Kim Man Shik's POV
I went back to my house after the meeting. I threw everything my eyes could see to let my anger flow out.
"Father!"
My daughter called me. I looked at her, filled with fury.
"You should have done better! I should be the king by now!" I shouted, causing a scene in our house. Even the maids were too afraid to come near me. I destroyed everything I laid my eyes on. All my plans were ruined—because of that woman!
"You will never win against me, I-jun. I'll make sure you die, and the king suffers. Just like I did to his father."
****
I-jun's POV
The next morning...
I went out to the king's chamber to visit him and talk to him.
The court ladies, along with my eunuchs, followed me. When I reached the door, the king's eunuch announced my arrival.
"The queen is here, Your Highness."
"Let her in."
They opened the door and let me enter.
I saw the smiling face of the king.
"I didn't expect you to visit me so early today," he said with a smile.
"Have you eaten your breakfast, Your Highness?" I asked.
"Not yet. How about you?"
"I'm actually here to eat breakfast with you."
His smile grew wider. "If I believe this is real, I'd think you missed me."
I chuckled. "I was worried about you… about what happened..."
"You mean yesterday?"
I nodded.
"It's nothing."
"You and I both know it's not just 'nothing.'"
The king sighed.
"What can I do? Even my ministers don't believe in me. I feel like I'm the weakest king in history."
"I don't think so."
"You don't think so?"
I nodded. "If you were weak, you wouldn't be in this position now. They're just trying to make you believe that you're weak—but you're not."
"Thanks for believing in me."
"Let's go somewhere."
"Where?"
"Remember when you said you wanted to visit my savior? We can do it now. Then let's have lunch together at the market."
The king's eyes lit up at what I said.
A few minutes later, the food arrived in the chamber.
We started eating.
"You're not busy right now, right?"
"No," he answered.
"That's great."
When we finished our meal, we prepared to leave the palace.
The soldiers, eunuchs, and court ladies assisted us on the trip.
We rode in palanquins prepared for us, but we rode in separate ones.
I suggested to the king that we disguise ourselves, but he said it was better to go out as we were so that the people would recognize us.
Once we were settled, the soldiers began carrying the palanquins. It felt unusual for me—this was my first time riding one. I couldn't help but worry. What if the soldiers got tired? What if I were too heavy?
It didn't take long before we stopped. I sighed and quietly said thank you.
The court ladies helped me get out of the palanquin. They even fixed my hanbok.
"We're here."
I saw the familiar house where I once lay in pain.
People around us began bowing their heads, realizing that we were members of the royal family. Then, I saw an old lady come out carrying a pail.
"Hi, Grandma!" I called out, hoping she would notice me.
The old lady looked in our direction. At first, she did not react, but when she saw our clothes and the people surrounding us, she bowed her head.
I went near her and chuckled. "Don't you remember me, Grandma?"
The old lady looked closely and examined my face. Then she gasped.
"The lady I helped the other day?"
I smiled. "Yes, Grandma."
She looked at my hanbok. "Those clothes…"
I chuckled at her reaction.
"Your Highness?"
I smiled and nodded.
She knelt on the ground. "I'm sorry! I didn't know you were the queen!"
I still chuckled at her reaction. "Hey, Grandma, stand up. It's okay."
"I don't have the face to show you."
"Grandma, we're here to give you a gift. The king insisted we visit my savior's house."
She lifted her face and looked at the king.
"Your Highness…" she said, bowing again.
"Please, stand up already. You're getting dirty."
"I don't deserve this, Your Highness."
"No. You deserve it. If it weren't for you, the whole nation might already be mourning the queen's death," the king replied.
I helped the old woman stand up.
"I'm filthy, Your Highness."
"Hey, don't say that," I said, still assisting her.
The king signaled the eunuchs, and they began placing the gifts inside her house.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I don't deserve this."
"You do, Grandma. Take it all."
I saw her crying, though she tried to compose herself. I wanted to hug her, but she was too shy to stay close to us.
The king walked over to her and said, "Thank you."
The old woman bowed to him. "Thank you, too, for the gifts, Your Highness."
I smiled, feeling genuinely happy for Grandma.
After that, we went to the restaurant where Min Yun and I had eaten before. Just like Min Yun, the king reminisced about the time he had dined there.
We ordered the chicken rice soup—it's my favorite now.
The servers were anxious, knowing the king and queen were dining in their restaurant. Who wouldn't be?
"I miss the old times," the king said.
I looked at him. He was smiling bitterly. I could sense the pain behind his words.
"No pressure, nothing at all."
"Your Highness... do you regret your position?" I asked.
He looked at me and nodded.
"I wish I could be like Min Yun—simple and free. After so many years, I finally got to eat here again. I missed everything from before."
I felt sorry for him—not just because of what he said, but because of his situation now. I wish I could help him live a better life, one without enemies or opposition.
After our short conversation, we ate and then sipped our tea. We didn't stay long, as it would be too dangerous for the king. We rode the palanquin again and returned to the palace.
After the appointment, I bid farewell to the king and headed back to my chamber.
Outside, I saw Min Yun standing, waiting for me.
"Min Yun!" I called out to him.
He turned to look at me and smiled.
"Where have you been?"
"The king and I went outside."
His expression turned serious. "You did?"
I nodded. "Sorry, I wasn't able to inform you."
"Why are you here, by the way?"
"Just to make sure you're okay."
"If you think I'm not okay, you're wrong. I'm perfectly fine."
"I know you are."
"Then why is—"
"I envy the king," Min Yun said.
"Huh?"
"He's lucky. He found someone who would do anything to protect and save him."
Is he talking about me? (Obviously, girl.) said the voice in my head.
"Why do you say he's lucky?"
"You sacrificed yourself just to help him. You did everything for him."
"Did I?"
"If I were the king, would you do the same?" Min Yun asked out of the blue.
"I..."Words wouldn't come out. I was caught off guard.
He let out a sarcastic laugh. "I'm sorry for my weird questions."
"Of course I would do the same if you were the king."
"That answer makes my heart flutter."
"Why did you ask all of a sudden?"
"Just because I wanted to know."
"Is there something wrong, Min Yun?" I asked because I could feel something was off.
"Nothing."
"Just tell me what's on your mind."
"Would you fall in love with me if I were the king?"