Chapter 13

“Seo, Seoyeon, don’t be too nervous. You know? The other actors will teach you a lot. Then, you must certainly thank them, right?”

“Yes.”

The first filming day for *The Moon That Hid the Sun* was approaching.

Time flowed quickly, as though the excitement stirred by the release of the making film was all a lie.

About a month passed, and while there were still people who greeted her, the number of those asking various questions had decreased compared to before.

And today.

Seoyeon was heading to the set for the official drama filming, of course, through her mother Sua’s car.

“Seoyeon, it seems we really need to find you a management agency, don’t we?”

While carefully observing her daughter’s face, which she had carefully adorned, Sua timidly brought up the topic.

If it were other mothers or child actors, they would be desperate to join a management agency.

But in Seoyeon’s case, it was different.

“Come to GH Entertainment, and we will ensure Seoyeon becomes an excellent actress. Please do contact us.”

“Seoyeon’s mom. You know us, right? We are Biendelro, the agency that represents Kim Myung-chul. As a management specialized in actors, we are particularly confident in actor development. Seoyeon, with her talent, should begin her learning in the best possible environment…”

Already, Sua had collected numerous business cards.

Among them were a few well-known management agencies and agencies she had heard of.

Since Seoyeon was still young, her potential was limitless—whether as an actress, a model, or an idol. Naturally, she received many offers.

“But…”

Sua hesitated somewhat.

Because once you join an agency, it was practically irreversible.

“Though, it seems I might have gone a bit too far already.”

Still, she was the mother responsible for Seoyeon.

But once Seoyeon joined an agency, she’d have a manager, and unlike now, she’d have to undergo various acting lessons and busy schedules.

Especially considering how recently Seoyeon had become a subject of attention, they might already be preparing her for variety shows or auditions.

“I’ll think about joining an agency slowly.”

Saying this, Seoyeon slowly opened the car door.

They had just arrived at the filming set.

“Already getting assigned to a company feels a bit…”

Memories of her past life corporate days resurfaced vividly in her mind.

Was this six-year-old really going to join a company already?

Certainly, Seoyeon was drawn to the art of acting, but not yet.

Seoyeon needed time to prepare mentally as well.

Truly, she needed it.

Click!

The moment Seoyeon exited the car, the sound of something being photographed echoed.

Looking back, she saw someone presumed to be a journalist pointing a camera directly at her.

“Seoyeon Joo! Is it true that you were recommended by Director Park Sung-woong for this audition? What do you think the reason is that you were chosen over Seohui Jo, who is known for her acting skills?”

The reporter’s rapid-fire questions made Seoyeon momentarily step back in surprise.

Seoyeon and Sua, who had never encountered such a situation, didn’t know how to react.

Not expecting a journalist to be present, and with such provocative questions at that.

“You! Who are you?! Who are you to be causing trouble on the filming set?!”

As the two were flustered, someone ran up shouting loudly.

The journalist, startled, immediately disappeared in the blink of an eye.

“Tsk, what kind of era is this? If I find out who that was, they’ll never be invited for an interview again.”

Gasping for breath, the man who had hurried over was none other than Heo Jeong-su, the camera director for *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

After glancing around again, he gestured Seoyeon and Sua closer.

It was a signal for them to enter the filming set.

Then Sua asked, in a small voice,

“Ah, is it okay for me to enter as well?”

“Tsk, it’s fine. Seoyeon doesn’t have an agency yet, so what can happen?”

As someone without an agency or a manager, it was necessary for Sua to play a supporting role.

In reality, Sua was already acting as a manager.

“Usually, journalists rarely come to the filming set, so I let my guard down there.”

Snapping his tongue, Heo Jeong-su glanced at Seoyeon.

“Kid, you sure are bright-eyed.”

Though she must’ve been flustered, the fact that she stood firm made him feel proud.

“Hopefully, you continue like this even on the filming set.”

Heo Jeong-su had cast a crucial vote for Seoyeon in the past audition.

Certainly, in terms of acting technique, Seohui Jo’s performance was cleaner than Seoyeon’s.

But the one who moved emotions was Seoyeon.

Besides, her physical expression, considering her brief acting experience, was astonishing.

“Yeonhwa Princess is definitely the right role for this child.”

Thinking about the storyline, emotional delivery was more important than clean acting for Yeonhwa Princess.

Especially when thinking about the scene in Episode 3.

Of course, that was his opinion, and there were those at the filming set who disagreed.

Heo Jeong-su secretly worried about how Seoyeon would handle it if those people started exerting pressure.

“No matter what anyone says during filming, don’t lose heart, and just focus on doing your best acting.”

