As Episode 7 of Moon River unfolds, we find Yi Kang collapsing and landing on Dal-i, who swiftly ushers him inside and calls for the healers. Upon his awakening, Yi Kang realizes the left minister's relentless quest to harm Dal-i, suggesting their souls may have been intertwined, allowing him to bear the brunt of the pain instead of her. He mutters cryptic remarks to Dal-i before retiring to his quarters.
Meanwhile, the news of Dal-i's narrow escape reaches the ears of the dowager queen, and the next day, Dal-i finds herself on a relentless pursuit by the dowager, who insists that the crown prince choose Dal-i as a concubine.
Je-woon, on the other hand, plots to postpone Yi Kang's revenge plan until he can marry Woo-hee, hoping to save her life and spare her from becoming a slave. However, his plan falters swiftly. Determined to confront Yi Kang, Dal-i arranges a meeting with both Je-woon and Yi Kang, forcing him to cease his avoidance.
During the meeting, Je-woon lies, claiming he has yet to find the son of the Zhen bird's owner in an attempt to delay Yi Kang's vengeance. However, the Qing boy bursts into the room, revealing Je-woon's deceit. Yi Kang is enraged by Je-woon's betrayal for Woo-hee and vows to no longer be a part of the plan. Se-dol and Shin-won take the Qing boy with them for interrogation.
Later, Je-woon returns to the palace and presents Yi Kang with a book filled with information on the Zhen bird. In exchange, he begs for Woo-hee's life to be spared. As Yi Kang and Dal-i discuss the matter, it becomes clear that the left minister still possesses the bird.
Elsewhere, Han-chul initiates a meeting with Mr. Heo, who, despite their prior connections, does not respond warmly to Han-chul's summons. When the minister brings up Dal-i's name, Mr. Heo firmly asserts his commitment to safeguarding her, warning Han-chul that any further push for revenge will render it futile.
That evening, the chief court lady conducts a search of Dal-i's quarters, uncovering the poetry Yi Kang had penned in his sleepless hours. As Dal-i and Yi Kang ponder whether the Zhen bird has a protector, we witness the chief court lady purchase poisonous insects and deposit them in the bird's lair. She then presents Han-chul with the letter found in Dal-i's room, instructing her to fabricate a scandal involving an affair with Je-woon.
Dal-i and Yi Kang subsequently meet with a physician versed in snake hunting, who has access to the poisonous insects the Zhen bird requires for its diet. Yi Kang and the physician join the snake hunters, showing them a picture of a masked man, drawn by the Qing boy in Je-woon's notes. However, none of the hunters recognize the masked figure. They then stumble upon a snake hunter's family, where two men have suddenly passed away, exhibiting signs of having been killed by the Zhen bird's poison.
Yi Kang speaks with the old widow, learning that it was indeed the masked man who had caused their demise. She also gives him a small incense pouch that the man had dropped as he fled.
Back at the palace, the dowager queen convenes a meeting with the prince, revealing to Dal-i that Yi Kang had been kidnapped and nearly administered infertility medicine.
As Yi Kang returned to the town, he stumbled upon Dal-i's parents and Hong-nan. They swiftly bound him up and revealed their plan to take Dal-i to Qing. In a heart-to-heart conversation later, Yi Kang and Dal-i unveiled the truth about their body swap to their respective families. Hong-nan, in a somber moment, confided in Yi Kang about Dal-i's memory loss and implored him to promise that he would send her away as soon as their bodies were restored to their rightful selves.
Yi Kang, burdened with guilt, shared with Dal-i the tale of the snake hunter's family and his helplessness to protect anyone. Dal-i, touched by his selflessness, reminded him that he had saved her life when the chief court lady had kidnapped him. Her heart swelled further when he confessed his desire to safeguard her dream of starting a family and asked if he felt anything for her.
Suddenly, the chief court lady appeared, announcing that Dal-i would be arrested for having an affair with Je-woon. It transpired that the left minister had used the king's authority to issue a royal command for her arrest.
Yi Kang found himself in prison, but he urged Dal-i not to intervene, leading to a heated argument between them. Back in the prince's quarters, Dal-i searched for other letters written by Yi Kang to the crown princess, determined to prove that the current letter bore the same handwriting. She planned to confess that she had written the letter to secure Yi Kang's release from jail.
As she perused the poems Yi Kang had penned, Dal-i realized that he must have feelings for her. She then approached the dowager queen, announcing that the prince intended to take Dal-i as a concubine. The dowager queen immediately called for Dal-i's release, but by then, the chief court lady had already initiated Dal-i's punishment—flogging.
Upon hearing this, Dal-i rushed towards Yi Kang, who had already endured several lashes on his back. She threw herself in between them, taking the whip's brunt for him. As a result, both Yi Kang and Dal-i's blood mingled in the rain, sparking a glowing aura around them. They both fainted for a few moments, only to awaken with their bodies switched back to their original selves.
In an epilogue, Woo-hee is seen telling her father that she will do as he desires. In exchange, she asks him to spare Je-woon.
