King's POV
I haven't slept all night, thinking about the queen's condition. She has suffered so many times just to protect me. Sometimes, I feel like I should have just given up—just to set her free. I wanted to let go of my position and live as an ordinary person. But who would be a worthy king? I couldn't easily hand the throne to someone who might make the people of this country suffer. I love my people, and I care about them. But how long must I endure this pain? When will I be allowed to choose my own happiness? All my life, I've been in pain—the pain of losing my first love, the pain of losing my parents… and now, the pain of possibly losing the queen. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I might go insane from all these hardships. The queen is my only strength. She's the only person I'm holding on to. I don't think I can bear this pain if something happens to her.
"Your Highness," the head eunuch called. "The royal physician is here."
I stood up, not letting the head eunuch finish. I ran toward the door and opened it.
"Any update?" I asked directly.
"The queen woke up—"
I didn't let him finish. I ran as fast as I could. I didn't even realize I was still wearing my sleeping clothes. The head eunuch called after me, but I refused to listen. All I could think about was seeing the queen, hugging her tight, and telling her how much I love her.
"Choose yourself. Go back home. I can solve the case without your help."
Huh?
"You've done so much. You can live happily in your world. Didn't you come back because you wanted to know who the culprit was? You did it."
What are they talking about?
My hand froze in midair, still reaching for the door.
A part of me wanted to go in, but another part wanted to keep listening—even if I couldn't fully understand what they were talking about.
"Min Yun..." the queen called. Hearing her voice melted my heart. Then all the past events flashed through my mind—how much the queen had suffered just for choosing to marry me.
"I like you so much that it hurts me to see you suffering. It's not worth it to give your life for fictional characters."
What? Why did Min Yun say that? He liked his cousin? Fictional characters?
My head was about to explode from confusion.
The pressure intensified since I hadn't slept at all last night.
"You know that I don't think about that."
I couldn't hold my confusion any longer. As much as I wanted to keep listening to their conversation, my curiosity made me push the door open and confront them.
"What do you mean?" I asked directly.
Teresita/I-jun's POV
Even though pain lingered throughout my body, I couldn't help but gasp loudly as the king entered the clinic and questioned us. I looked at Min Yun, who was silently staring at him. His emotionless face was hard to read.
"What do you mean?" the king repeated his question.
I didn't know exactly what he was referring to, but hearing that question made me realize he might have overheard our conversation.
"Your Highness..." I started addressing him.
He looked at me with pity in his eyes. Who wouldn't pity me? I was always getting into trouble here.
"I'm sorry for making you worry," I said, trying to divert the topic in hopes he'd forget what he overheard.
"You don't have to apologize. I should be the one saying that."
I showed him a concerned expression. At least I thought I had successfully changed the topic.
"You were always hurt because of me," the king said.
"But I found the culprit," I announced.
His eyes widened, and his mouth parted in shock. Judging by the look on his face, he hadn't slept either.
I bit my lower lip in guilt. Every time I was in danger, it was always Min Yun and the king who suffered the most. I admit I had been too stubborn, especially with Min Yun. I knew how he felt about me, but I couldn't let him worry constantly.
"It's Ji Han's twin," I added.
The king looked a bit confused at what I had said. But when Min Yun explained to him who Ji Han was, it reminded him that he had already met him once.
"How did you know?" the king asked me after a moment of deep thought.
"This is the reason why I got hurt. I tried to catch the culprit but ended up being wounded," I said, and chuckled lightly to ease the tension between us. At least now, the topic had already shifted, and the king had forgotten his earlier question.
"Why did you do that? Don't we have soldiers or guards to catch them?"
"You know it would've been impossible if I had brought a bunch of soldiers and guards, Your Highness. I went there to catch them myself, but I failed." ," I said, secretly biting my lower lip to hide the emotions welling up inside me.
"Stop sacrificing yourself for me, my queen. I've had enough worries about you. I want you to be safe—always," he said, his tone full of concern.
"I'm sorry for making you worry, Your Highness."
He stepped closer and gently patted my hand. It was a gesture telling me not to keep risking my life, warning me that I might lose it if I continued like this.
Honestly? I didn't know what would happen if I died here inside the book. Would I die for real and never return to my world? Or would I still be alive but unable to return here again?
My mission was already done. I had finally discovered who the culprit was. But deep inside, I was hesitant to leave. I wanted to see how the king would execute the villain who caused so much chaos and drama inside the palace.
Just as I told Von before, once I caught the culprit, I would go back home with her. But I didn't know why my heart hesitated. I remembered the book that once helped warn me. It had been a long time, yet it hadn't given any clue since then—not even now, at this crucial moment when I needed it the most. This story was truly chaotic. It felt like a rollercoaster. The events, the characters… everything was confusing. It all affected my ability to decide where I should stay.
Was seeing the execution of the mastermind the real reason I wanted to remain here? Or was my heart slowly deceiving me? But Von told me not to overthink it anymore. Between Min Yun and the king, I shouldn't have to choose. After all, this was just a book that had absorbed me out of nowhere.
I returned to reality when the king slowly wrapped his arms around me—a gentle hug, not tight, careful not to hurt me, knowing I was still recovering from yesterday's pain.
"Please… for my sake… don't let anyone hurt you again, my queen."
I could hear the pain in his voice—he was afraid of losing me, afraid that everything might fall apart. While he embraced me, I looked at Min Yun, who was silently watching us. I pitied him too. He sacrificed so much—not just for the king, but for me as well. I could have listened to Min Yun right away and taken his advice to go home. But the king's warm embrace made me doubt again. As long as the culprit remained at large, I couldn't be at ease. I couldn't leave him just like that.
Even though I honestly liked Min Yun—and I had already told my best friend about it—I couldn't help but still care about and worry for the king. I already knew his past, thanks to Min Yun and Von for sharing it with me. Growing up alone, without parents, wasn't easy. It tears you apart, piece by piece. Just like what happened to me in my world, I didn't know who my parents were. I never had the desire to look for them either. If they truly wanted to meet me, they would have done everything to find me. But they didn't. Thankfully, Von never left my side. She was always there until I learned to stand on my own.
Just like Von was there for me, I wanted the king to be able to stand on his own, to look at his people with confidence and authority. I wanted him to be the best king of his time. I wanted to see him happy, even without me.
The hug ended, and the king looked at my face. This face—I would never forget. No matter how old I get, I will always remember that I met a king… and I met his best friend.