Chapter 91

Villain Only 091

Thirst in the Throat (4)

There are two main sources of tension in the story.

One is the illness of the Grand Prince, and the other is the lust for power that seeks the throne.

Although they are separate, they are closely interconnected and influence each other.

The lust for power, born from the desire to survive, gradually turned into pure greed, and the mixture of murderous intent towards his own brother injected a new tension into the story.

And four years later, the birth of the royal grandson becomes a turning point that heightens the atmosphere of the story.

'The scene where the royal grandson is accidentally glimpsed might be the true starting point of the palace coup.'

Jang Seung-won, who had finished setting up the camera, was reading the script intently.

'This is the end of the palace coup and the conclusion of the drama... the first impression that runs through the main theme.'

He recalled what Jung Seo-hoon had said.

He wanted to give a sense of unity to the emotional lines when dealing with the newborn nephew and the deposed nephew.

The more he read the script, the clearer the inspiration in his mind became.

'Good interpretation. Indeed, this Grand Prince should have been played by Jung Seo-hoon from the beginning. If he ever directs, he'll do a great job, won't he?'

Jung Seo-hoon's dedication to this project, as if it were a tribute to Kim Sang-hee, was not in vain.

Jung Seo-hoon was quite late.

It had already been 20 minutes, and he still hadn't shown up.

However, Jang Seung-won didn't worry unnecessarily and waited patiently.

He must be taking his time to build his emotions before the rehearsal.

"PD."

Finally, Jung Seo-hoon appeared, and Jang Seung-won greeted him with a slightly surprised smile.

"You're even dressed in costume? You didn't have to go that far."

"It's not just a camera test; it's a rehearsal. I wanted to do it as properly as possible."

"Then why don't you call me too? It would be a unique experience to match our chemistry, even though I'm not an actor."

Jang Seung-won, who had hesitated slightly, soon smiled brightly and got up.

"Sure. Let's give it a try. It'll be a different kind of experience."

Rolling up his sleeves, Jang Seung-won set up the recording schedule and stepped forward.

"This is embarrassing. I'm a complete beginner, and I'm trying to match my chemistry with a promising acting genius..."

"Just follow my lead. It's not that difficult."

"Your words just now sounded so much like a director. Are you going to be a lead actor and director in the future?"

"It could be fun."

Jang Seung-won understood why the actresses couldn't pull themselves together and were so captivated.

Just his eyes, voice, and trustworthy aura were enough to pull people in mercilessly.

"Your Highness."

The soft, pleasant voice suddenly turned into the rough voice of the Grand Prince.

The metallic sound, layered with decades of decay and greed, instantly changed the atmosphere.

The beautiful mountain background drawn by the LED wall enveloped his consciousness, making it hard to breathe.

"Why did you so coldly reject this uncle's gift?"

For some reason, his peripheral vision was blurry.

Yet, the Grand Prince in his central vision was etched clearly on his retina.

Was the feeling of suffocation just an illusion?

"I heard you refused the medicine I prescribed. So I came here personally."

Suddenly, two hands gripped his neck.

Where did such brutal strength come from in such delicate fingers?

"Don't worry. It won't be painful. Your father wouldn't blame you for cursing me and resenting the late king. I will personally send you to your father's side."

Jang Seung-won's body slowly collapsed.

Was what awaited him next unconsciousness or strangulation?

The studio scenery had already disappeared from his mind.

The hallucination of a young king being strangled to death in exile in Yeongwol floated before his eyes.

"Farewell, Your Majesty."

His eyes closed, and his vision blurred.

The last expression of the Grand Prince seemed to be faintly smiling, or perhaps crying.

His chest burned with a sense of injustice that he couldn't even accept.

Was this the final sorrow of the young king who was unjustly assassinated?

"Cut, PD."

Suddenly, all sensations vanished as if by magic.

Jang Seung-won involuntarily stood up and rubbed his neck. There was no trace of the rough grip that had choked his carotid artery.

"You act well. Thanks to you, I found it easier to get into character. It seems the one who should be an actor is the PD."

"Uh, uh... Ah... "

Jang Seung-won stammered, unable to form proper words.

He looked around as if in a trance.

The rotating cameras, the giant LED wall, and the center of the drama, dressed as the Grand Prince.

Everything was a perfect, flawless studio set.

"Just now... what was that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I might sound a bit foolish, but... I felt like I really became the young king who was murdered."

