Chapter 86

Villain Only Acting 086

The Meaning of the Lowest Point (1)

During the commercial break in the middle of the episode, Oh So-hee and Kim Da-hye hurriedly got up and went to the bathroom.

Taking the opportunity to move, they also fetched a new cold can of beer from the refrigerator.

"Something about the tension keeps building, making it feel like a stormy night. It's as thrilling as waiting for a killer in a horror movie."

"That's what I mean."

"Is this how historical dramas are usually like? It feels more like a thriller."

"Seo Hoon's gaze when he looks at the Crown Prince is really creepy."

"Both the actor who portrays the scholar and the director who captures that gaze are really something."

"Definitely, if it were any other actor besides Seo Hoon, this would have flopped."

"Yeah. It feels like a tribute to Kim Sang-hee's Seo Hoon."

Neither of them had watched many historical dramas.

They had only seen a couple of trendy historical dramas aimed at younger audiences.

But "Rebellion" was different from what they had seen before.

Now that the Crown Prince has learned the way to cure leprosy, he no longer hides his murderous intent.

Every glance he gives the Crown Prince is filled with the desire to kill.

This reminded them of Lee Jin-wook and Kim Chan, but it was a different kind of murderous intent.

"Someone can express the desire to kill in such a different way. Seo Hoon must really be a natural."

"Really, with that physique, if he hadn't become an actor, it would have been a huge loss. Song PD has really saved the drama and film industry."

"I hope Han Seo-hee doesn't leave too soon. I want to see more of her. I don't have high hopes for Lee Seo-hyun, and I wish they would just keep going with Han Seo-hee."

"I heard they're extending Han Seo-hee's role by two episodes?"

"Oh, really?"

"But that means we'll have to wait two more episodes to see the Crown Prince with a beard."

"Ah, I can't wait to see the bearded Crown Prince. How did they do his makeup to look older?"

"I can't even imagine. Seo Hoon in his late thirties. How handsome will he be?"

The drama was generally calm.

Unlike when they watched "Illicit" or "The Royal Treasury," they didn't jump around uncontrollably at Seo Hoon's appearance.

Was it because the production team intentionally made them hold their breath in the early stages, or because the number one position made them immune to minor thrills...?

"It's calm, but there's something subtly thrilling that makes my heart race. Even after watching so many, this can't be compared to 'The Wayward Crown Prince' who just runs wild."

"I heard the plot is starting to unravel already."

"Really?"

"Because 'Rebellion' was hyped up too much in the early stages, the pace is off. It's like in a marathon, if you don't consider your lung capacity and just try to catch up, you end up like this."

"Should we watch it? Will there be a rerun later?"

"They'll air a rerun of 'The Wayward Crown Prince' right after 'Rebellion' ends. They intentionally set the rerun time to match."

"They're trying hard to gather as many viewers as possible, aren't they?"

The commercial break ended, and the second half of the episode began.

After watching the entire second half, the two switched channels to watch the rerun of 'The Wayward Crown Prince.'

After finishing, they both expressed the same sentiment.

"Why do we even watch this?"

***

What is regicide?

Is this peculiar feeling I now harbor regicide?

Or, as the shaman said, is the desire to live excluded from regicide?

After the attack on Daeho, the Crown Prince showed even deeper trust in the Crown Prince.

In the Crown Prince's eyes, the Crown Prince had risked his own life to protect him.

The king, while scolding the Crown Prince for going on a dangerous hunt, also greatly praised the Crown Prince's brotherly love.

- The princes' affection is so good; this is a blessing for the royal family. I will bestow a reward upon the Crown Prince.

Perhaps because of the memory of the previous king's blood purge to strengthen his power, the king was particularly pleased with the Crown Prince's brotherly love.

- From now on, you don't need my permission to travel the eight provinces.

- Father?

- I know how desperately you wanted to find that line. Now I will grant your wish. However, you must not build your own power base. Do you understand?

- I am deeply grateful, Father.

Originally, powerful Crown Princes who were strong contenders for the throne were not allowed to leave the capital without the king's permission.

But the Crown Prince, who had proven his brotherly love and loyalty with his life, was freed from this constraint.

That day, the Crown Prince, feeling good, called the Han shaman separately and shared a drink with him.

- Sir, your injuries are severe; drinking will only worsen them. Please abstain.

- How can I not share a drink on such a good day? Han, the Crown Prince was not meant to die that day, as you said.

If the Han shaman had hinted to protect the Crown Prince beforehand, the outcome might have been different.

The Crown Prince would not have thrown himself into danger, and he might have faced deeper suspicion and questioning from his father.

But thanks to the Han shaman hiding the divination, everything went as planned.

- You knew everything that would happen that day, didn't you? And you also said that revealing it all would alter the heavenly order.

- Sir, I only knew that the Crown Prince's fate was not yet complete.

- You don't need to be so humble. I no longer doubt your ability to read the heavenly order.

The Crown Prince was even more impressed by the Han shaman's solemnity.

It was a shame to look down on him just because he was a lowly shaman.

If he became king, he would keep the shaman close and use him for the good of the country.

