Chapter 61
Chapter 61
Translator: Penny
Chapter 61
The time Da-yeon and I had spent apart was roughly two weeks.
It wasn't that long, but it wasn't that short either.
It was true that I felt a little awkward being away from Da-yeon for so long.
No matter what, I wouldn't become a stranger to someone I'd known for over 10 years in an instant.
But there must be a reason why they say that when you're physically apart, your hearts grow distant.
There were definitely times when I worried about whether I could get close to Da-yeon again.
We had promised to stay apart during this drama shoot, so that was that.
But I wanted to go back to our original relationship after the shooting was over.
The problem was when we happened to meet during the drama shoot like now.
"...If you have something to say, say it quickly."
When you think about it, this time I was trying to meet Da-yeon on purpose.
One way or another, it's not easy to overcome the awkwardness that comes from being apart and open your mouth.
It's especially not easy to ask why she suddenly started watching Virtual Youtuber broadcasts.
I'm just so glad she didn't recognize it was my voice.
What in the world happened to someone who never even mentioned Virtual Youtubers to suddenly change like this?
At this moment, I was more curious about why Da-yeon had changed than about my own changes.
At the same time, I was worried.
None of the kids in Da-yeon's class knew where she was.
As a result, all I could hear about Da-yeon was the strange news that she often disappeared somewhere.
I was worried that something might have happened, so I took the liberty of contacting Da-yeon's parents.
But I had to hang up after hearing that she was the same as usual at home.
Decisively, the Min Da-yeon I know is someone who would never ask for help first.
I've already seen her go through unnecessary hardships because of her high pride, trying to solve even the smallest things on her own.
Of course, what I'm trying to do now might be unnecessary meddling.
It's true that Da-yeon isn't that friendly of a friend, and she has a picky personality that makes her difficult to keep around.
But I've spent too much time with her to ignore the face that's hiding something.
Even if I had to become a complete stranger to Da-yeon in the end, I had to become a stranger after preventing 'that incident' from happening.
From the start, I'm not bold enough to just watch the people I know become unhappy.
Just as I'm happy in my daily life as Dia these days, I wanted other people not to deviate from their usual lives either.
Therefore.
"If you have any worries, tell me now. ...Please."
With a serious expression and voice, I asked her to let me help with what I could.
The problem was that Da-yeon's mouth didn't open no matter how much time passed.
No, it did open just once, right before we parted.
"...If a dating scandal article comes out at our age, it'll be a big deal. Let's break up quickly before things get too noisy."
Even that was a story that had nothing to do with Da-yeon's inner worries.
Thanks to that, I was speechless once again and had to let Da-yeon go without even making an excuse.
...So why in the world does she think I'm dating...?
"Doesn't Ha-eun seem different these days?"
A staff member asked, carefully watching Ha-eun, who was waiting a little away from them.
To this, Jin Gyu-seong said.
"It's probably because of her Yeongwol role."
"Yeongwol's role?"
"Yes."
He speculated that the reason Ha-eun had changed was related to the filming of Moonlight Pierced by Clouds.
That's because Ha-eun, whom Jin Gyu-seong had seen so far, was an enthusiastic actress who tried her best to deliver a more immersive performance.
Therefore, to find the reason why such an enthusiastic actress's atmosphere had changed, one had to look at the filming of Moonlight Pierced by Clouds.
"Isn't Ha-eun currently filming the romance part?"
"Then, the reason Ha-eun's atmosphere has changed is?"
"She's probably trying to express Yeongwol's appearance, who has acknowledged her feelings for Lee Hyun, in her own way."
"Wow, that's amazing... It's not easy to do that at a young age."
Pure admiration without any intention.
The story they had just shared was only Jin Gyu-seong's personal speculation.
But it was definitely not a far-fetched speculation that needed to be refuted.
There were more than one or two reasons to support Jin Gyu-seong's speculation.
The most decisive reason among the various reasons that added credibility to Jin Gyu-seong's speculation was the unexpected news about Ha-eun's historical drama swordsmanship class.
'She definitely said she was practicing with a sword that was several times heavier than the actual filming sword.'
In the past, Jin Gyu-seong had clearly given her a sword of a relatively easy-to-hold weight, worried about Ha-eun's wrist and safety.
However, despite Jin Gyu-seong's consideration, the sword used in Kim Gyu-tae's historical drama swordsmanship class was the heaviest sword.
So, with a worried heart, he contacted Kim Gyu-tae personally.
He carefully asked if he had forced Ha-eun to hold a heavy sword.
'What can I do when she only looks for the heaviest sword and brings it? I'm really worried about Ha-eun's wrist too.'
As a result, Kim Gyu-tae only conveyed the unexpected truth that he had simply been unable to resist Ha-eun's strong demands.
Even though Jin Gyu-seong had a long career, he had never seen an actress like Ha-eun before.
So, one day, he asked Ha-eun directly why she was putting herself through such hardship.
'Ah, that's... There's a description in the original novel that Yeongwol's sword is very heavy.'
He was completely fooled by the words that were nothing more or less than an excuse for more exercise.
It was only natural that Jin Gyu-seong's evaluation of Ha-eun would rise several levels.
