Jo Yeong-dae.

The moment he appeared, the atmosphere around them changed.

For the first time, Seoyeon felt it.

All this time, the other actors had been considerate of the child actors.

Her fingertips tingled with tension.

Even with her eyes closed, she could clearly feel that the atmosphere on set was different from usual.

"Hah."

A short sigh escaped as Jo Yeong-dae's fierce eyes swept over Queen Dowager Eun-hye's chambers.

He looked at his mother, then at Princess Yeonhwa.

"Princess, do you know how long I've been looking for you?"

His low, guttural voice, like the cry of a beast, sent chills down the spine. His glossy eyes soon turned to his mother, Queen Dowager Eun-hye.

"What did she say?"

He slowly bent down.

"Did she cry out that it was a betrayal of human decency, that it was a disgrace to the royal family?"

He chuckled, a grating laugh that filled the room. Queen Dowager Eun-hye remained silent with her eyes closed.

"Yes."

As if she couldn't bear to look at her son.

Jo Yeong-dae's lips twisted into a sneer.

"I betrayed it all. Human decency, the royal family's grace."

Even those who followed him dared not speak. To anyone, he was the king.

A king who did not allow anyone to raise their heads, a tyrant.

"But this is my path."

He had betrayed human decency and overthrown the royal family. There was a man walking a path stained with blood.

"Princess."

Still looking at Queen Dowager Eun-hye, Jo Yeong-dae spoke.

"Princess...!!"

His fierce shout shook the chamber, causing the lantern to flicker. The dim light cast shadows on Jo Yeong-dae's face.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

His gaze moved to Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol.

"What will you do?"

He turned his head and then his body to look down at the small, young princess.

"Will you leave on your own?"

Originally, Jo Yeong-dae and Princess Yeonhwa were close. They had always shared smiles and laughter.

"Or shall I escort you personally?"

At least, that's what Princess Yeonhwa believed. Today, she realized it was all a lie.

She had been foolish.

The emotions were palpable in the bowed princess's body.

The camera moved.

From Jo Yeong-dae to Princess Yeonhwa.

Camera director Heo Jeong-su forgot to breathe, his eyes fixed on the screen without blinking.

The light wavered, and the reflector moved to ensure they didn't miss the shot.

Yoon Jong-hyuk, who played Jo Yeong-dae, was a seasoned actor. His villainous roles were always highly praised, and this time was no different.

His portrayal of madness, exhaled as if breathing, was incredibly immersive. It seemed as if he alone filled the screen.

'This is dangerous...'

Heo Jeong-su knew this wasn't a good situation.

Only someone with an equally strong performance could counter Jo Yeong-dae. Perhaps only Jung Eun-seon as Queen Dowager Eun-hye, but she had few lines in this scene.

The only one who could turn the atmosphere in this scene was the young Princess Yeonhwa.

But could a child actor do it?

'Director Gong said it would be better to zoom in on the emotions.'

Heo Jeong-su, an experienced camera director, knew that bringing the camera closer would reveal the actor's emotional performance more intricately.

But could Princess Yeonhwa hold up against Jo Yeong-dae?

He believed in Seoyeon's talent. That's why he voted for her over Jo Seo-hee in the audition.

But she was still a child.

Compared to the seasoned actor Yoon Jong-hyuk, she was lacking.

It would be better to capture the scene widely and focus on the setting rather than the individuals.

He glanced at Director Gong Jung-tae, but there were no additional instructions. It seemed they would proceed as initially discussed.

'If this takes multiple takes, it might be hard to recapture the emotions.'

'Maybe we should reshoot after the long take?'

He wasn't the only one thinking this. Other staff members were already considering reshoots after an NG.

If the others couldn't match Jo Yeong-dae's performance, it would make Jo Yeong-dae's character seem over the top.

Then.

The previously closed eyes of Princess Yeonhwa slowly opened.

As the soldiers moved to drag her away, the atmosphere shifted.

"Let go of me!!"

A sharp cry that didn't sound like a child's froze the soldiers. No, it froze everyone except Jo Yeong-dae.

"...!!"

A staff member gasped and quickly covered their mouth.

A tense silence.

In the place where the lantern light barely reached, a girl sat, raising her head.

Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hye-wol, bit her trembling lower lip hard.

Slowly.

Very slowly, her eyes moved in the darkness.

They were red.

Whether it was because of the reflection of the lantern light or for some other reason, no one knew.

Her eyes, shining redder than ever, stared directly at Jo Yeong-dae.

The emotion in her eyes matched his madness, if not exceeded it.

Anger, hatred.

