Shin to kill Eugene, who’s crossing the frozen river toward them. She asks why he’s enlisting her to carry out this cruel task, and Eun San says that she fit the two qualifications for the job: a sharp shooter with composure and someone who won’t be harmed if Eugene survives the shooting. He hands her the gun, and Ae Shin asserts her belief that Eugene is coming to Eun San to protect him — not to harm him. Despite her belief, she takes the gun, ready to fulfill her role.
The innkeeper worries about things going awry, but Seung Gu seems to surrender the outcome to fate. He believes that Ae Shin and Eugene will carry out their respective tasks and that it’s better that they confront their fate sooner than later.
Eugene approaches Eun San, and Ae Shin aims her gun at him from above. Her confidence falters ever so slightly at the confirmed sight of Eugene, but she quickly regains her composure and follows him with her aim. Eugene confronts Eun San about the Righteous Army member, Jeon Seung Jae, who tried to kill him, and Eun San says that he has no choice, with Joseon under attack and the Americans siding with the Japanese. Eun San warns him that there is a gun pointed at him somewhere and gives Eugene an ultimatum: die here or leave Joseon.
Eugene says that he has no interest in where Joseon’s sovereignty lies; rather, he’s only interested in two other things: that Eun San lives a long life, and that Ae Shin doesn’t die. From behind, Seung Jae arrives carrying a limp man — Kim Yong Joo. Eun San recognizes him, and Seung Jae explains that Eugene captured and delivered the traitor to them.
Eugene says that he’s handing over Kim Yong Joo for the Joseon people to determine what to do with him. He says that he’s a Joseon person to the Americans and an American to the Joseon people, and he doesn’t know which path he’ll take. Throwing his gun at Eun San, Eugene tells him to take this opportunity to kill him because he won’t be fleeing Joseon again. He says that this is how he will repay his debt to Eun San.
Unable to kill him, Eun San tells Eugene to leave. Seung Jae refuses to let Eugene go free and points his gun at him, but Eun San repeats his command and lowers Seung Jae’s gun. Eugene tells Eun San to live long, since it seems that they won’t meet again.
Eun San dismisses Ae Shin at the end of their mission, but Ae Shin needs answers about the two men she recognized from the photo of her father. She asks if Kim Yong Joo is the man who killed the missionary Joseph and her parents. Eun San says that she mustn’t ask questions, and she angrily repeats the mantra of the Righteous Army — if you’re discovered, you run; if you’re caught, you die; if you die, you’re buried. She asks if this is why she can’t ask about her parents even now.
Eun San confirms that Kim Yong Joo murdered Ae Shin’s parents, and he asks if Ae Shin intends to kill him with her own hands. If that were an option, she wishes that he had informed her earlier, since this man murdered an American missionary and forced another man to risk his life. But she hands over her gun and requests that Eun San make a better decision than her angry impulses.
Seeking a better compromise, Eun San meets with Minister Lee Jung Moon and explains that Eugene turned in Kim Yong Joo. He requests that that they rightfully convict Kim Yong Joo for the crimes and clear Joseph’s name, even though it would discredit the Joseon court. Minister Lee asks if this favor will secure Eugene on their side, and Eun San says that they already had Eugene on their side, only to lose him because of Eun San’s belated realization of Eugene’s loyalty.
The police chief and Lee Duk Moon report the news of Kim Yong Joo’s capture to Wan Ik, and they worry that Yong Joo may reveal Wan Ik as a conspirator. But Wan Ik seems confident that Yong Joo won’t rat him out and decides to abandon their mercenary since they’re done using him. Wan Ik asks how Kim Yong Joo was discovered, and the police chief explains that the Musin Society members captured him and brought him to the American solider. Wan Ik seems dissatisfied that this American soldier can move people without bribing them with copious amounts of money, like he has to do.
Minister Lee tortures and interrogates Kim Yong Joo, asking if Wan Ik is the colluder behind all his crimes, but Yong Joo remains silent. Yong Joo seems resigned to his death sentence, and Minister Lee presumes that Yong Joo must have family to protect with his silence. Minister Lee grants Yong Joo’s wishes by sentencing him to death for his highest crimes, but he also adds that Yong Joo’s dead body will be found before the sentenced death.
When Minister Lee leaves, Seung Jae appears and tells Yong Joo that he’ll soon meet Sang-wan, Ae Shin’s father. Yong Joo knows that this is his end, and Seung Jae stabs Yong Joo multiple times to death. An announcement is posted the next day about Yong Joo’s crimes, clearing Joseph’s name. Eugene sees the Joseon people gather around the bulletin, and he thinks back to his confrontation with Kim Yong Joo.
When Yong Joo was discovered at the shaman house, Eugene beat him and demanded to know why he was loitering around Ae Shin’s house. He claimed that he wanted to reveal the truth about Ae Shin’s parents — that Wan Ik was actually the culprit. He admitted that he was naïve to believe Wan Ik’s deal to spare his comrades’ lives in exchange for Yong Joo’s betrayal, but he claimed that he had no choice in order to protect his family.
But Eugene corrected Yong Joo and blamed him for killing his comrades. Yong Joo had a choice, and his comrades didn’t make the same choice despite having a family like him. Eugene presumed that Yong Joo used the same excuse to justify killing others, like Eugene’s father. Eugene said that Joseph was a father to him, and he punched Yong Joo once more.