"I know that Ha-eun has become softer. But that's all for the sake of filming. You don't have to worry too much."
"I, I wasn't worried. I just thought, I was just wondering if I was the only one who saw Ha-eun differently."
The staff member, who was finally persuaded by Jin Gyu-seong's speculation, also handed Ha-eun a vitamin drink from his coat pocket to support her in his own way.
Ha-eun was puzzled by this sudden act of kindness, but gratefully accepted it for now.
It was about 10 minutes later that the full-fledged preparations for today's first shoot began.
"Sung-jae and Ha-eun, please stand by~."
"The flagpoles could fall over if the wind blows too hard, so don't get too close, everyone─!"
After that, the set became noisy by the second.
The lights and microphones were adjusted one by one to match their respective positions.
The two main actors, Yoo Sung-jae and Ha-eun, also headed to their respective positions.
Just when there was really not much time left until the shooting started.
"Hey, Sung-jae."
"?"
"Do I...look any different?"
The most representative of the questions that drive men crazy was directed at Yoo Sung-jae.
In an instant, Yoo Sung-jae's eyes became urgent and scanned Ha-eun from head to toe.
However, he couldn't find any changes other than the fact that she looked a little softer than during the first episode shoot.
In the first place, that soft appearance must be Ha-eun's acting, so the answers that Yoo Sung-jae could come up with were.
"...Did you change your lip tint?"
"No."
"Uh, um... Is your eyeshadow a little darker?"
"I don't wear eyeshadow."
Answers other than those related to Ha-eun's acting that were most likely to be correct.
Nevertheless, all of the answers that Yoo Sung-jae gave were wrong.
"Can't you really find it?"
"...No."
In the end, he honestly said that he didn't know.
Almost at the same time, Ha-eun's face brightened slightly for some reason.
Yoo Sung-jae was even more embarrassed because he had expected Ha-eun to be a little disappointed.
Nevertheless, Ha-eun didn't care at all and thanked him for being honest.
"I guess other people were mistaken."
"...?"
I still couldn't even guess what Ha-eun was talking about.
However, the countdown to the start of filming was already being heard from over there.
"3, 2, 1. ...Cue!"
I put aside the doubts that filled my head for a moment and moved them to a corner.
I faced Ha-eun as Crown Prince Lee Hyun, not as actor Yoo Sung-jae.
｢The weather is nice, so shall we go on an outing for the first time in a while? Will you come along?｣
｢...Yes, Your Highness.｣
S#51.
An outing to the market.
It was a scene where Crown Prince Lee Hyun and his bodyguard Yeongwol were disguised and walking around the market in the capital.
Strictly speaking, it was a scene that had already appeared in the early part of the drama.
However, unlike the early part of the drama, when Yeongwol was just Lee Hyun's bodyguard and nothing more.
Now that Yeongwol herself is aware that she is in love with Lee Hyun.
｢I hear that this is a bracelet that wishes for each other's well-being. Would you like to try wearing one too?｣
Even a small bracelet that she happened to receive emotionally shakes her, and her fierce eyes also tremble little by little.
There was nothing that she didn't care about, whether it was Lee Hyun's gaze, voice, or gesture.
Yeongwol tried to calm her heart while pretending to be nonchalant.
｢Your face is red. Do you have a fever?｣
-Tap.
By the blush that had appeared at some point.
And by Lee Hyun's careful touch, who mistook this blush for a fever.
｢...! Yo, Your Highness!｣
In the end, the main content of S#51 is that she shows a series of emotional appearances that are not like the usual Yeongwol.
Yeongwol's appearance, who is in love with someone, and Lee Hyun, who is puzzled by Yeongwol's appearance, created a ticklish tension unique to romance.
It was also a scene that made viewers shout at Lee Hyun to please notice Yeongwol's identity.
'Reversal charm.'
Why does Yeongwol, who always shows a sharp appearance, become soft in front of Lee Hyun?
Why can't she even endure a momentary touch and push him away slightly, not knowing what to do?
What is the reason why she can't even make proper eye contact?
From the viewers' point of view, it was a sight that could be felt as so-called 'sweet potatoes'.
Strictly speaking, it wouldn't be that frustrating because of the underlying sweetness.
Considering that the atmosphere of the drama changes drastically in S#52, which will follow immediately, this was also a kind of build-up.
That's because none of the viewers.
｢...Know your place!｣
-Slap!**
They wouldn't think that Yeongwol, who was showing a different side of herself, such as not being able to hide her feelings for Lee Hyun, would be caught up in Queen Yoon's scheme.
They would never have expected that she would be treated harshly by Queen Yoon, who had only shown wariness until now.
📝 Translator’s Note:
You may notice that certain lines or phrases in this novel appear both in their original Korean (or Hanja) form and in English translation.
This is intentional — these phrases are classical idioms, divine titles, or poetic expressions that carry layered meanings.
To preserve their original tone and authenticity, the raw text has been kept for reference, while the English interpretation is provided right before or after it. This helps convey both the literal and cultural nuance of the original work.
but if you guys dont want tha raw for future chapters or my future other novels u can just text me on discord and say so discord name Mr.Penny