The Princess's Bestowed Answer Sheet

It was early dawn on a holiday, and I had been browsing the gallery since before sunrise. There was something I wanted to ask Runna, the Actor Gallery’s greatest expert and a par-ttak.

As a proud par-ttak herself, I knew Runna would still be checking the gallery at this hour.

As expected, Runna’s reply appeared before long.

A comedy show broadcast worldwide? That would have to be at least on the level of the one with Conan. As expected, this person’s standards were on another level.

The conditions I had imagined for PD Kang Min-ju to cast me were two-fold.

First, Masterpiece Theater would need to become a hot topic. Second, I would need to stand at the very center of that buzz.

The way to satisfy the second condition was, of course, skill.

And points were the measure of that skill.

After reading Runna’s reply, my vision went dark. I forced a smile and typed a response.

Hah. Even at the lowest estimate, it was five thousand.

I would have to come up with some kind of plan.

Her warm reply left a pleasant feeling in my chest.

By the way, she really is a woman. No wonder everyone calls her noona.

If the chance ever came, I hoped I could watch one of Runna’s acting videos.

Just as I was about to close the window, a barrage of comments flooded in.

These were the comments piling up beneath my post.

Par-ttaks were one thing, but did these people ever sleep?

More than anything, MariIsAPrincess’s comment caught my attention.

“A guestbook, huh…”

Now that I thought about it, the guestbook supposedly allowed one-on-one conversations.

There’s no harm in trying.

She might actually be trying to help. With that in mind, I entered MariIsAPrincess’s guestbook.

…MariIsAPrincess’s guestbook was nothing but the traces of her desperate struggle. She must have been shaking with rage to make that many typos.

The reaction is so satisfying that everyone keeps teasing her.

Following her instructions, I clicked the secret post option and left a message.

Her reply came almost immediately.

Hey, you’re the one who called me. Still, it was probably best to play along.

In a way, this could count as acting practice too.

Thinking that, I replied.

Good. This should be acceptable, right? As I was thinking that, her answer came right away.

Success! She sounded a little pleased.

My eyes sparkled at her words. She really was trying to help.

With a heart full of gratitude, I bowed toward the unseen princess and answered.

The moment I asked with eager anticipation—

Wait, is she actually delusional? Just as that thought crossed my mind, her next message followed.

Delusional, my foot! How dare she—! I inwardly scolded myself for having doubted her even for a second. Her next messages continued.

I pounced on the keyboard like a dog that had gone three days without food.

What could it be? Was there some secret regarding points? Or perhaps an incredible acting tip?

That was it? Was she actually delusional???? How was this any different from just telling me to review and prepare thoroughly?

My gallery-induced rage reached its peak.

It was so absurd I let out a hollow laugh.

What was I supposed to do now?

“I already know that I need to understand the role, you know.”

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠opened the script.

The role of Sang-cheol. It matched me far better than I had imagined—almost perfectly, in fact. From being a poor student to worrying about money.

Once I felt that connection, my acting improved.

Still, there was one thing I couldn’t understand.

I muttered one of Sang-cheol’s lines from the script in my hands.

How can he be so bright?

In the script, Sang-cheol was always radiating positive energy around him. It was as if he genuinely believed the whole world was on his side. In some ways, he was almost naively optimistic.

In that sense, he was the complete opposite of Min-woo, who was sinking deeper into despair.

Is this the one thing that’s the complete opposite of me as well?

Before my regression, no matter how many times I told myself otherwise, I had been rotting away on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠inside. I had lived trapped in the delusion that everyone was secretly laughing at me for having no talent.

Even though I struggled not to show it on the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠outside, my heart had already been decaying. Only after regressing had I slowly begun to realize it.

Well… people are all different.

I already knew, without anyone having to tell me, that I needed to fully understand Sang-cheol.

The problem was that in this twisted situation, I had no way of figuring out how the world could look so bright to him, or what lay in his heart.

While walking and reflecting on what MariIsAPrincess had said at dawn, I arrived at the food cart.

I should help out right away.

The clock showed it was already past nine. I hadn’t been able to help early because of practice, but I at least wanted to pitch in during the busiest closing hours.

With that thought, I lifted the plastic sheet covering the cart entrance.

“Huh?”

The scene inside was completely different from usual. Even though it was late and nearing closing time, the cart was packed with customers—so full there wasn’t even room to step inside.

