The fifth episode of Perfect Crown picks up where we left off, with Prince Yi-an deliberately crashing his car into Hui-ju's, bearing the full impact of the accident. By doing so, he saves her life and that of the king. Hui-ju sees him emerge from his wrecked car before she passes out.
Meanwhile, news of the accident reaches Yi-rang at the palace. She rushes to the Royal Hospital, where Jeong-woo updates her on the condition of the King. Thankfully, Yi-yoon has only minor bruises. Unfortunately, Hui-ju is unconscious, and Prince Yi-an is in surgery after injuring his shoulder. Yi-rang overhears that the King was in Hui-ju's car at the time of the accident. The media catches wind that she was the driver, and Jeong-woo tries to protect her.
He stops Yi-rang from confronting Hui-ju at the hospital and warns her that a public investigation would put the King at risk. Since he is young, the blame could potentially fall on him and jeopardize his position. After considering his words, she backs off. Before leaving the hospital, Jeong-woo orders more security for Hui-ju.
On the other side of the hospital, Court Lady Jin-sook and Choi-hyun await news of Prince Yi-an's surgery. The doctor informs them that it went well and that the prince is expected to make a full recovery.
In the meantime, King Yi-yoon wakes up and visits Hui-ju's room. As soon as she touches her hand, she wakes up. She is relieved to see that he is okay and assures him that the accident was not his fault. Upon learning that Prince Yi-an is in surgery, she rushes to see him.
She comforts and teases him about getting a minor bruise on his face. Choi-hyun leaves because he can't stomach these two. Prince Yi-an lovingly caresses the wound on her face. She is initially shocked, but he asks her to move closer and checks for himself that she is okay.
She jokes that he is acting as if he were deeply in love with her, and he simply smiles. She then asks him not to endanger his life for her again, but he says that depends on whether she puts him in such a position again.
Elsewhere, Tae-joon gets a call from his dad the following morning, asking him to keep up with the news about Hui-ju. The accident is costing the Castle group a lot.
Hye-jung rushes to the hospital to be with Hui-ju, the only one who cares enough to be there. She informs her boss that Hui-ju's father wants to see her, causing Hui-ju to feel hurt that her dad doesn't even ask how she's doing. Meanwhile, Hye-jung suggests releasing the dashcam footage to prove Hui-ju's innocence. However, Hui-ju explains that they can't do that because the King was with her, and the investigation must remain confidential. Frustrated, Hye-jung blames Prince Yi-an for all of Hui-ju's recent troubles and suggests calling off the marriage since they'll be divorced in three years anyway. Jeong-woo overhears this conversation and asks what she's referring to. Hui-ju reluctantly reveals that she's about to enter into a contract marriage with the prince for status, and Jeong-woo offers to marry her instead.
Outside the hospital, Hye-jung asks Choi-hyun if working at the palace is fun as she mentally prepares to join Hui-ju there once she marries the prince. In the King's room, Yi-rang insists that he be discharged since Prince Yi-an is also getting discharged. She doesn't want the King to be too out of sight, as people might start thinking he's obsolete.
Hui-ju is shocked to realize that Prince Yi-an left the hospital without saying goodbye. She tries to call him on her way home from work but gets no response. She returns his hopae reluctantly and leaves in disbelief.
That night, Prince Yi-an is plagued by what he heard Hui-ju say at the hospital. He feels hurt that she told Jeong-woo she's marrying him only for his status. Hui-ju texts him, challenging him to say whatever is going on to her face.
The next day, Hui-ju heads to the palace to talk to Prince Yi-an but runs into Yi-rang, who expresses relief in never having to teach Hui-ju about royal protocols. In their conversation, Prince Yi-an uses the old excuse from the book, breaking off the engagement to protect her. He informs her that someone messed with her car but promises to find and punish them. He also says he can't marry someone like her who makes enemies and breaks every rule, as it will lead to the crown's downfall. Hui-ju is too hurt by his words to defend herself.
To add to her pain, Hui-ju's dad summons her for a family meeting. Tae-joon believes she's just seeking attention as always. Her dad demands an explanation and gets even more offended when she says it's a minor lovers' quarrel. He blames her for the nosediving shares, and she counters that a few hits won't kill them since they all end up dead anyway. She storms off, claiming she's busy. She then calls Hye-jung and has her start an investigation into the man who last worked on her car.
