I like it that I'm really enjoying recapping this series<3

In a voice over, Yeon Woo's punishment was revealed — she was absolved of the crime of releasing evil spirits, but she had to be punished for seducing a royalty, and for that, she would be sent out of the capital to take care of the sick and the old. Hwon sat down with Great Dowager for a cup of tea, and she mentioned that it's great tea. Hwon remarked that this tea was just like the Great Dowager — getting better with age. Great Dowager was pleased at his compliment and Hwon was trapped into promising her a favour when she needed it, since it was her who stopped Yeon Woo's interrogation.

I don't know why, but while watching this, I have a fascination with watching Kim Soo Hyun's/ Hwon's side view acting.

Hwon was trapped left, right and centre, poor guy. Even in the courts, he didn't want to attend the ceremony that was going to be held on the day where there would be a solar eclipse, but the ministers gloatingly dropped a lot of veiled comments, saying that he should be careful seeing that the sun was going to be covered by the moon on that day, and that he should take the chance to reflect upon what he had done. Thus, Hwon had to agree with them and Hyung Sun looked at him with a tinge of heartache. 

I mean, seeing a person with such pride having to bow down to something that he didn't deserve…I can see why Hyung Sun feels that way. 

Minister Yoon informed Hwon that they should punish Yang Myung, to which Hwon was immensely angry about, and that they had already given orders for Yang Myung to be on house arrest. Yang Myung realised this exact fact after he found his way blocked by guards when he tried to leave home.

He was enraged, thinking that this was yet another move of Hwon's to restrict his movements. Deep into the night, Yeon Woo heard someone coming into the prison, and pushed herself up with difficulty. She was shocked to see Hwon outside her cell.

Hwon told her that he's here to tell her something, and to ask her something. Yeon Woo requested to hear what he had to say first, and he asked her if she remembered him telling her that she could only leave his side when he cleared up his feelings about his relationship. Well, now he had it all clear, "You are right. I am not looking at you…I was seeing her through you." Yeon Woo couldn't keep the sadness off her face, but still had to 'thank' Hwon for his generosity in letting her go. Now it's for Hwon's question. 

And he asked if Yeon Woo had anything to tell him at all — grudges, complaints…anything, but Yeon Woo looked at him and said sincerely that she had no hateful grudges. 

Hwon left the prison and stumbled towards Woon, ending up in tears. Woon comforted him saying that he had already done his best to protect Wol, and Hwon asked, "Is this…is this counted as protecting her at all?" 

Minister Yoon was still very hung up on how he had seen Wol before. I thought that he was thinking of Yeon Woo or the girl that Hwon ran with on the streets previously, but turns out it's neither. He was struck by how similar Wol and Ah Ri were, when they were both strapped to The Chair, and still remained determined to say the truth. Bo Kyung heard cries from the Hidden Moon Halls once again, and she got herself into paranoia and agitation when she saw 13-year old Yeon Woo staring back at her from her mirror. This time round, Great Dowager heard the same cries and you could tell that she was disturbed. 

Nok Young stepped into the courtyard and looked at the moon. She could feel that the heavens wanted to continue the fates that humans tried to break. Everything would be returned to its original place and no one would be able to escape from the bloodshed. 

Princess cried herself to sleep because she kept remembering that a man was trying to find out about Yeon Woo's death, and she was eating herself up with guilt, thinking that she was the one who caused Yeon Woo's death. Her attendant woke her up in the morning, telling her that Yeom was back because he had heard that Hwon was sick. She disregarded her 'inappropriate' attire and rushed into his chambers, giving him a hug from the back. Aww~ as Yeom turned around and hugged her tightly. 

I really hope one day, Yeom would be able to love Princess wholeheartedly as a woman, and not as a sister-like girl. 

Great Dowager called the Professor of Astrology to her chambers and questioned him about the cries from the Hidden Moon Halls. She acted insulted when the Professor asked if she was the one who heard those cries, and asked if he's implying she's weak. The Professor looked confused when the Great Dowager refused to allow Nok Young to deal with this matter. The  professor suggested holding a ritual to comfort the spirit in the Hidden Moon Halls, but Great Dowager was reluctant to do so after hearing that in this case, the Celestial Halls would be called into action. 

The Professor decided to suggest the last alternative. 

Nok Young bribed her way into the prison where she was heartbroken to see the injured Yeon Woo. 

Yeon Woo apologised for causing everyone to be worried, and asked why Nok Young was crying. Nok Young told Yeon Woo that she had a really good friend long time ago and the last time she saw her was in that prison cell. It was because of her friend's last words that she had sought Yeon Woo out. Yeon Woo cried and asked if that was her mother, but Nok Young shook her head. 