Back in the present, Eugene sees Wan Ik pass through the streets toward the palace. Emperor Gojong appoints Wan Ik to the foreign affairs minister position, and when Wan Ik accepts the position, the emperor suddenly sees Japanese troops marching in behind him, infesting the palace. He breathes heavily as he imagines the palace ministers transformed into Japanese soldiers, and the Japanese rising sun flag flying behind Wan Ik and Ito Hirobumi, the prime minister of Japan.
In his quarters, Gojong paces anxiously and trembles in fear of his nightmares becoming reality. He falls to the ground in desperation, and Minister Lee watches the emperor suffer helplessly.
Hina’s former hotel worker, Gui Dan, gets dragged to meet with Hina, who confronts her about framing Dong Mae. Hina intends to ruin Gui Dan’s life and uses her fencing sword to cut Gui Dan’s face. Gui Dan screams in pain, and Hina says that she’s leaving a mark to remind her that she was foolish and unkind. Indignant about this treatment, Gui Dan claims that everyone hated Dong Mae anyway. But Hina corrects her, saying that she doesn’t hate him.
Eugene greets Dong Mae upon his release, and Dong Mae says that he’ll buy a drink in appreciation. Eugene says that many others contributed to his release, including Domi, Hina, his gang, Hee Sung, and Ae Shin. Dong Mae says that he’ll repay them someday, and he walks off to deal with important business.
Dong Mae’s important business turns out to be the proper cremation for his underlings who sacrificed their lives to protect Dong Mae. He tells Yujo to send them off with ample money for their journey. Then, it’s back to work for Dong Mae at Hwawollu, where he’s greeted by an unwelcome guest — Belligerent, who abused the tarot card reader and killed Dong Mae’s underlings during his capture.
Belligerent dropped by to return Dong Mae’s sword upon Hayashi’s command, and Dong Mae says that Hayashi also sent a gift with the sword. Dong Mae reminds Belligerent that he vowed to kill him upon his release, and Dong Mae delivers on that promise by swiftly slicing Belligerent’s neck with the very sword he’s holding out to give him. Blood splatters on Dong Mae’s face, but it blends right into his bloody face from his interrogation. Now that’s the aesthetic of an assassin.
When Dong Mae arrives at the hotel, the tarot card reader runs into his arms in relief, and Dong Mae comforts her silently. He sees Hina looking out from inside the hotel, and they blink in acknowledgement of each other.
Hina finds Hee Sung playing the piano and asks about his search for an office. He says that he’s found a place, but it already has an owner. He realizes this work situation is reflective of his personal situation, and Hina encourages him to reclaim his spot. She offers a room change, as it’s the least she can do, but Hee Sung politely declines, saying that his third-floor room has the best view of the moon.
Eugene passes through the lobby and quietly nods at them before heading out. Hina informs Hee Sung that Joseph’s funeral is today, and Hee Sung says that he’ll need to play a sad song in honor of Joseph’s passing. The somber melody transitions into the funeral, where Eugene remembers Joseph — the great and noble one, his home, his hero, his father. Minister Lee and the congregation from the U.S. embassy gather to honor Joseph, and Eugene bids Joseph farewell. His tombstone reads: “The Jesus Helper, Son of Dreams, Rest In Peace.”
After the funeral, Eugene pours some of Joseph’s homemade alcohol over his grave and takes a swig of it himself. He tearfully smiles at the thought of Joseph and lingers at his grave in sorrow. Meanwhile, Ae Shin visits the temple and asks the monk to light a candle for Joseph. She mentions that Joseph believed in God, and the monk assures her that the higher powers all get along and will escort Joseph to his place.
Hoping to find a letter, Ae Shin checks the cabinet at the medicine shop, but she’s met with Eugene himself. He asks if she was anticipating bad news, since she had almost shot him. He says that he’s used to being alienated, since he’s doesn’t belong on the Joseon nor the American side. Ae Shin reaches out her hand and invites him to her side, but Eugene expresses hesitance in holding the hand of the person who intended to shoot him.
Ae Shin approaches Eugene and says that she’s holding the hand of the man who knowingly walked in front of the muzzle of her gun.
Eugene takes her hand and then pulls her into a tight embrace. He holds onto her as he cries, and Ae Shin gently comforts him.
As it rains outside, Dong Mae sits in his dojo, holding the coin that Ae Shin paid him, and Hina holds the handkerchief that Eugene gave her. Hina wonders who’s crying so much to make it rain when she’s the one who received the handkerchief.
Duk Moon worries that Dong Mae’s release will result in unfavorable consequences for Wan Ik, but Wan Ik thinks back to Dong Mae carrying drunk Hina on piggyback and wonders if there’s something to trust in Dong Mae. Speaking of the devil, Dong Mae arrives at Wan Ik’s house and regrets to inform Wan Ik that his scheme failed — in framing Nobleman Go (Ae Shin’s grandfather) and using Dong Mae as his pawn.
Dong Mae says that he tipped Hayashi on some false information that Wan Ik and the late Minister Lee Se-hoon schemed behind Hayashi’s back with the banknote, and that Wan Ik used Minister Lee as his scapegoat. Wan Ik doubts that Hayashi believed such baseless information, but Dong Mae says that he merely planted a seed of suspicion. Then, he steps closer to relay Hayashi’s message and seethes, “Those who are neither Joseon nor Japanese eventually become Japan’s weakness.” With that, Dong Mae congratulates Wan Ik on his appointment to foreign minister and tells him to beware.