Jang Seung-won looked around with a dazed expression, as if he had seen a ghost, and then looked at Jung Seo-hoon.

"What was that immersion...? It feels like I just had a dream and am still in a daze."

Jung Seo-hoon smiled gently.

"You're saying the same thing as the other co-stars."

"Really? I'm saying the same thing? Maybe I felt the same way as they did."

Without giving Jung Seo-hoon a chance to respond, Jang Seung-won continued to speak.

"When Han Se-hee showed a sudden good performance during the camera test at the casting... was it the same experience? Ha ha, it really felt like I was in a brief sleep paralysis and then woke up."

"See? PD, you have a talent for acting. How about starting now?"

"Ah, I don't think so. This isn't my acting ability. It's like thinking my dance skills are good just because my partner led me well. I'd only embarrass myself in the social circle."

"I'll go change my costume now."

"Sure. I'll organize what I've shot so far. Let's monitor it together."

"Yes. I'll be right back."

While Jung Seo-hoon went to change his costume, Jang Seung-won organized the scene sequences shot by the five cameras on the spot.

He tilted his head and bit his lip.

'What was that? Exactly... what was it?'

Jung Seo-hoon returned quickly.

Even though he had only changed into casual clothes, his every step was like a model's walk.

"Look at this scene."

Jang Seung-won pointed to the close-up of the Grand Prince's face and sighed in admiration.

"I saw this gaze up close, right in front of me. Not at a 45-degree angle like this. We need to insert a scene where you look straight into the camera lens. The viewers should see what I saw."

"I also found the way you naturally fell down more impressive."

"I didn't do it on purpose. I don't know why I did it. I might have really felt like I was being strangled. Anyway, it was strange."

The monitoring session was filled with praise.

After about 30 minutes of pointing out the strengths and characteristics, Jang Seung-won shrugged.

"Although you still have a long way to go, if you act like this in the final episode, there's nothing more I need to do. It's perfect."

"Is that so?"

"Hmm, there's still something unsatisfactory. Is there anything lacking?"

"No, I have no complaints about the acting just now."

"But why? This gaze."

Jang Seung-won pointed to the close-up of the Grand Prince's eyes filled with murderous intent.

"Wasn't this what you so desperately wanted?"

At that moment, Jung Seo-hoon felt a sharp pain in his chest.

'Was this what you so desperately wanted?'

The coincidentally matching question made Jung Seo-hoon's consciousness slip for a moment.

"Seo-hoon? You suddenly look so tired. Is it because you're too stressed about building your emotions? I'll change the schedule. Don't come to the studio tomorrow; just rest well."

"······I'm fine."

"I'm not fine. If the main engine fails, how can the rest of the journey continue? It's a captain's order. Rest well tomorrow. Even the ship owner has to listen to the captain on the ship."

Jang Seung-won started to tidy up the equipment, and Jung Seo-hoon quietly watched.

The PD said the Grand Prince's acting was really good.

However, he wouldn't understand that acting a life that doesn't collapse is even more difficult.

***

Buzz. Ding. Ding. Buzz. Ding. Ding.

The irregular and unfamiliar vibration pattern of the mobile phone made Yoo Jeong-a frown even in her sleep.

But the moment she realized what this specific vibration pattern meant, her eyes snapped open.

She had to go out as naturally as possible.

"Hello."

-······.

"Who is this? Who would call at this hour of the morning... Oh, this number is Seo-hoon's, isn't it?"

-I just finished the early morning shoot and am on my way from Paju.

"It ended late. I don't know if PD Jang is pushing the schedule too hard. Are you okay physically?"

Yoo Jeong-a, who had already gotten out of bed, was silently opening the wardrobe and quickly choosing her clothes.

She grabbed a beige shorts and an off-shoulder blouse and threw them on the bed. These were her chosen outfits for today.

Now she needed to pick out shoes...

"But why does your voice sound like that? You sound more like you're in pain than just tired."

-I got too immersed in my role practice, and it made me a bit emotionally drained.

"Oh dear. I know what you mean. There's nothing you can do about it. I'll come. Can you pick me up?"

-I will.

"I'm at home. I'll send you my address."

Yoo Jeong-a hung up the phone and froze when she saw the living room.

The traces of the wild party she had with her actress friends two days ago were still intact.

"Damn. I guess I have to go out."