“What’s going on, Mom?”

Mom was frying pajeon nonstop, yet her face was lit up with a huge smile. Happy wrinkles gathered at the corners of her eyes.

“Would you believe it! They all suddenly came flooding in! I wonder if word got out about how good my son’s pajeon is.”

Had the pajeon recipe I taught her really created this much of an impact?

Maybe I should have opened a pajeon shop instead of becoming an actor?

My eyes wandered, momentarily lost for what to do, when—

“Doyun! Noona’s here! Your actor friend’s place is absolutely booming!”

I turned to see the president of Samryong Food Materials sitting at a table with several employees, laughing brightly. Not just her table—the entire cart was packed like a subway during rush hour.

“Noona! What is all this……”

When I asked in surprise, one of the regular customers spoke up.

“What do you mean, what? Last time I tasted Doyun’s pajeon I bragged about it so much to the company employees that they all begged to try it! So we decided to have dinner here tonight. Of course, the boss is treating!”

“Wait, I’m the one treating?”

“Then who else would?”

The boss scratched the back of her head awkwardly before breaking into a hearty laugh.

“Ah, whatever! Why else would I be the boss!”

The regular customer pointed to another table.

“Those are the CEOs of our business partners. I kept telling them how delicious it was, so they got curious and tagged along!”

“Really? You didn’t just drag them here without asking?”

At my question, the regular waved his hands frantically.

“I didn’t do any power-tripping, okay? They followed on their own!”

“Haha, President Samryong praised it so highly we couldn’t stand not coming! And now that we’re here, it really is amazing—this place’s pajeon!”

The other customers kept nodding as they brought the pajeon to their mouths. Seeing their reactions, Mom’s shoulders squared with pride as she smiled and continued frying.

Then someone shouted.

“Wow, since President Samryong is treating everyone big today, bring out another cold box of makgeolli!”

“Wait?! I only said I’d treat for the pajeon?”

Noona’s eyes widened in slight panic.

I loaded a tray with five bottles of makgeolli and some pajeon and headed to the table.

“Noona! Let me help out too. This makgeolli is on me!”

My words triggered a cheer from inside the cart. Mom didn’t stop me; she simply watched with a warm, pleased expression.

Boisterous laughter, the savory smell of pajeon sizzling on the grill, the lively heat of the crowd—I stood there smiling blankly at all the people.

A sensation I had never felt before bloomed in my chest.

“Ah.”

Now I finally understood why Sang-cheol could be so positive.

In this new life, I had believed everything had changed because I had changed, and that was why everyone’s attitudes were different.

I just hadn’t noticed it before.

The boss noona who gladly opened her wallet, the regular customer who promoted the cart for us.

Receiving such overflowing goodwill made me think, without even realizing it—

I want to give them even more.

Only after that thought did Sang-cheol’s line, which had been blocked in my mind, finally reach my heart.

Sang-cheol wasn’t positive because he had a beautiful flower garden for a brain.

It was because he already knew there were people around him willing to reach out a helping hand. It was something anyone could see ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠if they simply opened their eyes and looked slowly around them.

Unlike me, Sang-cheol had realized that simple truth even without regressing.

A small chuckle escaped me before I could stop it.

“So Sang-cheol was actually a smart guy.”

It was the moment I completely understood his positivity.

“Mom, I’ll take a five-minute break.”

“Sure, Doyun! You must be tired—go sit down for a bit!”

I sat in a corner of the cart and opened the gallery.

I wasn’t sure if this had been her intention, but regardless, the fact that I had realized it thanks to her remained unchanged.

I paused for a moment at her question.

Do I believe she’s a princess?

Of course I did! Thanks to her, my acting had taken a step—no, from today onward, Sang-cheol and I had become completely one.

I believe! Even if she weren’t a princess, I would still believe!

I replied with absolute conviction.

There was a brief silence, as if she had frozen. Then her replies came in rapid succession.

She even made a typo while fleeing. She seemed surprisingly weak to praise or acknowledgment.

I chuckled and closed the gallery. The positivity of Sang-cheol that I had finally come to understand lingered pleasantly in my chest.

I smiled.

Good.

Tomorrow was my first rehearsal with Lee Se-rin. Thanks to the princess, I now had the confidence that I would not lose an inch, even in front of that proud great actress Lee Se-rin.