Confusion lingered on Min Yun's face. "You mean your best friend is Empress Isha?"
I nodded.
"How come? I've always known her as the king's former lover."
"I was shocked too, knowing that she had been here before I arrived."
"It's really confusing and overwhelming. How many people could possibly be here just because this book absorbed them?"
I chuckled. Even the royal chef doesn't belong here.
"Empress Isha and I haven't finished talking yet. I still have so many questions to ask her."
"You need to catch up. I know you miss each other."
"But I haven't seen her. I don't know where she's been."
"I'll go with you until you find her."
I nodded and followed Min Yun.
"After we find Empress Isha, can I ask a favor? I want you to check if the king isn't wasted. They've been drinking since noon, and I know how he gets when he's drunk."
"Yeah, no worries."
"Thank you. Thank you for helping us prepare this event. I know it nearly failed, but we survived."
"I didn't know you could sing."
"It was just my hidden talent."
"I want to hear it sometime."
I nodded while walking. Luckily, I found Empress Isha at the lake where the king often stayed. Did Von know that this is the king's favorite lake?
"Empress Isha!" I called out. If I called her Von, people might get confused.
"I'll go and check on the king," Min Yun said.
"Thank you."
I walked closer to Empress Isha.
"Who are you with?
"I'm with Min Yun. People know that I am his cousin."
"That's how you survived in this world until the king noticed you?"
I nodded.
She sighed. "It was really a difficult time for us."
"Let's have tea while talking. Where do you want to talk? In the garden or in my chamber?"
"Let's go to your chamber. It's safer than an open place."
I agreed and decided to go to my chamber.
While walking, Empress Isha kept asking me questions.
"I want to know how you became a queen," she said.
"I'm curious too how you ended up as the empress."
She chuckled. "If we were to share this with our grandchildren, I'm sure they'd just laugh at us."
"How did we end up like this?"
We both laughed.
When we arrived at the chamber, I instructed my servants to bring us some dinner. It was already night, and I was sure our visitors were either having their dinner or had already gone to bed.
"Hmmm. So this is your chamber."
"Is it small?"
"My chamber is a little bit bigger than this."
I nodded.
"Have a seat."
I offered her a pillow to sit on.
"Are you hungry now?"
"Hmm, not really."
"Do you know the queens are aloof toward you? Are you aware of that?"
Von nodded. "Always. That's why no one wants to be my friend. That's why it hurt the most when you chose to come back here instead of staying in our real world."
"You know I have a purpose. I want to end this story with a happy ending. I don't want it to be sad for the king. I know they're not real, but what should I do? I couldn't just ignore their pleas."
"I'm trying to understand."
"Enough about me for a while. I'm really curious—how did you end up here?"
She sighed. "I have multiple access points. I can go in and out."
"How did that happen?"
"I don't know how, but every time I touch a book, I automatically get transported inside it."
"That's why you hated it when I brought a book."
"I was actually trying to stop you from reading. But how could I? You really love books."
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"So you could laugh at me and say I'm going crazy?"
I chuckled. "I don't think I would've said that."
"I tried to tell you many times, but I was too hesitant. I regret it—and I'm still regretting it now. But what can I do? You're already here, and you've become attached to the fictional characters."
"Yeah."
"I hoped this would be the last time. I had no intention of coming back or seeing the king again after so many years. I returned to convince you that we should go home and forget about them."
"You and the king were lovers, right? What happened? Why did it end?"
She sighed. "It happened instantly."
"You left the king without notice?"
"Yes. And you know the time difference between here and our world. You've only been gone for a few days there, but it's been months here."
"But how did you end up as an empress?"
"The book pulled me in again. This time, I met the emperor through my father and he said I was the perfect fit for an empress."
"You accepted it right away?"
"I did for my father's sake."
"But did the king know about it?"
"I don't know."
"Did you love him?"
"I did."
"Meaning before?"
She looked at me. Our conversation was interrupted when the servants came in carrying trays of food.
The servants quietly placed the food on the table. I put some fish and meat on Von's bowl of rice.
"Eat a lot," I said, then filled my own bowl and started eating.
"Do you still like the king?" I asked while munching my food.
"He likes you now. What's the point of my answer?" she responded.
"Maybe not?"
"I can see in his eyes how he adores you. Our story was in the past anyway," she said.
"I'm actually confused now..."
Von put her chopsticks on top of the bowl and looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"The king and Min Yun both confessed to me."
"Really?"
"I'm confused. I don't want to hurt either of them."
"Are you going to two-time them?"
"What? Of course not!" I said.
She laughed. "You should choose."
"Do I have to? What if I choose no one?"
"At least they'll both be equally hurt," Von laughed.
"You're laughing at my situation."
"Been there, done that."
"Yeah, right," I said sarcastically.
"So?"
"So, what?"
"You need to weigh everything. Who is closest to your heart? The king or your so-called cousin?"
I had thought about that many times, but my mind and heart confused me. Then I remembered what the fortune teller told me — that I am playing with fire.
I shook my head. This is not the time to think about who is closest to my heart.
"I was like you before — confused. But in the long run, you will realize who the right man is that you truly like."
"I already kissed them both," I confessed.
Von's eyes widened. "Really? But you still haven't chosen? Hahaha!" Von laughed.
"Stop teasing me."
"I'm not. I'm just laughing at you. You're really incredible."
I frowned, but Von didn't stop.
"Now tell me, who kisses better?"
My cheeks turned red. Now I regretted telling her that I kissed them both.
"I am your best friend, you know."
"Yeah, a teasing friend." I still frowned.
"Tell me now, who gave you butterflies?"
I didn't respond.
"Don't you treat me as your best friend?" she looked at me with teary eyes.
"Stop acting," I told her.
"Then tell me."
I bit my lower lip.
"Who?"
"My so-called cousin."