My Royal Nemesis Episode 7 Recap – Episode 7 of My Royal Nemesis opens right where the previous episode left us, with Kang Dan-sim and Se-gye sharing a kiss.
The story then takes us back to the past. Prince Cheongheon gives Kang a dagger called a Cheomjado. Kang isn’t interested in accepting it because she isn’t afraid of him. That’s when the prince admits something surprising. The frightening rumors surrounding him weren’t created by others, he started them himself. By making people fear him, he could keep them at a distance and protect himself.
Back in the present, Kang can’t stop thinking about him. As she compares Prince Cheongheon’s face with Se-gye’s, she reluctantly admits that Se-gye is pretty handsome too. Se-gye notices her staring and playfully leans in for another kiss, but Kang conveniently falls asleep before that can happen.
The next morning, they wake up stranded on the tidal island. Se-gye panics because he remembers almost nothing from the previous night. Kang soon learns that he wasn’t actually drunk. He reveals that he only pretended to drink and simply went along with her antics.
Luckily, a group of fisherwomen finds them and helps them out. The women waste no time teasing the pair, making the awkward situation even more embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Son has been searching for Se-gye. CCTV footage eventually shows Se-gye leaving with Kang, causing concern among the staff. Since nobody knows he was sober, they’re worried he may have driven under the influence.
Elsewhere, another layer of family politics begins to emerge. Mun-do is shown with a baby’s photo as his phone wallpaper. At the same time, it’s revealed that he opposes the marriage between Tae-hee and Se-gye. He’s also unhappy about Se-gye providing police protection for the nurse involved in the bribery case, who now remains in a coma.
Se-gye’s aunts have concerns of their own. They worry that Tae-hee could join forces with Se-gye and eventually gain control of Chail Group. Ju-mi attempts to get close to Tae-hee directly, while Ju-ran chooses a different strategy.
As news spreads about the Mochang-Chail alliance for the resort project, Son warns Se-gye not to complicate matters further. Se-gye finally admits the truth about his relationship with Kang. Once he returns to Seoul, he officially ends his arranged marriage courtship with Tae-hee.
Kang returns home after a successful interview. That’s when viewers learn a hilarious truth: she remembers everything that happened on the beach. She never actually fell asleep. She only pretended to avoid kissing Se-gye again. I couldn’t help laughing at that reveal.
The family drama quickly catches up with her. Ju-ran visits Kang and offers her money, not to stay away from Se-gye, but to marry him and push Tae-hee out of the picture. Kang is furious. Tired of being treated like a pawn, she throws Ju-ran out.
Not long after, Tae-hee arrives at Kang’s home.
Unlike Ju-ran, Tae-hee is direct. She tells Kang that she intends to marry Se-gye and claims she can offer him power and status. According to Tae-hee, Kang has nothing to contribute and could never be more than a mistress.
Those words hit Kang harder than she’d like to admit.
A flashback reveals that Prince Cheongheon once received a marriage proposal as well. Hurt and confused, Kang remembers throwing away the dagger he had given her. She couldn’t understand why he had shown her kindness if he was only going to leave.
Back in the present, Se-gye is completely smitten. He spends his time liking every photo from Kang’s commercial campaign. Watching his friend’s obvious happiness, Son finally starts supporting the relationship. The two even end up debating what birthday gift would be best for Kang since her birthday is approaching.
At work, Kang continues filming her historical drama. Her performance impresses the director and writer so much that they decide to expand her role into the season’s main villain. Ji-hyo is understandably unhappy about that development.
That evening, Se-gye visits Kang at her apartment. He worries about the poor condition of the building, but Kang responds coldly. She pushes him away, insisting she can’t do anything for him. Deep down, she believes that keeping people at a distance is the safest way to avoid getting hurt.
Things get worse when Mun-do obtains the Jeju CCTV footage. Rather than releasing it immediately, he decides to save it for a strategic moment, one week after the Dynaestie launch.
A week passes.
The launch is a success, and it’s also Seo-ri’s birthday.
At the same time, Grandma Nam struggles while trying to prepare birthday seaweed soup. Her memory problems become increasingly noticeable, and she eventually collapses.
Then the scandal breaks.
The CCTV footage leaks, and the media quickly links Se-gye to a nearby hit-and-run case. Company stocks begin falling, and Dal-su is furious. Son suggests using Kang as a witness to defend Se-gye, but Se-gye refuses. Even now, he wants to keep her away from the media spotlight.
Kang soon learns that Grandma Nam may have Alzheimer’s disease. The possibility devastates her. Even while facing her own difficulties, Nam encourages Kang to enjoy life’s small moments. She tells her to fly freely, just like the meaning behind the name “Seo-ri.”
The conversation leaves Kang emotional. She feels like an impostor carrying that name.
On her way home, Kang hears about Se-gye’s scandal. At first, she tries not to worry. She tells herself that Se-gye has plenty of people around him who can help.
Then she arrives home.
The building and rooftop have been completely transformed. Se-gye secretly decorated everything for her birthday.
He also leaves behind a note.
Even after being pushed away, his message is simple: he only wants the best for her.
This scene honestly got me. Kang has spent so much time convincing herself that happiness isn’t meant for her, yet Se-gye keeps giving her reasons to believe otherwise.
At the same moment, Grandma Nam quietly makes a final wish. She hopes Kang will find someone so she won’t have to face life alone.
That wish becomes the final push Kang needs.
She runs to Se-gye.
For once, she doesn’t want to be protected. She wants to protect him too.
Se-gye warns her that standing beside him could bring both of them down. Kang doesn’t care.
She reaches for his hand and holds it tightly while photographers capture the moment.
And just like that, Episode 7 ends on one of its strongest emotional notes yet.
Review
Episode 7 does an excellent job of drawing parallels between Kang Dan-sim and Prince Cheongheon. The prince’s decision to spread frightening rumors about himself mirrors Kang’s habit of pushing people away before they can hurt her. The episode doesn’t outright confirm it, but it certainly feels like the show is hinting that Kang may have played a role in cultivating her own villain reputation as a form of self-protection.
I also appreciated how confident Se-gye remains about his feelings. There’s no hesitation on his side. Instead, the emotional walls come from Kang, which gives the familiar push-and-pull romance dynamic a fresh twist.
The birthday rooftop scene was easily the emotional centerpiece of the episode. Between Grandma Nam’s declining memory, Kang’s growing insecurities, and Se-gye’s unwavering support, the episode packed a surprising amount of heart.
Most importantly, the story doesn’t drag out Kang’s emotional realization for too long. By the end of the episode, she’s finally willing to stand beside Se-gye rather than run from her feelings. That’s a welcome development because this drama is at its best when the two leads are together, arguing, teasing each other, and creating chaos, rather than suffering separately from a distance.