Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: The Day Mom Appears on TV
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Sitting on the sofa, watching TV with my daughter.
As this was the moment her first lead drama aired, I stared at the screen with a pounding heart.
I had watched the dramas I starred in during my past life many times, but this was probably the first time since my very first TV appearance that I felt such intense tension and anxiety simultaneously.
"Thump thump... Mom's about to be on TV..."
Meanwhile, my daughter was staring at the screen with even brighter eyes than me.
She had already appeared as a child actress in Tears of the Queen Consort, but she seemed even more excited this time.
It looked like the fact that her own mom was appearing on TV was even more thrilling for her.
Watching her like this somehow eased the tension I had been harboring in a corner of my heart.
"Hee hee..."
A light laugh escaped me without realizing it.
Having shaken off the tension, I stroked my daughter's head as she sat beside me and watched the drama with a much more relaxed mind.
The empty rear garden shrouded in darkness.
Two men were there.
One was a scholar dressed in a blue robe, drawing his sword.
The other was a man in black martial arts garb, slumped on the ground with blood dripping from one shoulder.
Gazing down at the man sitting on the ground, the scholar shouted with a face full of rage.
"It's over, Han-seo. You've lost."
The scholar spoke in a cold voice.
At that moment.
"...Lost?"
The young man who heard those words.
The one named Han-seo slowly raised his head.
At the same time, the atmosphere began to change in an instant.
Nothing had changed dramatically.
He hadn't drawn a sword, nor had anyone else appeared.
It was just the simple act of lifting his head.
But the face it revealed.
Even though it was clearly a handsome flower boy visage, the moment his empty gaze—instinctively evoking primal fear—was revealed—
The slightly dubious atmosphere instantly shifted into a heavy sense of dread.
"No. The one who lost isn't me... it's you, Kim Seong-ryong."
With those words, Han-seo rose to his feet and approached Seong-ryong.
Even without a weapon, the ferocious aura emanating from him was palpable.
At this, clear bewilderment flashed across Seong-ryong's face.
-Stab!
"!"
A sharp sound pierced his ears.
What followed was Han-seo stabbing himself with the sword in Seong-ryong's hand.
Toward Seong-ryong, who felt confusion beyond mere doubt at his action—
Han-seo whispered quietly into his ear with a grotesquely twisted smile.
"That child is mine. From now on... forever."
"!.. Wh... What are you talking about? What does that even..."
Seong-ryong asked in a trembling voice, but Han-seo gave no answer and collapsed to the ground.
At that moment.
"Ha... Han-seo Big Brother!"
"!"
A shrill cry tore through his ears.
Seized by bewilderment, Seong-ryong turned his head.
At the end of his gaze stood a gisaeng dressed in a red jeogori.
She ran toward them, embracing Han-seo's body pierced by Seong-ryong's sword, and cried out.
"Big Brother! Please come to your senses! Big Brother!"
Her voice was laced with urgency.
Soon, she turned a gaze filled with icy fury toward Seong-ryong.
"This... What the hell have you done? How could you... you to Han-seo Big Brother..."
"Mi... Misunderstanding, Su-ryeon. This is..."
Seong-ryong tried to explain in panic, but
the gisaeng called Su-ryeon spoke in a cold voice.
"...So it was true? You... you really were the Queen Dowager's spy?"
"What? Th... That's..."
"I... I trusted you. At least you, I believed... You really..."
Seong-ryong was speechless at her words filled with anger and profound disappointment.
Su-ryeon said with her head bowed.
"...It's over."
"Su... Su-ryeon..."
"Our relationship... ends today. Don't... ever show up in front of me again."
"!"
A quiet but resolute declaration of severance.
Seong-ryong, shocked into silence, slowly turned and walked away without a word.
His eyes brimmed with tears, his face contorted in agony.
And watching Seong-ryong leave like that, Su-ryeon trembled with reddened eyes.
Clenching her hand adorned with a blue jade ring.
With that scene as the finale,
time rewound to the past.
- 6 years ago
A woman gazing at the blue jade ring in her hand.
Lee Su-ryeon.
