Soo-in makes her tearful departure with Yoon-kang, to enter service at the palace.
There are multiple reasons that becoming a court lady is seen by Soo-in’s loved ones as a terrible thing. Her mother doesn’t want to lose another family member to the terrible vicissitudes of court life, certainly, but more importantly, a court lady is giving her loyalty to the king. She may be chosen to be the king’s consort and can marry him, but not anyone else; outside relationships were forbidden and punishable by law. (Granted, there were exceptions and court ladies could sometimes retire from service, but that required the king’s permission.) Thus Soo-in is giving up much more than temporary freedom; she could find herself bound for life.
It also makes this feel much more like betrayal when Yoon-kang charges straight to Teacher Kim Ok-kyun and confirms that he’d pressed Soo-in to make the decision. Yoon-kang reminds him that he’d told him Soo-in was more dear to him than his own life, and asks bleakly, “How could you do this? Why did you steal Soo-in from me? Why did you take away my last hope?!”
Kim Ok-kyun says that it was Soo-in’s choice, and that she did it for Yoon-kang’s sake—she sacrificed herself in the hopes that Yoon-kang’s name could be cleared and stop living as a fugitive. Yoon-kang is furious and hears these as excuses, but Kim Ok-kyun tells him there’s one way to get Soo-in back: “You must succeed in this task.”
Poor Yoon-kang, who rages futilely. Here’s a case where the ends seem justified, but the means? Well, they’re just as manipulative as the bad guys. Does that make it just as bad, or does the noble goal mitigate how they’re using Yoon-kang for their ends?
The young slave boy from the mines (who stole food from Yoon-kang’s house) approaches Yoon-kang, having heard that he rushed him to the doctor last time after he was knocked out by the horse. He’s been hiding here in this abandoned house because he’s a runaway, and has already guessed that Yoon-kang is the (in)famous Black Gunman of the Full Moon. He asks if Yoon-kang is also here because he has nowhere to go, and Yoon-kang sighs that it’s true.
The boy encourages him to be strong, because he’s the Black Gunman: “There are lots of people like me—you have to save them, like you saved me.”
Soo-in enters the palace, and Ho-kyung watches her with sad eyes.
Meanwhile, Jung-hoon has decided to become a palace guard after all, following Officer Moon into service. He declines the offer to join the corps being trained with guns, because he doesn’t like them—swords are way cooler. I’m pretty sure Officer Moon wants to smack him. Jung-hoon assumes that guard life will be easy and that they’re not facing any uprisings, but when Officer Moon says that it’s their duty to face those sudden threats, he tries to back out, only to be told there are no take-backs on palace service.
That’s when Jung-hoon also sees Soo-in among the court lady ranks. There’s no time to talk, though, and he is left utterly confused.
Watch the next episode Joseon Gunman
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