Episode 2 of "The Tale of Lady Ok" kicks off with a harrowing revelation for Gu-deok: the inn lies in ruins, its inhabitants deceased, and the ruthless bandits have vanished into thin air. The authorities, recognizing Grandma Ok's distinctive ring adorning Gu-deok's finger, escort her to the Ok family's estate.
With a heart heavy with sorrow and resolve, Gu-deok confides in Grandma Ok, explaining her inability to flee due to her deep-seated concern for her welfare. She is prepared to face any penalty, yet possesses crucial knowledge about the perpetrators. It transpires that Gu-deok's familiarity with the area led her to gather herbs near the lair of Sam-man and Cheon-bok, the notorious bandits.
In a bid to secure justice, Grandma Ok introduces Gu-deok to the officers as Tae-young, the heiress, realizing they would dismiss the word of a mere slave. She permits Gu-deok to continue her masquerade as Tae-young until the bandits are apprehended, with only Mak-sim, the senior slave, privy to the truth. They must tread with utmost caution, particularly around the venomous noble ladies of Cheongsu County's Mother's Sanctuary, among whom Madam Song stands out for her malice and brutality. This is vividly illustrated as the ladies gossip about Tae-young and dispatch a hollow letter of condolence.
Mak-sim remains vigilant, yet Gu-deok retaliates with a witty response. She employs her skills in arithmetic, cuisine, and embroidery to assist the other slaves, cleverly invoking partial memory loss to deflect inquiries about unfamiliar matters. She also fosters a bond with Chan-young, Tae-young's younger brother, charming Grandma Ok by gifting him books.
The bandits are eventually apprehended, and the officers swiftly credit Gu-deok's testimony. The Oks reclaim their stolen treasures, including the Qing dynasty gifts that Gu-deok vividly recalls, forwarding Tae-young's messages along with them. Grandma Ok, reminded of her late granddaughter in Gu-deok, insists she remain, fulfilling Tae-young's dying wish. Gu-deok must now live with her identity concealed, ready to veil her face at a moment's notice, but she is officially adopted as Ok Tae-young.
Two years have elapsed, and Mother's Sanctuary holds a deep resentment towards Tae-young, as she has introduced an upright magistrate who poses a potential threat to the corrupt husbands of the ladies within the sanctuary. Meanwhile, Grandma Ok visits Chan-young in Hanyang, leaving Tae-young behind. As they bid each other farewell, a guard who resembles Seo-in happens to walk by.
As for Seo-in, he has transformed into the renowned storyteller and masked performer, Cheon Seung-hwi, with Soeddong serving as his manager, Man-seok. Seung-hwi persists in tearing down Gu-deok's wanted posters and cannot help but continually think of her. Upon his arrival in Cheongsu county, all the women, including Baek-yi, are thrilled to see him. Baek-yi, who is secretly in a relationship with Madam Song's son, Baek Do-gwang (who is soon to be sent to Hanyang), eagerly wants to watch Seung-hwi's performance. In her endeavor to convince Tae-young to accompany her, she narrates one of his famous stories—the tale of Gu-deok and Seo-in, which concludes with him searching the coastline for her.
A stunned Tae-young attends the performance, as does the guard who resembles Seung-hwi. The play begins, depicting the story of Gu-deok and Seo-in. Throughout the dance, Seung-hwi remains masked. When he presents the gem to "Gu-deok," he removes his mask and approaches the audience closely. Tae-young and Seung-hwi lock eyes and recognize each other, prompting her to flee. Baek-yi, mistaking their connection due to the gem Tae-young carries, similar to the one in the play, approaches Seung-hwi, who is venting his frustration to Man-seok about having missed Tae-young.
They devise a plan to lure Tae-young out, eventually leaving her alone with Seung-hwi. As she imagines embracing him, she scolds him for exposing her story and placing her in danger. Although she is pleased that he has pursued his dream, she insists that they can never meet again. However, she is delighted to meet Man-seok, which makes Seung-hwi feel jealous.
At home, Baek-yi expresses her sadness, stating that Tae-young has no friends or prospects and simply wishes for her to be happy with Seung-hwi. Tae-young, however, shares that she has Baek-yi. She also doesn't want to be greedy, believing that seeing him once is sufficient for her.
Yet, Seung-hwi has other intentions. He visits Tae-young's place the following day, pretending to blackmail her, and she agrees to spend time with him. He takes her to a coastal hut that he has specially crafted for her, leaving her deeply touched.
Amusement lights up his face when she finally inquiries about him. He recounts to her how the gisaengs instructed him in the arts of performance, driven by the hope that if he rose to fame, she would recognize and seek him out. Yet, his father's wrath at the prospect of his name being tarnished forced Seung-hwi to alter his identity and conceal his face behind a mask. Though now free, he desires no such concealment for her. He implores her to flee with him, to search for her father, and to build a life together by the beachside.
However, fate robs her of this choice when Baek-yi is discovered hanging from a tree. The coroner pronounces it suicide, but the slaves, noting a wound to her head, suspect Madam Song of murdering her for entangling herself with Do-gwang. Tae-young yearns for justice, but Mak-sim pleadingly urges her not to jeopardize her disguise and to depart with Seung-hwi, asserting that it was Baek-yi's final wish. Nevertheless, Tae-young is convinced that she owes it to the real Tae-young to fulfill her dying wish. She surrenders the gemstone back to Seung-hwi and bids him to erase her from his memory. Their farewell is tinged with sweetness and sorrow, as he finds solace in hearing her speak her true self once more.
In the closing scenes of The Tale of Lady Ok Episode 2, Mak-sim confronts Madam Song,激怒了这位贵族妇人，后者对她拳脚相加。 Tae-young arrives with the magistrate, declaring that Madam Song has committed murder and framed Baek-yi's demise as suicide. The magistrate concurs to investigate, and when Song refuses cooperation, she is apprehended. When prompted for her name, Gu-deok declares herself as Ok Tae-young.