Nok Young felt that she was the one who brought Yeon Woo into such danger, but Yeon Woo disagreed, saying that Nok Young was the one who raised her when her parents abandoned her. It was Nok Young who told her, during one incident long time ago when she wanted to kill herself because she didn't want to be a shaman, that the gods had chosen her because of her strength to go through any desperation and suffering. She felt that the gods must have a reason for putting her in that situation now. Nok Young stood up and dipped into a bow. 

Seol and Jan Sik returned to Celestial Halls to find a group of girls gloating over Yeon Woo's plight. Seol was raging mad and she knocked down one girl while pulling her sword out on the other two. 

Wait, I have a really random thought. Will Seol ever like Yeom again? If I remember correctly, she used to have a crush on him when she was young right? Aww. 

Back to the prison. Yeon Woo was taken aback when Nok Young started addressing her as Agasshi (Lady) and begged Nok Young to explain what she meant by telling her to stay strong and to look within for her answers. 

Nok Young didn't elaborate except to tell Yeon Woo that she was sure her wisdom would bring her over the rough patch and she reminded her to follow the wills of the heavens. 

In her heart, she murmured for Yeon Woo never to forgive her. 

When Nok Young returned to the Celestial Halls, Seol gave her a hard push and asked her if she was going to just ignore Yeon Woo's situation like that. Seol shouted that she had already followed Nok Young's instructions to keep mum about Yeon Woo's real identity, and Nok Young told her that it's Yeon Woo's fate — as a moon, she would shine even when everything shrouded her in darkness…but they could only wait for her to discover her shine, and the time for the truth would come soon, "You and I only have to wait for our punishment."

Hyung Sun told Hwon that Yeon Woo would be sent out of the capital soon, and…"How about I make you another snowman out of pure snow?" Hwon looked at him in surprise. 

Hyung Sun continued, "But this is the last time. Spring is going to be here soon, and winter will leave…" Hwon was touched by Hyung Sun's act.

And so am I! I really love this poignant scene. I like it that Hyung Sun showed another side from his usual simple self, and that he's giving Hwon this chance to see Yeon Woo one last time. And so, as Yeon Woo got brought out of her prison into the marketplace, Hwon and Woon watched from aside, out of Yeon Woo's view. 

Bo Kyung got wind of the news that Hwon went to the prison to see Yeon Woo the night before, and she spooked herself once more by catching sight of 13 year old Yeon Woo in the mirror. She started screaming and smashing the mirror, thus giving herself a gash on her palm in the end. 

The physician was called for, and Hwon ran into him while he was rushing to get to Bo Kyung's chambers. Bo Kyung screamed at the physician who entered her chambers and when Hwon turned up, she continued to coil herself tightly. Hwon noticed her injured hand and took the bandage from the palace maid. Everyone left the room, leaving Hwon to bandage Bo Kyung's hands. Bo Kyung cried and asked how he could be so cruel to her, especially since he knew the hurt from losing a first love. He was her first love. 

Hwon looked at her, brimming with tears, and leaned forward to hug her. In his mind, he murmured that reality was too cruel and harsh on them — him, Bo Kyung, Yang Myung and her. 

As Yeon Woo crossed through the marketplace, many people threw stones at her but she held on strong. Yeon Woo's mother caught a glimpse of her, and something struck in her heart. She tried to push her way through the crowd but when Yeon Woo turned around, her mother was hidden amongst the crowd…

Yeon Woo realised a while later, that the royal guards had accepted bribes to hand her over to new hands. She questioned the audacity of the new guards, who told her that they had to answer to a power greater than the royal powers. Yang Myung learnt that Yeon Woo never actually got to her new destination, and was (supposedly) lost while on the way. He immediately got up and left the house, only to face Woon. 

Yang Myung challenged Woon by drawing his sword, since Woon wasn't allowed to draw his unless on royal orders. Woon defended himself against Yang Myung's strikes while telling him that it's dangerous to hold a sword both in fury and in love. 

Then he drew his, and after a few moves, managed to disarm Yang Myung. He asked Yang Myung who his target of anger was towards, and Yang Myung showed an expression of helplessness as he said that he had no idea. Woon asked then why he couldn't understand Hwon's point of view, and Yang Myung countered, "Then why can't you understand the feelings of a friend??" He asked Woon if he would report this matter back to court, but Woon replied that at that point in time, there's no royalty in the equation but just their years and years of friendship.

Aww.

Yeon Woo was startled to find herself back at the palace (hah, talk about getting back to square one) and we see the flashback of the professor's last alternative — to place a shaman in the Hidden Moon Halls so as to suck in the spirit. This was really dangerous though, and depending on the strength of the spirit, the shaman could either go mad or die. Great Dowager was pleased that they had just a shaman to be used. 

