The wedding day...
Everyone was busy preparing for this day.
The court ladies were in my quarters to fix my dress and hair.
"You are so beautiful, Your Highness," one of the court ladies said.
"Thank you."
"We are so excited to have you as our Queen."
I smiled at them and looked in the mirror. I was getting married. I never thought this day would come—marrying a king. Even though I knew they were just fictional characters, I couldn't help but feel nervous.
"We only have one hour before the ceremony," another court lady reminded me.
"Your Highness, Captain Min Yun is here," the court lady standing outside announced.
"Just leave us alone for a while," I told them.
They bowed their heads and left. I watched as Min Yun entered the room.
He smiled when he saw me. "You are so beautiful."
I stared at him in the mirror. I tried to stand, but he stopped me.
"Just sit. You don't have to stand."
"I didn't know that wedding dresses in your world were this heavy," I laughed.
"That's the traditional wedding dress."
"In our world, a white dress or gown is the usual wedding attire."
"Your world intrigues me," he laughed, but I could sense a hint of sadness.
"I'm actually nervous right now."
"That's normal. If I were in your shoes, I would feel nervous too."
"Thanks for helping me."
"I should be the one to say thank you because you helped the king..."
I smiled. "Let's end this when we go to Shibuya Town."
He nodded. "I won't be staying long because the ceremony is about to start."
I smiled as he left. The court ladies entered and placed the traditional crown for queens on my head. The crown was quite heavy, just like my dress. I wasn't sure if I would be able to walk without stumbling.
"You are now ready, Your Highness."
I looked in the mirror one last time and put a smile on my face. This is it! There was no turning back. Who would have thought that a simple, ordinary girl from my world would become a queen in another? I had never imagined that the stories I read and the movies I watched would become my own reality.
The court ladies helped me stand up, holding me steady as I stepped out of the quarters. We made our way to the palace hall, where I saw a crowd of people. I tried looking for Min Yun, but I couldn't find him.
All eyes were on me, making me even more nervous. I took a deep breath and smiled.
"Your Majesty..."
I turned to my side and saw the handsome king.
"Your Highness."
"Thank you," he said.
I smiled.
The ceremony began, and we slowly walked forward until we reached the front, where the rituals would be performed.
I didn't even understand the names of the rituals or what we were doing—I was simply following the king's lead. I didn't even get the chance to ask what we drank or ate.
The ceremony lasted for 30 minutes before the Prime Minister announced that I was now their official queen.
I smiled as I looked at the happy faces of the people who attended the wedding ceremony. Then, I turned to the king, who was still smiling. He looked at me and gently held my hand.
"You are the queen of this land."
"I will do everything to protect you, Your Highness."
His eyes were teary. I wanted to joke around, but I didn't want to ruin the moment.
After the ceremony ended, we took our seats on the throne and ate the food that was served to us.
I didn't have much of an appetite since this morning because I had been feeling uneasy and nervous. But I tried to eat a little since it was part of the ceremony.
"Do you like the food?" the king asked. He was sitting on the king's throne, while I was seated on the queen's throne.
I nodded.
After eating, we drank alcohol. I hesitated at first, remembering what had happened between me and Min Yun, but I decided to control how much I drank.
While we drank, each minister stepped forward to present their gifts to us.
"I am so happy that you finally have your queen, Your Highness," the Minister of Finance said.
He then turned to me. "Your Majesty, please take care of His Highness," he said before bowing.
"I will," I said.
He stepped down, and the other ministers continued offering their gifts.
It had been an exhausting day—we started in the morning and only finished in the afternoon.
Min Yun followed.
He first bowed to the king, then to me.
"I wish you a happy life. Long live our king and queen," he said before offering his gift.
Min Yun glanced at me and smiled before turning back to the king.
"Please protect my cousin at all costs, Your Highness. You know how much we treasure her in our family," he said with a smile before stepping down.
Next, Min Yun's father and mother stepped forward.
"Uncle! Aunt!" we both exclaimed.
They bowed to the king and then to me.
"This gift I offer will help you conceive an heir," Min Yun's father said.
My mouth dropped open upon hearing his words.
"Don't scare them," Min Yun's mother said.
The king laughed. "Thank you, Uncle, Aunt."