Il-shik from the pawnshop loiters around the U.S. embassy trying to enter to meet with Eugene, and he’s easily granted entry by an American soldier who mistakes him for Gwan-soo (ha). Il-shik offers Joseph’s belongings to Eugene, and Eugene recognizes the ointment that Joseph used to tend to his wounds as a child. Il-shik finds relief in Eugene’s tears, that he found the right items, and Eugene notices a box inscribed with the name Song Yeong. Eugene asks Il-shik to keep all these items and information on Song Yeong from the telegram a secret, and of course Il-shik offers to keep this secret. At a pricey cost.
Eugene looks at the photo of the comrades and thinks back to Seung Jae’s warning that as Eugene approaches the truth, he exposes the Righteous Army to greater peril. He also remembers Kim Yong Joo’s last wish to destroy the photo because he had lied about his comrades’ names to Wan Ik. As Eugene burns the photo and the box belonging to Song Yeong, he repeats the message written on the back: “On the day the plum flowers bloomed — Song Yeong, Go Sang-wan, Kim Yong Joo, Jeon Seung Jae, together. Spring 1874, Tokyo.”
When Il-shik returns to the pawnshop, Hee Sung proposes a contract to use some of the pawnshop space as his office. He offers to pay rent and tend to customers when the duo is gone, and he assures them that no customer would be bothered by someone as handsome as him. To prove his point, two ladies enter the pawnshop and ask if Hee Sung has set up his office in the pawnshop yet. Il-shik stares at these two ladies in admiration and quickly agrees to Hee Sung’s terms.
At the bar, Hee Sung enthusiastically explains his discovery of his passion to Eugene and Dong Mae, who both look annoyed by Hee Sung’s aimless babbling. They complain that he’s told them everything but what he’s actually setting up his office for, and Hee Sung finally reveals that he’s setting up a newspaper. Dong Mae immediately hopes that he only prints obituaries, and Eugene comments that the newspaper will likely fail because Hee Sung can’t seem to get to the point with a decent headline. HA!
Hee Sung says that he’ll emphasize the truth and facts over sensationalized headlines, and he plans on writing the newspaper in Korean only — an anomaly among most newspapers which are mixed with Korean and Chinese. Eugene asks Dong Mae if he’s hunting anyone nowadays, and Dong Mae says that he’s looking for someone with a cough. Hee Sung immediately coughs out his drink and excuses himself early before they plan to kill him again.
Eugene stops him and says that Hee Sung has never paid for drinks, and Hee Sung shamelessly thanks them for buying drinks again. Taking a page from Hee Sung’s book, Eugene prematurely thanks Dong Mae for buying drinks, but Dong Mae leaves saying that he has important business to tend to. This trio!!
As the trio walks alongside each other down the street, Hee Sung admires the moon but assures his pals that they’re definitely not walking together. Dong Mae confirms this and says that all people walk through life separately. Then, Hee Sung notices flower petals falling and stops to admire spring in full bloom. He says that everything he likes is here today, and Dong Mae asks to be excluded from that list. Hee Sung ignores him and continues to gleefully admire the useless things he likes: spring, flowers, the moon.
Hee Sung asks Dong Mae if he can cut a flower petal exactly in half, and Dong Mae responds that he can cut Hee Sung exactly in half. He asks Hee Sung if he’d prefer to be cut horizontally or vertically, and Hee Sung turns to ask Eugene if he can shoot a flower petal. Eugene asks if this would be before or after Dong Mae cuts it in half. Hee Sung sarcastically comments on this wonderful metaphor of dying every day between an American and a Japanese man. He says that his cause of death today is beauty. Our frenemy trio admires the beauty of spring as we transition into a new season.
Ae Shin writes an advertisement for the language school as her friend dictates the message, and her school friend offers a backhanded compliment on her writing, saying that she writes like a man. Her friend runs away before Ae Shin can punish her, and Ae Shin practices her penmanship to write to Eugene. They exchange letters about spring, and Eugene asks about plum flowers, in reference to the message written behind the photo of Ae Shin’s father.
Ae Shin and Eugene go to see the blooming plum flowers, and Ae Shin explains that these flowers represent the crest of the Joseon royals. Eugene says that he was curious about what Ae Shin’s father and his comrades were commemorating at the mention of plum flowers, and he apologizes for destroying the photo to protect the mentioned names. Ae Shin says that she remembers the photo with her heart and thanks Eugene.
Ae Shin asks what’s next — after introductions, handshake, hug, longing, and flower-watching. Eugene suggests fishing, and he brags that he’s a naval officer skilled with most things on a boat. Ae Shin proposes a bet on who can catch the most fish, and they head out on the water for this next step in “love.”
Ae Shin and Eugene fish in the middle of the lake, and Ae Shin excitedly grabs Eugene’s fishing pole when she notices the movement of a baited fish. They lose the fish, and Eugene asks if Ae Shin intends to continue holding his hand, which she accidentally grabbed in her excitement. She lets go, but Eugene takes her hand again, saying that he’s using fishing as an excuse to hold her hand. Ae Shin smiles giddily, and she narrates her written poem: “On an autumn day, the long clean lake flows like green jade. We docked our boat where the lotus flowers bloom. I threw bait over the wall to meet you, but I got caught from someone afar and spent half the day embarrassed.”
As Hee Sung’s father enters Glory Hotel, he spots Eugene walking inside and immediately cowers behind the gate in fear. He runs home and urgently informs his wife that Eugene is residing in the same hotel as Hee Sung, and they assume the worst. In response to this startling news, Hee Sung’s mother visits Eugene at the embassy and returns his mother’s ornament. She claims that she’s not asking for forgiveness, but she begs that he leave Hee Sung alone, since he’s not to blame — he was just born into this family.
