SML touches his cheek in utter shock after spinning a good three times.

“Who allowed you to talk to me like that?” DFL confronts him with a baffling confidence.

When she addresses SML by the name she called him five years ago, he realizes either something is wrong or she’s up to something.

While SML doubts her behavior, a confused DFL looks around realizing she doesn’t know what this place is or why the two of them are dressed as they’re dressed.

“It turns out you’re pretending to have lost your memory. Do you think you can forget about what happened during this time and start over?” SML asks in a mocking yet fazed voice.

The more confrontational SML becomes the more DFL continues to stand up against him. She’s no longer the demure servant.

As SML limps away (past DFL was a spitfire) he requests his servant prepare DFL a lunch of what she hated to eat the most in the past years.

DFL, however, passes this test since she happily devours the chicken that once used to make her sick.

>> ♡ <<

In SML’s study, he’s discussing the most recent developments with his confidant. “She really doesn’t remember anything”, says the friend.

SML replies that he doesn’t believe it. But his friend maintains everything suggests her memory loss is true.

DFL was fed raw chicken for her daily meals while she used to be locked up so she always vomits at the sight of chicken ever since. He, also, paid her a visit before meeting SML and tested her by pretending to hand over the city token so she could escape. Instead of taking it, DFL had utterly rejected the token.

“Maybe this is a chance for you two to start over”, he ends in a hopeful tone.

The next day, SML’s doubts and tests continue. While on a bridge over the pond in the estate courtyard, he intentionally pushes DFL into the same pond she jumped into a while back. Unlike the last time, she didn’t come up from the water despite SML anxiously waiting. Once he realizes she won’t emerge, he jumps into the water to save her.

DFL of four years ago didn’t know how to swim, SML knew that. Hence, he was surprised during her last dive when she saved herself by swimming out of the pond. The fact she no longer “knows” how to swim is another piece of supporting evidence of her being the woman of four years past.

When DFL comes about from this last trial, SML has started believing her. He tells her what has occurred during the time she doesn’t recall, a modified version of events that doesn’t disclose her pain, suffering, and humiliation.

Of course, he conveniently doesn’t mention his marriage but thankfully his wife decides to make an appearance.

DFL confronts him about his marriage. Hurt and angry she demands “This is how we’ve been happy these four years?” and asks him why he betrayed her. These new developments are reshaping DFL’s impression of the current SML.

Meanwhile, SML is right outside DLF’s bedroom door trying to remedy the situation. He tries to explain to her how he resisted and refused the marriage at first but the result was the uprising of his wife’s family. The marriage is nothing but a transaction for him, one meant to save the lives of all the people in the city that depend on him.

In a low voice, he confesses there’s also another woman. “Is it also a transaction with her?” DFL asks from the other side of the door.

SML replies she’s just an excuse to refuse his main wife. DFL responds by demanding to live somewhere else. She tells him that this place is dirty.

SML’s wife, however, isn’t in a complying mood. Every time she thinks she’s finally gotten rid of DFL, the woman manages to reappear. So this time SML’s wife decides to take matters into her own hands (again!) and jog DFL’s memory of the past by handing her the letters that revealed SML’s lies.

“Do you remember them?”, the wife asks.

DFL walks around while looking at the letters whispering “Impossible”. Slowly, she walks to a lit brazier and tosses them. The wife and the two servants in the room look shocked as DFL slowly turns with a cold and calculating look replying “I do. How could I not remember?”

If you wronged me, you’re going to pay; if you loved me, you’re going to hurt

She knows her family was wronged, that her father was left to perish with a tarnished reputation by the one he trusted (who also happens to be SML’s wife’s father).

Ever since learning of the truth, DFL planned out her revenge. From the forgotten memory ruse to her careful play-acting, she turns and confronts the wife.

“Don’t you value your position as Madam?” she asks. “I want all of you to accompany my dead family to the grave”.

The wife threatens to tell SML of DFL’s pretension but that’s a threat without a base. DFL has the upper hand and she’s no longer going to rest her future to fate. When SML appears, DFL plays the meek role painting the wife as a bully.

>> ♡ <<

While strolling together on the city streets, DFL notices a stand they frequented as a couple many years ago. Using a bow and arrow, you could win a cute animal for your significant other. SML once won one for her.

Slowly DFL approaches the stand and takes hold of the bow and arrow. On a moment’s thought, she turns around and points it resoundingly at SML who had stayed back. She warns him, “Leave here or don’t blame me for shooting you”.

But SML has none of it. While holding her gaze he replies “I’m not leaving” and slowly moves closer to her. She draws the arrow as he continues walking straight at her, warning him one last time she’ll really shoot him. This entire scene is reminiscent of the volley of arrows he shot at her while she tried to leave his mansion.

DFL let’s go of the tightly drawn arrow that whizzes by missing SML’s face by a mere hairsbreadth. Though DFL looks a little stunned at her actions of shooting the arrow, SML seems unfazed as he continues his way toward her, never stopping.

