I couldn't believe what I was seeing at that moment. Just when I was about to lose hope, the book lit up. I rushed to the table and grabbed it eagerly.
Chapter 16...
I couldn't help but feel excited. It felt just like the thrill of reading a new book I had just bought.
"The royal guests will be coming next week..."
I read the first line and instantly remembered what the king had told us earlier. The book really did know everything.
"One of the guests is the woman the king fell in love with when he was a teenager."
I froze.
So I'm going to meet the woman he once loved. Who is she? Is she beautiful? Was she supposed to become the queen?
Oddly, I didn't feel jealous—just curious. If they saw each other again... would they be reunited? I touched my chest, searching for a reaction, but felt nothing. Maybe if they reunite, I won't have to be queen anymore. I won't have to pretend to be the king's wife.
"The royal guests will be eyeing the queen—one of the reasons they're coming next week."
Hmmm… So I'm the reason they're coming? I'm the reason the king is under pressure?
"Watch the performances. The master will ruin it."
I paused again.
Will the performances be ruined? By the villain? My thoughts immediately went to Ji Han. I had no proof yet, but I still couldn't shake the feeling about him.
"If the performance is ruined, the king will become a laughingstock. The royal guests from other nations will mock him—until he can no longer take it."
This warning was serious. It made my chest tighten. What if we fail? What if we can't meet our visitors' expectations? And the event is already next week! Time is running out.
I don't want the king to be humiliated. He's endured so much since his father died. Not now—not while I'm the queen. I still don't fully understand my role here, but one thing is clear: I accepted this role because I wanted to help him.
I recalled what the king had said… that he wanted this to be real. Was it because he liked me?
But do I want it to be real?
Min Yun's face flashed in my mind. What about him, the person who helped me first? The only one who knows my secret?
Should I be thinking about this now? Shouldn't I be more focused on the event?
I chuckled to myself. If anyone saw me laughing alone, they'd probably think I'd gone mad.
I turned back to the book and continued reading. This chapter was longer than usual. Maybe it had so much to reveal because it hadn't updated me in weeks.
"Everything is connected. All the bad things that happened were planned by a single villain. If he succeeds, he may become the king in the future."
I gasped.
He might become the king? What does that mean? Will he kill the current king?
"If you catch the culprit, you might also catch the one who killed the former king."
I gasped again—louder this time, loud enough that it must have been heard outside.
"Your Highness, are you okay?" a court lady called from outside the door.
I looked up and sighed. I hadn't meant to make a sound.
"I'm fine, sorry," I replied.
"Just call us if you need anything, Your Highness."
I smiled even though they couldn't see it. "Yes."
But wait… didn't they say the former king died from an illness?
Was it a lie?
Did someone actually kill him?
Did the king even know the truth about his father's death?
I need to tell Min Yun everything.
"Be careful, or else, you might die together with the king and Min Yun. If you don't want that to happen, stop the villain."
That was the last sentence I read. But it sent shivers down my spine. I wouldn't let that happen. I came back here for a purpose—a mission to help the king.
After reading, I stayed wide awake the entire night. I couldn't sleep, constantly thinking about what I should do to prevent everything the book had warned me about.
Just as I was starting to feel drowsy, the court lady announced Min Yun's arrival.
"Let him enter," I said in a hoarse voice.
Min Yun entered my chamber, his eyebrows furrowed. "What happened?" he asked.
"What do you mean?"
"Your eyebags are huge. It looks like you didn't sleep at all."
"I actually didn't."
He gasped and immediately came closer, sitting on the floor beside me.
"What happened?"
"I stayed awake all night."
"Why?"
"Because of this." I raised the book I was holding.
"That book?"
I nodded. "It finally warned me again," I said, my voice filled with nervous excitement.
"That's why you didn't sleep all night?"
"Yes. It gave a warning about next week's event."
"Tell me everything you read."
Where should I start?
"One of the royal guests is the woman the king fell in love with."
"Isha?"
"You know her?" I asked.
"Yes. We were friends when we were young."
Ah, that explains why the king fell in love with her.
"She's coming next week."
"Yes. She's the empress of Yunoki."
"Yunoki ? Where is that?"
"It's a faraway place."
I nodded, absorbing the information.
I thought the king hadn't been involved with any other woman aside from Kim Shin A. I didn't know there were others. So many secrets.
"Are you threatened?" Min Yun asked.
"What? No, of course not. It's all just an act—I have no right to feel threatened."
He looked at me, unconvinced. I laughed awkwardly.
"I decided to act as queen to help the king. No feelings involved," I insisted.
"Who wouldn't fall in love with the king? He has everything."
"You're wrong. He doesn't have everything. He doesn't have freedom—not like you do."
"So… you prefer me over him?" he asked seriously.
I was caught off guard. I cleared my throat and quickly changed the subject.
"The book also warned me about the performances."
"What do you mean?"
"The villain will ruin everything the king has prepared. He'll do whatever it takes to become the king."
Min Yun looked shocked. "To be the king?"
I nodded. "And guess what I figured out?"
"What?"
"The villain killed the former king."
He gasped. "What?"
"Did you believe he died because of an illness?"
"Yes."
"That means the king doesn't know his father was murdered."
"I didn't know either."
Yeah, his face says it all.
"Everything is connected, according to the book. And if we're not careful, we might die," I said.
"I won't let that happen."
"Me too."
"We shouldn't tell the king about this, especially about his father. Let's keep it a secret."
"I agree." Especially with the event coming up. He shouldn't be distracted.
"Now I understand why you didn't sleep all night. If I were in your place, I wouldn't have either."
I smiled tiredly and yawned. "Now I feel sleepy… now that I've finally let it all out."
"Sleep now. I'll stay for a while before going back to the office."
I didn't argue. I lay on my bed and closed my eyes. As I did, I quickly lost consciousness.
Min Yun's POV
It was only a matter of seconds before I heard soft snores coming from her. I smiled, then sighed. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. These things were too heavy to carry. But who am I to question it? It's not our life. Someone else is controlling the flow of this story. We're not real… right?
I sighed again. Is that why I-jun can't say her feelings? Or maybe she doesn't have any… because she knows we're just fictional characters in this world? But why did she come back if she didn't care about us? Should I just give up and focus on finishing this story?
I shrugged. I'm just getting started. Giving up now means letting the king have the queen all to himself. I won't let that happen. I'll do everything I can to win I-jun. She taught me so much. She made me realize things about myself. She helped me a lot. Why should I give up?
I looked at her angelic face. Even though I'm not real and she is, staring at her makes everything feel real. I hope I can make her mine—even just once. I wish I could be her lover.