"S-Seoyeon, don't be too nervous. You know, right? The other actors will teach you a lot. So you have to make sure to say 'thank you,' okay?"
"Yes."
The first filming day for *The Moon Embracing the Sun* had arrived.
Time flowed swiftly, as if the recent frenzy over the released making-of video had been a lie.
After about a month passed, there were still people who greeted her, but the number of those asking this and that had decreased compared to before.
And today.
Seoyeon was on her way to the set for her official drama filming.
Naturally, in her mother Sua's car.
"Seoyeon, you really need to find an agency, right?"
Examining her beautifully dressed daughter's face, Sua cautiously brought up the topic.
Perhaps, if it were other mothers or child actors, they would be dying to join an agency.
But Seoyeon's case was different.
"If you come to our GH Entertainment, we will do our best to help Seoyeon become a great actress. Please contact us."
"Seoyeon's mother. You know us, right? We are Biendel, where actor Kim Myung-chul is affiliated. Since we are an actor-exclusive management agency, we are particularly confident in nurturing actors. A talented child actor like Seoyeon needs to start learning in a good environment..."
Sua had already received a handful of business cards.
Among them were several managements and agencies whose names she had even heard of.
Since she was still young, her possibilities as an actress, model, idol, and so on were infinite, so it was no wonder she was receiving so many love calls.
"But..."
Sua hesitated over something.
Once she joined an agency, there would truly be no turning back from then on.
'Even though it feels like a bit too much has already come.'
Still, the one in charge of Seoyeon was herself, her mother.
However, if she joined an agency, she would get a manager, and unlike now, she would be carrying out various schedules, including acting lessons.
Especially since Seoyeon had gathered a lot of attention recently, they might already prepare her for various entertainment shows or auditions.
"I'll think about the agency slowly."
Saying so, Seoyeon slowly opened the car door.
It was because they had finally arrived at the filming set.
'Being affiliated with a company already is a bit...'
The company life she experienced in her past life vividly came to mind.
But a 6-year-old her joining a company already?
No matter how much she felt attracted to being an actress, it wasn't the time yet.
Seoyeon also needed mental preparation.
Truly.
Click!
As soon as Seoyeon stepped out at the set, the sound of something being photographed was heard.
When she turned her head, she saw someone presumed to be a reporter shoving a camera toward her.
"Joo Seoyeon! Is it true that you got into this audition through Director Park Sung-woong's recommendation? What do you think is the reason you passed the audition instead of Jo Seo-hee, who is recognized as a talented child actor?"
At the reporter's action of pouring out words in an instant, Seoyeon momentarily flinched and stepped back.
Since it was their first time experiencing this, neither Seoyeon nor Sua knew how to react in such a situation.
They hadn't even expected a reporter to be there, and the question itself was extremely provocative.
"You! Who are you right now! Who are you to cause a nuisance at the filming set!!"
Someone came running, shouting loudly toward the two who were bewildered.
Then, the reporter who had shoved the camera jumped in fright and disappeared in an instant.
"Hah, what kind of era do they think this is. Hah! Just let me catch who that was."
The man who came running, panting heavily, was Heo Jeong-su, the camera director of *The Moon Embracing the Sun*.
He looked around once more and then gestured to Seoyeon and Sua.
It meant to hurry inside the set.
Then Sua asked in a small voice.
"U-um, is it okay for me to go in too?"
"Hah, it's fine. It's not like Seoyeon has an agency or anything."
For Seoyeon, who currently had neither an agency nor a manager, Sua needed to assist with that role to some extent.
In fact, Sua was no different from a manager.
"Reporters usually don't come to the set, so we let our guard down. If only I knew that guy's name, I wouldn't even call him for interviews in the future."
Tsking, Heo Jeong-su glanced at Seoyeon.
'That kid, she's quite bright-eyed and spirited.'
She must have been flustered, but seeing her stand there bravely was truly remarkable.
'I hope she keeps this up on set too.'
In the previous audition, Heo Jeong-su was the person who gave Seoyeon a precious vote.
Looking purely at acting skills, it was clear that Jo Seo-hee was neater than Seoyeon.
However, the one who moved emotions was Seoyeon.
Moreover, considering her short acting career, her physical acting was surprisingly impressive.
'For Princess Yeonhwa, this child is definitely the right fit.'
Thinking of the story, he believed that emotional delivery was more important for Princess Yeonhwa than neat acting.
Especially when thinking of the scene in Episode 3.
Of course, that was just his thought, and there were quite a few on set who thought otherwise.
Heo Jeong-su was inwardly worried about what if they gave her a hard time.
"No matter what anyone says during filming, don't lose your spirit, and just do the acting you do best."
