To My Beloved Thief: Episodes 5-6
by mistyisles
It’s hard to keep secrets from someone when you’ve switched bodies with them. But, on the other hand, it’s much easier to understand someone else’s perspective when you’re literally walking around in their shoes (and face. And everything else…). Our body-swapped couple have a lot of difficulties to face, but at least now neither is facing those difficulties alone.
EPISODES 5-6
When Eun-jo and Yeol wake up in each other’s bodies, they have a lot to orient themselves to. Yeol’s new body is injured (from falling off the roof to evade discovery as Gil-dong), while Eun-jo is lost inside the palace grounds. Hae-rim happily guides “Yeol” out, and Eun-jo races back to where she left her body. All she finds is a small pool of her own blood, though, because some of the townsfolk found Yeol collapsed in the street and helped “Eun-jo” back home. Eun-jo sneaks inside just before Yeol wakes up again, and together they process what’s happened to them and try to work out how to reverse it.
Little by little, the truth comes out about Eun-jo’s wedding/widowhood (Yeol is outraged on her behalf) and Yeol’s identity (Eun-jo is mortified that she’s been bickering with the grand prince himself; Yeol demands she not treat him any differently). When they fail to switch back, they resign themselves to living as each other for now. They’re smart about it, too, making little reference books with portraits and information on the people they’ll need to interact with. The first time Eun-jo meets the queen dowager as Yeol, he accompanies her — disguised as a court lady — and feeds her dialogue. Eun-jo balks at the impertinent things he makes her say, but the queen dowager responds in like kind. Yeol, meanwhile, seizes the rare opportunity to show unbridled care for his mother.
As they acclimate to each other’s routines, Yeol and Eun-jo help make both homes a little more tolerable. Yeol stands up to the men of the Im household for talking down to an elder (Eun-jo may be a low-born woman, but as Seung-jae and Jae-yi’s step-grandmother she is owed a level of respect both have withheld). Eun-jo discovers the king’s drugged incense and advises better ventilation. The king is baffled by the sudden and sincere show of concern from “Yeol,” but his response suggests it’s not unwelcome. At her recommendation, he stops using the incense (until withdrawals drive him back to it, but still).
I think my favorite thing about this body-swap is how it allows both Eun-jo and Yeol to say all the things they wouldn’t normally — both by speaking for each other, and by speaking as themselves through the other person’s mouth. They reassure each other’s mothers and defend each other from assumptions (or allow assumptions, as needed). They push boundaries the other was afraid to touch. And they speak to each other with a beautiful, refreshing candor, since there aren’t really any secrets left between them anymore.
Which brings us back to Gil-dong. Eun-jo had believed Yeol didn’t know that secret yet, since he hadn’t mentioned it. But in truth, he figured it out almost immediately the night of the swap. He just didn’t want to bring it up until she did. He knew she couldn’t have murdered the ex-chief censor (being at your own wedding is a pretty solid alibi) and he wouldn’t think of holding the deception against her. In fact, he admires her for becoming the righteous thief — but he’d prefer it if she stopped now, and not just because she’s wearing his face. He threatens to turn her in if she returns to thieving once they switch back, but he doesn’t really mean it, and admits as much later. He’s just terrified it’ll end badly. For her part, Eun-jo isn’t sure if becoming Gil-dong was an admirable choice, or just a selfish attempt to make herself feel better about the suffering going on around her. But she decides that, if she does return to it and gets caught, Yeol had better be the one to catch her.
And that brings us back to Lord Im, because just about everything does. Eun-jo and Yeol were able to have these conversations about Gil-dong because Lord Im had a Gil-dong imposter shot down in the streets, hoping to lure the real Gil-dong into the open. (It worked, sort of, which is how Yeol and Eun-jo found themselves at the other end of each other’s swords beside the decoy Gil-dong’s grave.) When Eun-jo starts looking into the king’s incense, Lord Im starts to sweat. He can’t tell if “Yeol” is trying to provoke him or asking questions in innocence, but either way he’ll feel better with Yeol out of the picture. But such things must done delicately, so he appoints Jae-yi as a royal inspector and tasks him with digging up whatever dirt he can find on the grand prince.
Speaking of Jae-yi, he’s convinced Hae-rim to break off their engagement. The poor girl is incredibly sheltered and far too innocent for her own good, which is why a few kind gestures from Yeol have completely swept her off her feet. But then Eun-jo (in Yeol’s body) swoops in to defend Hae-rim from the ridicule of her peers, and, well, if Hae-rim hadn’t been head-over-heels already, she most definitely is now. It’s a bit sad, but it’s also sweet, as she and Eun-jo bond over their favorite fairytales. They’re interrupted by Jae-yi, because he just has to ruin everyone’s mood. He drags “Eun-jo” behind him, incensed by her impropriety (not only did she sneak out, she’s impersonating a court lady, AND she’s been doing all this in the company of a man).
Back at the Im house, Yeol easily shakes Jae-yi off, realizing as he does that Jae-yi has been harboring feelings for Eun-jo. Which isn’t an excuse for how he treats her, but now I’m curious if Jae-yi even recognizes those feelings for what they are. As for the real Eun-jo, she frets over Yeol’s fate. Standard punishment for such an offense is a severe beating, but how can she possibly intervene? Bodyguard Dae-chu shakes his head, all, Are you really the same guy who had fresh gravel laid so her shoes wouldn’t get muddy on her wedding day?. And that’s all the convincing Eun-jo needs. Off she goes to rescue her prince.
On the road, she’s waylaid by Jae-yi and a dozen or so officers, here to arrest the grand prince on unspecified charges. Elsewhere, Yeol has slipped out of the Im house again, and he’s waylaid by Lord Im’s hired hand, here to apprehend the real Gil-dong. For whatever reason, their souls choose this moment to switch back. Eun-jo, having gone from the back of a horse to standing with a sword at her throat, freezes in terror. Yeol, knowing exactly what sort of danger she’s in, ignores Jae-yi’s officers entirely. Off he rides to rescue his thief.
If I didn’t make it clear already, I adore these two together. Between the mixup about their identities and social classes and the body swap, they’ve achieved a level of frank intimacy very quickly, without it feeling rushed or inorganic. Plus, their growing fondness for each other (Yeol’s delight when he learned how much she treasured the shoes he sent her!) is just lovely to watch. Is it Saturday yet??
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