Season synopsis
Contains spoilers for this season and earlier seasons.
After a fall into a swimming pool, modern-day Blue House chef Jang Bong-hwan wakes in Joseon as Queen Kim So-yong, whose wedding to King Cheoljong is already arranged. He looks for a way back to his own time while trying to survive palace life and bringing his contemporary cooking into the royal kitchens. Cheoljong appears to be a pliable ruler, but he is secretly gathering evidence against the Andong Kim clan that controls the court. The queen’s unpredictable conduct pulls her into his plans, and So-yong’s recovered memories and feelings complicate Bong-hwan’s effort to treat the body as someone else’s.
As the queen and king grow closer, Bong-hwan helps Cheoljong challenge corrupt ministers and turn court factions against one another. Hwa-jin admits she was not the child who comforted Cheoljong in the well, and Byeong-in discovers Bong-hwan inhabits the queen’s body while So-yong’s memories persist. The queen becomes pregnant, prompting rivals to spread rumors. Cheoljong leaves to protect her; when he is presumed dead and a child is named to replace him, the queen leaves the palace to find him. Byeong-in turns against his pursuers.
Byeong-in dies at the hands of his father’s assassin-spy while protecting the queen. Cheoljong then rescues her, and they gather support and find a way back into the palace. Both are shot after entering the courtyard, sending Bong-hwan back to his present-day body as So-yong regains control of hers and survives the night with the baby. The king’s allies secure the royal seal for Cheoljong, who stops the rival clans’ coronation and punishes the ministers behind the coup. So-yong takes authority in the inner court; in the present, Bong-hwan discovers Cheoljong’s changed legacy and learns he is now a protected whistleblower.