The king stood still even though I called him. I would not force him to forgive me. If he never forgave me, I would still accept it.
"Thank you for helping me," I uttered, even though the king didn't glance at me.
The king remained silent, and I waited for a while for him to speak, but he never did.
I smiled bitterly before turning my back to walk away. But his voice stopped me.
"You must face the consequences of the things you have done. It is the least you can do for me," he said without even bothering to look at me.
I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "If that will help you find peace, I am willing to face the consequence. I will never get tired of saying sorry to you, and I truly mean every word. The only sin I committed was hiding my true identity from you. But my care and concern for you? They were always real."
The king finally looked at me. "Are your feelings for me real?"
I was shocked and just stared at him, unsure of what to say.
"Do you like me?" he asked again.
He let out a sad laugh. "Don't answer. Your reply won't change my decision." Then he turned and left.
I wanted to stop him, but I didn't know how to answer. Another lie wouldn't heal his wounded heart, yet I didn't want to tell him the truth either, because Min Yun would be affected too.
I headed toward my chamber—the room I had used for the past few months. The room was filled with laughter, silence, and love. When I arrived, it was as quiet as before. No noises, no shadows of the eunuchs or court ladies who had once guarded the chamber day and night. As I opened the wooden door, I saw nothing but a pile of ordinary hanboks on the floor.
I smiled sadly at the sight. I was not the queen anymore. The day I ruined the king's trust was the day I stopped being the queen.
Silently, I changed my clothes from the queen's hanbok to an ordinary one. I slowly placed the queen's accessories on the table. I would miss them, even though at first I had been forced to wear them. Over time, I had grown to love them, especially the treatment and the power that came with being queen. I may not have been the greatest help to the king, but he had shown me that my presence mattered—that I had helped by stepping in to protect and support him.
Tears rolled down my cheeks. I let out a soft sob while touching the queen's hanbok. If I returned to my world, I would never forget this experience, even when I grew old, that for once, I had been a powerful person in this country.
After releasing the pain in my heart, I stood and took one last glance at the room I had stayed in since becoming queen—a room I would remember forever.
Min Yun's POV
I overheard the short conversation between the queen and the king outside the jail. I saw how they both suppressed their emotions, especially the king. I knew he badly wanted to go to her and hold her, but he remained tough and serious, disregarding his true feelings.
When the queen left, I walked up to him to speak.
"What consequences are you talking about?" I asked directly, making sure he could hear me.
He didn't look at me; his gaze was fixed elsewhere.
"She's already suffered so much. Isn't that enough punishment?"
"People know about what the queen did," he said. "They want to push through with her death sentence. They feel like she fooled them."
Shock washed over me. I didn't know the news had already spread outside the palace—that she had become the talk of the town.
"So, what consequences are you talking about? Are you going to allow her execution?" I asked.
"No," he replied, finally looking at me. "Do you think I could bear to see the woman I love killed in front of me?"
His eyes burned with passion, showing just how deeply he loved her. But that fire dimmed instantly as he added,
"But no matter what, the people must come first before my personal feelings. I am the king, and I must serve them."
I sighed heavily, still puzzled about what consequences I-jun would face.
I wanted to ask more, but a soldier suddenly interrupted us.
"Captain Min Yun! Captain Min Yun!"
I turned to the panting soldier. "What?"
"The ninjas are here again—invading us."
"The twin brothers are here. Go gather the soldiers and protect the king at all costs."
I glanced at the king. "Hide yourself. I will end this tonight," I said, determined to put an end to this chaos so the king could finally be at peace, even if it cost me my life.
The ninjas were coming—so many of them, as if they were trying to start a war. The soldiers had already begun defending themselves. All I could hear were the clashing of swords and the shouts from both sides.
The twin brothers had fooled us many times. They had grown greedy for power. But I wouldn't let it happen—not while I was still the captain of this palace.
I rushed to the queen's chamber to tell her what was happening. When I arrived, I found her standing in an empty room, crying.
So, this was the consequence the king had been talking about—lighter than a death sentence. This was what she had once wished for, right? To no longer be queen. But seeing her cry now made me think otherwise. Perhaps she had learned to love her role. Perhaps she loved being called and treated like a queen.
I wanted to comfort her, to hold her in my arms, but this was not the time. This was a life-or-death moment.
"Queen I-jun…" I called out to get her attention.
She looked at me, then stepped forward and hugged me.
She kept crying, still unaware of what was happening outside.
"I-jun… the ninjas are invading the palace again. They've returned—this time, with more men and stronger fighters," I warned her.
She looked at me with concern. "Min Yun… the king!"
Yes. She would always think of the king—always. But I would do the same.
"I've hidden him," I assured her.
***
I-jun/Teresita's POV
As we walked away from the queen's chamber, Min Yun and I began to hear the clash between the soldiers and the ninjas. The sound was getting closer—either toward our direction or, worse, toward the king's chamber.
"Hide yourself," Min Yun said.
"Where are you going? I'm coming with you."
"I'm going to help my soldiers fight."
"What if you die, Min Yun?" I called out, trying to steady my trembling body from both the tears I'd shed earlier and the fear I felt now.
"Go to the king. He's probably hiding in the library—it's safe there."
"I'll come with you."
"You want to know that the king is safe, right? This is your chance."
"But, Min Yun…"
He smiled sadly and touched my face. "I'll come back."
Tears welled in my eyes. Why did it feel like he was saying goodbye to me?
"Don't die, please. The king has no one else."
He smiled again, but I could still see the sadness in his eyes. "I promise."
That promise made me want to trust his words.
"Make sure you're safe—and the king, too. I'll follow you."
