Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Is the Writer Omnipotent?
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A short while later.
CEO Choi entered the audition room with a young woman in tow.
His right arm was in a half-cast, and his face was covered in scrapes.
The actress bowed her head in greeting.
“Hello! I’m rookie actress Park Eun-bi from CY Entertainment! I’m truly sorry for being late due to the accident!”
Her greeting was so bold and full of energy that it was hard to believe she was the one who’d been in the accident.
Kim PD smiled and replied.
“No worries. Shall we get started right away? Though we don’t have your scene partner—is that okay with you?”
“Huh?!”
Her surprise was plain as day.
Today’s audition was set to feature scenes with another character.
Most actors had focused their practice on those parts.
Park Eun-bi was no different.
“PD, mind if I read the other role for her?”
“You, Writer?”
“Yeah. It’s my script anyway, so I’ve got most of the lines memorized.”
“If you’re offering, Writer... I’ve got no problem with that.”
“Thank you.”
Tae-seong gave a quick bow and stood from his seat.
He positioned himself in front of her.
She looks just like her...
Up close, the resemblance was even stronger.
The actress who’d introduced herself as Park Eun-bi.
She looked just like Lee Se-ha.
* * *
Lee Se-ha from *The Black Knight's Lady*.
She was a bold woman, always brimming with energy and vitality.
Passionate about her work, she showed unyielding resolve when enforcing the law.
But even she had her sorrows.
Back in her childhood.
Her father, a police officer, had been forced into retirement by the very law he upheld.
The shock had been too much for him, and he passed away.
Her family shattered within the rigid confines of the legal system.
All because they’d believed in the law.
Yet she became a prosecutor to uphold that same law.
She’d chosen that path because she wanted to walk in her father’s footsteps.
But just as she was about to crumble before the might of power once more...
She broke down in tears.
It was the first time the ever-strong, vibrant woman had shown such fragility.
The audition scene was that exact moment.
Not the Lee Se-ha she’d shown so far, but a completely transformed, vulnerable version.
“What the hell am I supposed to do?”
Her voice trembled.
Uncertainty poured from Park Eun-bi’s lips.
Fear filled her eyes.
They perfectly captured the shaking of her convictions in the face of overwhelming power.
Impressive.
Tae-seong was genuinely awed.
This scene was drawn straight from his own experience.
That’s why he could tell—her emotions, voice, and expression matched Lee Se-ha’s perfectly.
“Isn’t the law supposed to be equal? If we just follow it! Shouldn’t we be able to punish evil? Protect people?!”
She spat out the line in a desperate cry.
Past and present collided.
Betrayed by the law she’d trusted.
With nowhere left to lean, she had come to him.
And he responded like this.
“What’s so unfair about it?”
A voice devoid of ups and downs.
He stood before her as the cool-headed prosecutor.
“This world’s always been unequal. That’s just how it is. Did you become a prosecutor without knowing that? No, you didn’t. So why act shocked now?”
He was no longer writer Jeong Tae-seong.
He had become Park Jin-gyu, the unflinching protagonist from *The Black Knight's Lady*.
She picked up her line.
The two flowed into the scene as if they were shooting for real.
Their chemistry was mesmerizing.
Kim PD and the staff watching couldn’t look away, completely immersed in the performance.
And with the final line...
“Whoa...”
A sigh of admiration escaped someone.
Snapping back, Kim PD turned to Tae-seong.
“Writer, were you an actor too?”
* * *
The auditions wrapped up.
Normally, he’d head straight home.
But Kim PD suggested a meeting.
Tae-seong knew what it was about and agreed without hesitation.
“I liked Park Eun-bi. What do you think?”
Kim PD cut right to it.
“Same here. She really gets the character of Lee Se-ha and brings her to life. Plus, her look fits perfectly.”
“Great minds. What about the rest of you?”
“She’s got my vote.”
“Agreed.”
“Park Eun-bi’s acting was incredible.”
Everyone was on board.
“Looks like consensus. I’ll let Park Eun-bi know she’s in. Whew! Finally, both leads are locked. Writer, you’ve been through a lot.”
“No, no. Sorry if I dragged things out.”
“Nah. Without you, we never would’ve found someone like Park Eun-bi. Seeing you two act... it hit me: that’s our Lee Se-ha.”
“Exactly. Gave me chills.”
“And honestly, your acting shocked me more, Writer. It was like watching Park Jin-gyu straight out of *The Black Knight's Lady*.”
The others chimed in agreement.
Seizing the moment, Kim PD spoke up.
“Writer, how about a cameo next time?”
“In the drama?”
“Yeah! We could whip up a quick passing role for a special appearance.”
“Hmm. I’ll think about it.”
“Looking forward to hearing from you.”
Tae-seong replied with a smile.
* * *
*The Black Knight's Lady* entered full production.
