This is late. But better late than never.

1. The Crown Prince and the oldest Maeng sister are the featured profiles in this episode.

Lee Jae
14 years old
Note: the only heir to the throne
Second year Crown Prince

He has an interesting take on the major drawback to marrying him. It’s not that he has a half-brother, Prince Jin Seong, but that he has four older sisters.

I don’t know what to make of his viewpoint. Is he THAT naïve that he doesn’t suspect his half-brother of coveting the throne? He and his future consort will always live fearing for their lives and who wants that?

Or is he THAT down-to-earth that he gets the burden of a woman being bossed around by not one, but four older sisters-in-law.

On paper then, the oldest Maeng sister seems to be a fit for him given her experience at managing her younger sisters. She won’t be easily intimated by the CP’s older sisters.

Maeng HaNa
24 years old
Her knowledge is better than her beauty (and she’s very beautiful)
The eldest of the old maiden sisters

Though she says that she doesn’t want much in her husband, she has the most stringent requirements in a husband.

Hana: His family must be at least a senior fifth rank, but not below that. He should be between 5.5 cheok and six cheok. Being too tall does not provide much substance. His looks only need to be manly…. I will state the most important condition. He must be someone I can respect.

My comments:

a. A cheok is roughly 11.9 inches. (source: https://www.sizes.com/units/chok.htm) so she likes a relatively short guy between 5.4 and 5.9. If the CP ends up being her match, then he will need to grow tall during his teenage years. Rowoon’s character, JungWoo, is out because Rowoon stands tall at 6’3.

b. She dressed the CP in a dress. So much for looking manly.

c. I’m sure the CP is someone she can respect because if they marry, she’ll be the one to guide him in politics, and he’ll listen to her like a puppy as she’s wiser and older than him.

d. Given their current ages, I shudder at the thought of them having marital sex. Maybe in four years’ time, when he’s 18 and she’s 28. But there’s a time crunch here. Since the CP is always in danger of being killed by his half-brother and other royal pretenders to the throne, he needs to have an heir asap. That means that he needs to consummate his marriage right away, and his wife must bear a male heir right away, too.

2. “Eye for an Eye, Rumor for a Rumor”

a. SoonDeok figured out a way to fight the rumor regarding the oldest sister HaNa. They were going to spread the truth about the Defense Minister. He had stabbed a woman to death because she spurned his advances then attempted to blame the death on a popular romance writer, HwaRok. HwaRok is the nom de plume of the youngest sister Samsoon.

In a fitting dramatic irony, Samsoon was tasked to write the novel unveiling the Defense Minister’s crime to the general public. As expected, the “rumor” spread like wildfire and reached the Defense Minister’s wife as well as his powerful sister, Lady SoHyun.

I think there’s a social commentary in all of this. SoonDeok has realized early on that rumors are a weapon that she can harness to her advantage. Despite being a powerless woman, she can create situations and manipulate events by rumormongering. While her intentions are good in the story, *if* she were living in today’s world, she could cause havoc by spreading conspiracy theories and false rumors. These rumors could generate a crisis:

in the political arena (like Trump’s “golden shower” hoax perpetuated by his opponents and media),
in the financial markets (do you know how bank runs are started?),
in the legal field (rumors of judicial misconduct undermines the trust and confidence of people in the judiciary system),
in the medical world (two words: Covid response),
and everywhere else.

Though SoonDeok’s methods are shown in a good light in the drama, I would be up against them, fighting them in the real world.

b. But there’s another rumor in this episode. When Hana successfully brought the CP to his private residence by disguising him as a girl, the Queen invented a story to cover up their real identities.

Queen: But how did you think to dress my son in a dress?
Hana: Before I answer you, let me ask you a question first. He seems like the son of a high-ranking officer so what is the reason that people are after him?

Let’s note how HaNa took control of the conversation here. She was demanding the Queen – the Queen! – to satisfy HER curiosity about the boy’s identity before she answers the question. The Queen had no choice but to yield to her demand.

Queen: (clamming up)
Hana: I am worried that I may be helping an insurrectionist.
Queen: (smiling) You do not need to worry about that. He is the firstborn son, born to us at an old age. A mistress and his grown-up half-brother plotted together to harm him to obtain the family fortune.
Hana: I dressed him in disguise in case the assassin who chased your son yesterday might still be around.

