Hürrem, unable to endure Süleyman being with other women, confronts him with a dagger and demands he send away the Russian concubine or she will leave the palace, even at the cost of her life. Her bloody return to her chambers alarms Nigar and Gülnihal, while Mahidevran celebrates what she believes is Hürrem’s downfall and the Valide Sultan disapproves of her boldness. As Süleyman grapples with Hürrem’s ultimatum, the influential Venetian merchant Alvise Gritti arrives, impressing both Süleyman and İbrahim, while Victoria secretly reports to Layoş that this new relationship may signal a dangerous Ottoman–Venetian alliance.