Not fully pre-produced, but they’d shoot the first five episodes ahead of airing.
The serialization schedule was set accordingly.
“Better to start serializing two weeks before the drama airs. Thoughts?”
“That works. It’s a three-volume novel anyway, so the run won’t be too long.”
“Man! Never dreamed you’d finished the whole thing already.”
The completed manuscript for *The Black Knight's Lady* had already been delivered.
It was now in editing and proofreading.
“Grape Books is calling it your romance debut, so they’ve promised solid promotion.”
“Appreciate it. Still a newbie in romance, though.”
“Haha! After blowing up in China, this is the least they can do.”
Sales of *Return of the SSS-Class Hunter* in China were still strong.
Tae-seong’s personal buzz had boosted early numbers.
It was holding steady in the top 30 as serialization continued.
“Baikcent wants to do a webtoon too. What’s your take?”
“Webtoon would need heavy revisions, right?”
“Yeah, Chinese censorship means tweaking some parts.”
“Sounds tough. *The Black Knight's Lady* is done, but with *Otherworld Chef* ongoing, *Return of the SSS-Class Hunter* Season 2, and now webtoon edits... my schedule’s packed.”
“Ah... Got it. We’ll table that for now.”
“Sure.”
“One last thing—Grape Books inquired about a *Otherworld Chef* webtoon.”
“Too early for that too. We’re only midway through *Otherworld Chef*. Let’s talk after it wraps.”
“Understood. I’ll pass it along.”
With the meeting done, the two caught their breath.
As Kwon Rep sipped his coffee, he asked Tae-seong.
“By the way, Kim PD mentioned you’re doing the drama?”
“Yeah, just a quick extra role.”
“No way! Gotta get your autograph now. People become stars from one appearance, you know.”
“Really just a background bit.”
“Kim PD said your acting was no joke.”
“They’re being kind.”
“Heh! Tell me which episode, and I’ll tune in.”
“Will do—after shooting, I’ll check with the PD.”
“We’ll ramp up novel promo too. Maximize that drama synergy.”
“Please do.”
“You got it! Leave it to me!”
Tae-seong smiled at Kwon Rep’s bold assurance.
* * *
No matter what it is, the first time is always nerve-wracking.
Even in the same field, it didn’t change.
Tae-seong, who’d lived countless lives, felt it too.
*The Black Knight's Lady* was about to start serializing.
He’d done paid serialization twice before.
But this was a different beast.
StorySea was free serialization.
Writers uploaded and managed everything.
Grape Books, on the other hand, handled uploads from the publisher side.
Writers could only tweak the novel itself.
*The Black Knight's Lady* was exclusive to Grape Books first.
No StorySea run—platform differences.
‘StorySea’s romance readers top out at around five hundred. Way weaker than others.’
“Negligible” was more accurate.
The market even called StorySea the “graveyard of romance.”
That’s why they prioritized other platforms over StorySea.
On his way to the office, Tae-seong pulled up Grape Books on his smartphone.
The main page featured *The Black Knight's Lady*’s cover.
‘Main banner again.’
The cover art was top-notch, clearly.
YK Books always delivered satisfying designs.
‘Free cash event too. VIP treatment.’
Excluding *Return of the SSS-Class Hunter*, the other two launched with cash events.
Free cash did draw more eyes, no denying it.
He tapped the work to check.
Editing was flawless.
Barely a typo in sight.
Flipping to the end revealed the comments.
[GoguMingGuming: Loved it! Heading to the next chapter!]
[Molkkang: Insanely fun]
[Ryeonghyeol: Masterpiece!]
[Kkitoni: Whoa! A fantasy writer doing romance?! And this good?! Cheating!]
[Deokja-ssi: Great read, heading out.]
Rave reviews across the board.
Especially from fans who’d recognized his pen name.
‘They followed just from the name...’
He was truly grateful.
To readers who came because of his name.
Tae-seong left a thank-you on the Chapter 1 comments.
‘I’ll write even harder.’
After posting, he gazed out the window.
It was brighter than any day before.
* * *
One week later.
Tae-seong arrived in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province.
About two hours from his office.
He’d come this far for the shoot.
“Writer!”
Kim PD spotted him and rushed over.
“Long time.”
“Sure is! Doing well?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Never better! Oh, read your novel. Reactions are wild.”
“Thanks.”
*The Black Knight's Lady* had hit No. 2 in romance.
Kwon Rep predicted No. 1 soon.
No wonder Kim PD’s face beamed.
A hit original meant big promo wins.
“Seen our article?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll send the link. Tons of novel fan comments in the replies. Promo’s covered.”
“Glad it helped.”
“Kim PD! Over here!”
“Coming! Writer, green room’s that way. Trailer with your name on it.”
“Got it.”
Tae-seong watched Kim PD dash off, then headed out.