Eugene reciprocates her plea and claims that he also had no sin in being born into his family as a slave. He asks why he must live through hell while her son lives comfortably. She says that she’ll repent for the rest of her life and even in death, and then she begs on her knees for Eugene to let Hee Sung be.
In his hotel room, Eugene stares at the ornament and gets interrupted by a knock on his door. It’s drunk Hee Sung, and he stumbles into Eugene’s room asking for his help in tending to his wound. When Hee Sung sits down, he recognizes the ornament on the table from when he ran into his mother at the pawnshop, and asks Eugene why he has his mother’s ornament.
Eugene clarifies that it used to belong to Hee Sung’s mother and asks when his birthday is, since it’s the day that his parents died. He says that he forgot the exact day because he was fleeing from the slave hunters that Hee Sung’s grandfather sent after him.
Hee Sung shares his birthday — April 17, 1871 — and asks if Eugene is curious about anything else. Without revealing more of his story, Eugene says that he probably knows more than Hee Sung at this point, and Hee Sung silently acknowledges this.
Later that night, Hee Sung meets with the old slave from his household, the same person that Eugene sought to trace his parents’ grave. Hee Sung asks to hear the full story, and Dong Mae watches them converse from afar. After the conversation, Dong Mae approaches the servant, who immediately begins to beg for his life. Dong Mae doesn’t intend to harm the man, and out of curiosity, he asks what he was discussing with Hee Sung.
In their conversation, Hee Sung had requested that the servant fill in the gaps of his story, which he had been avoiding for some time. He claims that he’s ready to endure the truth, but Hee Sung still reacts with shock to Eugene’s true backstory — his father being beaten so that his mother could be sold off, his mother holding Hee Sung’s mother hostage, and his mother drowning herself in a well after ordering Eugene to run away. Hee Sung thanks the servant for telling him the truth, though he looks overwhelmed by the weight of guilt he’s now privy to.
Dong Mae listens to this full backstory and looks amused by this tragic relationship between Eugene and Hee Sung. He offers the servant ample compensation for sharing this unexpected revelation.
As summoned, Hina secretly meets with Minister Lee to discuss the leaked secret letter between the emperor and the missionary. Minister Lee says that there were three individuals involved in this letter exchange, and one of them — the missionary — returned dead. Minister Lee requests for Hina to keep an eye on one of their suspected traitors, who was asked to trail the missionary from Hanseong to Jemulpo in case something went awry. He’s referring to Lady Kang, who frequents Hina’s hotel as a gambler.
Minister Lee also asks Hina to bring Eugene to meet with him since he knows that Eugene doesn’t want to see him. Hina asks what she’ll receive as compensation, and Minister Lee offers to disclose the residence where Hina’s mother dwells. Hina pauses and suspects that she misheard him, but Minister Lee confirms that he knows where Hina’s mother is living. Hina realizes that Minister Lee had already known about her mother’s whereabouts and was saving this information to exchange with a sizable request.
Hina escorts Eugene to the meeting with Minister Lee and requests that he comply, since she also has a stake in this meeting. Minister Lee asks Eugene to accept the instructor role for the Joseon Royal Guard, which Eugene previously declined. Eugene declines once again, but Minister Lee explains that Eugene is the only one fit for the position because he needs someone who’s immune to Wan Ik’s manipulation. Minister Lee says that by accepting this position, he could allow for Eun San and the Righteous army to live longer, even if it’s the slightest bit.
Eugene warns Minister Lee that he wouldn’t be taking the role with good intentions, but Minister Lee says that he only wishes that Eugene doesn’t hold any bad intentions. Minister Lee offers any compensation for taking this position, and Eugene asks for the land on a mountain, where his parents were buried. He thinks back to his mother telling his young self that she would become a flower in his yard, and as he walks through the flowers on the mountain, he wonders if he should build a house there to fulfill his promise.
Grandfather looks at a photo of Ae Shin’s parents before he’s interrupted by his daughter-in-law offering medicine for his lack of appetite and sleep. Grandfather asks if they’ve received any word from Nobleman Kim and asks that they proceed with Ae Shin’s wedding plans.
Aunt summons Ae Shin to share that her marriage is moving forward with the official letter from Hee Sung’s family (a tradition in the marriage process), and of course, Ae Shin resists. But Aunt says that she’s done overlooking Ae Shin’s meetings with Seung-gu and the bruises all over her body, and she firmly orders Ae Shin to follow her family’s wishes.
Hee Sung’s servant runs into him on the street and delivers the happy news of their official letter of marriage to Ae Shin’s family. Hee Sung intercepts this letter delivery and offers to deliver the letter directly, which the servant finds curious. Meanwhile, Ae Shin meets with Grandfather and asserts that she will not get married. She says that she’s gone too far since meeting Seung-gu to submit to the demure ways of a housewife.
Grandfather won’t accept Ae Shin’s vow to live alone, since it goes against tradition, but Ae Shin remains resolute. She then admits that she’s in love with someone else and says that she’s willing to give up everything so that she can walk alongside this person. Grandfather scolds Ae Shin for her irreverent excuse and blames her servants for not sheltering Ae Shin enough. He orders her servants to be locked up, and her servants realize that this will be a long fight of obstinance between Ae Shin and Grandfather.
