King's POV
"Let's end the friendship we have. I don't want to talk to you anymore."
I ended the conversation with Min Yun using those words. He looked shocked and confused at the same time, but I didn't care. I left him like that. I saw the pain in his eyes, but mine was far greater. The eunuchs and court ladies followed me as I returned to my chamber to rest and collect my thoughts.
But when I arrived, I found the queen standing there. Her eyes were red—clear proof she had been crying.
"Your Highness," she mumbled, not even concerned about the people around us.
I didn't respond and walked inside. She followed me, and the eunuchs didn't stop her—they didn't know the issue between us.
I stood there, avoiding her gaze, my eyes fixed on the window, staring outside.
"Your Highness… please hear me," she said in a low, pleading voice.
I glanced at her—she was now kneeling on the floor, as if begging for her life.
"I don't care if you stay mad at me forever. Just hear me out, and I'll explain everything," she said, sobbing.
Looking at her, I couldn't help but pity her. I still loved her, despite the truth I had discovered. But I could never forget the pain that Min Yun and the queen had caused me.
"You should've told me before I had to find out myself," I said in a calm but pained voice.
She looked at me, her face soaked with tears. "I'm sorry. The scene you saw—it was nothing."
"Nothing? Do cousins usually act like that?" My voice now dripped with sarcasm.
Shock crossed her face, but she continued. "It wasn't what it looked like. Min Yun let me go."
I didn't respond. Min Yun let her go? It didn't look like that at all—it looked like they had feelings for each other.
"I chose you," she whispered.
Her words stunned me. I couldn't even react.
"Please don't hurt Min Yun, Your Highness. I was the one who played with fire. I caused all of this. I deserve your punishment."
"If you had never appeared in our world…" I began.
She gasped, her face frozen in shock at what I had just revealed. Her mouth formed a silent "O"—clear proof that she hadn't seen it coming.
"I know your true identity," I continued.
"Your Highness…" she stammered, unable to find the words. Who could speak clearly after hearing their long-hidden secret laid bare?
"And yes—you deserve punishment for hurting me... the king."
Tears flowed down her cheeks. I wanted to wipe them away with my hands. I wanted to hug her tight and comfort her. But who would do the same for me? All my life, I lived in sorrow—the day Isha left me, the day my mother died, the day my father passed away, and suddenly, all responsibilities were placed on my shoulders. And now, this—the day the two people I trusted most betrayed me.
She bowed down, her forehead touching the floor, a sign of her plea.
"I don't care how much you hate me. I'll accept it. I'll also accept any punishment and leave my position as queen. Just please, don't ruin your friendship with Min Yun. I was the one who pleaded with him to help me hide my identity. He was a victim too. I'm the one who played you all."
I knew the queen was trying to shoulder all the blame. Yes, she made the mistake of entering our world. We weren't even real people, right? But if we weren't, why did the emotions run so deep? Why did it feel as though we were truly human? Why were we even breathing?
"Your Highness…" she called out again.
"Are you done explaining yourself? Then you may leave now," I said, turning my back to her. I sighed deeply. It was painful to hurt the woman I loved the most. But it was just as hard to forgive her right away.
I-Jun / Teresita's POV
I left the king's chamber with slumped shoulders. If only he hadn't caught us… maybe the king and I would still be okay. I looked back at his chamber one last time, and tears rolled down my cheeks again. This memory would forever haunt me—that I hurt the king, just like my best friend did. I looked away and walked toward my chamber. No one accompanied me. No servants, no guards. They left me alone to absorb everything that had just happened so quickly.
Rain began to pour, just like the tears that streamed down my face. The downpour grew heavier, matching the weight of my heart.
Just like the rain, I cried, letting my sobs join the rhythm of every drop. I began to sob harder, letting all the pain out. I clutched my chest and sat on a muddy, dust-covered pavement where people usually walked. It broke my heart that I had hurt the king. I wanted nothing more than to disappear from this chaotic world. And now the chaos only grew—because of me. I hurt people… most especially, I hurt him.
I didn't stop crying. I just let my heavy feelings flow freely. I silently wished no one would see me in this pitiful state. They would probably recognize me as the queen, because of my dress and the accessories that only a queen would wear.
I let myself sink into deep pain and sorrow. I deserved death—right here, right now.
King's POV
Meanwhile, the king saw everything through the window. He watched as the queen sat on the dirty cement floor, sobbing. I clenched my fists, trying to stop myself from going to her.
Why wasn't I happy seeing them in pain? Why did it hurt me more to see them suffer, too? Am I such a soft-hearted man that I couldn't even bear to see the people I love in pain? But what would I gain in return? Would I truly be happy if I forgave them?
The eunuch entered the chamber, looking concerned and worried.
"Your Highness..." he called out softly.
I looked at the eunuch, who stood with his head bowed before me.
"Help her—but don't let anyone know about this. Escort her back to her chamber," I ordered.
The eunuch nodded.
I remained standing by the window, watching the woman I love drown in sorrow. Soon, the eunuch approached her with an umbrella and quietly escorted her away. I turned away from the window and sat on the floor, my heart heavy.
I wasn't sure if I could sleep tonight, with all the thoughts crowding my mind.
I sat in silence for hours, deep in thought. I was only pulled back to reality when a eunuch from outside announced the arrival of Kim Man Shik.
I clenched my fists again. He was here to mock me—again and again.
"Your Highness," he greeted, bowing his head.
"What brought you here, again?" I asked coldly.
"It's about the queen."
"Are you going to reveal more? Because I've had enough."
He smiled like a rabid dog. "No. I'm here to say that the queen must be punished."
His words made me stop breathing for a moment. I knew what Kim Man Shik was implying. The queen had committed a grave sin—lying to everyone, especially about her real identity. If the truth came out, it wouldn't just harm the queen—it would threaten my position as the king as well.
"You can't protect the queen once the people know who she is," he stated.
Yes, Kim Man Shik was right. Even as the king of this country, I couldn't bend the law for my family. It was written in the book of law. And the punishment was...
"She must face the death sentence," Kim Man Shik uttered.
****
Kim Man Shik's POV
Before I went to the king's chamber, I stopped by the queen's — ready to mock her. She was sulking when I arrived and didn't even greet me with the respect I deserved as the minister of this country.
"What brings you here?" she asked, her tone laced with disgust.
I smiled wickedly. "How does it feel now that the king knows the truth about you?"
She clenched her fists, clearly ready to punch me at any moment. She had never shown me respect, not even when we first met. This impostor didn't just deceive us — she disrespected our entire nation.
"You love breaking the king's heart," she murmured.
"Correction. You broke his heart. I only exposed what was hidden — something that could have destroyed the country."
She looked at me with disgust, as if I were a beggar. "Do you even hear yourself? Aren't you the traitor who betrayed the king? Doesn't he know you're involved with the mastermind behind all the killings?"
"Then tell him," I challenged. "Force him to believe you."
She frowned. Her expression made it clear — it was no longer possible.
"Poor you. Helpless and hopeless," I continued, mocking her with a cruel laugh.
Her face darkened, like she wanted to kill me. Would I let her? Of course not.
"Evil will never win," she said.
"But I already have."
"The game's not over yet. You'll never become king, no matter how much you wish for it. You're doing all this just to force him to step down — so you can rule in his place? That dream will never come true."
"You don't understand how our world works," I said through gritted teeth.
"I do understand — because I know what's bound to happen."