Episode 11 of "Dear Hongrang" unfolds with a chilling revelation: the actual skeleton of Hong-rang is laid bare for all to see. Eul-ban's mother, the cook, imparts the grim news of his demise to the Sims family, her voice heavy with sorrow.
Has the real Hong-rang truly met his end?
A poignant flashback transports us to the poignant aftermath of Jae-yi’s mother’s memorial service. Hong-rang, eyes wide with disbelief, catches sight of his mother and the sinister shaman, Madam Gwigokja, concocting a talisman designed to claim Jae-yi's life. The talisman, perched precariously high, tempts Hong-rang into a perilous climb to dismantle it. However, fate conspires against him, and he plummets, his head striking a harsh, unforgiving stone.
The cook, stumbling upon his lifeless form, is seized by panic. Fearing the wrath of the Sims family, she conceals him, yet the guilt gnaws at her conscience, compelling her to seek assistance. But upon her return, Hong-rang is nowhere to be found. This is the tale she relates to the family, omitting crucial details.
Yet, another flashback peels back another layer of the tragedy. Gwigokja discovers Hong-rang just as the cook flees for help. With a cold command, she orders her henchman to eliminate the boy, sealing his fate.
In the present, Yeon-ui stubbornly refuses to accept Hong-rang's demise, insisting it's all a cruel deception. In a fit of disbelief, she scatters the remains, her heart shattered. Jae-yi, voice trembling with pain, accuses Yeon-ui's blind obsession with harming her as the catalyst for Hong-rang's downfall.
Secretly, Jae-yi tenders a humble grave for Hong-rang, where the impostor Hong-rang sits beside her, a poignant silent witness to her grief.
What ails Hong-rang? Hong-rang and Jae-yi share a night together, but as he slumbers peacefully, Jae-yi's gaze falls upon painful rashes marring his neck. Upon waking, Hong-rang's vision is blurred, and he struggles to draw breath. The next day, Mu-jin delivers a chilling revelation to Jae-yi: Hong-rang is on the brink of death, joining the ranks of the Grand Prince's victims, all of whom have succumbed or are in their dying throes.
Mu-jin uncovers the dark truth of Yeol-guk's collaboration with the Grand Prince, detailing their grim enterprise of kidnapping and torturing children. Despite Jae-yi's desperate search for a remedy, her efforts remain futile.
But why does the Grand Prince, also known as the Evil Painter, covet these kidnapped innocents? He views children as his living canvases, capturing the essence of life through his art. Six of them, in particular, serve as his talismans, destined to be sacrificed in a ritual aimed at attaining godlike status. With his left hand, he tattoos with ferocious brushstrokes, commanding Mu-jin to eliminate the assassins and bring Hong-rang to him, thereby completing his ritual.
Mu-jin discovers that the prince and Yeol-guk employed toxic substances such as alum and arsenic on the children's skin, transforming them into the ultimate human canvases. However, this has wreaked havoc on their lungs, manifesting in symptoms like seizures, stiffness, and vision loss.
When Hong-rang confronts the Grand Prince, the latter asserts his grandiose vision of leading the world into an ideal existence through his art. Delusional and possessed by a savior complex, he believes he has rescued the children by giving them a new mission. The Grand Prince's life matters little to him, for he is convinced that his legacy will endure through his painted children.
What befalls Yeol-guk? Convinced that the Grand Prince intends to make him the fall guy, Yeol-guk sets his sights on Hong-rang and embarks on a perilous journey to the assassin's lair in search of him. Amidst the fray, his men mistakenly slay Gyu-ha, while in a moment of harrowing accident, he pierces Kkot-nim with his blade. However, the anticipated joyful reunion never materializes as he starkly realizes that she is, in fact, the orchestrator of the entire scheme. To avoid confrontation with Hong-rang, who is notably absent, he deceives Kkot-nim into believing that he himself had ordered her demise and departs, leaving her to her fate. Furthermore, his suspicions aroused, he cruelly terminated his aide upon discovering the man's treacherous spying activities.
