Chapter 119
Chapter 119
The Imperial Seal (1)
Just because he had more accomplices didn’t mean he could neglect the task at hand. After entrusting the investigation to Im Seung-hyeon, Yu Yeon-seo arrived at the set of ‘The Imperial Seal’.
“Oh? You’re here early. Isn’t your scene a while from now?”
“Yes, I came to watch.”
In truth, his scene wasn’t even being filmed here. But to understand the overall flow of the drama, it was easier to observe as much of the filming as possible.
A well-crafted set, the classic elegance and beauty of a traditional Korean house, and colorful linen curtains fluttering in the wind filled the monitor. The scene had a cinematic quality even without any post-processing.
After a brief camera adjustment, the confrontational scene between Lee Seo-eun, played by Shin Ye-won, and her paternal uncle and current emperor, Lee Wook, finally began.
Lee Seo-eun strode across the central courtyard, irritably brushing her hair back. More than the luxury suit, high heels, and sparkling accessories, it was Shin Ye-won’s aura that stood out. As expected of a seasoned actress, her presence was extraordinary.
“He’s inside, isn’t he?”
“Just a moment, Your Highness.”
Ignoring the lady-in-waiting’s attempt to stop her, Lee Seo-eun threw the door open and stared at the back of Lee Wook, who was tending to his orchids.
“Uncle.”
“Your temper hasn’t changed a bit. I said I wanted some time alone...”
“I didn’t do it.”
She glanced at today’s newspaper lying next to the orchids and spoke. The front page featured two headlines side-by-side: (Princess Lee Seo-eun embroiled in power-abuse scandal... Plummeting approval ratings. The Imperial Family of the Korean Empire, is this acceptable?) and (Current Emperor’s legitimacy questioned, is the Imperial Seal a fake? Conspiracy theories spread).
“I know. It must be the work of that brat, Lee Kang.”
“But why the sudden marriage proposal?”
The imperial family had immediately issued a statement denying the power-abuse scandal, but the public was already having a field day tearing into the troublemaking princess. She knew it was wisest to let this blow over quietly.
But a sudden marriage proposal? Wasn’t this just like marrying off a troublesome princess to get rid of her?
“Are you planning to marry me off and abdicate the throne to Kang?”
“Abdicate? Don’t say such dreadful things. That boy would ruin the country.”
“Then why...!”
Lee Kang, the emperor’s one and only doted-on son. Lee Seo-eun, whose public image had been tarnished from cleaning up his messes, was frustrated with everything. That included her uncle, whose thoughts were completely inscrutable.
“Seo-eun.”
Lee Wook, who had only been showing his back, turned to face her. His aura was stern, but a gentle smile played on his lips.
“Cheono Group is a good match, isn’t it? We could also form a business alliance with them.”
“He’s just the second son. The one who cleans up his brother’s messes.”
Everyone knew that the second son of Cheono Group was illegitimate.
At Lee Seo-eun’s malice-free reply, a muscle in Lee Wook’s cheek twitched faintly. But it was only for a moment. With his amiable smile back in place, he chuckled softly.
“You’re similar in that regard.”
“Are you making fun of me right now?”
“No. I’ve always felt sorry for you.”
With a meaningful smile, Lee Wook approached his niece.
“Isn’t it better that he’s the second son? We can just make him a prince consort...”
“...”
“Just meet him once. He has a good image. Wouldn’t that help raise your fallen approval ratings?”
Lee Wook patted Lee Seo-eun’s shoulder. She glanced down at the hand resting on her. Lately, there were times when Lee Wook’s touch felt chilling.
“By the way, have you remembered anything lately?”
“...I’m leaving.”
And he was saying strange things, too. Frowning, Lee Seo-eun turned and walked out. The ladies-in-waiting, who had been holding their breath, closed the door.
“Tsk, what’s so great about a headstrong girl like that for them to propose marriage first?”
Well, it’s good for me, though. Lee Wook clicked his tongue, then went back to tenderly wiping dust from his orchids.
Outside, as Lee Seo-eun crossed the garden, a woman fell into step behind her. The woman, who had prominent cheekbones, whispered in a voice brimming with excitement.
“Your Highness, did you really get a marriage proposal from Seong Hyeon-woo?”