The camera director said so, comforting Seoyeon.
It was probably said with good intentions, but from Seoyeon's perspective, it was quite a burdensome statement.
'Ah, I'm quite disliked.'
If Seoyeon were a simple six-year-old, she would have brushed it off, but with her memories from her past life, she could roughly guess the situation.
To the actors, Jo Seo-hee was a proper elite prospect.
And she was a rock that had suddenly rolled in as Director Jo Bang-woo's parachute.
Naturally, even if not everyone, there could be plenty of people who disliked her.
"Director Gong! Seoyeon has arrived!"
As she entered the set, all eyes instantly focused on Seoyeon.
Director Gong merely gave a slight nod as if telling her to come in.
Some staff members told her not to be too nervous and simply gave a brief greeting.
'So that's the kid.'
'The child who became a hot topic in this child actor audition.'
Various emotions were exchanged.
Curiosity.
Complicated thoughts toward the child who made a name for herself overnight.
They flew at Seoyeon as if to pierce her.
Fortunately, there was no hostility.
That alone allowed Seoyeon to feel relieved.
"Seoyeon, Mom will be watching from behind, so you have to do well, okay?"
"Yes."
First, she needed to change clothes and get her makeup done.
While being guided by the staff, Seoyeon thought about today's filming.
'Fortunately, Director Gong is someone who films dramas almost in order.'
Naturally, Seoyeon had also done some research on drama filming.
On a filming set, the director was truly the king.
And their filming styles varied wildly.
Directors who film the important scenes first.
Directors who film everything possible in one location all at once, etc.
There were many cases where they didn't film the video necessarily according to the story.
Among them, Director Gong preferred to film the video in the order of the script.
Of course, there didn't seem to be much distinction between scenes.
'Well, anyway, young Lee Hye-wol's appearance is scheduled for about up to Episode 3 at most.'
For reference, this wasn't certain either.
If the acting was unstable or there seemed to be a problem, they would reduce her screen time.
In her past life, Jo Seo-hee only appeared in *The Moon Embracing the Sun* twice.
It was a great humiliation for Jo Seo-hee, who was called the princess of daily dramas.
'First, let's say hello.'
What do you do first when you come to a filming set?
Greetings, unconditionally.
After finishing her filming preparations, Seoyeon immediately wandered around the set.
'She must have come for today's filming.'
Such greetings should always start with the most senior actor.
Seoyeon went straight to the actor with the longest acting career on set today.
It was actress Jeong Eun-seon, who played the role of Grand Duchess Eunhye.
"Hello, I'm Joo Seoyeon!"
Placing her hands politely at her waist, she bowed deeply.
If she greeted like this, most people would warmly accept Seoyeon.
"...Yes, nice to meet you."
But Jeong Eun-seon's reaction was somewhat subtle.
Should I say it felt like she was displeased...?
No, maybe it felt a bit different.
"You did well at the audition before. It was excellent acting."
"Ah, yes! Thank you for looking kindly upon it."
"However..."
She briefly scanned Seoyeon up and down.
It was an expression hard to read.
Was it because she was an actress?
"...No, let's confirm this during the acting."
Jeong Eun-seon said so and took her eyes off Seoyeon.
At her reaction, other actors could be seen gauging the atmosphere.
It was evident that they were paying close attention to every reaction of the senior actress.
'Is this dangerous?'
Thinking of the scene they were filming today of all days, Jeong Eun-seon's reaction like this was not good.
If the person she had to match her acting with disliked her...
It could become truly difficult.
---
"Now, I believe everyone has familiarized themselves with today's script. The scene numbers we'll be filming today are 1 and 2."
Clap, clap. The filming director clapped his hands and began giving simple acting directions to the actors.
Historical dramas usually required a large number of extras when filming.
Especially when set in the palace, there were quite a lot of necessary parts, including the court ladies.
"We'll film the second scene first, so we'll start right away as soon as preparations are done."
At the director's words, the actors on set moved busily.
The second scene was easier to film first.
Compared to the first scene, which required various extras, the second scene only had two people appearing.
'Will it be okay?'
'The senior's reaction wasn't good...'
'Since she liked Jo Seo-hee so much.'
The supporting actors observed Jeong Eun-seon's mood and looked at Seoyeon as if pitying her.
Getting on the bad side of a veteran actor made an actor's life difficult in many ways.
Even for a child actor, this wasn't much different.
"If you're all ready, we're going to cue."
At the filming director's sign, the cameras uniformly turned toward Seoyeon and actress Jeong Eun-seon.
Toward Princess Yeonhwa and Grand Duchess Eunhye.
The location was Grand Duchess Eunhye's quarters.
