Set in 1930s Korea during the Japanese colonial period, the story follows Sook-hee, a young woman hired as a handmaiden to a wealthy Japanese heiress, Lady Hideko, who lives in a secluded estate under the strict control of her domineering uncle. Unbeknownst to the household, Sook-hee is a pickpocket recruited by a con man posing as a Japanese Count to help him seduce Hideko, elope with her, and eventually commit her to an asylum to steal her inheritance. As the plot unfolds, the narrative shifts perspectives, revealing a complex web of manipulation, hidden agendas, and unexpected romantic attraction between the handmaiden and the heiress. The film masterfully deconstructs the initial heist premise, transforming into a subversive, erotic thriller that challenges power dynamics, gender roles, and the nature of liberation in a colonial landscape.