In the third episode of "Perfect Crown," we see Prince Yi-an and Hui-ju arrive at the palace, with the media in hot pursuit, seeking answers from the prince. As he turns to help Hui-ju out of the car, it's clear that this is already an answer in itself. The two head inside the palace.
Flashing back to their meeting before the public reveal, Prince Yi-an dared Hui-ju to face the nation and prove herself worthy by swaying public opinion. Her company's PR team quickly sprang into action, promoting her story as that of a commoner, Hui-ju, who had managed to capture the heart of Prince Yi-an.
At present, Court Lady Choi Jin-sook informs Prince Yi-an that the Queen Mother is summoning him. He reluctantly yet sweetly asks Hui-ju to make herself comfortable while he meets Yi-rang. In that meeting, Yi-rang demands an apology for the scandal, and Prince Yi-an assures her that he is serious about Hui-ju. He brings up the pregnancy rumor and teases that such a thing won't happen.
After the meeting, Prince Yi-an is surprised to see that Choi-hyun is not guarding Hui-ju. He rushes to her side and finds her feeding the young king. Prince Yi-an is not pleased and worries that if the king falls sick, Hui-ju will be faulted. The young king tries to explain that he was having trouble sleeping, and Hui-ju was just helping; however, Prince Yi-an has none of that. He summons Court Lady Lim and has her take the disappointed young king away.
Afterwards, Hui-ju asks if Prince Yi-an will be on her side if she ever argues with the queen mother. He is flustered by the question and assures her that he will pick her side.
This episode beautifully showcases the complexities of power, love, and loyalty within the palace, with each character struggling to find their place amidst the turmoil. The scene where Prince Yi-an rushes to Hui-ju's side and defends her against the young king's illness adds an emotional depth to their relationship, highlighting their mutual trust and support.
He adds that he must act as if he is deeply infatuated with her, so that people will believe in their burgeoning romance. Mind you, he is sharing this game plan with her, leaning in close to her and smiling as they sit at the table together! He then requests the palace staff to prepare his room for Hui-ju, as they will be sharing it. Court Lady Jin-sook is against it, but what else can she do but obey?
Prince Yi-an and Hui-ju end up sharing the bed and fighting over the blanket. The nosy staff misunderstands what is happening and assumes the couple is getting all hot and heavy! The following morning, Prince Yi-an oversleeps, shocking even Choi-hyun.
Meanwhile, Hui-ju heads to work in the same outfit she was pictured entering the palace in. She tells Hye-jung that she wants people to know she slept at the palace. She goes on to read the comments about her since she is trending. While Hye-jung stresses, Hui-ju takes both the negative and positive comments calmly with a dose of humor.
Back at the palace, Sung-woon talks to the scared young king and tries to comfort him. Like the former king, Yi-yoon is scared. This takes Sung-woon back to the wedding day of King Hui-jong. Prince Yi-an tried to save his brother from the marriage, but his efforts were in vain. The king still followed through with his decision, forcing Prince Yi-an to abandon him to the consequences of his actions.
With Prince Yi-an's public declaration of his love for Hui-ju, the queen mother feigns sickness to stall any wedding announcement. It turns out that royal celebrations can't be announced if an elderly royal is sick. At the same time, Prime Minister Jeong-woo drops by Hui-ju's office to ask why she wants to marry Prince Yi-an. She claims that she loves him and wants to marry him before the royal family marries him off to someone else. She asks for his help. However, Jeong-woo later confesses to a priest that he is conflicted about his feelings for Hui-ju. He admits that he has liked her since they were in high school.
At the end of a long day, Hui-ju calls Prince Yi-an to discuss a recently published article that was swiftly taken down. As they converse, four high school students attack Hui-ju and start egging her in the parking lot of her building. She handles it like a seasoned professional, calmly and confidently putting them in their place.
Upon returning home, Hui-ju finds her father waiting for her. He accuses her of pulling a media stunt with the royal family for attention, blaming her for entering his life and causing his wife's death when she revealed that she was his illegitimate child. He also accuses her of being greedy for seeking the same attention as her brother and insisting on fair treatment. However, this is not how Hui-ju remembers her demands. She warns her father not to push her too far in his desire to protect Tae-joo.
