Sunny recuperates from the blast with Hyuk at her side. When she wakes, he tells her that it was Na Wang Shik who was behind the attack. Later, at a press conference held at the palace, the Empress Dowager affirms Na Wang Shik as the attacker, and when questioned about the Empress's accusations, she pins it all on the Emperor. Shattered by his mother's words, Hyuk dresses up as Na Wang Shik and carries on with his vengeance to destroy the palace. Meanwhile, someone buries Wang Shik next to his mother's grave.

With the Emperor dead, the Empress Dowager rushes to make her escape from the palace. As she is about to leave, Kang Hee confronts her. Unaware of the police and media waiting outside the door, they dig their graves as their dispute reveals each of their crimes. The police arrest them and take them away. Later, Sunny completes her quest in bringing down the palace and the people in it, by declaring the abolition of the monarchy.

The Grand Empress Dowager is found dead, and an investigation of her murder begins. The police question each member of the Imperial Family, but none of them confess to the crime. Meanwhile, while clutching on to an envelope given by the Grand Empress Dowager, Ms. Hong tells Sunny of her last words.

Prince Yoon gives Baek Ho the late Empress So Hyun's diary to help uncover the truth. The Empress starts to broadcast a live show and causes an uproar within the palace. Meanwhile, Wang Shik saves the Empress from an attacker and takes a severe blow to the head.

The Emperor brings back Yu Ra and forces her to make false statements accusing the Empress Dowager of murdering the Grand Empress Dowager. Sunny also confronts the Empress Dowager with Cheong Dan, the court lady who disappeared after stating she had eaten the poisoned food. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager denies all accusations, and Woo Bin asks Yu Ra again where she hid Wang Shik's mother's body.

As the Emperor reads from Vincent Lee's book, the Empress Dowager screams for him to stop. Soon after, Chief Byun enters the room and demands to know the truth behind her daughter's death. The Crown Prince also emerges and confesses he is Vincent Lee and that the narrative of the book is true. Later, the Emperor abandons the Empress Dowager as his mother and swears to protect Sunny until the very end.

Princess Ari jumps up and down in joy after being told by Kang Hee that she will be the empress regnant very soon. Princess Ari keeps her joy in secret but ends up narrating to the Empress that the Chungeum Island painting by the Grand Empress Dowager was bequeathed to the Empress Dowager and not to her. Meanwhile, the Emperor visits Sunny's house and causes a commotion.

Wang Shik calls the Emperor again threatening to know where his mother's body is, and Woo Bin persuades the Emperor to make a deal with Yu Ra. Woo Bin releases Yu Ra from the hospital and finally learns of where his mother rests. Meanwhile, the Empress does a live broadcast in an attempt to clear her name of the Grand Empress Dowager's murder, but it ends up backfiring on her.

Prince Yoon charges into the Emperor's chamber and yells in disgust of the incident that took Sunny's mother's life to save the Emperor. After learning this fact, the Empress Dowager shows no guilt or remorse of what she had done, but to the Emperor, it hits his soft spot. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager orders Sunny to host the Imperial Family's bazaar.

After calling the Empress Dowager, Chief Joo helps Yu Ra escape from Sunil Mental Hospital. Yu Ra promises the Empress Dowager to give her Na Wang Shik and informs her of his little brother. Meanwhile, the Emperor forces the Empress Dowager to apologize to the Empress with incriminating evidence.

Yu Ra intends to keep her promise to the Empress Dowager and fetches Dong Shik to the palace hoping to lure in Wang Shik. The Emperor finishes reading Vincent Lee's book and tracks down Prince Yoon to find out more of what he knows. Later, he succumbs to the Empress's words and heads off to the Empress Dowager's garden.

Joo Seung remembers the day he was supposed to meet Yu Ra and explains it to her in detail. Princess So Jin asks Woo Bin desperately to get back together, and later, begs the Empress Dowager to make him hers. Meanwhile, former Chief Guard Joo reveals himself to the Emperor with information regarding the real Na Wang Shik's whereabouts.

To save Dong Shik and the rest of the imperial guards' lives, Wang Shik withdraws his gun and submits to the Emperor's wishes. However, when taken away by the Emperor's guards, they release him in return for his good deeds. Later, Wang Shik catches the Emperor off guard and gives him a little taste of what he had done to his mother. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager instates Princess Ari as the Crown Princess.