When Hee Sung arrives at Ae Shin’s house, he finds Ae Shin sitting on her knees in front of Grandfather’s room. He joins her and offers to share the punishment. Hee Sung tries to lighten the mood with his regular joking manner, but Ae Shin tells him to leave, as this isn’t a punishment to share. She admits that she rejected their marriage because she’s in love with someone else, and Hee Sung’s face hardens at this confession.
Ae Shin claims that she’s irreversibly risking everything for this person and won’t regret her decision. She apologizes to Hee Sung and hopes that he meets a better woman. Hee Sung responds as a side note that he’s met plenty of other women. Then, he says that he already knew that Ae Shin was in love with someone else, but that did nothing to change his mind. Taking out the official letter for their marriage, Hee Sung looks at her with a sharper gaze and confesses that he just harbored some bad intentions.
Ae Shin and Hee Sung kneel outside in front of Grandfather’s room, and Hee Sung says that he already knew that Ae Shin loves someone else. He takes out the letter from his family confirming their marriage and tells Ae Shin that he just adopted some ill intentions.
Night falls, and Aunt updates Grandfather on the Hee Sung/Ae Shin situation outside. She urges him to stay resolute and not allow these foolish kids to break a promise between their families. Grandfather tries to unpack this situation, thinking about Hee Sung’s claim that he doesn’t like Ae Shin, and Ae Shin’s claim that she loves someone else.
Outside, Hee Sung disapproves of Ae Shin’s rash confession to Grandfather and tells her that breaking a promise between families takes time. She realizes that Hee Sung’s ill intentions align with her intentions to break their marriage. Hee Sung sadly explains that there are two ways to admire a flower: cut it and put it in a vase, or follow the path toward the flower. He’s choosing the latter, an ill intention for him because there will be no flower at the end of this path.
Ae Shin apologizes, but Hee Sung tells her to only worry about herself since breaking this engagement will make her a flawed woman in society. He asks that she wait until he’s finished with his current project, after which he promises to grant her wish to become this flawed woman. Ae Shin agrees, and Hee Sung smiles at her affirmation.
When Hee Sung’s servant discovers him at Ae Shin’s house, Hee Sung instructs his frantic servant to assure his parents that he retreated to the hotel. He decides that they need to resolve their immediate situation and pretends to faint, since adults always need some excuse to break an impasse. Ae Shin holds an “unconscious” Hee Sung, and the servants urgently report that Hee Sung suddenly fainted. In response, Aunt orders Ae Shin’s servants to retrieve medicine and carry Hee Sung home, effectively freeing them from the locked storage room.
Hee Sung treats Ae Shin’s servants to soup and jokes that he could stand his legs falling asleep but couldn’t stand the hunger. They agree to the story that the servants retrieved medicine and that the maid carried him home, since that will be more believable than the manservant having managed to do it. Heh. Ae Shin’s maid agrees to this, and Hee Sung notices her pitiful glance. She says that it seems that none of them — Hee Sung, Ae Shin, and Eugene — have it easy and seem so lonely. Her voice breaks and she turns her attention to eating soup.
Eugene supervises his soldiers as they deliver supplies to the language school. As he walks through the school, he recognizes Ae Shin’s handwriting on the advertisement. The English teacher tells Eugene that the ad was written by a passionate student, and Eugene says that he remembers her from her visit to the legation. He notices that she’s not at the school, and the instructor informs him that Ae Shin hasn’t been to the school recently. Curious about Ae Shin, Eugene checks their correspondence cabinet at the medicine shop, but he finds no word from her.
When Hee Sung returns to the hotel, he runs into Eugene in the lobby and reveals that he knows everything about his family’s sins that caused Eugene’s tragic childhood. He says he won’t apologize yet, and Eugene says that he didn’t expect it, though he knows that Hee Sung is a person who will eventually apologize. Aw, that’s kind of sweet. Hee Sung also shares that for the first time, he’s the first to know news on Ae Shin before the others, but he won’t share it with Eugene because he hopes that Eugene is the last to find out. Ha, and that’s kind of petty.
With that, Hee Sung heads up to his room, and Hina comes down the stairs to hand Eugene his keys. She apologizes for setting him up in a meeting with Minister Lee without consent, and Eugene asks if Minister Lee is leveraging a weakness against her. She wonders if their business is driven by her weakness or a symbiotic relationship.
Hina then explains her symbiotic relationship with Eugene’s “friend,” aka Ae Shin, who she casually escorted out of the hotel when the Righteous Army targeted Eugene. She also spills the news on Ae Shin’s marriage with Hee Sung, informing Eugene of the formal marriage letter in Hee Sung’s hand.
Eugene thinks back to his conversation with Ae Shin at the east sea. Ae Shin told him about the prospect of her breaking her engagement. She imagined that she would be exiled, so she would escape to Shanghai, where she could meet her father’s comrades. She imagined that Eugene would have returned to the U.S. by then, but at that moment, she had imagined him beside her in this future. Back in the present, Ae Shin looks at an old letter from Eugene, and the message in the letter — about longing being the next step in love — seems to align with their current pathos.
Seung Gu pays Eugene a visit at Glory Hotel to return his gun that Eugene had left with Eun-san, and he starts to take off his shoes before noticing Eugene still in his shoes in his room. Yes, relatable. Seung Gu tells Eugene that Eun-san and Minister Lee are reputed to be the most cold-blooded people in Joseon, but he’s here to run this errand because he’s got a soft heart.
