Five Broken Blades

Aeri wanders around the estate and contemplates keeping Royo by her side forever as her attraction for him grows. She hears him laugh for the first time when she imitates his demeanor, and this moment makes him more endearing. She and Royo meet Mikail and Euyn in the hallway, and Mikail offers to gather weapons for them. Aeri asks for a dagger.

For once, the six comrades enjoy a high-quality dinner and are full of stories and laughter. Overwhelmed, Sora leaves, struggling with the necessity of betraying the others in order to secure the crown and save Daysum’s life. Ty finds her, and when he asks if she is all right, she sobs into his arms. After she settles, she asks Ty how he can be so kind, despite having a father like Seok. Ty stumbles into confessing that he loves her. When she doubts him, he clarifies that he only followed her into Xingchi Forest to save her from his father’s wrath, and he also explains that by whipping Daysum himself, he saved her from a harsher punishment at his father’s hands. He explains that he has never been able to forget her. Just as Sora is about to answer his feelings, she sees someone spying on them through the window.

In Aeri’s room, Royo feels an uncomfortable amount of lust for her and leaves to patrol the area. He locks the door before he leaves and instructs Aeri to remain in the room. As he patrols, he tries to clear his head, and he encounters Mikail and Euyn on the way. He wonders what will happen after the assassination and where Aeri will go. Halfway through his patrol, Royo senses that something is wrong. Upon rounding a corner, he meets Sora. As they stare at one another, someone lets out a dying scream.

Mikail and Euyn are in bed together when they hear the scream. They join the others and find a palace assassin dead on the ground.

Euyn worries that he was the assassin’s target. Mikail uncovers the dagger used to kill the man and asks if it was one of Royo’s, but Royo confirms that he did not kill anyone. Everyone accounts for their whereabouts, and no one admits to being the assassin’s murderer. According to Mikail, the assassin did not want to kill anyone, as palace assassins do not miss their intended target. Mikail theorizes that the man was likely here to meet someone. They bring the body inside to examine it.

As they search for the man, they find nothing to identify him or his purpose. Ty reveals that he thought he saw a shadow as they were leaving the burning warehouse in Oosant. Ty asks Aeri about her origins, and the conversation devolves into general distrust among the group. Sora suggests that this might be a plot by Dal to sow doubt among them. Mikail orders the body to be burned and buried, and they resolve to confront Dal when he arrives the next morning.

The next day, they gather to meet the count in the dining room, but Euyn receives a letter declaring that Dal has died of a heart attack; Dal’s young child will inherit his position as count. Aeri wants to call off the assassination plan because Dal was supposed to be the means for Sora to meet Joon. Mikail grows frantic and adamantly insists on going through with the plan. He suggests using the northern count to gain access to Joon. Aeri once again proposes that they abandon their scheme, but Mikail reminds them of what is at stake, and everyone falls in line.

Aeri frets over the plan. When she and Royo return to their room, she wishes that they could stay together but knows that after they complete the assassination, her father will not allow her to have a relationship with Royo. Even so, she admits her feelings to Royo and asks him to stay with her forever. He pointedly does not say no.

They arrive in the capital, where people are making a show of mourning Dal’s death. Royo suspects that Mikail is the one who was meant to meet the palace assassin, but Aeri disagrees. Royo and Aeri gather everyone for dinner at their new inn and decide to order in. They find Sora and Ty in a compromising situation and laugh, and then they encounter Mikail, who claims that he has been finalizing the arrangements for the assassination the next day. Royo does not trust him.

Flustered, Sora composes herself and decides to trust Ty enough to tell him about her plan for the crown and Daysum. Ty reveals that he burned her indenture contract before they left Gain, so Sora is now legally free. Gently, Ty dissuades her from taking the crown because he knows that the others will kill both her and Daysum if she takes it. He proposes instead to bring Daysum to the palace once Euyn is crowned king, where she can be assessed by the palace healers. When Aeri doubts herself, he reminds her that she is made of steel and will succeed.

Euyn confronts Mikail and expresses his doubts about Mikail’s intentions, the plan, and their companions. Mikail counters Euyn’s worries and reminds him that he cannot physically torture their companions to ensure that they won’t double-cross them. Euyn asks if his sister is still supporting them, and Mikail confirms that there is no change in plans. The food arrives, and together, they toast to Joon’s death and Euyn’s reign. The whole group talks about they want from their future after the assassination. Mikail jokes about being the king consort, but Ty and Aeri are uncertain of what they want. Sora’s desire to free her sister is already known, and Royo simply wants Joon’s edict about the prisoners overturned.

Royo paces in his and Aeri’s bedroom, reviewing the details of their plan in his head, but Aeri is unconcerned. She gives him the diamond in advance to alleviate his worries. He attempts to express his feelings for her and admits that he doesn’t trust the plan. She invites him to her bed, and they fall asleep together.

Sora allows Ty to come into her room, and they discuss the future that they envision for themselves. Sora will not be able to stay in Gain because she will need to look after Daysum. Their discussion feels like a farewell, and Ty asks desperately if there is a chance that she might one day love him. She tells him that anything is possible, and he resolves to wait for her. She and Ty have sex despite the lingering fear that her body may be poisonous.

For the first time in the history of his relationship with Mikail, Euyn is incapable of feeling desire for Mikail because his doubts about his lover have grown too great. He confronts Mikail and claims that he cannot know and possess Mikail, body and soul, because of Mikail’s secrets. They argue about sharing secrets, and ultimately, Euyn is led to believe that Mikail is acting in his interest out of loyalty instead of love, while Mikail now believes that Euyn cheapens the meaning of loyalty. When Mikail leaves, Euyn realizes that his lover has evaded all of his questions.

Mikail goes to the center of the inn and watches as families go by. He recalls that when he was a child, he found his own family massacred during what would eventually be called the Festival of Blood. The event was engineered and led by Joon, who was determined to quash the Gayan rebellion. At the time, Mikail only escaped by pretending to be dead. He was found by a soldier named Ailor, who took him in and raised him as his son. He renamed himself Mikail after his favorite storybook hero. Now, he goes for a walk to clear his head and to solidify his resolve to kill Joon.