Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Cheoljong's injuries leave Bong-hwan desperate to see him, while access to the king is controlled by the people surrounding his sickbed. Byeong-in interrogates the arrested guards, pressing them over their loyalty and the explosion. Kim Jwa-geun questions the queen about the missing ledger and uses her position to force a choice. Bong-hwan must weigh concern for Cheoljong against the threat of being destroyed alongside him.
Returning to the lake brings back more of So-yong's memories. Bong-hwan learns how her father profited from her marriage and how Jwa-geun expected her to spy on the king. The knowledge changes his dealings with both her father and Byeong-in. He stops treating So-yong's despair as a distant mystery and confronts the people who helped create it. Meanwhile, the queen's rooms become a target in the fight over documents and private messages.
Cheoljong returns to court and turns the explosion against his opponents. He had planned the blast himself, using the investigation to expose the handling of gunpowder and challenge Jwa-geun's power. His demands put pressure on the Grand Queen Dowager's regency, but the queen remains vulnerable. The ledger planted in her chambers and the letters exchanged with Cheoljong give their enemies another way to attack. After drinking with Court Lady Choi, Bong-hwan returns to bed and mistakes the person beside him for Hong-yeon. He wakes to discover Cheoljong there instead.