Seung Gu notes that Eugene stopped by their hideout with a new gun, and he brags that Eugene won’t have to teach Ae Shin much because she had a great teacher who built her a strong foundation. He tells Eugene that he taught Ae Shin for ten years, and she persevered through long and rough paths, avoiding the public’s eye to train at the hideout. He knows that Ae Shin will do the same as she travels the path to Eugene, which she claims is further than her journey to the east sea. If this is an inevitable path for Ae Shin, then Seung Gu asks that Eugene remain at the end of this path for her. Eugene asks the reason for Seung Gu’s change of heart, and Seung Gu says that he pities the two and wants to cheer for them since they’ll face plenty of opposition.
Eun-san’s apprentice brings him the last of Eugene’s beer, and Eun-san regrets that he won’t be able to taste this bland drink, which he’s finally come to enjoy. Apprentice wonders if the beer is expensive, and Eun-san admits that Eugene’s sincerity may be too expensive to buy.
After confirming the truth about Ae Shin’s lover with her servants, Grandfather sternly scolds Ae Shin for not telling him sooner. He tells Ae Shin to marry and live in the safety of her husband’s shield, but Ae Shin refuses and asserts that she will determine her own life. Grandfather refuses to believe Ae Shin until he sees this man in person, but Ae Shin once again asserts that she’s strong enough to shield herself and doesn’t intend on using this man as her shield. Grandfather puts Ae Shin on house arrest until she brings Eugene in front of him.
Ae Shin stumbles as she walks out of Grandfather’s room, and she asks her servants to remain silent if Grandfather asks them separately for Eugene’s identity. They agree to keep the secret, but they end up asking Eugene to reveal himself to Grandfather, as their worry for Ae Shin precedes their honor. They tell Eugene about Ae Shin’s stubborn refusal to marry, and he realizes that this was the news that Hee Sung was keeping from him.
Eugene and Ae Shin kneel through Grandfather’s questioning, and Eugene confirms that he and Ae Shin love each other. Even with Eugene’s explanation of his past — fleeing Joseon to save his life and becoming a solider to be accepted as an American — Grandfather can’t accept Ae Shin’s relationship with an American who’s a part of the invading army in Joseon. Eugene insists that he wishes for Joseon’s safety, but Grandfather doesn’t believe Eugene, who calls the U.S. his home country.
Then, Eugene reveals that he met Grandfather previously in his youth, when Grandfather had warned him, a slave, to keep his eyes on the ground if he wanted to live a longer life. Grandfather realizes that Eugene was the precocious boy who commented on the black bird in the blue sky, and he explodes with more rage at Eugene’s lowly background. Ae Shin defends Eugene, and Eugene retreats from the room upon her request.
Grandfather scolds Ae Shin for bringing such shame upon her family, and he forbids her from going to Eugene. He tells her to live alone for the rest of her life, and Ae Shin agrees to his terms. As soon as Ae Shin leaves Grandfather’s room, she runs after Eugene, fearlessly jumping over the wall in her dress. She chases after him through the hills and is out of breath when she finally catches up to him.
Ae Shin didn’t realize he would leave so fast and chased after him to say goodbye, since she doesn’t know when she’ll see him next. Eugene notices that she lost her shoe, and he turns back to retrieve it. He kneels before her to gently put on her shoe, and Ae Shin looks touched by this simple gesture, fighting back tears. She asks him to forgive Grandfather, and Eugene claims that he’s grateful to Grandfather for the opportunity to see her. He tells Ae Shin that she must have gotten her best traits from her wise grandfather.
Ae Shin anxiously looks behind her, and Eugene lets her leave, saying that they’ll meet again with a forced optimism. Ae Shin runs back home, holding back tears, and Eugene watches her leave longingly. Back at his hotel, Eugene looks at the American name on his uniform. In her room, Ae Shin stands with her soiled socks and thinks back to her trip with Eugene to the east sea.
As Ae Shin and Eugene walked along the shore, she shared her hopes of walking freely alongside Eugene in the U.S. She asked if people are used to seeing a man and woman walk side by side there, and Eugene said that they would stare anyway because they would look so good together. We see Ae Shin’s imagination come to fruition, as she strolls down the street in Western dress, arms linked with Eugene.
In this imagined life, Ae Shin enjoys a picnic with Eugene, and she marvels at a zebra in the yard of grass in front of them (lol). Ae Shin studies about the world and the stars with her diverse American friends and then she meets up with Eugene in front of a fountain. He waves at her, and Ae Shin narrates that she’s initially shy but then full of happiness. They also stand in front of the music shop, listening to the melody they both like. Then at the end of the night, they say goodbye.
In front of the music shop, Ae Shin tells Eugene that she’s learned how Westerners bid farewell, and she leans in toward his face in the motion of a cheek kiss. She steps back and says, “Goodbye.” But Eugene prefers that they say, “See you,” which doesn’t hold such finality. Ae Shin takes his suggestion and bids him farewell with a hopeful “See you again.” They linger in front of the music shop at night, staring at each other longingly. Back in her room, Ae Shin thinks about her hopeful fantasy and cries at the tragic reality of their relationship.
Hina looks at the photo of her and her mother, and she thinks back to Minster Lee’s deceitful use of her mother’s whereabouts. She calls him a bastard, but her anger is interrupted by a summoning by the royal at Gyeongseon Palace. The royal concubine asks Hina for a candid explanation of Japan’s push for currency exchange and the emperor’s stern opposition to this. In simple terms, Hina explains that Japan’s banknotes are worthless outside of Joseon, and with the pervasiveness of these banknotes, granting the currency exchange of these banknotes could result in Japan’s bank usurping Joseon’s economy.
