Yvonne learns from her husband Simon that the Emperor desires her because she resembles his lost love. Desperate to avoid being taken, she threatens to disfigure herself, but Simon insists she must obey the imperial decree to survive. She is forced into the palace as the Emperor's secret concubine, while Simon's career prospers from her sacrifice. Later, a resentful Simon cruelly dismisses her role in his success. The episode ends with a sudden crisis as Yvonne's daughter, Tina, falls into the water, leaving her fate uncertain.