Episode 3 of "The Tale of Lady Ok" kicks off with Gu-deok confiding in Mak-sim, asserting her desire not to merely pose as Tae-young but to breathe life into Tae-young's aspirations, particularly in aiding individuals akin to Baek-yi. As their conversation delves into the intricate case, Mak-sim uncovers a poignant revelation: Baek Do-gwang harbored a love for Baek-yi, which was never reciprocated.
Meanwhile, Magistrate Seung cross-examines the county's coroner, who spills the beans about Special Inspector Baek's bribery. In response, Seung issues a stark order, confining the Baeks within the county's borders until the investigation concludes. This directive ignites a storm of fury within the Baek family.
The whispers of Yuhyangso, also known as Mother's Sanctuary, buzz with gossip regarding the unfolding saga. Amidst this chatter, a pregnant slave, wracked with pain, beseeches for leave. The noblewomen, fiery with indignation, align in agreement that the Baeks must emerge victorious in the trial to reassert the slaves' hierarchical place.
Their anger reaches a crescendo when they arrest Mak-sim for his alleged insult to the nobility. Tragedy strikes further as the Baeks take drastic measures, eliminating the coroner to silence him. Tae-young, undeterred, confronts Madam Song and pleads with Do-gwang, yet her efforts fall on deaf ears. During this tumult, she notices Dol-seok, the branded slave, and tenderly checks on his wound.
Determined to visit Mak-sim in prison, Tae-young is denied permission. Undeterred, she sneaks in, only to be caught by a guard who resembles her doppelganger. Mistaking him for Seung-hwi, she scolds him for his apparent stalking. Embarrassingly, she introduces herself as Gu-deok and pours her heart out, mourning the loss of her dear friend, Baek-yi. Her embarrassment peaks when another guard addresses the guard, revealing her mistake.Magistrate Seung goes home and tells his sons about Tae-young wanting his help to eradicate corruption. And well, one of the sons is Seung-hwi’s doppelganger, Seung Yun-gyeom.
A while later, bounty hunters spot Tae-young and she fights them before Yun-gyeom shows up and chases them away. He is curious about Seung-hwi and Baek-yi and advises her to defend Mak-sim. She likes the idea and he goes one step further and sneaks her into the archives to read up the law. She wonders why he is helping him and he reveals that he is impressed that she is courageous and takes action. In return, she promises to save him one day.
Elsewhere, the Baeks hope to frame Dol-seok as the last resort. Tae-young sends aloe for his wound and he is upset. He escapes and the Baeks decide to privately settle before he can cause problems. Of course, Tae-young points out that private settlement for murder is illegal.
She heads home and finds Dol-seok. A flashback shows what happened – Madam Song orders him to get intimate with Baek-yi so Do-gwang will stop loving her. Baek-yi tries to run away but hits her head on a rock. The Baeks are annoyed but don’t think it matters. As she dies, she tells Dol-seok that death is better than thinking she cheated on her love.
Tae-young tells Do-gwang who is shocked to learn that Baek-yi loved him back and only pushed him away because of her status. However, he cannot testify against his parents. Yun-gyeom thinks having Dol-seok is a win but Tae-young points out that slaves don’t have a choice and he shouldn’t be the one who is punished.
During the trial, Magistrate Seung pronounced the Baeks innocent, citing the absence of any concrete evidence linking them to Baek-yi. Overjoyed by their acquittal, the Baeks harbored a grim desire to make an example by eliminating Mak-sim. Tae-young, steadfast in his moral ground, once again drew attention to the illegality of their intentions, prompting Seung to impose a sentence of ten lashes. Believing Mak-sim's fate to be sealed, Tae-young heroically volunteered to endure the punishment on her behalf. Mother's Sanctuary erupted in fury, fearing that a noblewoman enduring a slave's penalty would cast doubts on their esteemed status.
Unable to bear the pressure any longer, Do-gwang confessed to murdering Baek-yi out of spurned affection. As punishment, he was banished, while Special Inspector Baek and Mother's Sanctuary's informants faced dismissal. A wave of public petitions spanning three years had culminated in a royal mandate empowering Magistrate Seung to reign in Mother's Sanctuary. Additionally, Seung abolished oppressive household regulations targeting slaves.
Yun-gyeom congratulated Tae-young, who then confided that Seung-hwi had been her first love, producing both gemstones he had returned to her as tokens of his desire not to be forgotten, lest he feel lonely. Tae-young acknowledged her lingering feelings but stood firm in her resolve, her actions securing freedom for the pregnant slave, who was granted leave. Grateful slaves echoed her triumph.
A severe drought struck, prompting the King to issue a royal decree mandating all eligible noble bachelors and maidens to marry in a bid to restore balance. Yun-gyeom extended an offer to Tae-young, though not the marital bliss Mak-sim had hoped for, but rather the esteemed position of county prosecutor. Their unwitting flirtatious exchanges only fueled Mak-sim's frustration further.
Meanwhile, Mother's Sanctuary hosted Magistrate Seung in a bid to curry his favor, indulging their ambitions as they positioned themselves as candidates for the next Special Inspector and proposed marriage of their daughters to Yun-gyeom. Tae-young's growing relationship with the Seungs irked Mother's Sanctuary , who saw her as a scheming woman aiming to seduce and wed the widowed Magistrate Seung. Yun-gyeom attempted to apologize for their misconceptions, but Tae-young maintained a cautious distance.
However, Magistrate Seung manipulated Mother's Sanctuary with casual ease as he selected his own Special Inspector, seemingly unbothered. Yun-gyeom, bold and unexpected, even ventured to propose marriage to Tae-young. It transpired that Seung was well-aware of his son's affections, merely bideing his time until Yun-gyeom acknowledged them himself. Tae-young, petrified of her identity being uncovered, found solace in the reassurances of Mak-sim and Grandma Ok, who insisted that the union was a harmonious match.
As Episode 3 of The Tale of Lady Ok drew to a close, Tae-young, her heart pounding, inquired of Yun-gyeom why he desired to wed her despite her affection for another. He laughed off her question, suggesting whimsically that she might view him as a surrogate Seung-hwi to ease her broken heart. Moreover, he admitted his fondness for her, saying they shared the same aspirations and that her secrets held no significance to him. She protested, insisting he had fallen for the guise of Tae-young, not her true self. But before she could confide her truth, her gaze fell upon Mistress Kim So-hye, freezing her words in her throat.