The camera director said this, meaning well, but for Seoyeon, it felt like quite a burden.

“Ah, I must not be very likable.”

If Seoyeon had been a simple six-year-old, she might’ve just shrugged it off, but with her memories from her past life, she had a general idea of the situation.

To the actors, Seohui Jo was the promising elite.

And Seoyeon was an unexpected stone that had been dropped suddenly thanks to Director Jo Bang-woo’s favoritism.

Naturally, while not everyone, there were bound to be those who disliked her.

“Director Gong! Seoyeon has arrived!”

As soon as they entered the filming set, everyone’s gaze turned to Seoyeon.

Director Gong gave a light nod to say welcome.

Some of the staff simply encouraged her not to feel too tense while briefly greeting her.

“Is this the child.”

“The one who created a buzz during the recent audition for a child actor.”

Diverse emotions passed through the air.

A mix of curiosity and complex thoughts about a child who had instantly gained recognition.

It all flew toward Seoyeon like sharp needles.

Luckily, there wasn’t any outright hostility.

That alone allowed Seoyeon to feel a bit at ease.

“Seoyeon, Mom will be watching from the back, so do your best.”

“Yes.”

First, she needed to change clothes and get her makeup done.

Seoyeon thought about today’s filming under the guidance of the staff.

“Fortunately, Director Gong shoots almost entirely in order.”

Naturally, Seoyeon had also investigated the drama filming process to some extent.

On a filming set, the cinematographer is practically king.

Directors have vastly different shooting styles.

Some shoot important scenes first.

Others film everything they can in one location.

Frequently, scenes are not filmed in the order of the story.

Among them, Director Gong preferred to film according to the script’s sequence.

Though it seemed there weren’t major divisions between the scenes.

“Hmm, anyway, Young Lee’s appearance as a child is barely scheduled for around Episode 3.”

Moreover, this wasn’t certain.

If the acting felt unstable or problematic, the director might cut the amount assigned.

In her past life, Seohui Jo appeared in only two episodes of *The Moon That Hid the Sun*.

It was quite the disgrace for Seohui Jo, who was called the princess of daily dramas.

“First, let’s start with the greetings.”

What does one do first when arriving at a filming set?

Greeting, definitely.

Having finished her preparations, Seoyeon immediately began walking around the filming set.

“Surely she’s here for today’s filming.”

Greetings are always done by prioritizing senior actors first.

Seoyeon quickly went to who she thought was the most experienced actor on today’s set.

It was none other than actress Jeong Eun-seon, playing Queen Dowager Eun-hye.

“Hello, I’m Seoyeon Joo!”

Placing her hands on her belly, she bowed deeply.

Such a greeting usually made most people warmly receive Seoyeon.

“…Good, nice to meet you.”

However, Jeong Eun-seon’s response was somewhat ambiguous.

There was a hint of dissatisfaction… Should she say that?

No, it was more slightly different.

“I thoroughly enjoyed your previous audition. It was an excellent performance.”

“Ah, yes! Thank you for such kind words.”

“Just….”

The actress momentarily scanned Seoyeon from head to toe.

It was a look that was hard to read.

Perhaps being an actor influenced this.

“…No, it’s best we check during the actual performance.”

With that, Jeong Eun-seon turned her gaze away from Seoyeon.

Other actors noticed this and were now gauging her reactions.

They seemed quite sensitive to every nuance from this senior actress.

“Risk, huh?”

Especially thinking of the scene scheduled for today, Jeong Eun-seon’s lukewarm reaction was less than ideal.

If the person you’re supposed to harmonize with dislikes you…

It certainly wouldn’t be easy.

“Alright everyone, I believe you’ve all studied the script thoroughly. Today we’ll film scenes number 1 and 2.”

With a clap of his hands, the cinematographer began giving simple acting instructions to the actors.

Historical dramas usually require a large number of extras.

Especially when the setting is a palace, such as scenes involving maidservants and other necessary characters abound.

“Let’s start with scene two, so we’ll begin as soon as preparations are ready.”

Following this directive, the actors moved briskly around the set.

Scene two was simpler to start with compared to the first scene which needed numerous extras.

Scene two only required two characters.

“Will it be okay?”

“The teacher’s response hasn’t been good…”

“Director Jo liked Seohui so much.”

Supporting actors eyed Seoyeon with pity while observing Jeong Eun-seon’s reactions.

Being disliked by a senior actor leads to a tough life for an actor, even for a child actor.

“Once everyone is ready, let’s hit the cue.”

As the cinematographer gave the signal, the cameras turned toward Seoyeon and actress Jeong Eun-seon.