Meanwhile, Prince Yi-an is kept busy at the palace with a pile of work since the Queen Mother is indisposed. Despite this, he calls Hui-ju back and realizes she seems down. He drops by Subway to get her sandwiches and shows up at her doorstep. She is shocked but her mood quickly changes as they eat and talk. He is relieved to see her in better spirits.
Once she tells him about being attacked by the high school students, he insists on taking her to his private residence. The staff are shocked to see her move in and how sweet the couple is acting around them. Thankfully, Hui-ju quickly gets along with the staff. Of course, A-reum continues to snoop around.
In the meantime, Hui-ju offers to help Prince Yi-an with his workload. She ends up being a distraction by asking so many questions, including why he is marrying her. He says it's for her money and beauty, adding that she's the only person who would understand him if he wanted to claim the crown. He then explains the royal ancestral rites to her when she says she has never attended her family's.
Back at the palace, Yi-rang calls someone and asks them to start an investigation. The following morning, Yi-rang sets about making a few decisions regarding the upcoming Inner Court banquet, insisting that she wants only exemplary, talented characters with innate nobility. She gets a text and suddenly cancels her itinerary.
The scene shifts to men in black suits storming Prince Yi-an's private residence and accusing Hui-ju of being the main suspect in the royal fire. It turns out that Hui-ju has not always been pro-royal family and has called for its abolition. The staff try to help her, but the men insist on taking her to the palace for questioning. Before leaving, Hui-ju tries to call Prince Yi-an but he is unreachable since phones aren't allowed during the royal ancestral rite ceremony.
Hui-ju somehow gets a hold of Prince Yi-an's hopae and asks Young-moon to use it to get Hye-jung inside the palace. Already, Hye-jung is on her way to save her boss. Using the hopae, Young-moon gets Hye-jung inside. She summons Choi-hyun who gets Prince Yi-an who arrives just in time before the men and Hui-ju make it to the interrogation room in the palace.
As he confronts the men, the Queen Mother arrives, insisting that Hui-ju was discovered lurking around the restricted areas of the palace on the night of the fire. As expected, Prince Yi-an defends Hui-ju and points out that the Queen Mother has insufficient evidence. Yi-rang responds by claiming that she only needs to stir things up to ruin Hui-ju's reputation and her company. Hui-ju is pissed but Prince Yi-an holds her back.
He dares Yi-rang to accompany him for questioning, assuming that by summoning Hui-ju, she is also declaring herself a suspect. Yi-rang wonders if it's all a bluff. Just then, Hui-ju feigns fainting, and the others play along. Prince Yi-an swiftly scoops her up and demands that Yi-rang show up at the Anhwadang if she's so eager to question Hui-ju. Everyone is stunned by how protective Prince Yi-an is towards Hui-ju. Once they are alone, Hui-ju jokes about how news of his fierce love for her will quickly spread throughout the palace. He doubts it, but true to Hui-ju's words, the palace staff can't stop talking about how they are meant to be. True love, they say!
Meanwhile, Prince Yi-an tells Hui-ju that Yi-rang won't come for her now that he's standing in her way. As for Yi-rang, she's furious and asks Court Lady if she buys the love story between Prince Yi-an and Hui-ju. After the incident, Prince Yi-an lovingly sees Hui-ju off and remains behind to work, lest Choi-hyun kill him. The staff at his private residence give Hui-ju a heroic welcome. She, in turn, thanks them for their help.
In the evening, Prince Yi-an calls her before bed, and they laugh about all the antics he's pulled to prove their 'love.' She asks if she should do the same. She gets ready and leaves in his car. She heads to the palace, where the two meet over the royal fence. She gives him tea and some vitamins to help him sleep, knowing that he never called the doctor back to help with his insomnia. She starts joking about what a supportive wife she will be.
Suddenly, he reaches out for her face and asks her to stay still as he kisses her. The petals start falling around them, and Hui-ju is caught off guard by the kiss. In the epilogue, we see that Prince Yi-an gave Hui-ju his hopae to use when she's afraid. He tells her that it will summon him when she asks if it will summon a dragon.