- I have earned the faint suspicion of the current king but the deep trust of the next ruler. You should be satisfied with this profitable deal, Sir.

- A profitable deal... So, in the end, you're telling me to wait for the right moment? But if I fall ill and die before then, it will be useless, won't it?

- Sir.

The Han shaman raised his face and looked at the Crown Prince with emotionless, colorless eyes.

- By nature, regicide is such a thing. You must throw away everything you have and wait desperately for the moment when heaven momentarily relaxes its guard.

***

"Now it's really the end."

Han Seo-hee looked even more melancholic today.

She had been happy when her role was extended by two episodes, but now that the additional filming was over, she had no more reason to visit the studio.

"You can still come to the set of 'Rebellion.' You can join us for the wrap party later."

"Will you come to the wrap party, too? Of course, since you're the lead."

"I'll come. I'll probably stay until the end."

"But I can't drink. I'm disappointed. Oh, if only I had been born a year earlier."

Her manager, standing a bit away, was visibly anxious, worried that the young actress might slip up and say something in front of everyone.

"I won't be able to come to the set, but I'll keep in touch."

"Will the agency let you use your phone freely?"

"Of course. I'm not a rookie anymore; I'm considered a veteran among the girl groups."

A girl who just turned 19 being called a veteran. What kind of system does the idol world have?

Jeong Seo-hoon didn't really want to get close to that world.

Come to think of it, a significant number of the V-Lab fandom were former idol fans, weren't they?

At that moment, a murmur spread among the actors and staff.

Turning his gaze, he saw veteran actor Park Jun-ho, who played the mysterious monk, talking and laughing with Lee Min-su.

"It's Park Jun-ho."

"Why is he here?"

"Could the monk be making a comeback? Was he not just a MacGuffin?"

"Ah, probably just a flashback scene."

"What is it, what's going on?"

Because the monk's lines could significantly change the direction of the drama, both the actors and the staff were subtly interested.

Park Jun-ho, sensing the attention, approached calmly.

"I've been watching your performance from the beginning. You've shown the impressive acting I've heard about."

"Please, just speak casually."

"Alright?"

Park Jun-ho, a few years older than Lee Min-su, immediately spoke more casually.

Han Seo-hee quickly took the opportunity to greet him.

"Hello, sir. I'm Han Seo-hee, playing the role of the Crown Prince's wife."

"Oh, I watched your young Crown Prince's wife performance and was very impressed. It was so good that I couldn't believe it was your first acting role."

"Thank you very much. I did my best. But, sir, you're...?"

Han Seo-hee looked curious, and Park Jun-ho smiled kindly.

"Are you asking if there will be additional flashback scenes?"

"Yes, I'm very curious. While rewatching our drama recently, I felt that the monk at the beginning wouldn't just heal and disappear."

"Well, if I had asked Seo-hoon earlier, he would have told me. It seems our relationship isn't that close."

Park Jun-ho's joke made Han Seo-hee visibly embarrassed.

"What do you mean?"

"Of course, Seo-hoon knows the entire plot from beginning to end. He's the only one among the actors."

"Oh, really? I didn't know that."

As Park Jun-ho said, Jeong Seo-hoon was the only actor who had received the entire script from start to finish.

He was the starting point, the pillar, and the endpoint of the drama, and also half of the production team.

"Now that he's showing his face, I'm a bit disappointed that I won't have a chance to act with Han Seo-hee."

"Oh... So you'll be appearing regularly from now on?"

"Yes, that's how it turned out. I only found out a few days ago myself."

"Ugh, is that possible?"

Han Seo-hee found it hard to understand.

Not telling an actor whether they would appear in the future and then informing them a few days before?

"I thought he would only appear in flashback scenes."

"Ah. I just had a wrong idea."

"A few days ago, I received the script and realized I wasn't just in a passing flashback scene but would be a regular character."

Park Jun-ho's gaze turned to Jeong Seo-hoon.

"Min-su has told me a lot about you. I look forward to working with you."

"I look forward to working with you too, sir."

Park Jun-ho, recognizing the valuable connection that would help his acting career, bowed respectfully.

***

The moment Park Jun-ho and Jeong Seo-hoon appeared side by side in front of the camera, the actors and staff realized that the monk was not a one-time character who would disappear.

He was not just meeting the queen but was coming to meet the grown-up Crown Prince directly.

The Crown Prince had never met the monk before.

So he had no idea what he looked like.

But the moment he first encountered the monk who came to the residence for alms, a deep convulsion rose from within him, shouting.

This is the person, this is the one.

- Why have you come now? Do you know that I and my father have searched the entire country for the line?

Jeong Seo-hoon watched Park Jun-ho's spirit being invaded by the lens's power clearly.

Now, watching how Park Jun-ho would react was part of the enjoyment.

Park Jun-ho was slightly startled but quickly maintained a steady and calm gaze.

However, his breathing while delivering the lines seemed somewhat strained and rough.

This subtle imperfection actually expressed the monk's sincerity more intensely.

- Crown Prince, are you truly determined to walk the path of regicide? The effort I put into offering prayers to the Buddha must not be betrayed like this.