“Lady Choi, you seem a little too excited about this.”
“Of course, I am. It’s Seong Hyeon-woo. Don’t you know who he is?”
“I don’t.”
Lady Choi plays the role of the comic relief in ‘The Imperial Seal’, appearing as Lee Seo-eun’s secretary and friend.
“He’s the nation’s ideal husband! He’s handsome, well-behaved, has no scandals. He’s more popular than most celebrities these days.”
“...Is that so?”
Her role was to provide such explanations in a clear, ringing voice or to secretly watch the two leads’ romance blossom with delight. Hearing Lady Choi’s description, Lee Seo-eun was quite intrigued.
“So, are you just going to refuse?”
“I’ll have to... meet him.”
Just then, a giant screen in Gwanghwamun Square was broadcasting negative news about Lee Seo-eun. Seeing it, she let out a small sigh.
“Cut! Great! Ah, Ye-won, you’re amazing as always!”
Gu Do-hyeon, the director of ‘The Imperial Seal’, was giving Shin Ye-won a double thumbs-up. Shin Ye-won nodded with a smile, then her eyes widened when she saw Yu Yeon-seo standing in front of the monitor.
“You’re already here?”
“Yes. I just wanted to get a feel for the flow.”
“This is why you’re improving so quickly.”
Shin Ye-won smiled and stood next to Yu Yeon-seo. Even though she was wearing high heels, he was still a full head taller. Just standing side by side, their difference in stature created a certain chemistry, and the behind-the-scenes camera didn’t miss it, filming them continuously.
“Let’s move out quickly!”
Having finished all the palace scenes for the day, the film crew and the two actors moved to a nearby cafe. Word of the shoot must have gotten out, as quite a large crowd had already gathered.
“Gasp, it’s Yu Yeon-seo.”
“Holy crap, no way.”
Yu Yeon-seo got out of the van and quickly entered the cafe. Belatedly, the shrieks of the onlookers could be heard.
Inside the cafe, extras were seated at tables. They had probably been waiting since early in the morning for this short scene.
‘From now on, I am Seong Hyeon-woo.’
While checking his hair, which was swept halfway back, Yu Yeon-seo kept his eyes glued to the script.
Seong Hyeon-woo had lived in his brother’s shadow. He had acted as the eldest son, cleaning up his brother’s messes, but the glory always went to his brother.
It was only natural. He was an illegitimate child. Internally, he harbored a darkness, feeling the injustice of this discrimination and plotting to take his brother’s place, but he concealed it all behind a mask of playfulness.
Living a life of quietly hiding his emotions, he finally found something he desired. Lee Seo-eun.
“Mr. Seong Hyeon-woo?”
Yu Yeon-seo, who had seamlessly become Seong Hyeon-woo, smiled faintly at the voice behind him. It was a smile mixed with longing and joy, one that naturally made you wonder about his hidden story.
Even if the camera wasn’t on him, he had to become Seong Hyeon-woo and act. The staff members watching held their breath as they observed him.
“I’m Lee Seo-eun.”
“Seong Hyeon-woo. Your Highness.”
Seong Hyeon-woo smiled warmly. Finding his smile unpleasant, Lee Seo-eun glanced around. There were too many people for a private meeting. Some were even taking pictures.
“Did it have to be here?”
Lee Seo-eun asked in a displeased tone, and Seong Hyeon-woo was supposed to reply playfully, ‘Yes, it had to be here.’ but... Yu Yeon-seo remained silent.
“Cut! Yeon-seo?”
Unable to watch any longer, the director stopped the filming. Shin Ye-won, also surprised, reached out and tapped the table with her index finger.
“Yeon-seo, what’s wrong?”
Staring blankly into space, Yu Yeon-seo suddenly ducked his head. Something dripped down. Fortunately, he caught it with his hand, so it didn’t stain his clothes. From across the table, he heard Shin Ye-won exclaim, “Huh? He’s having a nosebleed.”
“Excuse me. I’m his manager.”
Lee Tae-gyeom squeezed through the cameras and offered a handkerchief. On high alert because Im Seung-hyeon was away, Lee Tae-gyeom whispered.
“Hey, are you okay? Should we go to the restroom?”