A searing emotion spread.

Was this emotional acting?

No, Heo Jeong-su knew.

Method acting.

It was as if she had become one with the character.

Until now, Seoyeon's emotional acting was impressive for a child actor.

Among the child actors Heo Jeong-su knew, she was the best.

But at this moment, the qualifier "for a child actor" disappeared.

"Yes."

As the small aquarium of Seoyeon broke, and she stepped into the sea.

Right now.

"I understand."

Her voice, trembling with rage, was thick and dark, not something one would expect from a child.

"I will leave on my own."

She moved towards the door guarded by Jo Yeong-dae's soldiers, turning her back on Queen Dowager Eun-hye.

"I will leave with these two feet."

"Princess..."

Queen Dowager Eun-hye's weak voice trailed off.

But Princess Yeonhwa did not look back once.

Her body trembled.

Blood dripped from her small, clenched hands.

The soldiers who met her gaze flinched and stepped back.

The only one who could face her gaze was Jo Yeong-dae, smiling with his white teeth showing.

"Yes, that's why I like you, Princess."

Jo Yeong-dae's laughter echoed.

Princess Yeonhwa's red eyes glinted with determination, her lips trembling.

She wanted to shout something at him.

To promise she would return.

But Princess Yeonhwa bit her lower lip hard and moved forward.

With Jo Yeong-dae's soldiers.

And then.

Bang, the door to Queen Dowager Eun-hye's chambers closed.

"Cut!!"

Director Gong Jung-tae's shout marked the end of the scene, allowing everyone to finally exhale.

They had managed to film the long take without a single NG.

Yoon Jong-hyuk, who played Jo Yeong-dae, was the most surprised.

The emotional performance just now was beyond what he expected from a child.

'They said she's a genius, but...'

Now he understood why even the prickly Jung Eun-seon took an interest in her.

As he was lost in thought, he noticed Jung Eun-seon standing beside Seoyeon.

This caused a few staff members who were about to exclaim in admiration to freeze.

Remembering the previous incident.

"...."

Jung Eun-seon bent down to the panting Seoyeon.

She saw the tears in her red eyes.

She saw the blood-stained hands.

She saw the child struggling to separate from her emotions.

And she sighed.

"Take deep breaths."

She guided Seoyeon to inhale and exhale deeply.

Then she gently opened Seoyeon's small hands.

Her nails had dug in so deep that her hands were bleeding.

Seeing this, Jung Eun-seon's face hardened.

"What are you all doing? Hurry and disinfect and bandage her hands."

Her shout startled the staff, who rushed over.

"Ah, yes, yes!" "Wait, is she really hurt?"

They had assumed it was some kind of prop.

After all, it was hard to believe a child could grip so tightly that it drew blood.

"....That's why."

Jung Eun-seon started to say something, then bit her lip and stood up.

First, they needed to treat the wound.

And after seeing her performance, there was nothing more to say.

It was clear how much Seoyeon had practiced for this scene.

"Don't do it too often. But..."

After a moment of hesitation, Jung Eun-seon spoke to Seoyeon.

"...It was an excellent performance."

She simply said that and handed Seoyeon over to Su-a.

She watched for a moment before turning and leaving.

Su-a, who had been anxiously waiting for her daughter, finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew Seoyeon had performed wonderfully.

"Are you alright?" "...Yes."

Honestly, she wasn't alright.

Seoyeon avoided Su-a's worried gaze and wiped her tears.

Emotions were unfamiliar.

It was harder than she thought to immerse herself in such deep emotions.

Her palms were already covered in small wounds.

'It's different from practice.'

She sighed.

It was still hard to shake off the lingering emotions.

Maybe it was because she was still a child.

No wonder they advised against doing it too often.

"This is truly surprising."

Just then, Yoon Jong-hyuk, who played Jo Yeong-dae, approached Seoyeon and Su-a.

"Honestly, I heard about it, but I was shocked. You've only been acting for a year?" "Ah, yes." "You'll be a great actress someday. Even Jung Eun-seon couldn't say a word."

It was a performance that silenced even those who usually advised against emotional acting for children.

"But still. It's best to refrain for now. You're still a child. Be mindful of her sensitivity."

"Yes, yes. I understand."

Satisfied with Su-a's response, Yoon Jong-hyuk smiled and patted Seoyeon's head.

"Now, let's go see how the footage turned out."

At his words, Seoyeon slowly nodded.

It was probably her first real emotional performance in her life.

So she was curious too.

Until now, she had only thought, 'Well, it's okay.'

But if this time she still felt that way, she might be disappointed.