My Royal Nemesis Episode 3 Recap & Review: Chaos, Credit Cards, and a Hero Who Can’t Hide His Feelings

I knew Episode 3 of My Royal Nemesis was going to be chaotic the moment Kang Dan-sim stole Se-gye’s credit card and went shopping for candy like it was completely normal.

But somehow, that wasn’t even the wildest part of the episode.

This week’s episode had everything: palace assassins, fake fainting, jealous tension, accidental flirting, and Se-gye slowly turning into the most reluctant romantic lead ever. The drama finally feels more confident about what it wants to be, and honestly, I had way more fun watching this episode than the previous ones.

The comedy lands better, the chemistry is stronger, and the reincarnation storyline finally starts connecting properly with the present-day plot.

The Joseon Flashbacks Get More Dangerous

Episode 3 opens in the Joseon era, and things immediately feel tense.

Dan-sim is still carrying anger after being mistreated in the palace, but before she can focus on revenge, Prince Cheongheon suddenly gets attacked by assassins. The scene gets messy fast. One assassin dies while the other escapes, leaving the prince suspicious of everyone nearby, including Dan-sim.

When he notices her standing there, he assumes she might be involved.

Honestly, I can’t even blame him.

Dan-sim quickly begs for mercy, and after the confusion settles down, the two recognize each other. There’s a brief moment where the atmosphere softens completely. She asks his name because she wants to thank him, but he rushes off to chase the remaining assassin before answering.

Even though the scene is short, it adds another emotional layer to their past relationship. Every flashback makes it clearer that their connection started long before the present timeline.

Back in the present, Dan-sim spots Mun-do and immediately believes he’s the King from Joseon reincarnated.

Her reaction is honestly hilarious.

Without warning, she grabs Se-gye and hides behind him while trying not to be seen. Se-gye looks completely confused while Mun-do seems entertained by the entire situation.

The awkward energy between all three characters was one of my favorite moments in the episode.

Things get even more ridiculous when the TV station employees show up looking for Dan-sim after her earlier incident. Instead of explaining herself, she pretends to faint on the spot.

And somehow Se-gye decides to help her.

He carries her outside to avoid causing another scandal, even though he clearly has no idea why he keeps getting dragged into her chaos.

Dan-sim then climbs into Se-gye’s car and orders him to drive her home.

Not asks. Orders.

She complains about motion sickness and even tells him to drive slower. Se-gye spends the entire ride irritated, but at this point, it’s obvious he’s already too soft when it comes to her.

At a gas station, he secretly buys medicine because he’s worried she’s still sick. It’s a tiny detail, but moments like this are exactly why their relationship works.

He complains nonstop, but his actions always say something different.

Of course, while he’s distracted, Dan-sim disappears with his credit card.

I genuinely laughed at Se-gye’s expression after realizing what happened. The man looked exhausted with life.

While Dan-sim explores modern life using Se-gye’s money, Se-gye learns that Mun-do has been manipulating things behind the scenes for a long time.

Biojei’s main investor, Kaiserman Capital, secretly belongs to Mun-do, and there’s already someone inside the company helping him. The reveal instantly raises the stakes because it proves Mun-do has power over almost every part of Se-gye’s business life.

What makes it worse is how much Mun-do enjoys it.

The episode makes it clear that this rivalry started when they were kids. Mun-do constantly provokes Se-gye and seems obsessed with controlling him emotionally and professionally.

Still, Se-gye refuses to back down this time. Instead, he decides to move forward with Dynaestie using Kaiserman’s own investment money.

It’s one of the few moments where he fully regains control.

Meanwhile, Dan-sim discovers the joy of unlimited spending.

The market scenes were honestly some of the funniest in the episode because she treats Se-gye’s credit card like magical palace gold. She buys snacks, sweets, and random food while looking completely amazed by modern technology.

Se-gye eventually tracks her down personally instead of reporting the card missing.

That detail says a lot.

A normal person would cancel the card immediately. Se-gye chooses to go find her himself because deep down, he wants to see her again.