At the private residence of Prince Yi-an, Choi-hyun confronts him about his decision to end his engagement with Hui-ju. The prince reflects on his mother's tragic accident, which he witnessed firsthand. He's haunted by her death, even in his dreams, and fears that Hui-ju could suffer the same fate. Jeong-woo had asked him to break off the engagement to protect Hui-ju, and the prince, being the self-sacrificing hero that he is, takes the blame for Hui-ju's accident. Despite wanting to step aside, he has prepared a special parting gift for her.
The parting gift is an invitation to the exclusive Inner Court Banquet, a prestigious event that only 20 scandal-free elite nobles receive. Hui-ju is disappointed that she didn't receive an invite and is offended when her PR team leader suggests hiring one of the invited ladies as their brand ambassador. Just then, Choi-hyun arrives with a special invitation and a dress from Prince Yi-an. Hui-ju turns down the invite, and no matter how many times Choi-hyun asks, she sends him away.
Prince Yi-an becomes frustrated with the rejection and sends her a text asking her to reject him in person. After all, he had to ask Yi-rang for a favor in return for breaking up with Hui-ju. They meet up, and Hui-ju calls him a coward. She threatens to hit one of his cats with an arrow, and he quickly moves to stop her, injuring his hand. As she wraps his wound with her scarf, she tells him that he should never bend to the oppressors' will. After all, she asked for his status, not a haven.
While treating Prince Yi-an's wound, Choi-hyun blames Hui-ju, but the prince defends her. He says that Hui-ju never crossed the line or released the arrow, meaning she had no intention of hurting him. Meanwhile, the Castle Beauty staff identify the man who messed with Hui-ju's car and realize that he used a Castle group card. Hui-ju turns to Tae-joon for help since he manages Castle Card.
Elsewhere, Joeng-woo reflects on how Hui-ju turned down his marriage proposal. She told him that he is merely a prime minister and should focus on his re-election. However, whatever happens, Prince Yi-an will always be royalty.
At home, Court Lady Jin-sook urges Prince Yi-an to reconsider his breakup with Hui-ju. He calls her and convinces her to attend the banquet, saying it's all for her sake. They apologize to each other.
In this scenario, the characters' emotions are vividly portrayed through their actions and words, creating a more engaging and dynamic story. The dialogue is more expressive and helps to convey the characters' thoughts and feelings more effectively.
The following day, Cho-hyun convened a meeting with Hui-ju and Hye-jung to discuss the etiquette for the upcoming banquet. The topic of Hui-ju's status arose once again, with her being a commoner expected to remain in the background. Hui-ju merely laughed at the absurdity of the situation.
The night before the banquet, Prince Yi-an requested a meeting. They went for a stroll, and Hui-ju practiced walking behind him, as was customary for those without status. As he dropped her off at home, he inquired about her walking skills. She challenged him to stick with her and offered to teach him.
On the day of the banquet, Yi-rang overheard some guests making jokes about the royal family and discussing Hui-ju's tardiness. Meanwhile, Tae-joon discovered the culprit who had tampered with Hui-ju's car, but the culprit had died the previous day.
Hui-ju arrived late at the banquet, dressed in a modern white suit, despite Choi-hyun's warning that Yi-rang would be wearing white. The media watched as she subtly challenged Yi-rang to publicly scold her. However, Yi-rang remained calm and only inquired about her modern attire. Hui-ju responded that she was unaware she couldn't choose a modern outfit and claimed she was late because she got lost in the palace.
The episode concluded with Yi-rang attempting to subtly make Hui-ju uncomfortable by suggesting a long walk through the royal garden during the heat. Suddenly, Prince Yi-an approached Hui-ju and asked her to teach him how to lead the way. He promised to fight with all he had, just like her, and they walked hand in hand, surpassing other noblewomen as they made their way towards Yi-rang. Some ladies swooned at the sight of the couple, while others turned green with envy.
The epilogue took us back to their high school days during an archery competition. Prince Yi-an hung back to praise Hui-je for winning, and she didn't take it as a compliment. Still, she remembered to bow before walking away. Jeong-woo witnessed the entire interaction. When Prince Yi-an asked for his opinion on Hui-ju, he responded by saying she was pretty, and the prince agreed.
