I honestly didn’t expect Episode 5 of My Royal Nemesis to turn Se-gye into such a disaster, but here we are. One rejection from Kang Dan-sim was enough to send this man into full emotional chaos, and watching him struggle with feelings for the first time ended up becoming the heart of the episode.
_2.jpg "My Royal Nemesis Episode 5 Recap & Review - Se-gye Completely Loses His Cool Over Kang")
The story opens with talk about the ominous star that still hangs over everyone’s lives. While people continue worrying about its meaning, Mun-do secretly watches Kang’s house from a distance. He notices Se-gye entering her place again and finds the whole thing amusing. At this point, even Se-gye himself can’t understand why he keeps returning to her no matter how much he tries to stay away.
Meanwhile, Dal-su feels reassured after hearing there’s supposedly nothing romantic happening between Se-gye and Seo-ri. Of course, the audience already knows that’s far from the truth.
After all the tension from the previous episode, Se-gye finally admits his feelings directly to Kang. He tells her he likes her. Kang clearly feels the same way, but instead of being honest, she lies and rejects him immediately. The rejection hits Se-gye harder than expected. You can practically see his pride shatter in real time because nobody has ever turned him down before.
The next morning, Se-gye’s foul mood becomes everyone else’s problem. He walks around irritated and short-tempered, taking out his frustration on everyone at work.
Elsewhere, Mun-do keeps building his plans behind the scenes. He bribes the company lawyer and learns that Dal-su intends to hand all his shares over to Se-gye eventually. That revelation only makes Se-gye a bigger obstacle in Mun-do’s eyes.
Kang, meanwhile, becomes convinced that staying close to Se-gye will only lead to disaster. She hires a fortune teller to perform a ritual meant to drive away bad luck and protect them both from the dangerous fate surrounding them.
The episode also gives us more insight into Kang’s past. She remembers being sold as a child and growing up believing that kindness always came with strings attached. Because of those experiences, she decides it’s safer to keep emotional distance from Se-gye before Mun-do can use their feelings against them.
At the same time, Kang tries fixing things with Grandma Nam. She insists she’s still just Seo-ri, the same odd but lovable girl who happened to pick up martial arts skills by accident. It’s obvious she’s desperate to preserve the relationships around her while hiding her true emotions.
The business world brings fresh chaos when the shady businessman from earlier episodes publicly accuses Se-gye of wrongdoing. Instead of quietly handling the issue, Se-gye retaliates by exposing every dirty secret the businessman has been hiding. The scandal disappears almost instantly after that.
But corporate battles aren’t Se-gye’s main concern anymore.
He becomes convinced that Kang is simply pretending not to like him. Naturally, he asks Son for advice, which turns out to be a terrible idea. Son recommends dramatic begging and overwhelming displays of affection as a strategy to win her over.
And unfortunately, Se-gye actually listens.
While preparing for his ridiculous “romantic mission,” a wealthy woman accidentally spills coffee on his expensive suit. Se-gye barely reacts because his mind is entirely occupied with Kang.
Things get more complicated during the filming of Ji-hyo’s historical drama. Kang has a small supporting role in the production, but she keeps correcting historical details during filming, which irritates the director. Ji-hyo steps in to calm things down, though she also embarrasses Kang in front of the crew.
Then Se-gye decides to make his move.
He sends an elaborate coffee truck to the filming set, instantly changing the crew’s attitude toward Kang. Suddenly everyone treats her warmly because they assume she has powerful connections. Se-gye openly tells Kang this is part of his courtship strategy.
Kang rejects him again.
Se-gye responds in the most immature way possible by aggressively shoving roses at her before storming off in frustration. The scene is messy, awkward, and somehow still funny because of how completely inexperienced he is with emotions.
Ji-hyo, already upset after discovering her boyfriend cheated on her, notices the interaction and assumes Kang is secretly dating a wealthy man. Her jealousy starts building immediately.
The mysterious woman from the tailor shop also reappears after bumping into Se-gye’s car again. This time, it’s revealed she’s actually the blind date arranged by Dal-su. The entire “accidental” meeting was carefully planned to push Se-gye toward someone more suitable.
Later, Se-gye vents his frustrations to his psychiatrist, though the doctor mistakenly thinks he’s talking about company scandals instead of romance. When Jeong-hyeon casually suggests creating a new scandal as a distraction, Se-gye hilariously applies the advice to his personal life and agrees to the blind date.
Unfortunately, his distracted mental state leads to something much worse.
Without paying attention, Se-gye takes poisoned medication that was secretly planted by a bribed nurse.
Meanwhile, Kang quietly remembers a moment from the past involving Prince Cheongheon. In the memory, he helps her bury a stray dog and gently offers her flowers afterward. It’s one of the softer and more emotional scenes in the episode, giving extra meaning to Se-gye’s repeated flower gifts in the present.
Soon afterward, Kang heads to Jeju for a commercial shoot. She decides to bring the endlessly persistent Gwang-nam along as her manager. Coincidentally, the commercial happens to be organized by Se-gye’s company, meaning they end up on the same flight.
Se-gye enjoys business class while Kang sits in economy complaining about the unfairness of it all.
Then the episode suddenly shifts into full chaos.
Mid-flight, Se-gye collapses after taking the poisoned pills. Panic spreads through the cabin almost immediately. Kang rushes over and claims she has medical knowledge because of her acupuncture skills, but once she realizes how serious the situation is, she completely loses her composure.
In one of the strangest scenes of the episode, Kang slaps Se-gye repeatedly while crying and begging him to wake up. Even half-conscious, Se-gye still manages to complain that she never leaves him alone.
The flight attendants prepare a defibrillator, but before anything happens, Kang grabs his hand. The shock hits both of them, creating another dramatic emotional moment between the pair. Kang realizes her feelings are becoming impossible to control, while Se-gye wakes up staring at her in confusion.
The epilogue returns to the Joseon-era storyline and reveals that the flowers Prince Cheongheon once gave Kang were actually meant for the stray dog’s grave. Even though Kang tries distancing herself from him, the prince gently offers her another rose and asks to remain by her side.
## Episode 5 Review
Episode 5 works best whenever it focuses on Se-gye’s emotional breakdown. Heo Nam-jun does a great job balancing arrogance, jealousy, confusion, and vulnerability without making the character completely unlikeable. Watching Se-gye experience rejection for the first time is genuinely entertaining because he has absolutely no idea how to handle it.
The episode doesn’t push the overall story forward very much, but it still stays engaging because the character dynamics are fun. Se-gye’s awkward attempts at romance create several comedic moments, especially during his conversations with Son.
That said, the romance definitely crosses into questionable territory at times. The drama treats Se-gye’s relentless pursuit as charming comedy, but some viewers will probably find the love bombing and refusal to respect rejection uncomfortable.
Kang’s characterization also feels inconsistent here. One moment she acts mature and emotionally guarded, and the next she behaves exaggeratedly childish. The performance occasionally slips into cartoonish territory, making it harder to connect emotionally with her scenes.
The airplane climax is probably the weakest sequence of the episode. It aims for dramatic comedy but becomes overly chaotic instead. Kang screaming, slapping Se-gye, and panicking despite supposedly having medical knowledge creates more cringe than tension.
Still, even with its messy moments, Episode 5 remains entertaining largely because the chemistry between the leads continues to carry the drama. Their relationship is chaotic, frustrating, and ridiculous, but it’s also the reason the show stays addictive.