Chapter 19
Jo Young-dae.
The moment he made his entrance, the air around shifted palpably.
Seo-yeon felt it for the first time—
that all the actors around had been considerate of the child actors until now.
Her fingertips buzzed with tension.
Even with her eyes closed, she could tell that the atmosphere on set was different from usual.
“Ha…”
A short sigh escaped as Jo Young-dae’s fierce eyes swept across the Empress Dowager’s chamber.
He glanced at his mother and then at Princess Yeonhwa.
“Princess, do you have any idea how long I’ve been searching for you?”
His voice was deep and somber, cracked like the growl of a beast, sending shivers down spines.
Soon, his glistening gaze turned toward his mother, the Empress Dowager.
“What does this child say?”
Bowing slowly, he continued,
“She laments that it’s an act against humanity, that it’s a betrayal of the royal family’s grace, doesn’t she?”
Hoh-hah-hah, a laugh bubbled up from his throat, filling the room.
The Empress Dowager simply kept her eyes closed in silence.
“Indeed.”
It was as if she couldn’t bear to look at her own son.
Jo Young-dae’s lips twisted into a sardonic smile.
“I have betrayed it all. Humanity, the grace of the royal family.”
Even those following him dared not utter a word.
To any observer, he was a king.
A king whose gaze commanded respect, a tyrant.
“But this path is my own.”
Having transgressed humanity and toppled the royal family,
he was here, walking a path stained with blood.
“…Princess.”
Gazing toward the Empress Dowager, Jo Young-dae spoke again.
“Princess…!!”
As he shouted, the oil lamp trembled, its light flickering
as it illuminated Jo Young-dae’s fearsome visage.
Slowly—very slowly—
his gaze moved toward Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.
“What shall you do?”
Turning his head, he shifted his body, looking down at the small girl.
“Will you come out on your own?”
Originally, Jo Young-dae and Princess Yeonhwa shared a close bond.
They had laughed together, shared smiles.
“Or shall I carry you out myself?”
At least, that’s what Princess Yeonhwa had thought.
Today, however, she realized it was all a lie.
She felt foolish.
From her bowed head, such emotions exuded.
The camera was now rolling.
From Jo Young-dae to Princess Yeonhwa.
The director, Heo Jung-soo, watched intently,
forgetting to breathe, blinking even less as he gazed into the lens.
As the light sources flickered, a sense of urgency hung in the air—
Would we capture this scene properly?
Reflectors shifted, and the camera gradually moved from Jo Young-dae to Princess Yeonhwa.
Actor Yoon Jong-hyuk, portraying Jo Young-dae, was a masterful performer.
His villainous portrayals had always been lauded, and it was no different this time around.
The madness radiating from him felt as consuming as his breath.
In that moment, he seemed the only one standing in the frame.
‘Danger…’
Heo Jung-soo sensed that this was not a favorable situation.
The only one who could match Jo Young-dae’s intensity was likely Jung Eun-sun in her role as the Empress Dowager.
But Jung Eun-sun had very few lines in this scene—
she wasn’t even meant to overshadow anyone.
The only one who could turn the tide in this scene was the young Princess Yeonhwa.
But could a child do that?
‘Director Gong said we should zoom in to capture the fluctuating emotions, but…’
Heo Jung-soo, an experienced cameraman, knew that
if he abruptly moved the camera closer or attempted a close-up of the actor’s face, things could spiral.
Moving the camera in closer would obviously showcase the actor’s emotional play with greater detail.
But could Princess Yeonhwa handle Jo Young-dae?
He had faith in Seo-yeon’s talent.
That’s why he chose her in this audition over Jo Seo-hee.
But nevertheless, she was still a child.
Compared to the seasoned actor Yoon Jong-hyuk, she was lacking.
Perhaps it would be better to shoot from a wider angle, focusing on the scene rather than on individuals.
He glanced sideways at Director Gong Jung-tae.
But he had issued no further commands, appearing set on proceeding as previously discussed.
‘If we get an NG (no good), it will take time to get back into character…’
‘Should we just start from the long take again?’
It wasn’t only Heo Jung-soo who felt this way.
Others on set were already considering re-shooting after an NG.
If they couldn’t capture Jo Young-dae’s performance properly, it would be the latter who looked out of place, his emotions exaggerated.
And then, at that moment, Princess Yeonhwa’s eyelids gradually fluttered open.
As soldiers reached to drag her out, her voice rang out.
“Let go of me!!”
Her sharp command didn’t sound the least bit childlike, freezing all the soldiers in their tracks—
everyone, except Jo Young-dae.
“…!!”
In an instant, a staff member inhaled sharply and quickly covered their mouth.
An eerie silence fell.
In a place where the flickering lamp light barely reached,
the girl sat shrouded in darkness and lifted her head.
Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol’s lips trembled,
and she bit down on her lower lip.
Slowly—very slowly, her eyes emerged from the darkness,
turning a vivid red.
It was uncertain whether it was a reflection of the lamp’s flame or something else entirely.
But those eyes shone brighter than ever, fixating on Jo Young-dae.
The emotion weighing in them matched his madness, palpable and intense.
Anger, hatred.
