'Perfect Crown' Episodes 3-4 Recap: What Happens In The End-Credit Scene? 

I think I might be the only person watching Perfect Crown who didn’t realize that Min Jeong-Woo was the Prime Minister. I’m not going to lie, the first two episodes of the show were certainly a bit dry, and we didn’t really get any information about the prince except that there was a fire, and his sister-in-law doesn’t like that he still exists. The story is simple, both of these people who have never been accepted on their own end up falling for each other after getting into a fake alliance for their mutual benefit. It’s cute and all, but the first two episodes felt a little all over the place because they felt neither serious nor comedic. But I can’t deny that IU and Byeon Woo-Seok have great chemistry, and that’s why there’s a vast improvement with episodes 3 and 4, which certainly go full throttle into the fun and comedic side of things. I just hope this momentum doesn’t die too soon. Anyway, with that said, let’s jump straight into episodes 3 and 4.

Spoiler Alert

Why Does Hui-Ju Move Into I-An’s Private Residence? 

Perfect Crown episode 3 is essentially a representation of the phrase “fake it till you make it.” In it, after Hui-Ju and I-An agree to marry each other for the sake of convenience, they have to show off their love to the people, to make it clear that they actually care for each other. I-An gives Hui-Ju his “hopae,” essentially an identity card, so she can use it whenever she’s in need. Of course, the Dowager Queen does not approve of this relationship and spends both episodes investigating Hui-Ju. Not only is she a commoner, but she’s also an illegitimate daughter. I-An scares the Dowager with the words “premarital pregnancy” and walks away from her. Hui-Ju spends the night with I-An in his room, and unlike the usual fake couple trope, they share a bed and it’s quite funny, because the next day I-An has had no sleep, and all the palace workers think it’s because they were doing the deed, but they were just fighting for the blanket. Hui-Ju has a full-fledged plan, though. She wears the same outfit from the previous night so that people can catch on that she was with the prince all night, especially after it becomes a thing in the media, just as they planned. But after spending a whole day at work, looking at comments about the duo, and also getting stuff done, when Hui-Ju is heading home, she gets egged by some high school girls, fans of the Prince, of course. Hui-Ju is not one to back away easily. She handles the situation with dignity, like a big sister who has to discipline the younger ones, and for now it’s all good. This is what leads to I-An getting her to stay in his private quarters, so that she’s safe from hooligans like them. But later, her father visits her, asking if she remembers that it’s going to be her step-mother’s death anniversary soon. 

What Happened In Hui-Ju’s Childhood? 

Turns out, Hui-Ju was abandoned by her own mother and dropped off in front of her father’s house with nothing. I don’t know how it was proved that she was his daughter. Maybe they did a DNA test, or maybe he always knew but still appeared to be shocked when he heard her call him father. It’s not explained too well, but either way, when she announces herself as the guy’s daughter, Tae-Ju’s mother immediately collapses. That’s why Hui-Ju’s dad blames Hui-Ju for her death, or so it seems. But as the girl grew up, she fought for everything that should’ve been divided equally between her and her brother from her dad. Right from a young age she was desperate to be considered equal, and it appears she got what she wanted, because she’s living in the most lavish house and also runs her own company. This is not me trying to call her a nepo baby, but it wouldn’t have been possible had her dad not given her what she deserved. After her dad’s visit, I-An gives her a call and hears the sadness in her voice. He thinks it’s because of the fangirls and shows up at her house with everyone’s favorite K-drama meal – Subway. She accepts it happily, and he’s surprised to see how well she eats despite the sadness in her voice. But it’s clear she’s trained herself for years. This is when they decide to take her to his place and have her stay there for protection. 

Why Does Hui-Ju Get In Trouble? 

Remember the fire in the second episode? The Dowager claims that Hui-Ju was responsible, because she was in a part of the palace that outsiders are not allowed into. This is when the hopae comes into play and Hui-Ju sends her steward with it to summon the prince for help. I-An arrives just in time to say that if Hui-Ju needs to be questioned, then he should too. On the other hand, Hui-Ju’s half-brother and sister-in-law are also trying to make their own plans revolving around Hui-Ju. I can’t tell just yet if Da-Young actually cares about Hui-Ju or just wants to use her position to her own advantage. She seems to be nice enough for now. 

