The king remembers when he was still a prince a little girl delivered wine to him and bow to beg him fulfill her wish of becoming a royal kitchen maid inside the palace. The king asks Jang-Geum if she is that little girl back then. Jang-Geum returns his smile and replies yes. Jang-Geum thanks the king for fulfilling her childhood wish.
The king states he often wondered about what happened to that little fearless girl and is amazed that the girl ended up saving his life as a medicine maid. The king is extremely happy and tells Jang-Geum to ask for anything and he’ll grant her wish. Jang-Geum asks for permission to visit outside the palace to practice medicine.
During the nae-ee-ohn meeting, Jang-Geum tells her colleagues and supervisors she asked the king for permission to go outside the palace to learn more about medicine treatment. Jang-Geum tells the doctors that Lady Han left her medicinal recipes and she wants to study them. Yun-Saeng is upset that Jang-Geum might not be around to deliver her baby. Jang-Geum assures her that Shin-Bi will do a great job and there is nothing to worry about.
Kangs scold Jang-Geum for her constant curiosity and tells her she should just tell the king she has no wishes next time the king asks her or else she will end up getting herself into more trouble each time. But Jang-Duk compliments Jang-Geum for her desire to improve herself.
Jang-Geum arrives at the town and finds Min Jung-Ho there already, making kites and teaching calligraphy to the local kids. Jang-Geum asks Min Jung Ho what brings him to this remote town, but Min replies in a professional tone of voice he had business to take care of. When Jang-Geum teasingly asks if he’s there for any other reason, Min doesn’t smile back and states, “what other reason?” Then Min leaves after saving goodbye. Jang-Geum is disappointed at his response but goes back to tending the ill.
At night, Jang-Geum goes to see Min Jung-Ho and when he arrives she puts on a big smile, but Min Jung Ho coldly asks why she’s doing there and sends her away. After Min leaves, Jang-Geum mumbles, “actually i missed you… so…”, then leaves.
Jang-Geum goes back to the treatment house. Next day, Jang-Geum watches Min Jung Ho teach poetry to the children. Afterwards, Jang-Geum speaks with Min Jung Ho.
Jang Geum: I wish to see you everyday.
Min Jung Ho: Because of the kids?
Jang Geum: No…
Min Jung Ho: (raises voice) Then you should’ve said so from the beginning. You should know the pain i suffered through too.
Jang Geum: (surprised) Then were you just teasing me?
Min Jung Ho: No, why would i? (acts angry and turns to leave)
Jang Geum: … (speechless)
Min Jung Ho: (turns back and laughs) Hahaha.
Jang-Geum smiles realizing Min Jung Ho is playing with her.
Back at the palace the kitchen staff are wondering who the king will name as the next kitchen head. Lady Min jokes to Chan-Ee that she should go for that title. Lady Min prepares food for the king during the palace festival and the king enjoys her food. Lady Min is declared the next kitchen head. Lady Min is shocked and feels stressed about the title. Lady Min goes to see Jang-Geum. When she sees her, Lady Min calls out Jang-Geum’s name and embraces her. Jang-Geum gives Lady Min a recipe book Lady Han and Jung left to encourage Lady Min. Lady Min thanks Jang-Geum but tells Jang-Geum she’s scared. Jang-Geum gives Lady Min encouraging words of advice and assures Lady Min she will do well in the new job. Lady Min goes back and prepares her first meal as kitchen head. She serves the food to the king and before he can say anything, she begins to ramble on about how bad her skills are, but the king replies saying the food is great.
Jang-Geum is called to a secret meeting with the lady queen. Lady queen confides in Jang-Geum that her position in the palace is not secure due to a prince who is older than her son. The older prince is in line to be the king’s heir, but the prince has a perpectual illness that he will eventually die from but no one knows when for sure. The lady queen’s assitant tells Jang-Geum to return the lady queen’s favor, by helping the lady queen. The assistant tells the lady queen will arrange for Jang-Geum to treat the sick prince, and Jang-Geum is to secretly kill the prince, since he’s already living a life of hell on earth. Jang-Geum is shocked and distraught. Then she agrees to visit the ill prince. After examing him, Jang-Geum goes home and worries about what she should do.
Jang-Geum visits Min Jung-Ho and the two go around town shopping. Min Jung-Ho tells Jang-Geum he wants to buy her a gift so she can’t look. Later, Min Jung Ho puts an accessory on Jang-Geum and Jang-Geum smiles saying she loves it. Then Jang-Geum gives him the pen brush set her father gave her. Jang-Geum tells Min Jung Ho it’s the most valuable item she owns and she wants to give it to him. Min Jung-Ho tells Jang-Geum he likes the life outside palace and asks her to live with him outside the palace, with him mending a book shop, and her mending a small pharmacy. Jang-Geum gets upset, since she thinks she won’t have a life with Min after what the lady queen asked her to do, and Jang-Geum says she doesn’t want a small pharamacy. Min Jung-Ho is taken back but replies then she won’t have a small one. She’ll have a pharamacy that’s bigger than his shop. Jang-Geum looks at him with tears in her eyes.
Jang-Geum worries about what the lady queen said to her all night. The next day she tells the lady queen she can’t do what she asked, because her mother and Lady Han always said to her a cook’s hands cannot harm a person, and she is a nurse, her job is to heal people not to harm them. The lady queen replies this is the only way to secure her position and her son’s future and asks Jang-Geum to do it for her since she saved her life. Jang-Geum states she wants to return her life back to the lady queen instead. The king overhears the conversation outside but goes inside to pretend he didn’t hear anything. The lady queen reports to the king she wants to keep Jang-Geum near her as a sang-goong. The king replies it’s a good idea.
The king asks Jang-Geum what the lady queen asked her to do. Jang-Geum refuses to say anything. The king says it’s the king’s order but Jang-Geum replies she can’t say a word. The king tells his head guard to investigate the matter.
Jang-Geum is going crazy with the secret buried inside her and she runs to look for Min Jung-Ho but she has a difficult time finding him. Everywhere she looks for him, he’s not there. Meanwhile, Min Jun Ho hears Jang-Geum is looking for her but everywhere he goes Jang-Geum had already left. Finally at night they run into each other.
Jang-Geum, with tears, complains to him:
Jang Geum: (crying) You said you’d be there for me wherever i need you but how can u be there if i can’t find you?
Min Jung Ho: (surprised) ….
Jang Geum: You said to runaway with you before. So please take me away from here. Take me to runaway from here.
Min Jung-Ho makes plans to leave the palace with Jang-Geum. Jang-Geum writes her resignation letter and packs her belongings.