Before writing on Episode 13, I’m answering @birdie007’s comment here. She posted:

I, too, feel like he loves her more than she loves him. I think the reason I like this heroine so much is for the same reason I liked the heroine in The Red Sleeve—their practicality. However, I like this hero more. It feels like he truly loves her whereas Jun Ho’s character came across selfish and only wanted to possess her and I stayed annoyed by him.

@birdie007,

Oh! You’re watching this too? Lol. I know that these write-ups are getting clicks but I don’t track who these silent readers/lurkers are.

I don’t think we’re a minority. There are many viewers like us who sense the inequality or lopsided affections in this relationship…at least up to Episode 12. It’s a justified observation because:

a) Yi Yeol is more vocal about his feelings for her.

And no, don’t give me that argument that during the Joseon era, women weren’t allowed to have a public presence. That reasoning went out the window when EunJo kissed him on their second meeting and rejected him. Even before she knew he was the Grand Prince, she didn’t hesitate letting him know her opinions and feelings on many things.

And since I’m being honest here, let me confess this, too. In the first few episodes, I did entertain the thought that Yi Yeol was “love bombing” her. Haha.

b) We’re supposed to sympathize with Yi Yeol.

Romcoms like this one is written with the female viewers in mind, and we have a very defined and clear standards of what our fantasy hero is. I’m sure the screenwriter knew our “red flags” even back in 2000 when this script won the award.

She (or he?) wrote Yi Yeol as some sort of wish-fulfillment of our idealized hero. He’s rich, powerful, intelligent, kind to children and elderly (what about dogs?), generous, hyper-focused on the needs of EunJo, sarcastic, ethical, and funny.

In short, he’s perfect.

We’re rooting for him to win EunJo’s love and we’re annoyed when she spurns him. Remember this scene with the Queen Dowager in Episode 9?

QD: Where is Hong Si? I’m worried her sick leave is getting prolonged?
YY: (prevaricating) How could I possibly know about every single ailing court lady?
QD: But you should know. That court lady is surely the woman you said you’d never forget in your lifetime. Does she have lineage? What about honor? Wealth?
YY: Are you going to ask where she is next?
QD: If she has none of those, then where she is doesn’t matter.
YY: I was rejected. Long ago.
QD: What? Rejected? What are you lacking? What part of your face even deserves rejection? How dare she! (standing up) Lead the way. Where is she?
YY: And now you’re curious?

I found this scene funny because we’re no different from the Queen Dowager. We become like a Mama Bear protecting her cub from perceived harm and slights.

c) EunJo doesn’t think much about him.

It’s always Yi Yeol who pursues her, wears his heart on his sleeve, provides for her needs, dies for her….

And she — let me itemize this —

she rejected him once,
almost killed him once,
begrudged him her mom’s chicken soup once,
rejected him once (no! thrice),
told him to get lost thrice, and
endangered herself more than once, without considering that she’s residing in his body.

The last part is what irked me the most.

You see, I view the concept of the body swap as similar to pregnancy. That is, once you know that your body is sharing space with another human and sheltering this helpless human temporarily within your body, you naturally, instinctively change your behavior. You treat your body more carefully to protect that growing human inside of you. Like, you STOP smoking, horseback riding, drinking wine, lifting heavy things, taking medicines (without consulting the doctor), boxing, rock-climbing, skiing on the blue trails (yeah, I did this), wearing 4-inch heels (this, too), and eating sushi (I did this, too).

Because there’s two of you to consider, not just one.

Likewise, the body swap should have prompted EunJo to view her body no longer as one person, but a two-in-one.

Many viewers previously compared the body swap experience to walking in the other person’s shoes, but I say it’s more intimate than that. It’s living in the other person’s skin.

In my opinion, EunJo simply doesn’t get the implication of the body swap, but Yi Yeol grasps it early on.

For instance, in Episode 5, he immediately instructed the three Im men to show EunJo the respect she deserved as the widow of their late patriarch. Sure, he was residing in EunJo’s body at that time, but he was doing this for EunJo’s sake, not for himself.

Meanwhile, what did she do? In Episode 6, she befriended Haerim, mindless of the misperception their close interaction would cause the Grand Prince. Ugh! As much as I now enjoy the friendship of these two ladies, I so disliked that she didn’t think of his reputation and welfare.

To me, the difference between Yi Yeol and EunJo couldn’t have been more obvious in Episodes 5 and 6. In dealing with her in-laws, he put an end to their rough treatment of her. In dealing with Haerim, she exposed him to rumors.

Ever since then, I’ve had niggling doubts about her feelings for him.

Lol. Do you want more receipts? 

d) Lastly, it’s our human nature.

We all know that “action speaks louder than words” but it’s a fact of life that without words declaring eternal devotion, then ambiguity and confusion ensue.

As much as actions are good in proving one’s love, we also need the WORDS! to provide transparency and give reassurance.

On that account, it’s clear to many of us that he loves her deeply but we remain uncertain of the depths of her feelings for him as of Episode 12.

(I won’t give spoilers about Episode 13.)