Episode 9 kicks off with the crown princess, her voice tinged with desperation, imploring the king to dissolve her union with the crown prince. When the king stands firm in his refusal, the princess comes to a harrowing realization: her only path to freedom from this forced marriage lies in death itself. In a moment of despair, she attempts to drown herself in the depths, only to be rescued narrowly but left clinging to life in a perilous state.
Elsewhere, Jang-won, intent on seeking out Choi Hwan, serendipitously encounters the woman who had previously been victimized by Hwa-ing. His pursuit leads him to Choi Hwan’s publishing house, which has transformed into a sanctuary for numerous women seeking refuge.
News of the crown princess’s precarious condition spreads like wildfire, prompting Ji-won to renew her plea with the king for an annulment. However, the king’s stance remains unyielding, a steadfast believer in the sanctity of marriage within the royal circle, refusing to countenance divorce. Meanwhile, Ji-won’s husband pays a visit to the crown prince, reinforcing his conviction in the prince’s suitability to ascend the throne.
With the king’s refusal to budge, Ji-won and Hwa-ri galvanize women from all walks of life to rally behind their cause. They urge these women to pen petitions, their words a testament to their shared plight. Around this same time, Hwa-jin enters the palace, where Hwa-ri brings her up to speed on the unfolding drama. Additionally, it transpires that Choi Hwan has played a pivotal role in helping Hee-ryeon escape the confines of the city, offering her a glimmer of hope amidst the turmoil.
During a clandestine gathering shrouded in secrecy, Choi Hwan and the uncle of the crown prince, Jang-won, met in hushed tones, unbeknownst to them, with Jang-won as an unintended observer. The serendipitous twist occurred when an assailant’s victim, in her distress, let fall a Christian cross, catching Jang-won’s keen eye. Intrigued and seeking clarification, he sought counsel from his father, who unveiled a Forgotten tale: Park Si-hoon, both uncle to the crown prince and brother to the queen, had been banned for his Western doctrines, outlawed by the rigid laws of the land.
Elsewhere, in a parallel narrative thread, Hwa-ri, Hwa-jin, and their circle of friends embarked on a mission to persuade their mothers to lend their signatures to pivotal petitions. In a poignant moment, Hwa-ri, with bated breath, confessed to her mother that she was the pen behind the controversial "Chun-hwa’s Love Story."
The following day, within the hallowed halls of the king’s court, ministers imparted to the monarch the distressing news of Choi Hwan’s connection to Park Si-hoon. Suspicions loomed large that the novel, "Chun-hwa’s Love Story," harbored Si-hoon’s forbidden ideas, prompting calls for Choi Hwan’s immediate apprehension. Consequently, Jang-won confronted Choi Hwan, confronting him with the cross that had come to symbolize so much. Choi Hwan, with a heart unbowed, confessed to lending a helping hand to those in dire need, regardless of their adherence to Western teachings, while steadfastly denying his own Christian faith. Jang-won, sensing impending doom, urged Choi Hwan to depart discreetly before matters spiraled out of control.
That very night, Choi Hwan summoned Hwa-ri to a secret rendezvous. Under the veil of darkness, he unveiled the clandestine printing press, a sanctuary where lost souls found solace through the labor of printing books. He confided in her that among those who toiled there were Christians, shunned by society. With Si-hoon now incarcerated, Choi Hwan implored Hwa-ri’s assistance, revealing that his courtship of her had been a calculated move to further his mission of aiding the marginalized and persecuted.
Hwa-ri, her heart shattered by the revelation of his true motives, agreed to aid the innocent, yet severed their bond, realizing that from the outset, she had been but a pawn in his larger game.
