What was Princess Yeonhwa thinking as she stood with the sun at her back? Seoyeon had to ponder this for days.

An actor must be able to understand their character. Method acting, where one immerses themselves in the role, ultimately comes from this understanding.

"Usually, in such cases, it's easiest to think from the character's perspective, right?"

When Seoyeon asked Yoon Jong-hyuk, who was resting while dressed as Jo Yeong-dae, he answered this way.

"Well, it's a bit obvious, but that's the simplest method. Or you can project your own experiences, but... that might be hard for young Seoyeon."

There are no definitive answers in acting. Yoon Jong-hyuk said this while patting Seoyeon's head.

It seemed he found it admirable that a young child actor was trying to interpret the role in her own way.

"Putting too much of your own thoughts into the role isn't good."

When she slyly asked Jeong Eun-seon, she answered this way.

"The script includes everything. The character's explanation and background are detailed. Trying to go beyond that is usually just ambition. Also, 'The Sun Hidden by the Moon' is based on an original work."

In works based on original material, fans of the source are bound to be more critical of the character interpretations. If the actor's or director's subjective views are too prominent, the character becomes something entirely different. That’s definitely not what the fans want.

However, the drama’s audience likely includes more people who haven't read the original work. The original might be the correct answer, but you can't be absolutely sure it's infallible.

The reactions of novel readers and TV viewers can differ. 'Of course, there are plenty of dramas that got criticized for overly altering the original.'

Seoyeon nodded at this thought. Despite being an actress known for method acting, Jeong Eun-seon said so.

Perhaps she meant that Seoyeon, being a child actor, would be overreaching by going beyond.

‘I don’t know.’

After all, Seoyeon had never properly learned acting. So, she had no choice but to ask herself and confront these questions.

As Yoon Jong-hyuk had said, she tried thinking from the character's perspective. She tried to recall similar experiences from Princess Yeonhwa’s point of view.

But, amusingly enough, she found none. Even when reflecting on her past life, her lack of understanding of emotions was unhelpful.

Joo Seoyeon was too young to have any experiences worth mentioning. So, Seoyeon read the original novel.

She wanted to understand Princess Yeonhwa’s feelings. She read the script multiple times.

She expressed emotions in various forms. Practice. And more practice.

She had no choice but to figure out what was right through acting. It was extremely difficult. For young Seoyeon. For a child who didn’t know emotions, it might have been a harsh task.

However.

「Seo-il.」

Princess Yeonhwa, standing with the sun at her back, was the moon.

「I believed you would come here.」

Princess Yeonhwa, Lee Hae-wol, said with a serene smile, unlike her previous anger towards Jo Yeong-dae. For the young Yoon Seo-il, it was an incredibly difficult emotion. Perhaps Lee Hae-wol herself didn’t understand it.

Anger. Resentment. These feelings were directed not only at Jo Yeong-dae but also at herself.

「Why.」

Towards such a Lee Hae-wol, Yoon Seo-il spoke.

「Why must Your Highness leave? Isn’t this wrong?」

Yoon Seo-il said, his lips trembling. There was so much he wanted to say.

「Why!」

But the young Yoon Seo-il couldn’t articulate those emotions and thoughts. He was still a child. The son of the grand academician of Sungkyunkwan.

Seo-il’s thoughts and emotions could not become words.

「Please, don’t leave, Your Highness. You mustn’t go. Don’t leave me behind.」

In the end, what came out of Seo-il’s mouth was the typical plea of a child. He knew it was impossible. Yet, young Yoon Seo-il said so.

Not to leave. Simply that.

"Seoyeon, are you really okay with this?"

Soo-ah’s words overlapped with this scene. She had asked if Seoyeon was really okay multiple times, her face filled with concern, and Yeong-bin’s worried expression came to mind.

Yoon Jong-hyuk had said that if you wanted to understand a character’s feelings, looking at past experiences could help.

Fortunately. Seoyeon found herself in a similar situation to Princess Yeonhwa.

“Actors can learn even while doing child acting. Now, you have this opportunity, don’t you?”

PD Ha Tae-oh tried to persuade Seoyeon. How about continuing for a bit longer? He pointed out that although the lifespan of child actors is often short and challenging, it’s not always the case.

He asked if it wasn’t a waste. Would you really let go of something others would dream of having?

Just one work. Just one drama.

That’s all Seoyeon had done. Yet, she gained more fame than she deserved from it.

She might not be this lucky next time. That’s why PD Ha Tae-oh was saying this.

Of course, Seoyeon knew this too.

「Seo-il.」

Princess Yeonhwa exhaled.

Lee Hae-wol closed her eyes. Joo Seoyeon closed her eyes.

For Seoyeon, emotions were a beautiful aquarium. A small fish tank wanting to resemble the sea.

「We are still young.」

For Seoyeon, emotions were the sun reflected on the water. Something that shone brightly but was unknowable.

「There are many things we don’t know.」

The sun reflected on the water looked just like the real thing but was entirely different. It wasn’t warm, and it could easily waver if the surface was disturbed.