And so we understand now that Yeon Woo was meant to be the shaman to be used in this ritual. Oh goodie, I'm so glad that in their thinking that Wol would die from this ritual, she would probably get all her memories back when she got shut in Hidden Moon Halls. Wol got thrown into the room and locked in. While trying to get out, she saw the talismans plastered on the walls and doors and put the pieces together — she was in Yeon Woo's room, and the spirit that she was supposed to comfort..was the one, that her, in Hwon's heart. 

The head of the investigators found Kyu Tae absent and later, located him to be touching a dead half naked man. He gave Kyu Tae weird looks but Kyu Tae asked him calmly how a body that had no pulse could still feel warm to the touch. The official replied simply, "Then the person is not dead." Oh yay. This is so Juliet-y. Kyu Tae reported his findings to Hwon and told him about Yeon Woo's warm body even after being dead for a few hours. As Hwon digested that bit of information, Hyung Sun came in to tell him that it's time for the ceremony. 

Wol woke up from her sleep and found Yeon Woo sitting with her back facing her. 

She asked the spirit if she had something to tell Hwon, if she had cried because she missed Hwon. She could tell her, and she would cry with her. The camera zoomed in on 13 year old Yeon Woo, who turned around and gave a small smile.

Yeon Woo's eyes widened in recognition. In my interpretation, I think she saw herself. Because surely, she could remember how she looked like when she was 13 right? She wasn't always the old Yeon Woo that we saw now; she must surely have seen her own reflection when she was young, and her looks would stay almost the same when she's still 14-ish.

Yeon Woo woke up and grasped for breath. She kept clutching her throat as she inched towards the door, and this is definitely reminiscent of the time when Yeon Woo was choked eight years ago. 

The solar eclipse was slowly taking place, and we hear one more time, Nok Young's prediction. As Hwon sat under the darkened sky, and Yeon Woo gasping for breath, Hwon recalled his own experiences of heart pain that came with no reason. A sickness with no reasons, a murder that left no traces. And he realised — this must be done spiritually. 

Yeon Woo pried weakly at the door, and flipped to her back when a flashback of Nok Young telling her father that she suffered from the spirits hit her mind. Her memories flickered and stayed, the ones of her trapped in a coffin then rescued, then the ones of her father feeding her the medicine and her mother wailing when she died. As Yeon Woo clutched at her heart and cried out for her mother, she recalled Hwon asking her repeatedly if there was him in her old memories. This was meshed in with her memories of being with Hwon…when they were young. 

YES. We are finally there, oh my gosh, how long have we waited? 

As the tide of memories and realisation hit her, she wailed loudly in anguish. 

When the sun showed up in the sky again, Hwon came to his conclusion — it must be black magic. Nok Young visited Ah Ri's grave and requested for her to protect the both of them, now that the seal on the truth was off and that there would be more suffering. After the ceremony, Hwon instructed Hyung Sun to bring Nok Young to him. The Professor got a guard to check on Yeon Woo to see if she's dead or alive. They found her sitting in a creepy position, and when the guard prodded her, he was startled to find her still alive. The professor asked her if she had comforted the spirit, and Yeon Woo looked up, "Yes. That girl will not cry anymore." 

-the end-

Oh brilliant!! I was planning on doing a little, tiny rant on how I feel that Yeon Woo/Wol was starting to become a boring character because she seemed rather flat with not much changes in moods or character…but the ending is delightful. I see the vengeful glint in her eyes and whoo does this mean that she will start to carry out her revenge?:D That will be really exciting to watch don't you think so!

I just had a really random thought though — what if the professor/Dowager/whoever insisted that Wol was only possessed by Yeon Woo and that she wasn't really Yeon Woo? That sounds really roundabout and weird, I know, but there is the possibility right? I mean in that case, whatever Wol could say about her past in order to prove that she's Yeon Woo would be invalid because they could just say that Yeon Woo's spirit was the one controlling her. And you know what, I think this is where the hairpin should come into place. If Wol could produce the hairpin, it shows that she, physically, is Yeon Woo, and not just spiritually. 

I think this episode is really exciting and we are starting to see tinges of our first six episodes. Yeon Woo was much more interesting and had a more versatile character then, somehow, and even though the Yeon Woo/Wol now retained her character, she seemed much more passive, perhaps because she believed that she was a lowly shaman that wasn't fit to do anything else. In any case, I hope that we see a different Yeon Woo for the rest of the six episodes, if not, interest in her may dip!

Kim Soo Hyun, Kim Min Seo (Bo Kyung) and Jun Mi Sun (Nok Young) are really amazing in this episode, in my opinion. 

Can't wait for the next episode's preview to be out!

<3thoughtsramble