Hearing those words made my heart beat faster. Does this mean...?
"I like you," the crown prince said.
Those words struck deep in my heart. It was so powerful that I wanted to shout from too much happiness.
"I'm gonna miss you," he said, then hugged me tightly.
I hugged him back. "I'm going to miss you too," I said, trying not to show how overjoyed I was.
And that's the start of our love story. As promised, we wrote letters to each other. We became closer as lovers. The wedding was set for next month. The royal families were happy and excited about the wedding. I was excited too. Finally, I could experience this kind of feeling.
I was happily sipping my tea in my room when suddenly, I felt dizzy and had chest pain. The teacup shattered on the floor into pieces.
I started shouting, calling for my parents. But no one could hear me. No one came to help until I passed out.
When I woke up the next morning, I was in my world. Just like Teresita, I couldn't accept the situation. I wanted to go back in the book and let the crown prince marry me. But days passed, and I still didn't return. It had been a month, but I couldn't go back to the book. I wanted to talk to the crown prince and let him understand my situation—but it didn't happen.
Since it had been a month, I was starting to accept that I would never return to his world. I felt sad, but what could I do?
While washing the dishes, I didn't notice that the book was glowing. I only realized it when the light reached the kitchen.
I hurriedly washed my hands and went near the book. Then, unexpectedly, it absorbed me again.
As I returned to the crown prince's world, I noticed how different everything looked. Even our home had changed.
"Mother, Father!" I called out as I reached the gate.
They looked older than the last time I saw them.
"Isha?" my father called, then ran toward me.
"Are you Isha?"
I nodded as tears began falling down my cheeks. My father hugged me while sobbing, too.
My mother hugged me, and all of us cried together.
"I thought you left us."
"What happened, Isha?"
I looked at them while my tears kept falling. How could I explain to them that I came from another world?
I bit my lower lip. "I don't know, Father," I said, then started sobbing again.
"Let's stop asking questions," my mother said to my father.
"I'm sorry I was gone for a month," I said.
"A month? It has been a year since you disappeared. Many things have changed," my father answered.
"One year, Father?"
"Yes."
"Let's talk inside. I'll prepare some tea and snacks. Your father will explain everything."
I nodded and followed them inside.
My father and I sat in the living room.
"I'm sorry, Father," I said, bowing my head.
"I should be the one to say that."
"What matters now is that I'm here already. What happened to the crown prince, Father?"
My father was shocked when I asked about him. Then he looked sad.
"He suffered."
"Why?"
"The queen died."
"What?"
"She had an illness."
"I want to go to the palace and check on him."
"No."
"Why, Father?"
"The crown prince thought you left him. I couldn't even explain where you were because we had no idea."
I bit my lower lip again. How can I go to the palace when the crown prince thinks I abandoned him?
I couldn't even tell him I came from another world. I never had the chance to tell him the truth.
He's suffering now. I want to help him—but how?
Does he think I betrayed him? Our wedding didn't happen because of me.
"The wedding..."
"The royal family thought the wedding would happen. But it never did."
"Father, I didn't leave. I never intentionally left."
"So, what happened?"
I wanted to tell them everything. They've been good to me ever since. But I couldn't even open my mouth. I was too hesitant.
"You don't have to explain. I understand the reason why you were gone."
Tears started to fall my cheeks again. I wanted to go to the palace and hug the crown prince. But what would he think about me? That I left him without an explanation?
I cried all night because of what happened. I even cursed the book for giving me such pain. The next morning, I asked permission from my parents to go out. They didn't ask why—they just allowed me to go.
I didn't know where my feet were heading, but now I was standing at the huge gate of the palace.
I started sobbing again. If only I could explain to him what had happened. But I was afraid he might not understand my reason.
I stayed there, standing in front of the palace. I imagined the crown prince and I having our wedding. What if I hadn't gone back to my world? Maybe I would be pregnant now, after our wedding?
I sighed. I should accept my fate. After all, they are just fictional characters. I shouldn't be too emotional.
I turned my back and was ready to leave when I heard someone calling the crown prince.
I looked at the gate and saw him riding a horse.
As usual, he was with his best friend, Min Yun.
I looked at his handsome but sad face. He had been through a lot. And I added to his burden. I should have been the one to comfort him when the queen died. But I hurt him so much.
I felt guilty. But what could I do? It already happened.
The horse started moving. They passed by where I was standing. He didn't notice me because I bowed my head. When he passed by, I watched them ride away.
I had been like this for several months. I kept going to the palace gate, hoping to see the crown prince. There were times I wanted to go inside, but my feet wouldn't let me.
My father visited the king, but not as often as before. He even updated me about what happened to the crown prince. My father said he became colder than ever and was aloof from other people.
I accepted my fate. I tried to forget the crown prince. I just let him think that I left him. I was afraid to come near him and get rejected. He was deeply hurt—I know—and I was a huge coward.
Years passed. I reached the right age for marriage. I met the emperor of Yonuki Town because my father became the head minister after the former emperor died. The new emperor was a bit older than I. He had a son from his first empress, and he was very handsome. My father accepted the position only because he wanted to help the new emperor—and because of the promise he made to the former emperor, who was his close friend.
The emperor and I met, and he fell in love with me. He asked for my hand in marriage, and I accepted it only because of my father. I still loved the crown prince, but I kept reminding myself that I should accept my fate.
Months later, the emperor and I got married. The people of Yonuki celebrated with us. They were happy. The emperor was happy. But I was still here, thinking about the crown prince.
My life was never as happy as it had been before. When I married the emperor, I felt like a robot. The emperor loved me so much. He would do anything for me. He even took care of me. But I couldn't give my heart to him. I had no intention of doing so. After our wedding, we had our honeymoon. Yes, we did what couples normally do. It was okay with me—or so I thought. The emperor is handsome too, but the crown prince is more handsome. But I'm glad the crown prince was my first kiss.
Years passed. I was not able to give the emperor a child. I don't know why I couldn't conceive. Maybe because I was from another world? That's what I thought. But the emperor loved me even more. The ministers told him to take concubines to produce another child, but he refused—he didn't want to hurt my feelings.
As the years went by, I started to love the emperor. I knew he had known my real feelings from the beginning. He knew I wasn't in love with him. But I never heard a single word from him blaming me for not loving him or not giving him a child.
His good traits—the way he took care of his family and the people—made me realize that I already loved him. It took three years to realize that. Three years passed in this world, while only three months passed in my world. I was able to go back and forth between my world and this one. Yes, I could go back whenever I wanted. I don't know how I did it—maybe I just could.
That's why I was so afraid for Teresita to experience what I had gone through. It was not easy for me, especially when someone else was involved.
After four years, the emperor died. I was grieving, and at the same time, I felt pressured because I would be the one to rule the country. It was never easy. I saw that in the emperor. But I had no choice but to follow his order. When he was about to die, I was planning to go back to my world and never return to this book. But his last message made me stay:"Please take care of Yonuki Town and the heir, my dear empress. I love you."Then he died.
I cried and grieved for months. Why did the writer take him so early? Why now, when I was finally in love with him?
Debris in my heart is an open book. It has many story versions. Teresita's version is different from mine, but we share one title and one book.
I looked at Teresita's face as she slept so peacefully. I couldn't help but pity her. She was stuck in this unfamiliar and cruel place. How could she handle everything, especially between two men? It was never easy—and it will never be easy. I don't want her to experience what I went through.