Having received special orders from Im Seung-hyeon to take good care of the young master in his absence, Lee Tae-gyeom led Yu Yeon-seo to the restroom.
“A nosebleed, at a time like this.”
“Didn’t his smile look great just now? Should we film that?”
“Good idea. Do we have another camera?”
The director and staff, treating it as nothing serious, began to reset for the shoot. A nosebleed could happen in any everyday situation. No one thought it was a big deal.
“...Hey, should I tell them to wrap for the day?”
However, Lee Tae-gyeom, who knew the real situation, spoke cautiously as he watched the blood drip into the sink. There was quite a lot.
“It’s fine.”
His nose finally having stopped bleeding, Yu Yeon-seo lifted his head and frowned.
‘Seriously...’
The feeling had been good, but the form he could see above Shin Ye-won had completely shattered his concentration. A surge of anger rose within him—why did this only happen to him? It was no wonder the original owner of this body threw such hysterics.
‘I need to put personal matters aside for now.’
There was still a lot of filming left. If he stopped now, it would just look like he was halting production over a simple nosebleed. He closed his eyes and practiced mind control.
“Yeon-seo, are you okay now?”
“It’s stopped. I’m sorry.”
He had his makeup touched up and returned to his seat. His concentration was broken, but his strength was his ability to switch on and off quickly. Taking a deep breath, Yu Yeon-seo gave the okay sign.
“Yes, it had to be here.”
Seong Hyeon-woo spoke playfully, folding his arms and resting them on the table. He just gazed at Lee Seo-eun, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, with a look of deep sentiment. Lee Seo-eun thought, Why is this person staring so intensely? Unwilling to speak, she kept her lips tightly sealed.
“But, Your Highness.”
“What is it?”
“Have we met somewhere before?”
Lee Seo-eun frowned and leaned back.
“Wow, seriously, isn’t that line a little old-fashioned?”
“Ah... it didn’t work.”
Seong Hyeon-woo raised both hands in surrender and spoke languidly. Meanwhile, Lee Seo-eun was thinking, What the hell? He’s supposed to be well-behaved, so why is he acting like such a jerk?
“Do you dislike the idea of marrying me that much?”
“Yes, I have no intention of doing so.”
“You’ll do it even if you don’t want to.”
“What did you say?”
Seong Hyeon-woo glanced around the area.
“Why do you think I chose this place for our meeting?”
A second-floor cafe in a bustling downtown area, people recognizing them and snapping photos. Tomorrow’s front pages would be flooded with headlines like (Lee Seo-eun, dating the third-generation heir of Cheono Group) and (Princess Lee Seo-eun X Chaebol Heir Seong Hyeon-woo, a wedding for the ages?).
Lee Seo-eun shot him a horrified look.
“Hah! Mr. Seong Hyeon-woo, you’re very different from your reputation!”
“Were you that interested in me?”
“Of course not.”
There was no point in talking further. As Lee Seo-eun shot up from her seat, Seong Hyeon-woo spoke in a suddenly serious tone.
“I have a proposal. Would you please sit down again?”
“...”
“Please.”
In the end, Lee Seo-eun sighed and sat back down.
“Our princess needs me to inherit the throne. A first-rate groom who’s handsome with a good image, capable of boosting your approval ratings.”
Seong Hyeon-woo waggled his index finger before pointing it at himself. Even that gesture seemed flippant, and Lee Seo-eun crossed her arms and retorted sarcastically.
“Aren’t you embarrassed saying that about yourself?”
“And I need your power, too.”
“...Why?”
She hated being dragged into a one-sided relationship. But if Seong Hyeon-woo also needed her, that was a different story. Seeing his demeanor suddenly turn serious, Lee Seo-eun dropped her uncooperative posture and met his gaze.
“I’m tired of living in my brother’s shadow. For that, I need the imperial family.”
“And so?”
“Let’s make a contract.”
A gentle smile graced Seong Hyeon-woo’s lips as he looked at Lee Seo-eun. Though she doubted if this was really happening, she didn’t avert her gaze.
Even as they stared at each other in silence, a strange and subtle atmosphere formed between them. It felt like a battle of wills where neither would back down, yet with two actors famous for their masterful chemistry, the scene naturally softened.
“Cut! Okay!”
The director, who had kept the camera on the scene for a long time, shouted loudly.