Episode 5

Episode 5 leans heavily into the romantic comedy side of the series. Se-gye becomes increasingly confused by Seo-ri’s behavior and decides that if he wants to understand her, he needs to win her over. The problem is that Seo-ri is not exactly making things easy for him. Her unpredictable personality keeps him guessing, and his usual methods of getting what he wants do not work nearly as well on her.

Seo-ri also has problems outside her relationship with Se-gye. Her work as an actress brings its own set of challenges, including a difficult co-star and the politics that exist behind the scenes. Interestingly, Dan-sim’s experience with palace politics turns out to be surprisingly useful in the entertainment industry. Different clothes, different century, same human behavior.

This is one of the episodes where Lim Ji-yeon’s performance becomes particularly entertaining because Dan-sim’s personality is completely out of place in the modern entertainment world, yet she somehow manages to handle the situation with confidence.

Se-gye’s efforts to win Seo-ri’s heart also reveal a softer side of him. He is still arrogant and competitive, but the audience begins to see that his feelings are becoming genuine. The man who normally treats everything like a business transaction is beginning to discover that love does not come with a negotiation strategy.

Episode 5 is therefore one of the lighter and more enjoyable chapters of the season. It keeps the romance moving forward while using Seo-ri’s career to create some funny situations and additional character development.