I don’t think she was fooled though.

3. The developing romance between JungWoo and SoonDeok

Five things stand out for me in this episode.

a. When JungWoo faints it is SoonDeok who rushes to his side and takes him in her arms. Then, she commands him to look into her eyes. She breathes in and out loudly so he can pattern his breathing after hers. This is obviously a reiteration of that incident at the Temple on Buddha’s birthday. That time, he suffered a panic attack and she told him to follow her closely while only looking at her. She said that she was going to be his shield so his chest wouldn’t hurt.

That’s what she’s doing here. Without words, she tells him to follow her breathing while only looking at her. She’s going to be his shield so his chest pain will go away. This tells me that she’s taken responsibility for him.

But as soon as he recovers, she pushes him off her lap. She’s flustered to find him in her arms. This tells us that she’s still fighting with her feelings for him.

b. When the youngest sister Samsoon imprudently laughs at JungWoo, SoonDeok sides with JungWoo.

Jungwoo: Lady Samsoon and Officer are always to stay two steps apart.
Everyone: (making a face)
SS: For what reason?
JungWoo: My chest feels pain when two unmarried men and women are inappropriately close.

Everybody has a skeptical reaction to his pronouncement. JungWoo spots SoonDeok giving him a stink eye so he easily comes up with a scholarly reason for his demand. He doesn’t want to look like a petty “Resentful Man” before her, so he backs his argument up with legalities.

JungWoo: In the Book of Rites’ Domestic Rules chapter, it says boys and girls are to be set apart starting at the age of seven. So just consider that you are conforming to the rites.
SS: (laughing out loud)

The others are predictably nervous. JungWoo has fired other people from their jobs precisely for this kind of insolence.

JungWoo: Why are you laughing?
SS: In my opinion, it is not because we violated the rites. It is because Your Excellency has not experienced it nor has any chance at an experience. I think your chest rushes in anger from just the sight of unmarried man and woman close together.
JungWoo: (slamming his fist on the table)

My comments:

Yes, Samsoon is right. On the surface, it seems like JungWoo’s experiencing bodily pains due to envy and spite. But as I said in another thread, he’s this mythical “Ssangyeonsulsa” who can recognize lovers. He’s experiencing these pains because he recognizes would-be lovers at sight. I guess once he realizes his weird fate and “resigns” himself to it, he’ll outgrow these body aches, too. He’ll probably need the help of SoonDeok, though.

Let’s note SoonDeok’s reaction here. She isn’t worried about SamSoon getting a tongue-lashing from JungWoo. She’s worried that JungWoo will get another heart palpitation.

SoonDeok: (flattering JungWoo) Even your chest follows Confucius’ teachings. You truly are the paragon of a just scholar without error.

Then she inhales and exhales loudly to get JungWoo to copy her and calm down. But then, SamSoon gives a little yelp.

SS: (yelping)
SoonDeok: (moaning) What is it this time?

She doesn’t like SamSoon upsetting JungWoo again.

SS: (clinging to the Officer) Officer, are you still unmarried?
JungWoo: (yelling) Get away from each other!
SoonDeok: (exhorting them too) Get away.
JungWoo: Ggget away! Get away from each other!
SS: You are married?
Officer: That is correct.

SS is gleeful. SoonDeok looks astounded. And JungWoo collapses, lol.

This scene is comical but I like SoonDeok’s subtle displays of rapport with JungWoo.

c. When JungWoo passes her secret notes (like students do in class), he’s more romantic than she is.

He thinks that he’s getting a love letter from SoonDeok. He reads, “I am sad without limits if you are asking because you do not know my feelings. Once you see this letter, please tell your feelings to the trees or the sky. I want to hear your words through the winds if I can.”

He realizes too late that he’s only reading an extract from a novel when he reads the next line, “Cho Hui wrote the letter with a sincere heart for her fiancé.” He wonders who Cho Hui is. When he turns the paper over, he spots SoonDeok’s actual reply, “I will take care of it. From Yeojudaek.”

