Episode 7 of "The Haunted Palace" kicks off with an eerie scene where the male drowned ghost, dripping with black water, spits it onto Yeo-ri while uttering a curse. Gangcheori, without hesitation, leaps into action, his fists flying as he forces the ghost to flee in retreat. Pung-san, sensing every twist and turn, beams with satisfaction, knowing his machinations are unfolding as planned.
Yeo-ri, now feeling a sudden wave of weakness, allows Gangcheori to insistently scoop her up in his arms. Caught in a trance-like state, she momentarily drifts before snapping back to reality. Embarrassed, she confesses that her attraction to Yoon Gap's physique has inadvertently drawn her closer to Gangcheori. The Imugi, an amused observer, finds her revelations quite entertaining.
Inside the palace, the King subjects the court ladies to a grim ordeal, his torturous methods sending shivers down their spines. Meanwhile, Aeng-du, the treacherous mole within the court, was initially recruited by the Queen Mother. A haunting flashback reveals Pung-san cleverly going against the Queen Mother's wishes, bribing Aeng-du to conceal the skull within the Queen's chambers, a move shrouded in secrecy.
Switching to the present, a sneaky guard slips a poisoned note to Aeng-du, who, filled with false hope of rescue, falls victim to its lethal contents. Her demise is swift and tragic, a grim reminder of the palace's treacherous underbelly.
At the Yoons' residence, Mrs. Yoon and Gangcheori continue their playful yet poignant charade with the medicine. As they argue, Gangcheori notices that Mrs. Yoon has sold her cherished hairpin to procure another batch of the elusive remedy. Deeply aware that the medicine might not yield a miracle, she finds solace in the act of trying, her heart warming with the belief that she is, at least, doing something for her son. Gangcheori, initially annoyed, eventually succumbs to her plea and swallows the potion. In the adjacent room, Yeo-ri's thoughts keep drifting towards Gangcheori, but she dismisses them, chalking it up to her lingering feelings for Yoon Gap.
Meanwhile, the guards unearthed a trove of luxurious jewels in Aeng-du's chambers, undeniably implicating her as the traitor within. In response, the King entrusted the matter to Minister Kim, his maternal grandfather, whom he alone deemed trustworthy.
The following day, Gangcheori sought Bibi's assistance in tackling the enigmatic 8-foot ghost, but the younger Imugi remained skeptical, convinced that Gangcheori was merely toying with Yeo-ri's affections. Meanwhile, Queen Mother rebuked Pung-san for his ruthless plot against an innocent fetus. With a masterful manipulation of words, Pung-san convinced her that the idea was hers all along, reminding her of their shared mission to avenge Yeong-in by inflicting pain upon the King whenever she wavered. Upon his departure, Court Lady Han disclosed to the Queen Mother that Yeo-ri was the King's shaman.
Elsewhere, the King was engrossed in making offerings to Yoon Gap, a cherished friend whose soul he fervently wished to find peace. Transitioning to the ghostly investigation, Yeo-ri and Gangcheori were convinced that the drowned male spirit was somehow intertwined with the 8-foot apparition. Her keen eyes caught sight of a childlike ghost pestering the palace kids, sparking an idea in her mind.
Suddenly, she intercepted Bibi as he attempted to consume Minister Kim, stepping in to halt his advance. Gangcheori soon arrived, siding with Yeo-ri until Bibi retreated. Pung-san, who had been an unnoticed observer throughout the confrontation, concluded that Yeo-ri was colluding with two Imugis. When left alone, Gangcheori reasoned that Bibi only preyed on spiteful and wicked men. However, Yeo-ri pondered if Bibi had misjudged, considering Minister Kim's revered reputation.
By sheer coincidence, Kwak's inner circle finds itself discussing the tragic fate of their colleague, Minister Kang, who had been victimized by Bibi's ravenous appetite. The conversation inevitably drifts towards the whispers surrounding Bibi, with Kwak convinced that he himself holds sway over Yoon Gap. Later that evening, the King makes an unexpected visit to Choi's residence to deliberate on the pressing matter of slave reform. Choi Won-u, citing ailing health, has retreated into seclusion and refuses to return to the court's turmoil. He harbors doubts about the feasibility of such reform and dismisses the King with a firm refusal. As the royal entourage prepares to depart, the sinister one-legged ghost hurls a tile at Choi, narrowly missed thanks to a swift-acting royal guard. The ghost, thwarted in its attempt, seethes with frustration.
Meanwhile, Yeo-ri manages to ensnare the mischievous child ghost, but her interrogation yields only a cryptic clue: the individual who hung the talisman is a eunuch with fingers stained black by ash. The camera pans to reveal Pung-san's assistant, whose fingertips are indeed darkened from cleaning the ashes in their hidden lair.
Elsewhere, the Queen falls gravely ill, her neck and abdomen marred by painful blisters. Her Court Lady Oh relates her nightmarish plight to the King, prompting him to summon Yeo-ri. However, Yeo-ri is already engaged with the Queen Mother, who subjects her to a probing examination, beginning to question the veracity of Pung-san's assertions. Just as tensions escalate, the King bursts in, his urgency clashing with the Queen Mother's reluctance to release Yeo-ri. He confronts his stepmother about her suspicious mole, maintaining respect despite their strained relation. The Queen Mother resents his righteousness but acknowledges that it is precisely this trait that precludes him from harming his brother. Reluctantly, she permits Yeo-ri to depart, but the shaman collapses, revealing identical blisters on her skin—a grim testament to the male drowned ghost's curse that now afflicts both women.
Amidst this turmoil, Pung-san receives an update from Court Lady Han that surprises him: Yeo-ri hails from Yongdam village.
Returning to the omnipresent curse, the solitary means of breaking its hold lies in capturing the elusive ghost. Gangcheori, resolute, devises a daring plan: to use the King as decoy. The King, driven by his desperate desire to save the Queen, reluctantly concurs. As preparations intensify, Bibi confronts Gangcheori, having come to the realization that his heart has been ensnared by Yeo-ri. Gangcheori, deaf to Bibi's warnings, reacts with fury when Bibi declares Yeo-ri a hopeless endeavor.
That night, Gangcheori, accompanied by the two royal guards and the King, ventures to the riverbank. To entice the ghost, the King must surrender his precious ghostbane stone. The guards attempt to intervene, but Gangcheori provokes the King, labeling him a coward. The King, enraged, teeters on the brink of violence. In a heated moment, the King confesses his hatred for Gangcheori and declares Yoon Gap his true confidant. This altercation mirrors the bitter disputes Gangcheori shares with Yeo-ri, leaving Gangcheori distraught as he perceives himself outshone by Yoon Gap in the hearts of others.
As they endure the wait, their words turn into sharp barbs. Gangcheori finds it perplexing that the King's marriage should be genuine. The King reveals that his affection for the Queen stems from a protective instinct, as she arrived at the palace in her tender youth. Moreover, the King and Yeo-ri are entwined by an ancestral curse of misfortune.
In the break of dawn, Yeo-ri is gripped by a vision. Awakening with urgency, she alerts the Head Eunuch, warning of a looming trap. They race towards the riverbank, but fate has already sealed their fate.
Having endured the long vigil, the King sacrifices his own blood to summon the drowned ghost. It emerges at last, its grasp deadly, and pulls the King beneath the waters, concluding the gripping seventh episode of The Haunted Palace.