The royal concubine says that this is why she’s building the school for girls, since it’s unfair for only men to be educated and worried about such important matters for the nation. Hear, hear! She tells Hina about Wan Ik’s appointment to the foreign minister position, and she scorns his venomous tongue for urging the emperor to lift this currency exchange ban. Hina’s face hardens at the mention of her father, and we visit the debate about this ban in the emperor’s court.
Wan Ik and his supporters pressure Emperor Gojong to lift the ban, which is adding to Japan’s aggression against Joseon. They argue that the emperor must lift this ban to ensure the safety of the Joseon people, but Minister Lee urges to emperor to remain resolute on his position to protect Joseon’s sovereignty. The emperor finds more validity in Wan Ik’s argument and reluctantly grants the banknote currency exchange under the condition that these banknotes are inspected annually. Wan Ik looks at Minister Lee with a devilish smile and praises the emperor for this decision.
Dong Mae tracks down the police chief who interrogated him, and investigates Wan Ik’s motive to frame Nobleman Go, aka Grandfather. The police chief claims that he just followed orders, but he thinks more critically when Dong Mae loosens the sword from his scabbard. The police chief trembles in fear and reports that he heard something from the post office manager about letters that Nobleman Go sent.
Dong Mae follows these clues, and his lackeys bring the post office manager in alongside the police chief. The post office manager claims that he burned all of Nobleman Go’s letters at Wan Ik’s order, but he saved one just in case his life depended on it. Dong Mae says that the time is now, and he forces the two men to trace their hands as a signature on a blank contract. He hasn’t decided the terms of the contract yet, so he suggests (read: threatens) that the two men remain silent. Dong Mae eats at his regular bar with the copy of the letter at the table, wondering if rebellion runs in the family.
The bakery owner refuses a Japanese customer who tries to use Japanese currency, and he grabs Dong Mae’s attention as he passes through the streets in attempts to scare off this customer. Dong Mae draws his sword in annoyance, which effectively scares off the Japanese customer but also ends up frightening the baker as well.
Eugene visits the pawnshop to pay the duo for their services, but Il-shik requests a different form of payment. He explains the circumstances of another pawnshop customer, a young man formerly from a noble family who wishes to enlist in the military academy. The young man’s parents were killed for being the instigators for a movement to depose Wan Ik about five years ago, and they need to recreate an identity for the young man to enlist in the military academy, which only accepts nobles. They simply ask Eugene to sign a forged document as a guarantor for this young man’s enlistment. Eugene suspects that they’ll get caught, but the duo assures him of their perfect forging abilities.
This young man, who we’ll later know as JOON-YOUNG (the late but welcome addition, Jang Dong-yoon), and his friends discuss the different methods of obtaining a gun. One of his friends wonders if they could negotiate with a gunner, but another friend refuses to stoop that low. Joon-young says that the military academy is their best bet, and he assures his friends that he has a reliable source for the forged enlistment documents. They decide to make three more rounds around town in a casual stroll to prepare for training at the military academy. Yes, that’ll surely prepare them…
Minister Lee meets with Eun-san and requests for Seung Gu to be their new replacement for the head of palace security. He acknowledges Seung Gu’s skills for the job, but he also needs someone who won’t be bribed by Wan Ik or have any family for Wan Ik to target. Eun-san doesn’t think Seung Gu will accept the position, but Minister Lee expects Eun-san to come through with this proposal because he granted him a favor (clearing Joseph’s name for Eugene). On second thought, Eun-san remembers Seung Gu’s vow to become a rebel against Joseon and thinks that Seung Gu may fit the role.
Eun-san then asks about Eugene, and Minister Lee says that he convinced Eugene to accept the drill instructor position at the Joseon Royal Military Academy by using the Righteous Army as bait. Eun-san calls him shameless and leaves, promising correspondence about Seung Gu.
Dong Mae jumps over the wall into Ae Shin’s house and boldly approaches Grandfather. The servant calls for backup, and Ae Shin follows the sudden commotion to find Dong Mae confronting her grandfather while the servants around them panic. Dong Mae simply delivers Grandfather’s unsent letter and reveals that the remaining letters were burned. He warns Grandfather that someone is targeting him, but Grandfather expresses suspicion at the word of a foreign man who trespassed into his home. Thinking about his money exchange with Ae Shin, he assures Grandfather that he’s a Joseon person for now, since he received Joseon money.
With that, Dong Mae leaves, and Grandfather ponders how two foreign men — Eugene and Dong Mae — have entered his home to deliver these warnings. Putting his suspicions aside, Grandfather realizes that he’s in danger regardless because his cards have been revealed. He seems grateful to know that these letters never reached their destination because he would have drowned in despair at the lack of response. But now that he knows that these letters were never sent, he seeks an inkling of hope. He then orders his servant to send Seung Gu in secret.
Ae Shin paces in her room, worried about why Dong Mae would confront Grandfather. To figure out, she asks her maid to send the peddler the next day, and we see that Ae Shin used the peddler as a messenger for a letter to Hina. In the letter, Ae Shin asks Hina to find out why Dong Mae trespassed into her home and what he delivered to Grandfather.
