Contains spoilers for this episode and earlier episodes.
Bong-hwan's declaration that the queen tried to end her own life saves Hwa-jin from immediate blame but creates a new danger for So-yong. Asked why she did it, he avoids answering by pretending to faint. Her father and attendants fear for her, while Byeong-in grows more suspicious of Cheoljong. The Grand Queen Dowager is angry that the queen challenged her authority and threatens to restrict her life inside the palace.
The lake still has too little water for Bong-hwan's planned return home, leaving him trapped among people who expect explanations he cannot honestly provide. More of So-yong's unhappiness emerges through memories of the night before her fall. Cheoljong's rejection, her position in the Kim family's plans and her exchanges with Byeong-in all belong to a life Bong-hwan has inherited without choosing. Hwa-jin also remembers her own confrontation with So-yong by the lake.
Bong-hwan returns to cooking, using his food to soften the Grand Queen Dowager's anger even as rival ministers consider removing the queen. When heavy rain arrives, he sees a chance to fill the lake and celebrates outside. Cheoljong mistakes that joy for something connected to their troubled marriage and approaches with an apology. Once the water is deep enough, Bong-hwan jumps in, expecting to leave Joseon behind. Cheoljong follows him into the lake and pulls him back to the surface.