JungWoo: (in disbelief) Wait! She wrote just one sentence on the back of a used paper?!! She could have just told me this in person! Why make me hopeful for no reason at all by handing it to me?

Lol. I think he forgets why SoonDeok wrote him like that….

Despite being dissatisfied with her response, he folds her letter away in a box and uses the box as his pillow.

In contrast to JungWoo, SoonDeok notices right away that JungWoo has taken much care and effort to write to her. He wrote on a nice stationery and sprayed the letter with perfume. (Lol. I love the reversal of trope here! Usually, girls with their puppy love do this kind of thing.)

His first letter to her reads, “Yeojudaek, take note of this. Thank you for working hard for this matchmaking. Therefore, I will withdraw my order, telling you to stay three steps away. Also, do not be too wary of me for the convenience of our operations.”

That’s why SoonDeok’s communication is terse. She replies with the modern-day equivalent of “Noted” or “Understood” because he wrote his letter like it was an official missive. He wanted to tell her that they could be more casual and familiar with each other since they were working closely together. In his mind, the letter was romantic but, in reality, it came off as pedantic. The letter read like he was giving her an update on rules and regulations of proper conduct at their workplace.

His second letter, written after she didn’t respond to him, isn’t any better. He writes, “I get unprovoked palpitations when I am unanswered. So please reply to my opinion.”

That’s why SoonDeok wrote him back. He pressured her to write the letter. He would have a heart agitation if she didn’t.

Then, unlike JungWoo, she burns his letters after reading them. On the surface, it seems as if she doesn’t care about his letters. But her reason is because her matchmaking job must remain secret or else.

d. JungWoo asks for her name.

I wrote about it here.

I said that Lady SoHyun’s habit of calling SoonDeok as “GeunSeok’s omma” brings to our attention that SoonDeok’s individuality has been subsumed into her subservient roles in society. She’s a sister, a widow, a daughter-in-law, and a mother.

She’s called the traditional names after her familial relationships or for the service she performs for others. In her household, the servants call her “Young Madam” to differentiate her from her mother-in-law, Lady SoHyun. Then, as a matchmaker, she’s simply identified by the name of her hometown. Yeojudaek means a “woman from Yeoju.”

So, it’s significant that in this episode, JungWoo asks for her name. He’s the first one to show interest in her as a person.

JungWoo: What is your name?
SoonDeok: (no answer)
JungWoo: Do you not want to tell me? By chance, do you not have a name?
SoonDeok: (smiling at his shocked expression) You are the first one to ever ask my name since I started working as a peddler.
JungWoo: (clearing his throat out of embarrassment) Think of it as an honor. I will ask you one more time. What is your name?
SoonDeok: My name is…Soon Deok.
JungWoo: Soon Deok. That is a pretty name. And your age?
SoonDeok: I am two years older than you, Your Excellency.
Jungwoo: Twenty-seven. But how did you know my age?
SoonDeok: Were you not born in the Year of the Black Monkey? (teasing him) You are a famous celebrity in Hanyang.
JungWoo: What? As the Resentful Man?

Lol. He resents being known as the “Resentful Man.”

JungWoo: That is not fair. I must know about you as well.
SoonDeok: Like what?
JungWoo: All of it.
SoonDeok: (pausing) For what? Once this matchmaking ends, we will never see each other again.

Her hesitation betrays her feelings. She’s tempted by the idea of getting to know each other. But then, reality sets in. She can’t allow him to discover her true identity.

e. JungWoo protests SoonDeok’s plan to disguise herself as HwaRok.

My guess is he overrode SoonDeok’s plan and decided to take her place without telling her. He’s beginning to show the classic kdrama trope of a man in love sacrificing himself for his beloved. But I like how this show upends this trope when SoonDeok dives into the water and saves him, because unlike the stereotypical hero, he doesn’t know how to swim. Lol.

JungWoo: When I think about it now, I think I already made up my mind then that I should marry Yeojudaek.

I like how unequivocal he is about his endgoal: marriage to Yeojudaek. But at the same time, his last words are worrisome because he calls her Yeojudaek. If he finds out who SoonDeok really is, will he still be able to speak his truth with the same resolve?

That’s it for me. Have to move on.