A lot of things have been happening in “The Secret Romantic Guesthouse” as the rumors about Lee Seol’s return spread throughout Hanyang. Yu Ha has taken the lead of Mokinhoe while impersonating Lee Seol, and he plans to take the throne. However, he is concerned about the return of the real Lee Seol. On the other hand, the real Lee Seol, Kang San, gets caught by the royal guards, but the personal guard saves him. That’s when Kang San finds out that his personal guard is none other than Si Yeol, who is always around him.
Spoilers Ahead
How Does Yuk Ho Find Out Kang San’s Real Identity?
All the members of Mokinhoe gather together for the first time but with their faces covered. Yu Ha makes his first appearance as Lee Seol in front of the members and assures them that they will succeed together in ending the current king’s tyranny. Meanwhile, word spreads in the palace that the deposed prince showed up with his personal guard and killed the royal guards. Minister Shin inquires about him, and he is relieved that no one has seen Lee Seol’s face. On the other hand, Kang San and Si Yeol have been careful not to change their behavior at the guesthouse. Si Yeol still teases Kang San, and Kang San pretends to get mad at him. However, they talk freely in their rooms. Si Yeol treats Kang San as the king already and asks him to be safe inside the palace, as it is difficult for him to enter. Kang San assures him that he will stay safe for the safety of others around him, including Si Yeol. Si Yeol has been living as Kang San’s shadow, following his every move, and his duty is to protect him, even if it means his own death. However, he can be freed from his duty when Kang San takes the throne.
A young man is arrested on suspicion of being Lee Seol, but Eunuch Noh confirms that he is not the one. The king is worried after hearing the news of Lee Seol’s appearance, so he sends Eunuch Noh back to the royal palace to recognize Lee Seol if he ever shows up. Eunuch Noh already knows that Kang San is Lee Seol, but the reason he is hiding his identity is unknown, even to Kang San. Kang San only requests that he keep helping him. Kang San is looking for an opportunity to rebel against the king, but the rumors of another Lee Seol bother him. One of his men is keeping an eye on Mokinhoe by being a part of it, and he is reporting their activities to Kang San. Yu Ha can no longer hide from the people at the guesthouse that he is a part of Mokinhoe. Dan Oh has been suspicious of him because he often spends the night away. Dan Oh is worried about Kang San but promises to support him in achieving his goal. Dan Oh and Kang San have fallen in love with each other and have confessed it too. Everyone around them notices it as well. Si Yeol and Hong Ju have been spending more time with each other, but no one has noticed them yet.
While looking for books in Yu Ha’s room, Yuk Ho finds the Book of Prophecy and gets shocked after seeing the drawings in it. Yu Ha tells him that they are drawn by Kang San, and Yuk Ho understands that he is Lee Seol. Yuk Ho knows how Dan Oh met Lee Seol in the past, and the pictures show the same story. He begs Kang San to leave the guesthouse because he doesn’t want Dan Oh to get into trouble. Kang San assures him that he will protect Dan Oh, but Dan Oh is like a daughter to Yuk Ho, and he can’t help but worry about her. On the other hand, rumors have spread that the king is going to marry Dan Oh, and Dan Oh again gets summoned by the king. The king asks her this time if she really doesn’t know about Lee Seol, and Dan Oh’s answer doesn’t change. The king is only keeping her alive because he believes that Lee Seol will come for her. As Dan Oh leaves the palace, the palace guards, including Kang San, follow her secretly. The king has ordered them to find Lee Seol through Dan Oh and, if not, kill Dan Oh.
How Does Guard Kim Find Out Yu Ha’s Real Identity?
Si Yeol is always around Kang San, and when the palace guards are following Dan Oh, he pretends to attack her. Si Yeol distracts the palace guards while Kang San runs away with Dan Oh. Si Yeol thinks that it was a risky move by Kang San, but he has a plan. He tells Dan Oh to go to the king and side with him. Dan Oh goes to the king and thanks him for his guards saving her. She reveals to him that the deceased crown prince’s guard threatened her to stop searching for Lee Seol, and she was scared that if she revealed the guard’s identity, she’d be killed by him. Dan Oh tells the king exactly what Kang San told her, and the palace guards go to the mentioned place in search of the guard. The guard in question is Kang San’s ally, who is also a part of Mokinhoe. On the other hand, Yu Ha meets the queen dowager as Lee Seol, but he wonders if she would have been equally happy had he met her as Lee Gyeom. Yu Ha had been so busy with Mokinhoe that he realized later that Kang San and Dan Oh had grown closer. He feels that they are hiding something from him. All the scholars at the guesthouse now know about Kang San’s real identity, except Yu Ha. Even Ban Ya from Buyounggak recognizes Lee Seol when she hears a conversation between Jang and Hwa Ryeong. However, Kang San has helped her a lot, and she cannot reveal his identity. Moreover, her father used to work for Kang San’s father, and she wishes for Kang San to take over the throne.
A new tenant arrives at the guesthouse, and he is Kang San’s colleague. Their chief has sent him to keep an eye on Dan Oh. However, he goes easy on her because he has already realized that Kang San has feelings for Dan Oh. Kang San and Dan Oh still meet in secret, but the activities they do are unlike those of other couples. Kang San has been teaching Dan Oh how to shoot arrows and other defense techniques because he wants her to be safe even when he is not around. Kang San is the prospective new king of the country, and if he becomes king, Dan Oh will likely become queen. They can never be a normal couple, as their existence is a fight in itself. Meanwhile, Yu Ha has been gathering the survivors among the crown prince’s court officials, and one of them is guard Kim. He requests that he support their rebellion against the current king, but guard Kim, who is an ally of Kang San, asks Yu Ha to confirm his identity as Lee Seol. He knows the real Lee Seol, and hence, he gets surprised when he sees the heirloom of the crown prince. He knew that the crown prince had another son and that he had been adopted into a non-royal family.
‘The Secret Romantic Guesthouse’ Episode 12: Ending
Guard Kim writes a note to Kang San informing him that his brother is alive and he is impersonating him. Yu Ha finds the scroll accidentally before Kang San finds it and gets surprised. He understands that Lee Seol is close to him. He waits for someone to pick up the scroll and sees Kang San. He is just as shocked as Kang San is when he reads the scroll. He wants to see who his brother is and tries to go to Mokinhoe with Yu Ha, but Yu Ha refuses his request, knowing his truth. Kang San still follows him and secretly watches their gathering. He cannot guess who their leader is, but as soon as he hears his voice, he understands it’s Yu Ha himself.
Will it be a fight between the two brothers for the throne yet again in “The Secret Romantic Guesthouse”? The current king killed his own brother to become the king, and a similar situation has arisen again. Kang San, as a legitimate son of the crown prince, is the rightful owner of the throne, but Yu Ha has announced himself as Lee Seol, and taking back his words could cause Mokinhoe to fall. Moreover, his mother, Hwa Ryeong, unbeknownst to him, is eager to see her son as the king. Yu Ha is a sensible person who wants to save the country’s people from the king. If he hadn’t announced himself as Lee Seol, it would have been easier for him, but the situation is complicated, and Yu Ha needs to make a conscious decision.