As he finally reaches DFL, she props up the bow between them. “Why don’t you kill me?” SML calmly asks her. “You have a soft heart,” he tells her to which she promptly replies “There’s no such thing”.

Suddenly he grabs the bow and steps closer to DFL, the entire time never breaking their eye contact. “All this is not my intention,” he says. When she asks him what is his intention, SML (without shame mind you) responds with wanting to protect her. He dares to ask her to believe him. The audacity of men.

During their interaction, both miss the loitering figure of the Madam’s brother who’s bound for his revenge.

While DFL peruses items in a store with SML having stepped outside for a bit, the man approaches DFL. He pulls out a dagger, threatening her for messing with his sister and his family’s carefully laid down plans.

As DFL notices SML is right outside calling her name with urgency, she acts on a newly formed plan. She grabs the man’s hand holding the dagger and just as SML steps into the store, she forces the man’s hand stabbing herself.

A panicked SML yells out in utter fear of losing her.

With DFL once again hurt, SML tends to her himself with several physicians and servants. Right outside the chamber door, his wife kneels begging for SML to show her brother mercy. SML is having none of it, screw the power her family hovers over his head. He gives the order to take the title of Madam away from her and ground her.

Got to hand it to the wife, she seems to care about her family. Despite hearing the news of being demoted and essentially officially thrown away, she continues to beg SML for her brother’s life claiming his actions were her fault. When SML isn’t having any of it, she lets fear, jealousy, and anger come out, blaming his cold-hearted response to DFL.

“This is all because of her. You despise me because of her. You want to kill my brother for her.” Then she makes the huge mistake of threatening him with the power of her family. She simply doesn’t know SML has been working hard to destroy her family and the control they yield over him.

DFL is also bent on destroying the wife’s family—remember, they were the culprits behind her family’s demise. The stabbing, and the wife’s removal, they’re all pieces of the intricate web she’s casting on her revenge plan.

>> ♡ <<

Still pretending to have lost her memory, DFL remains close to SML in an almost similar manner as they were years ago. During the New Year’s blessing ceremony, she’s given the opportunity by SML’s stepmother, the previous city lord’s remaining wife, to do the honors of completing the ceremony.

But something’s wrong. DFL had intercepted a couple of different actors before the ceremony that seemed to tamper with the brazier. Her expression was also masked by underlying concern as she approached the fire.

Just as DFL uses a long stick to get blessed fire from the brazier, SML notes a strange smell in the air. The sudden realization that the smell is that of sulfur has him moving fast—he runs to DFL’s side and wraps his body around her as the brazier blows up.

DFL wakes up in her chamber with her maid anxiously looking at her, fearing her mistress will never wake up.

“I’m fine”, DFL assures the maid. Suddenly she springs up with concern asking where SML is and how he’s doing.

The maid tells DFL when the brazier exploded SML was the first to stand in front of her. The doctor said he was badly injured.

DFL has the maid helping her get up to go see SML. The scene that greets her is one of blood as multiple physicians are running back and forth.

The doctor has already prescribed painkillers and sleeping meds, SML’s trusted servant informs her. He’ll need time to recover.

DFL can’t look away from his sleeping form lying still on the bed. Why is she so concerned? Did she somehow play a part in the brazier explosion by knowing but not doing anything? DFL is driven to tears—this is not the reaction of a mistreated woman.

In the morning, SML wakes to find DFL sleeping by his bedside. Got to give it to the man, his injuries look like they hurt a lot, but he looks as good as ever.

SML lovingly gazes at DFL when she feels his movement and wakes up. He tells her losing her was not an option.

Surprising in his recovery, SML starts his mission of hunting down his wife’s family. He suspects they were behind this recent attempt at his life.

DFL however isn’t exactly beaming with excitement at what appears to be a successful course for her revenge. One day, as she spoon-feeds the still-recovering SML, he notices and asks her why she looks unhappy.

What’s eating at DFL’s consciousness is the wife because she seems to be unaware of all her family’s notorious dealings. DFL implores SML to let her go by confining her in a secluded estate. The wife grew up with DFL and SML and although “She’s a little wayward, she’s not a bad person”, DFL maintains.

SML agrees to let her off the hook to please DFL. Then he complains about the medicine being bitter, just like a man.

>> ♡ <<

That night DFL goes into the prison to confront the wife’s father. She wants evidence that she believes only he can provide to absolve her family from the charges of a crime they didn’t commit. He tells her (in unhappy terms) that there’s a contract that can prove her family’s innocence in the scripture repository of the city lord’s mansion.

“As long as we can get the contract, we can clear our names,” DFL tells her maid when disclosing what she’d learned.

But not everyone can enter the scripture repository, only the city lord can enter. The tower is also heavily guarded and impossible to get in. Only during grand celebrations can you get in and the last such event occured when SML married the wife.

“If there’s another conferment ceremony, I can climb the tower and then enter the scripture repository,” DFL thinks out loud.

The maid realizes what her mistress said and gasps, “You mean to marry the city lord?”