Unbeknownst to him, his defenses lowered, the assassins strike at his very hearth. With a gun aimed squarely at his temple by Kkot-nim, Yeol-guk desperately pleads the truth, insisting that she alone holds his heart and that every act he committed was solely to avenge her perceived loss. Yet, unmoved by his protests, she拒绝相信 him and pulls the trigger, ending his life.
Turning to Yeon-ui's fate, with the Sims decimating the assassin ranks and subjecting In-hoe to unspeakable torments, Hong-rang resolves to seek justice for his fallen comrades while his strength permits. He stealthily procures the partition deed and slush fund ledgers concealed behind Grandfather Min's painting. Jae-yi, seizing the moment, hands over the incriminating ledgers to the authorities, exposing the Min Guild for its corruption and deceit.
Deluded by a twisted sense of reality, Yeon-ui clings to the notion that this entire saga is her son's ingenious plan to elevate their power. Hong-rang, however, shatters her illusions by revealing his true identity—not as her flesh and blood, but as Kkot-nim's. In a moment of mercy tinged with cruelty, he spares her life, condemning her to a lifetime of agonizing anticipation and pain.
Two years hence, Yeon-ui wanders through a haze of nostalgia, clinging to the hope that Hong-rang will someday return. The compassionate shaman, Gwigokja, takes pity on her and offers a semblance of comfort, vowing that her son—or rather, the son she believed him to be—will indeed return.
Does Mu-jin attain a sense of finality and peace? Defying the prince's directives, Mu-jin embarks on a perilous mission to eliminate Hong-rang. He ensnares homeless detectives as decoys, but his prince swiftly reproaches his flawed judgment, realizing Hong-rang would never jeopardize his life to rescue them—only Jae-yi matters to him. It transpires that the prince has abducted Jae-yi and commanded Mu-jin to terminate her, believing she tarnished his masterpiece, a euphemism for Hong-rang.
After the prince departs, Mu-jin rescues Jae-yi and endeavors to facilitate her escape. Though felled by the prince's henchmen, she steadfastly refuses to abandon him, addressing him as brother. Her forgiveness brings him solace, and he apologizes for aspiring to more than mere camaraderie. His loyal aide arrives, deceitfully assuring Mu-jin's survival to spare Jae-yi's distress. Hong-rang's arrival necessitates her departure to him.
Once Jae-yi is gone, Mu-jin expresses gratitude to his aide for unwavering loyalty. As he succumbs to his wounds, the joy of Jae-yi's acquaintance fills his heart.
How is the Grand Prince vanquished?
Mu-jin's aide, accompanied by steadfast guards, storms the Grand Prince's palace alongside Hong-rang. They liberate the sleuths, who in turn, set the abducted children free. Tortured by Mu-jin for assassin-related intelligence, In-hoe is frail when Hong-rang discovers him. Grief-stricken, Hong-rang watches In-hoe perish in his arms, his search for Jae-yi becoming increasingly desperate. Their eventual reunion ends in a passionate kiss, Hong-rang urging Jae-yi to lead the children to safety.
Upon Jae-yi's departure, Hong-rang collapses but manages to reach the prince's chamber. Faced with the prince, Hong-rang, driven by fury and logic, amputates the prince's hands. The prince's guards assault him, but Hong-rang eliminates them all, despite his severe injuries. Ultimately, Hong-rang emerges victorious, the Grand Prince no more.
Has the imposter Hong-rang succumbed to his fate? After slaying the prince, (the imposter) Hong-rang manages to stumble towards Jae-yi, his vision dimming and blood trickling from his lips. She dashes to his side, but mere moments before her grasp can reach him, darkness envelops his eyes. Amidst her tears, he confides in her how she has transformed his life, professing his undying love and his yearning to live alongside her. Jae-yi vows that they shall be united forever, even if separated by the veil of invisibility. However, his life force ebbs away as she continues to ramble about their shared dreams and aspirations.
Two years hence, Jae-yi stands at the helm of the Sim household. She has established an orphanage, managed by a team of homeless detectives, turning their fortunes around. On a serene spring evening, perched atop the roof, she finds herself lost in memories of Hong-rang. She幻想 him returning, his voice echoing in her mind as he calls out to her, bringing "Dear Hongrang" Episode 11 to a poignant close.