「There are many things we can’t do.」

Now, Seoyeon could walk on the water’s surface. She could look up at the real sun, not the one reflected.

There were many things she wanted to do. Sadly, she wasn’t a person of great talent.

She couldn’t grasp many things at once. Remembering her past life. Feeling the growing gap between her mind and body.

It would surely get worse during puberty.

「But.」

Lee Hae-wol smiled.

Seoyeon and Princess Yeonhwa might be different. Princess Yeonhwa, driven away by others, and Seoyeon, leaving by choice, couldn’t be the same.

「Because we are still young, we have time to learn many things.」

Seoyeon understood a bit of Princess Yeonhwa’s feelings through reading. Anger, resentment. They were deeply buried at the moment of departure.

Young Lee Hae-wol had a strong heart. Certainly stronger than Seoyeon’s.

「We will have many opportunities to do many things.」

So, even though their situations were different, she would surely say this.

「We are still young.」

It wasn’t giving up. It was a promise made because she believed she could definitely come back. Like Seoyeon herself.

So now, at this moment. Seoyeon could act. She could become young Lee Hae-wol.

She could immerse herself in the sea and look into its depths. Not at the fake emotions reflected on the surface.

At the deep emotions submerged below. True acting.

「So, I promise you.」

Lee Hae-wol’s voice trembled. Becoming the moon hiding the sun.

「I will definitely」

To Yoon Seo-il and herself, Lee Hae-wol said.

「I will definitely come back.」

Princess Yeonhwa’s lips quivered with a smile, and tears flowed down her cheeks. Lee Hae-wol clutched her chest and exhaled.

「No matter what happens, I will surely come back.」

Then, she smiled at the dumbfounded Yoon Seo-il.

「Please don’t forget and wait for me.」

One step, then another. Lee Hae-wol reached out her hand to the speechless Yoon Seo-il under the reddened sky of dusk.

「Promise me?」

Holding out her hand to seal a promise.

「That you won’t forget.」

Young Yoon Seo-il. And young Park Jung-woo snapped back to reality.

‘It’s completely different from the audition…’

It was the first time. Watching another child actor’s performance in a daze. Forgetting his lines and staring blankly at the other’s face.

Thus, the only thing Park Jung-woo. Young Yoon Seo-il could say was this.

「Yes, definitely.」

With just those words, he hooked his pinky with Princess Yeonhwa’s. A purely childlike promise.

And. The screen zoomed out, showing both of them. The palace visible below the hill. The somber face of Queen Mother Eun-hye.

Finally, the scene of Jo Yeong-dae sitting on the throne. And with that.

The third episode of "The Sun Hidden by the Moon" ended.

"Ha PD..."

KMB Drama Department. After the third episode of "The Sun Hidden by the Moon" ended, a quiet silence settled in. No one dared to ask about the results.

They were too scared to look at the comments flooding the community.

“...It’s a hit.”

Finally, everyone’s gaze moved. The staff member trying to suppress a smile.

The freshly tabulated ratings were in front of him. It was only the third episode. They hoped it would be a hit.

“Oh my God.”

Ha Tae-oh rubbed his eyes. The rating displayed was something unimaginable for a third episode.

“Oh...”

Yoon Jong-hyuk, who had already watched the video once, was amazed again. He recalled how Seoyeon had been downcast after filming this.

It was a performance deeply immersed in emotions. The only acting Seoyeon could currently do. A scene where she displayed her limits.

Watching it, Soo-ah sobbed and wiped her tears.

“Our daughter, you worked hard.”

Thinking it might be her last performance as a child actor, Soo-ah couldn’t help but cry.

Seoyeon smiled brightly at Soo-ah.

“It’s okay.”

It really was okay. She already knew what she wanted to do next.

‘I need to attend a voice acting academy and find an acting school.’

Of course, Seoyeon didn’t know. While a voice acting academy was one thing, how an acting school would perceive her.

There were some regrets, but there were also many exciting aspects.

“Senior.”

Watching Seoyeon from a distance, Yoon Jong-hyuk spoke.

“Senior, which side are you on? Do you think it’s a waste? Or do you think it’s the right decision?” “Well.”

Park Seon-woong mumbled after looking back and forth between Seoyeon and her mother, Soo-ah. Popularity is like a spark.

It can extinguish at any moment unless you constantly tend to it. That’s why most people run with all their might when the flame ignites. Until the embers burn out, leaving only charred remains.

“To be honest, it would be a lie to say it’s not a waste.”

It was an opportunity everyone dreamed of holding. How many people could let it go so easily?

Of course, both knew Seoyeon had her reasons. That straightforward child wouldn’t have made such a decision without reason.

She must have had no choice. But humans can’t easily let go of what they’ve gained.

So Park Seon-woong said.

“But sometimes, there are those whom time itself cannot tarnish.”

A light that doesn’t extinguish. One that always shines from its place.

“I think that child is one of those.”

And the world calls such people this.

A star.