Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Want Some Carrot?
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The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception Episode 7.
The shock delivered by this episode, which marked the true start of the mid-season just as the early part was wrapping up, was heavier than anyone could have imagined.
Han-seo, who had been melting women's hearts with his sweet romance acting throughout, turned out to be the Queen Dowager's subordinate—and a likely final boss at that.
Unlike Seong-ryong, his childhood friend and former fiancé, who had been consistently indecisive,
Han-seo's proactive care for Su-ryeon had already captivated a significant number of viewers.
However, as the initial shock faded and viewers regained their composure one by one... especially Oh Young-ae, who had rewatched the footage countless times as a reviewer, realized belatedly that this scene wasn't just some sudden backstab.
"Ah... looking at it this way, this was the foreshadowing... Back in Episode 4 when the Queen Dowager was mentioned, Big Brother's expression stiffened a bit for some reason."
People who were initially confused and even voiced some complaints,
but even excluding the highly emotional prologue, they nodded in realization upon seeing how much foreshadowing had been sprinkled throughout.
After all, a telegraphed twist and a drift were entirely different things.
Instead, they couldn't help but admire Lee Dong-cheol PD's skill for laying out such subtle hints.
The chat split into factions: one declaring Kim Seong-ryong's victory—mostly The Beasts fans—and another saying to wait and see.
Personally, Oh Young-ae hoped for the latter, and since twists always had counter-twists, she wrapped up her broadcast with a "let's wait and see" stance.
With her own fervent wish tucked in her heart at the very end.
'Phew... please... please let Chae Soo-jeong end up with Big Brother... and our Ha Yu-ra in a lovey-dovey ending...'
Oh Young-ae, praying sincerely for their happiness.
But paradoxically, her earnest prayer blinded her to one fact.
A certain prophecy she had cautiously made in the past.
She only noticed that related fact the next day, through the countless comments under her video worshipping her as a prophet.
"Ratings at 10.1%?"
"Yes! I was shocked when I saw it too!"
"It spiked suddenly at the final scene. Right when our Han-seo flashed that killer smile."
"Heh heh..."
The ratings graph was vividly displayed before their eyes.
Though it was just peak ratings, seeing a number even Tears of the Queen Consort had never achieved, Lee Dong-cheol PD couldn't help letting out a laugh mixed with astonishment and joy at this unbelievable reality.
"Even with the competing shows underperforming... this is a real jackpot."
"10% on our network... Even when the former director pushed variety shows, we didn't get many like this..."
Seo PD and the youngest writer were equally unable to hide their delight.
The Queen Dowager, Sovereign of Deception had already been steadily climbing in ratings.
Yesterday, they had even modestly celebrated breaking the 6% barrier—a record high.
In this gradually heating atmosphere, they had expected Han-seo's reveal to deliver some shock, but not to this extent.
"Mm... but no complacency yet. Double-check the unfinished edits, and tighten security even more. This could blow up beyond our wildest dreams."
Gulp.
"Y-Yes... we'll keep it in mind, Section Chief."
Lee Dong-cheol PD urged them once more in a serious tone.
The youngest writer, Seo PD, and everyone else in the room nodded gravely in response.
Honestly, Han-seo opposing the protagonist as a 'villain' wasn't that shocking overall.
Foreshadowing had been dropped consistently from the start, and considering the first scene's impact, plenty of people had probably suspected it despite the surprise.
Thanks to Chae Soo-jeong's terrifying acting prowess and Han-seo's heart-meltingly sweet performance, those hints had been cleverly obscured, leading to greater-than-expected shock, but still.
However, the true twist of this drama hadn't even begun.
Revealing part of her identity at this mid-season point was because an even bigger nuke was prepared.
Anticipating the viewers' reactions when that moment arrived,
a wicked smile began to creep across the production team's faces.
"Alright, enough lounging. Let's have a team dinner for once. Maybe call the actors too if needed."
Even if just for a moment, surpassing 10% ratings was cause for celebration—they couldn't just let it pass.
With faces beaming in excitement, the youngest writer hurriedly started making calls.
"To Queen Dowager Her Majesty!"
"Cheers!"
The dinner party took over an entire restaurant.
To prevent spoilers, access by outsiders was minimized, and there the production team and actors joyfully raised their glasses.
"Man... 10% ratings. I never dreamed it'd do this well."
"Right? If word of mouth spreads from here, 15% might not be a pipe dream."
A rare stroke of luck amid the network's sour mood.
And with the drama just entering its mid-season, there was plenty of room to climb higher.
The dinner buzzed with exhilaration.
However, in this lively chaos,
one person alone had been wearing a subtle expression, quietly sipping his drink since earlier.
A member of The Beasts in this drama, and another lead.
Yoon Tae-young.
Seeing him uncomfortable, Park Chan-su, sitting beside him, lightly patted his shoulder.
"Hey, even on a day like this, you're moping? Lighten up."
"Mm..."
"Sigh... geez. Man up already."
Yoon Tae-young's gaze had been fixed on one person since earlier.
There sat someone still drawing everyone's attention.
"Soo-jeong, you really worked hard. Honestly, you made up half of that 10%."
"Exactly, without Teacher, we couldn't have dreamed of it."
"Haha, you're too kind. It's the result of everyone's hard work."
Chae Soo-jeong smiled calmly at the youngest writer and Ha Yu-ra's words.
Now practically the mascot, she fed meat to Seon-hwa while blending naturally into the vibe...
But watching her, Tae-young's heart still harbored deep discomfort.
Not irritation or jealousy like before.
Regret for judging her rashly on his own.
And awe at her acting skill, which he could no longer deny.
He hadn't voiced it outright, but from their first meeting, his rude assumptions left him feeling awkward around Chae Soo-jeong.
"Instead of brooding, why not go apologize properly? Say you thought she was a nepotism hire at first and were rude about it."
"Mm... y-yeah. Maybe that's best?"
Filming was wrapped, so they might not cross paths for a while.
But in this small industry, who knew? Better to clear the air sooner.
Resolved by his friend's advice, Tae-young cautiously stood and approached Soo-jeong.
"Um... excuse me..."
But then.
"Hic! Teacher... actually... there's something I've always wanted to say. Will you listen?"
"...Yu-ra. You seem pretty drunk. You okay?"
"Ahh... I'm f-fine! Hic. I'm not drunk at all... hic! So... what I want to say is... I actually... like you... Urp!"
"! Y-Yu-ra!"
"Qu-quick... to the bathroom!"
In the sudden crisis, Soo-jeong scooped up Yu-ra and vanished.
Left standing there like a useless duck egg on the Nakdong River, Tae-young blankly froze in place.
"Want some carrot?"
"..."
Seon-hwa offered him the carrot in her hand, watching Tae-young.
Deflated, he unwittingly accepted it.