He hugged me one last time before leaving.
I didn't waste a second. I ran as fast as I could toward the library.
When I arrived, I quickly opened the wooden door and shut it behind me. Inside, I saw the head eunuch standing as if he had been waiting.
"Your Highness," he called me, even though I was no longer the queen. "This way."
I followed him. I had already seen the king's secret underground room before, and I knew it was one of the safest places in the palace.
The king was sitting on the bed, staring at me.
"I'll go upstairs, Your Highness, to make sure no one comes," the head eunuch said before leaving us alone.
I stood there, unsure of what to say.
"Are you okay, Your Highness?" I finally asked.
He nodded.
"Min Yun led me here."
"Where is he?"
I bit my lower lip. "He stayed behind to help the soldiers," I said, silently praying he would be safe.
The king looked exhausted, almost helpless. I knew he wanted to help his best friend, but we couldn't take that risk—if the king died, the entire country would fall into ruin.
I sat at the corner of the bed where he was sitting. We stayed like that for a while, the deafening silence making the air feel heavier.
But wasn't this the moment to tell him everything? To tell him that I was truly sorry?
"Thank you for showing your love and care for me. And I'm truly sorry for hurting you—I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I was afraid to reveal myself to you, thinking you would be angry. I never realized that hiding it for so long would lead to this. My intentions in helping you were pure. The only mistake I made was concealing my real identity. I was sincere in wanting to save you." I paused, taking another deep breath.
"Remember the first time I saved you?" I chuckled softly at the memory. "And when I said it was my reflexes that saved you? In truth, it was the book—the book I held all the time, warning me before disaster struck. Back then, I felt like a hero, like I had earned the right to be your friend."
He still didn't look at me, but I continued, knowing he was listening.
"Min Yun did nothing wrong, Your Highness. His intentions were pure, just like mine. He always thinks about what's best for you, even if it means risking his life. I just want to say everything that's on my mind before I leave the palace."
At last, the king looked at me, the look I had longed to see again. The look he once gave me when he confessed his love. That genuine love I could never truly return.
"I will forever cherish you in my heart, Your Highness, just as you once cherished me in yours," I said as tears slid down my cheeks.
I saw his fists clench, but he remained silent.
"I don't deserve your mercy, but please… have mercy on Min Yun."
He suddenly stood, startling me. Without a word, he began to walk away. I reached out to stop him. "Your Highness, where are you going?"
We both froze in horror when we saw the head eunuch standing in the doorway—someone had a knife pressed to his neck. It was Ji Han's twin.
"Long time no see," the evil Ji Han sneered.
The king instinctively stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body, unafraid to risk his own life. So… the library wasn't safe after all.
"Your Highness…" the head eunuch trembled.
"Why are you doing this?" the king demanded.
I saw Ji Han's wicked smirk. "Why? Didn't Kim Man Shik tell you?"
The king stayed silent, waiting for his answer.
"Probably you wouldn't remember us. Years ago, your soldiers invaded our home and killed our parents."
King's POV
I frowned at his accusation, trying to recall the incident. Nothing came to mind.
"You were there," he spat, "but you just watched us with those cold eyes."
Then the memories rushed back—the time Min Yun and I had handled a case involving a couple selling illegal drugs. That couple was the twins' parents.
"You killed our parents helplessly, right in front of us! How would you feel if someone you loved was murdered before your eyes?" he demanded bitterly.
"Your parents committed crimes," I replied firmly.
"Committed crimes? Because they wanted to feed us? Poor people will do anything to survive! You will never understand—you've never been poor." His eyes burned with rage, and now it all made sense. This was revenge.
"Oh, and Kim Man Shik killed your father too," he added coldly. "But that's not enough for me. I want to be king."
Without warning, he pulled out a bow and aimed an arrow at me.
Fear struck me, but I didn't let it show.
"You deserve to die, just like your father. If you hadn't killed my parents, none of this would have happened. You might have even had your happy ending." He laughed darkly.
He pushed the head eunuch aside and was ready to pull the bow. I closed my eyes, ready to die, but then…
"My queen!"
It was an abrupt scene. I didn't know how it happened, but the queen was now in front of me, taking the arrow that was supposed to be mine.
I-jun's POV
I smiled faintly at hearing him call me "my queen." The head eunuch shouted at us. Ji Han, the evil one, was shocked by what he had done. It was supposed to be the king. Luckily, my instincts were fast enough to save the king. I grabbed his robe and pulled it as hard as I could. I shielded his body with mine and willingly accepted the blow for him.
"My queen!" the king called again, cradling me in his arms while the arrow remained lodged in my stomach. Blood filled my mouth, making it hard to breathe. "Why did you do this?"
"I want to save you because you deserve to live longer. It is for the sake of the people."
I saw tears flow down his cheeks. I heard people outside the library, but I didn't mind. I stared at the king's face. Even though my body was starting to go numb, I reached out to touch his face. This face… I will miss it.
He tried to call for help, but I stopped him from calling for help by taking his hand. "I want to rest," I whispered.
My eyes were already closing. I wanted to see Min Yun one last time. I tried to hold on a little longer, and thankfully, Min Yun rushed over to us.
"I-jun!" he shouted in horror.
I looked at him and smiled. The two people I was closest to were with me. At least, when I leave this world, they will be the last faces my eyes will see.
"Thank you—and I'm sorry for bringing so much chaos into your lives. Till we meet again," I said, before a fit of coughing sent more blood spilling from my mouth. My eyes slowly closed, and the last thing I heard was the sound of people crying around me.
"Goodbye Min Yun, Goodbye King Ji Hun"