First up: That initial confession. So he totally knew yesterday that Ra-on was a girl, ha! I know there were suspicions that he’d known, and there were a lot of good theories about when he could have possibly figured it out. I’m very satisfied with the way it really happened, though, and think this is the best possible outcome—because even though it would have been interesting to have him figure it out ages ago and have been pretending all along, I prefer to have him figure out more recently, for multiple reasons.
For one, it means that the confession that he made was actually sincere, and not just some tongue-in-cheek wordplay. He had decided to accept his feelings and follow his heart immediately prior finding out that Ra-on was a girl, so we still get to bask in his process of angsting and deliberating and accepting. It’s done in a way that we get to have our cake and eat it too, without feeling like we’ve been cheated of the work, because he still had to go through it before coming to terms with himself.
Another reason I prefer this reveal is that we get to see the immediacy of Yeong’s reaction, rather than being deprived of it. Furthermore, it means I don’t have to feel like I’ve been purposely left out of the loop for the sake of a twist reveal, like the drama tricked me by making me think it was being sincere when really it was lulling me into a false sense of security. I mean, it’s my own loop! Don’t lock me out of it! For the sake of narrative credibility, I’m grateful to have the show demonstrate that I can still trust it.
I also think the show struck a good balance in playing with the prince’s knowledge without letting it get too out of hand. One the one hand, it was adorable to see him smiling every time she referred to herself as a man, and finding little ways to tease. But I also think he was a bit shortsighted in not really seeing it through Ra-on’s point of view, and understanding that his playfulness was putting her into anxiety-provoking situations. It’s one of those things he doesn’t see from his place of elevated power, how she isn’t in a position to assert herself very strongly in the first place, and on top of that he’s having a little fun at her expense.