Cue: Dong Mae entering Hina’s room and offering to buy her nice clothes for protecting Hotaru, the tarot card reader loyal to Dong Mae. Hina asks for another form of payment: Dong Mae’s reason for trespassing into Ae Shin’s home. Hina reveals that she’s selling this information to Ae Shin, and Dong Mae asks if Ae Shin’s engagement is broken. He admits that he doesn’t want her engagement to be broken because he fears that she’ll be further from his reach, but Hina doesn’t grant his wishes. She presumes that the engagement was broken because Hee Sung’s expression looked gloomy, much like Dong Mae’s expression now.
Hee Sung confronts his parents, who demand to know why he intercepted the official marriage confirmation letter to Ae Shin’s family. Before answering that question, Hee Sung reveals that he’s setting up a newspaper using the money that his grandfather left him through a ledger. That’s how he’s been collecting money, and now we know why he was claiming this borrowed money in a previous episode.
Next, Hee Sung finally addresses his marriage to Ae Shin, and he asks his parents to break their engagement. His father says that this engagement was the best thing that his grandfather left him, and Hee Sung admits that among all the precious things that his grandfather left him, this is the one thing that he most desired. But this is also the reason he needs to give it up. Hee Sung’s mother doesn’t follow his logic, and Hee Sung reveals that he’s discovered the full truth of his family’s sins against Eugene. Everything that his parents have been hiding from him, he now knows.
Hee Sung’s mother reaches for her neck as she remembers that traumatizing day, and Hee Sung pleads for his mother to save him one more time. His parents cry in defeat, as Hee Sung resigns to his penance to give up what he desires most.
At the pawnshop, Hee Sung sets up his newspaper office and admires the flowers on his desk. He takes one of the flowers and places it on his sign outside as a proxy for his newspaper name until he decides one. Hee Sung updates his fellow gambling ladies at the hotel about his newspaper and encourages them to send any content that they wish to learn the truth about. Ae-soon says that she’s curious about the truth behind Hee Sung’s engagement, and she tries to discourage any progress by telling Hee Sung that Ae Shin is far from demure.
Hina interrupts the conversation and compels Ae-soon to run out by whispering to her about her husband’s early return home. She joins the game and purposely spills a drink on her frequent lady guest that Minister Lee asked her to investigate. Hina invites the lady to her room and offers her a change of clothes, but the lady isn’t interested. She’s not interested in alcohol either, and just as Hina wonders what would strike her interest, the lady fixates on the fencing sword in her room.
The lady expresses a fascination with fencing and says that there’s a charm in quickly and accurately defeating your opponent by targeting a vital point. Hina notices that the lady uses the exact words she used to describe the sport of fencing, but she plays dumb about the sport and says that she knows of only two people in Joseon who fence: the English ambassador’s brother-in-law and the French ambassador’s secretary, Leo. At the mention of the names, the lady’s demeanor turns cold and she exits the room saying that she’s not feeling well. Hina senses the lady’s jealousy and wonders what her connection to the sport is.
A court lady from the royal palace visits Grandfather’s house to summon Ae Shin to advise the royal concubine, Lady Um, on school practices. She was recommended by Hina, and Grandfather seems embarrassed that all of Hanseong knows about Ae Shin frequenting the school. He initially rejects the offer, but Aunt convinces Grandfather to allow Ae Shin to serve the royal through this rare opportunity.
As Ae Shin rides to the palace, her maid notices the sudden darkness in the middle of the day. At the palace, Minister Lee informs Gojong of the solar eclipse, and the emperor seems to associate this misfortune with Wan Ik’s infiltration into the palace. Minister Lee urges the emperor to confront their challenges with a clear mind and delivers some good news that Eugene has arrived at the palace to accept the instructor position for the Royal Military Academy.
In front of the emperor, Eugene officially accepts the position and receives a Joseon flag to commemorate his acceptance. As a side gag, we see Minister Lee instructing Eugene on the formal responses to the emperor’s commands and Eugene awkwardly repeating these phrases. Gojong asks why Eugene changed his mind about accepting the position, and Eugene candidly responds that Minister Lee proposed an offer that he couldn’t refuse.
The emperor asks what this offer was, and Eugene says that he was given a mountain. Eugene thinks back to the real offer to allow Eun-san and the Righteous Army members to live longer, but he simply tells the emperor that it was a big mountain. [The san in Eun-san is a homophone for “mountain.”] The emperor laughs at this simple solution to persuade Eugene, and Minister Lee looks at him with a sense of relief.
As Ae Shin walks through the palace with the court ladies, she crosses paths with Eugene. He introduces himself to the court lady as the newly appointed instructor of the military academy, and he promises to fulfill his role well, as he may be training potential comrades. He continues his conversation with the court lady, but everything he says is meant for Ae Shin, who is standing behind her.
Speaking indirectly to Ae Shin, Eugene admits that he was surprised by her beauty in this sudden run-in at the palace. He comments on the falling plum flower petals and wishes that he could see them for all four seasons. He says he’s glad that they ran into each other, and Ae Shin silently receives Eugene’s message. Following the oblivious court lady who is flattered by Eugene’s greeting, Ae Shin passes by with an emotional look, avoiding eye contact with Eugene. The plum flower petals fall beautifully around them, making their indirect interaction more poignant.
Hotaru reads Dong Mae’s fortune while Dong Mae watches the sun as the solar eclipse begins. Grandfather distributes his letters to Seung Gu’s men, and they readily accept his request to deliver these secret letters by hand because they have been financially supported by Grandfather for years. The men bow respectfully to Grandfather before embarking on their journey. We see Hina, Dong Mae, and Hee Sung each being reflected in the image of the eclipse, and as darkness falls under the eclipse, the Righteous Army marches onward.
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