It was the scene where Princess Yeonhwa, who had secretly sneaked out of the palace, gets caught by Grand Duchess Eunhye and gets scolded.
Seoyeon closed her eyes and slowly recalled Princess Yeonhwa's disposition.
'The tomboy Princess Yeonhwa frequently sneaks out of the palace and mingles with the commoners.'
Meeting Yun Seo-il outside the palace was also entirely because of that.
It is an easy-to-understand personality.
This bright personality of Princess Yeonhwa doesn't change much until near the end of Episode 3.
"Now, then... Action!!"
Along with Director Gong Jeong-tae's shout, the camera started rolling.
The first to speak was Grand Duchess Eunhye's side.
In the tranquil bedchamber of Grand Duchess Eunhye, the Grand Duchess's eyes quietly turned to Lee Hye-wol.
A simple gaze.
But her upright posture showed her personality, and her blade-like eyes clearly revealed what Grand Duchess Eunhye was feeling right now.
"I heard you went outside the palace again."
A voice containing a faint, stern anger.
Even though it was an unremarkable line, the dignity and power of a veteran actress could be felt.
As if the real Grand Duchess Eunhye was there.
"This is already the fifth time. The dignity, conduct, and responsibility of a princess! Is it that enjoyable to throw all that away and roam around outside?"
Not all actors deeply immerse themselves in emotions every time they act.
There were many times they made mistakes, and depending on the situation, there were times when laughter burst out.
But actress Jeong Eun-seon was different.
She was a master of method acting, possessing deeper emotions than anyone else.
She never got her lines wrong, and her pronunciation was precise.
Her emotions were even more distinct.
Therefore, an ordinary actor couldn't help but feel immense pressure just by standing in front of her.
'This is...'
Director Gong Jeong-tae, who was quietly watching, frowned.
He had expected it, but actress Jeong Eun-seon did not accommodate Seoyeon at all.
Sincere from the start.
She clashed with her acting with all her heart and might.
'Actually, that's the natural thing to do... but.'
Naturally, to pull out a better scene, all actors had to be sincere.
But this was Seoyeon's first drama filming.
Especially since Seoyeon was a child whose strength was emotional acting.
Just like actress Jeong Eun-seon.
Naturally, the pressure had to be twice as big.
So everyone waited for Seoyeon's acting that would follow.
Whether she could act properly.
Or rather, they were curious if she could even deliver her lines properly.
Actors facing Jeong Eun-seon for the first time often forgot their lines due to her force.
"I only wished to watch the lives of the common people from a closer distance."
However, as if that fear was unfounded, nonchalant words flowed from Princess Yeonhwa's mouth.
Clearly, a vivid fear could be felt in her eyes.
But that fear was Princess Yeonhwa's emotion toward Grand Duchess Eunhye, not toward 'actress Jeong Eun-seon.'
"I know you are worried, Your Highness. However, I, resembling Your Highness, am a straightforward... a dignified member of the royal family and a princess. A great princess must know how to look at the world, not just the narrow palace."
It was the acting of Princess Yeonhwa who, in front of the elder of the palace, was mischievous and, in a way, sly.
The Princess Yeonhwa shown at the audition had a more mature side.
But now, she appropriately expressed Princess Yeonhwa, who was still immature at the age of eight in the drama.
She didn't show any sign of being intimidated by Grand Duchess Eunhye, by actress Jeong Eun-seon, at all.
Acting that seemed to prove that she was the winner of the audition.
'Not a single line mistake.'
The amazing thing wasn't just that acting.
The implicitly difficult part of child acting was the lines.
Especially in historical dramas, there were many difficult words, so child actors tended to struggle even more.
But without a single mistake.
Without any mumbled pronunciation, Seoyeon delivered her lines.
When she came to her senses, the first scene was already finished.
'Wow.'
The staff who watched that clapped fiercely in their hearts.
The other actors also showed evident expressions of surprise.
'At this level, even the senior...'
No matter how much Jeong Eun-seon favored Jo Seo-hee, she would have no choice but to acknowledge Seoyeon's acting.
That's what they thought.
"Hmm."
But, for some reason.
Jeong Eun-seon's face, as she looked at Seoyeon's face, was slightly frowned.
Was the acting not to her liking?
No way. Seoyeon's acting just now was the best a child actor could show.
It might be because there were no big movements, but looking at just now, she was definitely better than Jo Seo-hee.
"You said you were Seoyeon, right?"
It was then that Jeong Eun-seon, who had been choosing her words for a moment, opened her mouth.
"There is no emotion in your acting."
Those unexpected words.
"You are not acting with sincerity."
Were enough to freeze the once peaceful set in an instant.