Not in flashy gisaeng attire, but in the neat garb of a noble lady from a yangban household.
Beside such Su-ryeon, Seong-ryong smiled lightly and said.
"You'll wear it out staring like that. Is it that good?"
"!.. Uh... um. N... no, it's not that. Why would a girl like me like something like this jade ring?"
"Then give it back. If you don't like it, I'll get you something else..."
"!"
At those words, Su-ryeon quickly hid the ring in her bosom.
Seong-ryong chuckled playfully at the sight.
Unlike moments before, this heartwarming past scene served as a sort of prologue, and the main story truly began.
"Ah..."
The first part ended, and a short ad break began.
Taking this as a cue, Oh Young-ae snapped out of her complete immersion.
The drama's first half had drawn her in so deeply.
The opening scene hinting at the trio's conflict, followed by a flashback to their innocent love.
The actors' passionate performances within made Oh Young-ae lose track of time, fully absorbed in the drama.
"Wow... It's only just starting, but it's no joke. I didn't expect to be this immersed."
As expected, Yoon Tae-young delivered top-tier acting.
Ha Yu-ra showed acting that had grown even more since her previous work.
However, the one who truly captured the viewers' attention was someone else.
'Han-seo'.
This role, played by the unfamiliar actress Chae Soo-jeong, had much less screen time compared to the two leads so far.
But in that brief moment—when he lifted his head and pressured Yoon Tae-young—his presence completely overwhelmed him.
There were no special props or horror-specific directing.
Just through lines, eyes, and gaze alone, he conveyed a heavy sense of fear.
The tremendous charisma within made even Oh Young-ae swallow hard, feeling a strange thrill.
"It's getting more and more exciting. Let's jump right into the next part."
She quickly spoke before the ads ended and refocused on the resuming drama.
Kim Seong-ryong and Lee Su-ryeon.
The sweet, innocent love between the two young nobles.
But their love would soon shatter amid the tragedy that followed.
Deep within the royal palace.
A woman holding a swaddled infant, veiled in white gauze.
Before her knelt numerous royal guards.
Among them, the man at the forefront.
The Captain of the Inner Guard.
To drama viewers, he was better known as Park Chan-su of The Beasts.
An idol singer with as many fans as Yoon Tae-young, his appearance caused the chat to explode in an instant.
However, contrary to the chat's festive mood—
the woman issued a cold command to the deeply bowing Captain of the Inner Guard.
"Eliminate the Minister of War. The charge is treason."
"...I shall obey, Your Majesty the Queen Consort."
Queen Consort.
Even holding the child, her command carried clear murderous intent. The Captain of the Inner Guard replied in a trembling voice, head bowed deeply.
And...
"Capture Minister of War Lee Jin-hyeong!"
Lee Jin-hyeong, Su-ryeon's father, branded a traitor.
He barely escaped the soldiers storming his home and fled to the mountains with his daughter.
However—
"Ugh...!"
"Father!"
"Kuh... Go... go first. Hurry!"
While fleeing hastily, the Minister of War twisted his ankle.
Unable to walk further, he ordered his daughter Su-ryeon to flee to save at least her.
At that moment.
"!"
A sudden presence.
The Minister quickly hid his daughter behind a tree.
And moments later, an assassin approached the Minister slowly.
Face covered by a mask, hiding his identity. The Minister spoke coldly to him.
"You... Who sent you?"
"..."
"The Queen Consort?"
"!"
The assassin frowned subtly for a moment.
At that reaction, the Minister let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha... haha... I see. As expected... it was that Queen Consort wench after all. That lowly bitch has finally... guk!"
Before he could finish, a swinging sword.
Holding the bloodied blade, the assassin breathed heavily.
Clear rage burned in his eyes.
And...
"!"
The assassin, blood dripping from his sword, slowly approached the tree where Su-ryeon hid.
Su-ryeon trembled all over, suppressing her sobs,
Her face etched with vivid terror before approaching death.
At that moment—
-Boom!
The screen froze with a sharp drumbeat.
As the majestic ending BGM flowed, Oh Young-ae, watching it all, couldn't help but shout.
"Argh! A cliffhanger right here of all places!"