Princess Yeonhwa and Queen Dowager Eun-hye.

The location was Queen Dowager Eun-hye’s quarters.

It was the scene where Princess Yeonhwa sneaked out of the palace and gets scolded by Queen Dowager Eun-hye.

Seoyeon closed her eyes, slowly recalling Princess Yeonhwa’s personality.

“Princess Yeonhwa is a tomboy who frequently sneaks out of the palace to mingle with commoners.”

Meeting Yun Seoil outside the palace was also because of this.

Her character was easy to understand.

This bright personality of Princess Yeonhwa remains largely unchanged until the end of Episode Three.

“Alright then… Action!!”

As Director Gong’s shout rang out, the cameras started rolling.

From Queen Dowager Eun-hye’s serene chambers, her eyes turned calmly but sharply toward Princess Yeonhwa.

A simple gaze.

But the rigid posture revealed her character while sharp, knife-like eyes clearly depicted Eun-hye’s current emotional state.

“I’ve heard that you’ve sneaked out of the palace again.”

A voice tinged with mild anger.

Even such a simple line displayed the strength and depth of a great actress.

As if the real Queen Dowager Eun-hye was standing there.

Not all actors sink deeply into emotions when acting.

Mistakes happen frequently, and sometimes laughter bursts unexpectedly depending on the situation.

But actress Jeong Eun-seon was different.

She was a master of method acting, deeply imbuing her performances with emotion.

She rarely made mistakes with her lines and had impeccable diction.

Her emotions were clear and distinct.

Thus, any ordinary actor would naturally feel immense pressure standing before her.

“Right.”

Director Gong frowned, having already anticipated this.

As expected, actress Jeong Eun-seon showed no consideration for Seoyeon.

From the get-go, she committed fully, throwing herself into the performance with all her might.

“Of course, this is the norm… but.”

Of course, to extract the best possible scene, all actors must fully immerse themselves.

However, it was Seoyeon’s first drama filming.

Especially, Seoyeon was a child actor known for emotional acting.

She was similar to actress Jeong Eun-seon.

The pressure on her could only double.

Thus, everyone waited to see how Seoyeon would act next.

Would she be able to follow through with her performance?

Actually, some wondered if she’d even deliver her lines correctly.

After all, actors appearing on their first day with Jeong Eun-seon often forgot their lines due to the intensity of the situation.

“Your Majesty, I merely wanted to observe the lives of the humble from a closer perspective.”

However, it turned out that those concerns were unfounded as Princess Yeonhwa smoothly delivered a natural response.

Though evident fear shone in her eyes,

It was directed not toward “actress Jeong Eun-seon,” but toward Queen Dowager Eun-hye.

“Your Majesty, I am aware of your concerns. However… as your grandchild, I assure you I am diligent and a proper princess. A true princess should understand not just the confines of the palace but the world.”

This was an amusing portrayal of Princess Yeonhwa, rebellious yet innocent.

The Yeonhwa at the audition had shown a more mature side.

But now, she appropriately conveyed the spirited eight-year-old Yeonhwa from the drama.

She showed no signs of intimidation toward either Queen Dowager Eun-hye or actress Jeong Eun-seon.

It was an act proving that she was indeed the winner of the audition.

“The lines are perfect, too.”

What was even more remarkable was not just the acting.

Child actors often struggle with lines.

Particularly historical dramas are filled with difficult language, making them even harder for child actors.

But Seoyeon delivered her lines effortlessly, without a single mistake.

Her diction was precise with no blurring of sounds.

Before they knew it, the first scene had already come to a close.

“Wow.”

The staff silently gave her enthusiastic applause in their hearts.

The other actors also wore expressions of amazement.

“At this level, even Teacher Jeong…”

Even if she favored Seohui Jo, Jeong Eun-seon would surely have to acknowledge Seoyeon’s performance.

That’s what they thought.

“Hmm…”

But, for some reason,

Jeong Eun-seon’s expression, as she stared at Seoyeon, was slightly furrowed.

Did she not approve of the acting?

Nah, that’s unlikely. The performance Seoyeon just gave was the best a child actor could manage.

Maybe it wasn’t appreciated because it lacked grand gestures, but just looking at what happened a moment ago, Seoyeon definitely outperformed Seohui Jo.

“Seoyeon, wasn’t it?”

After a moment of gathering her thoughts, Jeong Eun-seon finally spoke.

“Your acting lacks emotion.”

That unexpected statement…

“You’re not acting with genuine sincerity.”

It was enough to freeze the warm atmosphere of the filming set.

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