A biting anger that spread across the room.
Was it emotional acting?
No, Heo Jung-soo knew better.
It was method acting.
An emotional performance that melded with the character.
Until now, Seo-yeon’s emotional performance had been impressive, especially for a child actor.
Among those she knew, she was undoubtedly the best.
But in this moment, the modifier “for a child” vanished.
“Yes.”
As her little aquarium shattered and her feet splashed into the sea,
at that instant—
“Understood.”
A dark undercurrent tinged with deep anger resonated through her trembling voice,
a voice that did not belong to a child.
“I will leave on my own.”
Turning toward the soldiers guarding the door,
she turned her back to the Empress Dowager.
“With these two feet, I will leave.”
“Princess…”
The Empress Dowager’s voice, barely above a whisper, trailed off.
But Princess Yeonhwa didn’t cast even a glance back.
Her small frame shook.
As she clenched her fists, drops of blood fell from her hands.
The soldiers who met her eyes recoiled in fear, backing away a couple of steps.
The only one who could meet her gaze was Jo Young-dae, revealing a smile adorned with sharp white teeth.
“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I like you, Princess.”
Jo Young-dae’s laughter echoed through the chamber.
As the intensity in Princess Yeonhwa’s red eyes sharpened, her twisted face quivered as she parted her lips.
She wanted to shout something at him,
to declare that she would definitely return.
But all that escaped her was a tight-lipped demeanor as she took a step forward.
Alongside Jo Young-dae’s soldiers.
And then…
Bam! the door to the Empress Dowager’s chamber slammed shut.
“…Cut!!”
With Director Gong Jung-tae’s shout divvying up the realms of reality and fantasy, everyone let out a long-held breath.
They hadn’t anticipated such a seamless long take, surprisingly without a single NG.
Especially the one most astonished was Yoon Jong-hyuk portraying Jo Young-dae.
Just now, that emotional performance was nearly impossible to see as a child’s acting.
“A genius, they said, but…”
At that moment, Yoon Jong-hyuk jumped at the sight of Jung Eun-sun standing beside Seo-yeon.
This was why some crew members had stiffened, ready to hold back their praises.
Memories of previous conflicts bubbled to the surface.
“…”
Jung Eun-sun bent down before a panting Seo-yeon,
noticing the tears brimming in her red eyes.
She observed the crimson drops clinging to her hands.
Jung Eun-sun watched the child, struggling to detach herself from her emotions.
With a sigh, she uttered,
“…Take deep breaths.”
Breathe in, breathe out.
And gently, she unfurled the tiny fingers still clenching tightly, revealing the small wounds underneath.
Seeing this, Jung Eun-sun frowned.
“What are you doing? Hurry and disinfect it, get a bandage on it!”
Her shout startled the staff, who rushed to tend to Seo-yeon.
“A-are you seriously hurt?”
Naturally, they had assumed it was just props.
After all, how could a child, with such a grip, cause any real injury?
“…That’s why.”
Jung Eun-sun started to say something but held back, opting instead to focus on treating the wounds first.
And having just witnessed that performance, there were no words to express her thoughts.
It was evident how much she had practiced for that role.
“Don’t overdo it too often. Still…”
After a brief hesitation, Jung Eun-sun spoke to Seo-yeon.
“…It was an excellent performance.”
Jung Eun-sun simply said this, then took Seo-yeon to Su-a.
After a moment of watching, she turned away and walked off.
Su-a, who had been pacing and waiting for her daughter, finally let out a breath of relief.
She realized that Seo-yeon had remarkably applied everything she had been practicing.
“Are you alright?”
“…Yeah.”
Honestly, she wasn’t alright.
Seo-yeon averted her eyes and wiped away the tears in response to Su-a’s worried inquiry.
Emotions weren’t something she was familiar with.
To be precise, plunging into such deep emotions was harder than expected.
Looking at her palm, there were already several small wounds.
‘It really is different from practice.’
She sighed again, still unable to shake off the lingering feelings.
It was probably because she was still a child.
It wasn’t a warning to avoid it for no reason.
“Wow, that was surprising.”
At that moment, Yoon Jong-hyuk, who played Jo Young-dae, approached Seo-yeon and Su-a.
“Honestly, I had heard rumors, but that was shocking. You’ve been acting for just a year now?”
“Ah, yes.”
“You’re going to become an incredible actor one day. Even Jung Eun-sun seemed too stunned to say anything!”
It was advisable for child actors to hold back their emotional acting.
So much so that the very person who often warned others was left at a loss for words.
“…Well, yes, but it’s still wise to restrain yourself for now. You’re a child. Please pay attention during sensitive times.”
“Yes, yes! Understood.”
Satisfied with Su-a’s response, Yoon Jong-hyuk smiled, ruffling Seo-yeon’s hair affectionately.
“Alright, for now, let’s check how the footage turned out.”
At Yoon Jong-hyuk’s words, Seo-yeon nodded slowly.
This would probably be her first genuine emotional acting experience.
For that reason, she was genuinely curious.
Until now, whenever she saw her performances, she only thought, ‘Hmm, is that all?’
But if this time were the same, perhaps she would feel disappointed.
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