The best thing about this week's episode was Ba Wu and the team happy. I think it's the first time we saw all of them laugh so heartedly despite still being chased by the King and Dae Yeop's father's men. Hearing the Princess telling Ba Wu how grateful she was for him bossaming her because she wouldn't have otherwise experienced the sea or the freedoms that she does now first as a Princess but most importantly as a widow was heartbreaking as it was endearing.
When a man listens to a woman's feeling without judgment or preconceived notions, he makes it safe for her to express herself, the more she feels heard and understood, the more she can give the loving, trust, acceptance, appreciation, admiration, approval and encouragement that he deserves. So it was only natural that the Princess and Ba Wu would start having feelings for each other after everything they'd been through together. It bonded them to each other.
There is no arguing that the Princess loved Dae Yeop as he did, but rather than put her first, he put his family and his fear of society and traditions above his love when he rejected the Princess's appeals for them to run away at the time of her wedding. Not that I blame him, coming from the time and society he was living in, but he should've at least fought for his love. And that was the difference for the Princess between Ba Wu and Dae Yeop, especially when she found out what his family did to him and how Ba Wu gave up on his revenge to save her.
I cannot even begin to express how I feel about Lee Yi Chum and King Gwanghae, who are willing to destroy the innocent in their power struggle, and most of all, their children. The lies and schemes they and those close to them continue to draw out are exasperating to watch from Court Lady Kim Gae Si (Song Sun Mi), who straddles the line between intelligence and ferociousness, cultivating her own schemes to Lady Haeindang Lee (Myung Se Bin), Lee Yi Chum’s younger sister who obsesses over Dae Yeop, her nephew to Yang Hyun Min Seoin Faction Leader Kim Ja Jeom (Yang Hyun Min) whose allegiances shift as per the shifting of the wind to Choon Bae's (Lee Joon Hyuk) bad and risk habits while he and the team are on the run. I know he meant well, but he should've known better, and so should've Court Lady Jo (Shin Dong Mi).
Love to me pays attention; it listens to the fears and doubts of those it loves and treats them with respect. It accepts its choices, not selfishly claim its choices are the only way. So, for Dae Yeop to only want to see his love as the only way and not actually listen or even respect the Princess's wishes only proves he is only interested in how he feels. In that sense, it was only a matter of time before Dae Yeop's love turned from affection and care to jealousy, obsession, and self-interest. He can fool himself into believing he's doing it to protect the princess from all those who mean her harm, including Ba Wu, but that's how he wants to see it when in reality, he is the one that continues to place her in danger. And for whatever ludicrous notion, Dae Yeop actually believes he can either keep the Princess safe from his father or control him. If that is not living in denial, I don't know what is; he's let his jealousy turn him into his father, using Ba Wu's family against him. If he thinks his efforts will endear him to the princess when all he did was make her fall in love with Ba Wu and turn her into an enemy. Watch episodes 9 & 10 here.