Se-ryung, he too finds himself drawn to the brave and beautiful girl. His dilemma grows when Grand Prince Suyang offers Se-ryung's hand in marriage to him in the hope of building an alliance with his politician father. Se-ryung learns that Seung-yoo is chosen as the candidate for Prince Consort and is devastated. Her cousin, Princess Gyeonghye understands the political import of marrying Seung-yoo and orders her not to meet Seung-yoo again, suspecting that the two are falling in love. Meanwhile, Seung-yoo and Se-ryung meet outside the palace again. However, they are tailed by Suyang's spies. Following their time together, Seung-yoo writes a letter to Se-ryung and sends it to the real Princess Gyeonghye, who, understanding that they met despite her orders, is furious. At the next lesson, she locks up Se-ryung and takes her place, thereby revealing the deception to Seung-yoo. However she hides Se-ryung's identity from him by calling her a palace maid who took her place. The letter discarded by Princess Gyeonghye falls into the hands of Suyang. Using the letter, he demands that Seung-yoo be disqualified as a candidate for Prince Consort, insinuating that he dishonored the Princess by meeting her outside the palace. When interrogated, Seung-yoo says he did not meet the Princess outside but hides Se-ryung's part in it to spare her danger. Learning of the danger to Seung-yoo's life, Se-ryung begs Princess Gyeonghye to intercede for Seung-yoo. Despite her intercession, the penalty for Seung-yoo's transgression is death. Suyang discovers Se-ryung when she secretly visits Seung-yoo in prison and is horrified to learn of their dalliance. Relieved that Seung-yoo does not know who she is, he agrees to save Seung-yoo if she never meets him again and never reveals her identity to him. Kim Jong-seo, desperate to save his son, approaches Suyang for help and agrees to pay the humiliating price of resigning his Vice Premiership. Seung-yoo's sentence is commuted to temporary exile. In place of Seung-yoo, Jung Jong is chosen as Prince Consort, bringing a drastic change in his fortunes. He is smitten with the Princess from the beginning; however, she detests him. Se-ryung's relationship with Gyeonghye is also strained, with the Princess blaming her cousin for all the misfortunes she has undergone. King Munjong collapses on the day of his daughter's wedding and his health takes a turn for the worse. Seung-yoo is summoned back by his brother, in order to assist their