Despite knowing there was no way Ba Wu would be killed off, I was still greatly relieved to see that King Gwanghae (Kim Tae Woo), anticipating Lee Yi Cheom's evil ways, had him wear a Joseon Era bulletproof vest that lessened the impact of the shot orchestrated by Yi Cheom to get rid of Ba Wu. I was worried the King had the courage to mitigate Yi Cheom or if he would use Ba Wu as a trap.
But what was even more of a relief was the King demanding the culprit behind the scheme be found and punished accordingly even as he knew the likelihood of that happening was slim to none. I've come to realize that Bossam is more about sending warning messages to each other's enemies more than taking action, and good as that may be, at some point, one must take action for the message to be felt rather than just heard and ignored.
And that's what I like most about Ba Wu and the Princess's relationship; they understand what needs to be done to keep each other safe and do it willingly, be it together or separately, but together makes them that much stronger. I especially loved the fleeting moments of them looking refined and so noble in their bright clothing. Their faces light up with their bright smiles as they successfully outed Yi Cheom's illegal trade business without his knowledge and getting his son, the Chief of Police, in trouble with the King. But as in everything, there are always consequences to choices made, and rather than reflect on how to be a better person, Yi Cheom's son lashes out by killing Ba Wu's brother-in-law without regard to the lives he destroyed by doing so.
The saddest part is that even as Ba Wu tries to mind his business and stay out as far away from trouble, it won't keep away from him. And as bad as I feel for Dae Yeop for always finding himself stuck between a rock and a hard place, be it with his father or that useless brother of his, he will soon need to make a stand and figure out whether he's either on the side of justice or injustice despite what it may cost him -- gain his "non" family who doesn't care for him as much as he does and lose himself. I wish the mother/aunt would hurry up and tell him the truth before it's too late. As they say, telling someone the truth, no matter how painful it may be, is a loving act. It was so refreshing to see Ba Wu and the Princess playhouse in peace for change, but there is no rest for the wicked, as they say.
And despite all of Ba Wu's efforts, things seem to get more complicated as they go. He cannot keep himself out of trouble or prison, for that matter, try as he may, but at least this time, he isn't in there on his own. Not only do Ba Wu and the Princess have to contend with Court Lady Kim Gae Shi, Kim Ja Jeom, and Lee Yi Cheom -- vultures all of them each worse than the other -- add Cha Dol's mother (if she's even really his mom) to the mix, and it's a disaster in the making. Everybody has their personal agendas, even the King; as much as I want to trust that he truly has his daughter's safety in mind, I'm having a hard time reconciling that come push to shove, he wouldn't abandon her again. Watch episodes 13 and 14 here.