Dear Hongrang Episode 3: Suspicions Deepen as Hong-rang Fakes a Reaction

Dear Hongrang Episode 3 kicks off with Jae-yi and Hong-rang surrounded by Bang-suk’s men. As they fight their way out, Hong-rang becomes momentarily dazed by the sound of a bell, allowing Bang-suk to capture Jae-yi. Hong-rang tricks him by offering a trade, then kicks him off a cliff. During their escape, Jae-yi twists her ankle, prompting Hong-rang to chide her about not letting wounds fester before slinging her over his shoulder. Once Mu-jin and the investigators arrive, he drops her and leaves. Confused by his brusque demeanor, Jae-yi remembers a time when Little Hong-rang vowed the world would be kind to her. As she exchanges a long glance with the current Hong-rang, Mu-jin silently watches, concerned.

Shifting to the investigation, Hong-rang is frustrated by the loss of their only lead, a maid who was found dead. He shares that the Snow Man delivers children to the Painter, who drains them for unknown reasons. Hong-rang suspects members within the Min Guild.

Meanwhile, Grand Prince Han-pyeong returns to the city from a retreat, battling artist’s block. He watches crowds fight over Du-ryeong’s art, and after showing kindness to a young orphan, essentially adopts him. Hong-rang happens upon this moment and, by chance, ends up joining Yeol-guk on a visit to the Grand Prince. We learn the prince once deployed the military to search for Little Hong-rang. But Hong-rang remains wary since the prince’s art studio lies deep in the woods.

Despite his suspicions, the Grand Prince greets them with enthusiasm. Hong-rang then observes the prince treating the orphan warmly. This interaction, along with evidence that the prince is right-handed and uses gentle brushstrokes, helps Hong-rang eliminate him as a suspect.

Later, Jae-yi tries to scare Hong-rang with insects, recalling that Little Hong-rang used to fear them. She tricks him with a fake bug prank, but he turns it on her with the same joke. Curiously, he later catches a real bug and comforts a crying child. Jae-yi watches this quietly.

Back at the palace, the Grand Prince asks Yeol-guk about Du-ryeong. The painter has gained notoriety for alleged corpse paintings and forcing dying men to pose. The prince is offended, believing his own brushstrokes, which convey life, are unmatched.

Elsewhere, Mu-jin reconnects with Hong-sik, a cousin who long felt inferior to Hong-rang. Together, they hatch a plan to unmask the current Hong-rang as a fraud. That night, as Jae-yi tries to play the hide-and-seek game with Hong-rang, Mu-jin interrupts and tells her his idea.

It’s Hong-rang’s birthday, and Mu-jin slyly gifts him a bow, referencing his assassin past. Hong-rang doesn’t react. At the celebration, Hong-sik makes a scene after everyone drinks the wine—it’s pomegranate, to which the real Hong-rang is fatally allergic. Hong-rang panics, breaking into hives, seemingly confirming the allergy.

The aftermath is harsh: Yeon-ui blames Jae-yi and physically punishes her. Despite Eul-bun admitting she switched the wine and Mu-jin being the true architect of the plan, Yeon-ui refuses to stop. Eventually, Hong-rang intervenes, and his disapproving gaze leaves Yeon-ui shaken.

While Mu-jin justifies his actions, Jae-yi expresses her growing fatigue over second-guessing everyone. She warns that if this is the real Hong-rang, Mu-jin just tried to kill him. Still, she’s the one locked up as punishment. Yeol-guk silently watches all this unfold, disturbed, and instructs his assistant to retrieve an object from Jin Arts.

That night, Jae-yi dreams of Little Hong-rang telling her about a doppelganger—if one exists, she may not recognize him. She awakens to find Hong-rang has brought her food. Though upset she aided in the setup, he says he understands. He recounts his lonely past and declares he’ll earn her trust as her younger brother. Jae-yi hopes he isn’t suffering.

Dear Hongrang Episode 3 ends with Hong-rang covertly asking a nobleman how he knew about the pomegranate allergy—proving he faked the reaction. The real twist: Hong-rang isn’t Hong-rang at all. He and the nobleman are actually investigating the Min Guild and the mysterious Painter. A flashback shows the nobleman giving him poison ivy to mimic an allergic reaction. During the party, Hong-rang applies the irritant to fake hives while watching Mu-jin and Hong-sik’s suspicious behavior.

The truth is unraveling—and the imposter may not be the enemy after all.