"Your Highness! Your Highness!"
The king and I both woke up to the shouting. The eunuch was calling from outside.
"Your Highness, someone is calling you," I told him.
He slowly opened his eyes and looked at the door.
"Is it already morning?" he asked.
"Your Highness! Your Highness! Kim Shin A!"
When I heard her name, I stood up right away and rushed to the door.
The eunuch was panting.
"What happened to Kim Shin A?" I asked.
It was supposed to be the day of her interrogation.
"She was poisoned!"
"What?"
"The guards have gone to get the doctor."
"Let's go," the king said, fixing his robe.
I went back inside, grabbed my robe, and put it on before stepping out. I couldn't just go outside in my white sleeping robe—it might be seen as a scandal for the queen.
The king and I walked quickly. We saw Kim Man Shik rushing to the clinic.
"Kim Shin A!!!" Kim Man Shik shouted when he saw his daughter lying on the bed.
"She was poisoned. Her condition is critical now. Let's just hope she recovers."
I could see the rage in Kim Man Shik's eyes. He grabbed the doctor's collar and warned him.
"Critical? Isn't it your job to cure people—especially a lady?"
"I'm sorry, Minister."
"Do your job!" he shouted. That's when the king intervened.
"It is not the doctor's fault. Do not shout at him."
Kim Man Shik looked at the king, then at me, his eyes full of anger.
"This is your fault," he told me through gritted teeth.
"How is it my fault?" I asked. I knew what he was thinking—his daughter was supposed to be the queen.
He didn't answer and instead turned to his daughter.
I looked at the king. Our plan to interrogate her was now postponed.
We decided to step outside the clinic.
"It wasn't Kim Man Shik's doing," the king said.
"Then who did this to her?" I asked. Ji Han's face flashed in my mind.
"There's someone behind this," he said.
"I have to go. I need to meet someone."
"Who?"
"I-jun?"
I turned to the person calling me. Speak of the devil—the person I needed to talk to had just appeared.
"Ji Han!" I said.
Ji Han noticed the king and bowed his head to greet us.
I looked at the king. "I'm coming with Ji Han, Your Highness."
"Where are you going?"
"Somewhere within the palace."
He nodded. "I'll get back to my chamber."
"Okay."
Then he left.
Ji Han looked at me with a happy expression.
"Why are you here?"
"Kim Man Shik's daughter was poisoned."
"Kim Shin A?"
I nodded.
He looked at the door. "But who did this?"
"Ji Han..."
"Hmmmm."
Should I ask him? But I would sound suspicious. What if it was all a mistake? What if I just mistook him?
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
I nodded.
"Too many people have been poisoned now. First you, then Kim Shin A..." he said, then sighed.
I looked at him but saw sincerity in his face. What if I was wrong?
"I'm sorry," I muttered.
Ji Han looked at me, confused. "What are you sorry for?"
"Just because..."
He laughed. "I understand you're still not okay, Your Majesty."
I pouted.
"I missed you," Ji Han said.
"We saw each other yesterday," I said.
"But not for long."
"Yeah. Don't worry. I'll come with you to roam around the market."
"Really?"
"Haha. You look like a child."
"Haha. I'm not..."
We had a little conversation before he asked permission to leave because someone was calling him.
***
After Ji Han and I talked, I went back to the clinic. I only saw the doctor, who was busy performing acupuncture on his patient.
I went inside since Kim Man Shik wasn't there.
"Doctor."
The doctor looked at me and then bowed. "Your Majesty!"
"I am here to ask about the condition of Kim Shin A."
"As you heard a while ago, it's critical."
"Why is it critical?"
"The guard wasn't able to respond right away. According to them, they didn't even know how she was poisoned."
I nodded, then looked at Kim Shin A. Though we are enemies, I still pity her for being in this condition.
I didn't stay longer and went out of the clinic, then headed to Min Yun's office. Luckily, I was able to meet him. He was supposed to go to the jail room to do the investigation.
"I'll come," I stated.
Min Yun just nodded and walked with me. When we arrived, the guards bowed their heads to us.
"Any leads?" Min Yun asked the guard.
"We didn't even know how it was used. I made sure that Lady Kim Shin A's things were useful. We didn't even know where it came from."
"Did her father visit her?"
"No, Captain. No one visited her."
"Then how come she was poisoned?"
The silence lingered in the jailroom.
"I want to see her things. Just give them to me."
The guard followed his order.
Min Yun inspected Kim Shin A's things one by one.
"Do you think she did this to herself because she was afraid of the interrogation?" I asked.
"I don't think she would kill herself just because she was afraid of interrogation."
"I'm sorry, Min Yun."
He stopped what he was doing and looked at me.
"The book didn't warn me. Since I came back here, the book hasn't provided any information ahead."
"It's not your fault. All we need to do is go thoroughly through her case."
He continued what he was doing, but nothing was suspicious to him.
"No one came here, right?" he asked again.
"Yes, Captain."
"Possibly, the killer planned it before she was put in jail," Min Yun said seriously while assessing the situation.
"Let's go to their house," Min Yun exclaimed.
I nodded and then followed him.
We went to Kim Shin A's house to inspect some things before she was jailed.
Kim Man Shik was there when we arrived.
Kim Man Shik frowned as he saw us.
"What are you doing here?" he angrily asked.
"We are here to inspect Kim Shin A's things."
"And do you think I will allow you?" He laughed sarcastically and evilly.
"I am the one handling the case."
"I don't want you to handle this case." The minister looked into Min Yun's eyes. "I will let others handle it."
"But..." Min Yun was about to reason out, but Kim Man Shik stopped him.
"She is my daughter. I have the right to choose who will handle the case. Now get out of our house, and I don't want to see your face again!"
He looked furious, and his eyes were filled with rage. I held Min Yun's arm to tell him to go back to the palace. I'm sure the situation would worsen if we pushed for what we wanted.
Min Yun sighed. "There is something wrong here..."
I nodded. "I know. I feel like the enemy of Kim Man Shik did this."
"Possible. He wouldn't allow us to handle the case. I'm sure something is going on here, and I need to find out."
I could see Min Yun's frustration. Since then, he had been so busy and had many burdens to handle.
We went back to the palace. Min Yun went straight to his office, while I went back to my chamber.
As I entered my chamber, I looked at the book, which was placed under the table.
It had been a long time since the book lit up. Why isn't this book giving any information now?
What will be my purpose here if I am not able to stop what will happen in the future?
I sighed. There are so many "what ifs" and "whys" in my head. I couldn't even count how many questions I had. I kept sighing while still staring at the book.
Did the book punish me for being so stubborn? Yes, I knew the book gave me a way to go back home, but I failed to stay in my world.
If Von saw me like this, she would say my decisions were all wrong...