The Emperor and Prince Yoon catch Kang Hee red-handed admitting to killing Joo Seung, but she reveals that it was the Empress Dowager's decree. Prince Yoon surprises the Empress Dowager in her chamber and accuses her of trying to kill him. Then he and the Emperor play Joo Seung's recorded testimony that coaxes her to admit to the poppy farm on Chungeum Island. Meanwhile, Sunny asks Michelle to reinstate Hyuk as the emperor before she leaves the palace.

When Woo Bin arrives at the hospital, Baek Ho tells the Empress that Woo Bin is Wang Shik and that his true identity must stay a secret. Luckily, a contact within the hospital assists in hiding Woo Bin’s true identity. Meanwhile, Yu Ra finds Dong Shik and secretly tries to send him away.

Wang Shik begins to taunt the Emperor and Yu Ra and lets them know that he is alive and looking for his mother's corpse. The Empress discovers that the diary of the late Empress So Hyun is a map that leads to the Empress Dowager's garden. Meanwhile, an awardee of the Imperial Family scholarship enlightens the Empress Dowager of the similarities in Vincent Lee's novel to the late Empress So Hyun's death.

The hospital director kills himself to stop the truth from coming out, Prince Yoon publishes the second part of his novel depicting the death of Empress So Hyun, and Sunny finds out that the blood meant for her mother went to the Emperor. Meanwhile, Princess So Jin saves Woo Bin from the Empress Dowager's wrath.

The Empress Dowager orders Woo Bin to run away with the Empress in the middle of the night. Woo Bin tells the Empress of this, but she decides to play along with the Empress Dowager's scheme. After everything plays out, the Empress Dowager ends up being the one to answer to the media.

Woo Bin reveals his true identity to Yu Ra, but he doesn't kill her. He takes her to Kang Joo Seung to help him remember the past. The Emperor, who is now free from his duties, continues to court the Empress. However, his gifts to her family as reconcilement turn for the worst. Later, desperate to claim her right to power, Kang Hee visits the Prime Minister's wife at the hospital and reveals his infidelity.

The Empress Dowager is shocked to hear of the Emperor's return unscathed. When she talks to him, she tells him to divorce the Empress immediately, but the Emperor tells her he'll resolve the problem his way. Later, the Empress Dowager calls in Mr. Pyo and orders him to stop Empress Eun at all costs from entering the palace. Meanwhile, Kang Hee discovers from Joo Seung that Yu Ra was with him at the mental hospital.

Michelle, the former empress under Emperor Lee Jeong's rule 30 years ago, arrives at the palace to appoint the legal proxy for the Crown Princess, stunning everyone. Making things even more shocking is her aid, Na Wang Shik, who will also be making a special audit regarding the death of the Grand Empress Dowager and Empress So Hyun. Later, the Empress Dowager orders Ms. Choi to bring her Sa Goon Ja, the old lady living on Chungeum Island.

In the present, mysterious skeletal remains are found on Ehwa Palace grounds with a necklace worth 2.2 million dollars thought to be a gift of the Emperor to the Empress. Jumping back one year earlier, at a luncheon with selected people, the Emperor meets Oh Sunny for the second time. In the blink of an eye, the event turns into a hostage situation where the Emperor and the people almost lose their lives.

As the Imperial Family gathers to celebrate the Grand Empress Dowager's World Peace Award, Oh Sunny appears on behalf of the Empress Dowager's request to put on a show. But really, she's there to be introduced as the Emperor's significant other. Wang Shik suffers a devastating fall but is rescued by a villager before the Emperor's men can finish their job. Meanwhile, the Empress Dowager threatens Ms. Min to stay away from the Emperor.

The Grand Empress Dowager overhears Yu Ra and the Emperor talking and learns of their secret. She forbids their love and demands Yu Ra to leave the palace. Later, the Empress tries her best to please the Emperor but following Yu Ra's suggestion only angers him. Meanwhile, Wang Shik starts to get closer to the Emperor.

When the Empress sees the Emperor and Ms. Min together kissing on a cruise ship, she realizes she had been a fool but decides to hear him out. The Empress Dowager tracks down the Prince and asks him to come back to the palace, but the Prince slips away and finds refuge at Ddobong's Fried Chicken, Oh Sunny's father's restaurant. Meanwhile, Woo Bin feels for the Empress and offers his support.