Then they stepped down.
I felt my cheeks grow warm with embarrassment.
The king chuckled. "Don't take it seriously."
I hesitated to smile because I truly felt flustered.
Traditional dances were performed in our honor after all the gifts had been presented. I enjoyed watching them, but exhaustion soon took over. I hadn't even realized when I dozed off.
"Are you okay?" the king asked.
"I'm sorry, I feel sleepy." In truth, I hadn't slept since yesterday because of my nerves. My mind had been filled with countless thoughts about what would happen today.
I noticed Kim Man Shik staring at us, so I quickly composed myself.
"We can end the ceremony," the king offered.
"I'm okay. Maybe I drank too much."
Kim Man Shik was still watching us. He had already offered his gift earlier but hadn't said a word. What is he up to?
After several more hours, the ceremony finally came to an end. I thought I would be returning to my quarters, but to my surprise, the ministers, along with the eunuchs and court ladies, guided us toward an unfamiliar chamber.
"Your Highness, where are we going?" I asked.
"I'll explain it to you later," he replied.
The ministers bowed their heads, and then Kim Man Shik spoke. "Give us an heir as soon as possible, Your Highness."
The other ministers repeated his words.
Is this his plan?
I saw the king's jaw tighten, but he managed to smile.
"Thank you for your concern. You may now leave."
The ministers bowed their heads and exited, but Kim Man Shik remained, watching us intently.
He stepped closer. "I don't know what scheme you're trying to pull, but I admit—you've won this time."
"Is that how you speak to your king and queen?" the king said, his voice firm and authoritative.
"No, I am simply speaking to you as an elder. But I warn you—this won't last long. Do not let your guard down," he said, then laughed and walked away.
I watched him as he left.
"He doesn't respect us," I said.
"I never expected him to—not since I became king."
"Can't we remove him from his position?"
"It's not that simple. As much as I hate him, I don't have the right to remove ministers without just cause."
"Evidence—to prove his crimes, right?"
He nodded.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Your Highness, but you need to go inside," a eunuch said.
We followed him without further question.
As we entered the chamber, I gasped at the sight before me. Candles flickered softly, and flower petals were scattered across the floor. The bed, adorned with two pillows, was also covered in petals.
"What is this?" I asked, still in shock.
"The bathtub is ready, Your Highness. Enjoy the night," the eunuch said before closing the door.
My mouth remained open in surprise.
The king chuckled. "This is the final part of the ceremony."
"What do you mean?"
"This is where two lovers... do their thing."
I gasped again. I knew exactly what he meant. I had read books with scenes like this before.
"Do you want to take a bath?" he asked.
"What? Together?" I shouted.
"Shhh! They might hear us. Just take a bath first, and I'll follow after you."
"Okay..." I mumbled, still in a daze as I made my way toward the bath area. My mind was racing. Will something really happen between us?
I started to remove my clothes and slowly soaked my body in the water. I felt at ease as all my exhaustion faded away. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to relax, enjoying the coolness of the water.
Tomorrow will be another day—a journey to Shibuya with Min Yun. I hated the thought of leaving the king alone, but I couldn't let Min Yun travel by himself either.
"I haven't seen Ji Han…" I murmured. He hadn't shown himself during the gift offerings. I knew he was there, but perhaps he chose to stay out of sight since we were all so busy.
After a few minutes, I decided to get up and dress. I knew the king was waiting for his turn to bathe.
"Your turn," I said.
He smiled and headed toward the tub.
Feeling drowsy, I lay down on the bed, my eyelids growing heavier. Sleep was beginning to take over.
We had a really exhausting day. It was both tiring and confusing for me.
I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
King's POV
After soaking in the cold water for several minutes, I got up and put on my nightwear. Now that I-jun and I were alone together, I could feel the tension. I had to admit—I felt a sense of excitement. But at the same time, I knew this was all just an act. She helped me because she pitied me.
I sighed and stepped out of the bath. I saw I-jun sleeping peacefully on the bed.
I smiled. We had such a long day. I had been worried when she dozed off earlier.
Glancing at the eunuchs outside, I knew they were trying to spy on us—to report whether anything had happened between us.
I sighed again. This will be another problem. How could I produce an heir without ever touching I-jun?