Why Does The Prime Minister Not Want A Royal Wedding? 

We already know that, while in school, Hui-Ju was a junior to both I-An and Jeong-Woo, the prime minister. Jeong-Woo was clearly in love with her back then too, and still seems to like her a lot, so he wishes for this alliance to be broken. He’s being selfish here, but he thinks it’ll benefit Hui-Ju too, because nobody can be truly happy married to a prince who won’t even get the throne. Jeong-Woo and I-An are definitely going to fight it out in the future, but I do hope it’s not going to be cliched. 

What Happens With The King? 

In Perfect Crown episode 4, I-An and Hui-Ju spend more time together. While she’s getting disciplined by Choi Jin-Sook, the highest ranking royal servant, Hui-Ju tries to figure out different ways to escape. Initially, the couple go to watch a baseball game together, yet another public appearance, where they get asked to kiss on the kiss cam. This is because Hui-Ju visited I-An at night and they knew there was a camera, so I-An pretended to kiss Hui-Ju so that the picture could become a sensation, and that’s exactly what happens. Also, I say pretend, because he just touches lips with her. Anyway, at the game, I-An whispers something to Hui-Ju, and she pulls out her phone with a cutesy “we’re sorry.” Later, Jeong-Woo, who is there for the first pitch, asks Hui-Ju to join him for her favorite lunch of sashimi, but I-An joins too. When they get there, he doesn’t eat anything though, and this is when Hui-Ju learns that I-An has to follow a lot of rules as the Grand Prince. This is when we get another flashback, to when I-An was a small boy and he tried on his brother’s dragon robe. For “disrespecting” the crown, he was punished by his father and always treated as “lower” to his brother. On the other hand, I-An and his nephew also lost a lot of people in quick succession, leaving I-An devastated. Hui-Ju feels further for the guy, and even calls him up, telling him that she’s “on his side.” 

In episode 4’s ending, Hui-Ju has a young visitor, the king himself. The king wants to play with his uncle after leaving school with the Prime Minister for lessons. He’s upset that he doesn’t get to play around like the other kids, and feels very disappointed. The only person who understands him is his uncle. But when he gets there, only Hui-Ju is around, and she makes it her mission to play with the young king. They have a blast all day, alongside all the servants who have now become fans of Hui-Ju. She’s quick to please the people, eh? However, as promised, Hui-Ju is meant to grant the king a wish after his big win. Surprisingly, he asks for a ride in her red sports car. He calls it a car with wings, and she has no choice but to oblige. With the PM and the royal nanny right behind her, Hui-Ju takes the king in her car. But shockingly, when she tries to speed, she can’t slow down because the brakes have been tampered with. Hui-Ju comes up with a quick plan as her car is racing through the city with the king in the passenger seat. She gets onto the bridge (likely over the river). She uses the side of the bridge to slow her car down, completely grinding her car against the side to slow it down. Suddenly, a car appears in front of her and stops. To nobody’s surprise, after she crashes into it and finally comes to a halt, the person who comes out of the other car is I-An. 

I-An puts his own life at risk to make sure that it doesn’t look like his bride-to-be was trying to kill the king. Because no matter what the case, that’s what people will believe. Really, the question is, who tried to hurt Hui-Ju? Well, to me, it seems like there are many options. For one, the Dowager, for obvious reasons. She would’ve never known her own son would’ve wanted to get in that car. On the other hand, it could be her own brother or sister-in-law, but I’m confused about them. And lastly, it could be her father too, because we already know he blames her for all his misfortunes, and this way he won’t have to leave her anything in his will. Of course, it could also be just another fan-situation. 

What Is The End-Credit Scene? 

The end credit scene of episode 4 shows what I-An whispered in Hui-Ju’s ear. He asked her if they should be “shameless” and show everyone how hot they can be together. It’s obviously a joke, but it’s a good way to bait people. Later, we see him think about her when he’s alone in his room. Obviously, I-An had a crush on Hui-Ju right from high school. It’s only a matter of time till we find out why he didn’t do anything about it.  

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