The two end up sharing a meal together at a beef restaurant, and this was easily one of the strongest scenes in the episode.

Se-gye grills meat while grumbling under his breath the entire time. Dan-sim misunderstands his concern as romantic interest, which completely flusters him.

Their conversations feel much more natural now compared to earlier episodes. The playful arguing finally works because both characters are starting to understand each other better.

The “romance” conversation especially stood out because it quietly hints that both of them are already developing feelings.

Even if Se-gye absolutely refuses to admit it.

After dropping Dan-sim off, Se-gye starts acting differently.

Love songs on the radio suddenly remind him of her. He keeps imagining her face everywhere. Even simple things start making him think about their interactions.

The funniest part is how frustrated he becomes over it.

He genuinely cannot process why he’s so affected by her presence.

At the same time, Dan-sim begins remembering more of their Joseon past. In another flashback, she becomes Prince Cheongheon’s court lady despite rumors surrounding him.

Unlike everyone else, she never fears him.

These scenes add emotional depth to the relationship because they show how naturally drawn they were to each other even centuries ago.

The episode takes a major turn when Se-gye realizes Dan-sim is actually Shin Seo-ri.

After dreaming about their past life together, he wakes up emotional and finally connects the dots. He later talks to his psychiatrist friend Jeong-hyeon, who jokingly suggests that he’s in love.

Se-gye instantly rejects the idea.

Unfortunately for him, nobody watching believes that anymore.

The man is already gone.

One scene I unexpectedly loved happens during Dan-sim and Gwang-nam’s part-time job at the mall.

Dan-sim watches Ji-hyo dramatically overact in a historical drama and casually demonstrates how a real royal figure would behave. People nearby immediately become fascinated by her performance.

Later, she watches old footage of Seo-ri acting and becomes emotional.

For the first time, she understands why acting matters to people. She realizes performances can comfort others and make them feel deeply connected to stories.

That moment inspires her to continue Seo-ri’s dream.

It’s actually one of the sweetest scenes in the episode.

The Dynaestie spokesperson storyline becomes another battlefield between Se-gye and Mun-do.

Some executives want Ji-hyo, while others push for Seo-ri. Se-gye secretly supports Seo-ri the entire time, and his reaction when she wins the final vote is honestly adorable.

But the situation quickly falls apart because Seo-ri’s agency refuses to cooperate.

When Dan-sim later arrives at Biojei, Ji-hyo and CEO Hong create even more trouble, leading to a physical confrontation that leaves visible marks on her face.

The second Se-gye sees her injured, his entire attitude changes.

Without hesitation, he steps in and announces that his new entertainment company will personally represent her.

The moment felt very classic K-drama hero energy.

He grabs her hand confidently, stands beside her in front of everyone, and basically declares himself her protector.

And judging from Dan-sim’s reaction, she definitely felt something too.

The final flashback reveals that the King intentionally sent Dan-sim to Prince Cheongheon as part of a political trap.

In the present timeline, Mun-do appears to be planning something very similar by using Seo-ri against Se-gye.

I actually liked this parallel a lot because it makes the reincarnation storyline feel meaningful instead of decorative. The past is clearly repeating itself in dangerous ways.

Final Thoughts

Episode 3 is where My Royal Nemesis finally becomes genuinely entertaining.

The humor works better, the pacing feels smoother, and the romance is finally believable. Most importantly, Se-gye and Dan-sim’s chemistry improves massively once the drama fully embraces the comedy.

Im Ji-yeon continues to be the highlight of the series. She balances innocence, chaos, comedy, and emotional vulnerability so naturally that every scene feels fun to watch.

Meanwhile, Heo Nam-jun shines most during Se-gye’s awkward emotional breakdowns. Watching him slowly lose control over his feelings is honestly becoming the best part of the show.

And at this point, it’s very clear:

Se-gye is already in love.

He just doesn’t know it yet.

My Royal Nemesis Episode 2 | My Royal Nemesis Episode 4