A Front Row Seat
What did you say?
Wasnt this all orchestrated by Mother anyway?
What? What are you talking about?
While Yoomyeong was admiring Seon-ha, Seon-ha was even more astonished.
She had always thought of him as a talented junior.
Seon-ha, a drama enthusiast, had watched Showbiz Studies with great dedication.
She laughed and cried with Bohyungs character, srized by his versatile and captivating performances. However
Up close, its just incredible!
What would be the best seat to view a performance?
In a play, would it be the front row, where you could feel the actors breath? In a cinema, would it be the middle-back seats, where the entire screen was in view?
No, not quite.
Seon-ha thought that the best front row seat to watch an actors acting was being the actor acting opposite them. She wouldnt just feel their breath; itd be like feeling their very presence on her face.
The thrill of watching a good actor turn the tension she gave into sothing srizing right before her eyes was indescribable.
It was the luxury of experiencing that overwhelming vitality and imrsion from just a ter away. Today, she was feeling it fully.
The way he breathed as he received his lines, and the way his facial muscles seed to co alive with each word.
And the tension that ca from knowing that the scene would fall flat if she werent able to match his intensity.
However, it was not yet ti to draw her sword.
A little more. A bit more tension must build.
She feigned ignorance, dismissing his montum.
Bang-won What are you trying to say?
Swoosh
As Lady Kang turned to face Bang-won directly, the cara pivoted to match her movent, still showing her side profile.
There was a look of disbelief. A tear glistened in her beautiful eyes.
Mogeun (*Lee Saeks pen na) asked Father to accompany him to Ming, fearing Father might dethrone King Chang during his absence. Mother must have persuaded Father to send instead.
Why would I do such a thing?!
Maybe its because I earned too much credit during the Wihwado Retreat. Or perhaps you found botherso as Fathers favorite chess piece.
What are you talking about?
Bang-wons actions during the Wihwado Retreat were impressively agile. He anticipated Lee Seong-gyes moves, and although Lee Seong-Gye sent orders to evacuate his family, Bang-won had already departed northeast with the Lee family in tow by the ti they arrived.
Lee Seong-Gye was pleased to see that his son, Bang-won, the only one to pass the state examination, was quick to assess the situation. From then on, Bang-won rose in stature within the Lee family. This started to irk Lady Kang, who harbored ambitions for her own children.
If Im sent with the Ming envoys, Ill be out of Fathers sight, reducing his attention on .
Or perhaps you thought it wouldnt be too bad if Mogeun hard .
Bang-won!!
She closed her eyes tightly, as if she had heard sothing terrible.
The pressure caused tears to stream down, dripping off her chin.
I may not have given birth to you, but Ive always thought of you as my own child. I never ant to boast about raising you, but how can you misunderstand so cruelly?
Im the one whos hurt. I was the one who evacuated Mother and my siblings during the retreat. If not for that, then we might not be able to face each other like this.
Yes, you even begged for food in the villages to feed your hungry siblings. How could I think such things about you?
Exactly. That was unforgivably cruel
But you are capable of that, arent you, Mother?
It was an assertion and not a speculation.
There was no hint of conjecture in his matter-of-fact tone.
As his mocking words hit her, she wiped her tearful eyes with her long sleeve.
And when her face was revealed again
How long have you known?
Her expression had completely changed.
Her gentle and beautiful face remained, but her eyes were chillingly cold, reminiscent of a snake.
*
Finally, the cara captured her face head-on.
She looked at Bang-won with crystal-clear eyes.
Her expressionless face, showing no sign of sha despite being exposed, was eerily unsettling.
The mouse that hears the nights whispers told about Mothers plan to send in Fathers place.
Bang-won confessed to having a mouse (a secret agent who reports on the enemy).
I was shocked. To think that Ive been deceived by you for so long
And what do you propose we do about it? Your Father wont believe a word you say.
She tilted her head, already pondering her next move. She could eliminate him during the Ming Dynasty mission, or perhaps fabricate a situation to tarnish Bang-wons reputation in Lee Seong-Gyes eyes
But surprisingly, Bang-wons response was calm.
At first, I was hurt. I even deluded myself into thinking that soone had replaced the mother I knew. Feeling betrayed, I thought about telling Father.
She just stared at him despite his bitter and hurt tone, unresponsive.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized what the wise thing to do would be. Our goals are ultimately the sa, arent they? The success of our great cause.
The success of our great cause
She repeated the words to herself, realizing his intentions.
Were in the sa boat even those in hostile relations could join hands if their interests aligned.
In other words, he was proposing a strategic alliance.
My brothers are foolish, and your children are still young. Father is brave but not a strategist, and he worries too much about public opinion. The only person I can trust to make sound judgnts is you.
If you accept this alliance, then Ill let this matter slide.
The grand goal was to beco the master of a new dynasty. The struggle for who would be the next ruler was a problem for later.
In these perilous tis, with enemies inside and out, one of the strongest adversaries extended a hand.
They had to first achieve their goal before they could worry about who reaped the fruits.
In truth, Bang-won is the only one whose judgnt I can trust, too.
Confined within the inner quarters and with no real power except to influence Lee Seong-Gye, Lady Kang found Bang-wons proposal appealing.
Hes worryingly smart, but hes still green. It wont be too late to dispose of him after achieving our great cause.
With this quick calculation, she extended her hand.
Lets get along well, my son.
Yes, Mother.
With these hypocritical titles, their alliance was ford.
*
Cut!
Great work, everyone.
Phew
Yoomyeong was deeply impressed.
He had always heard that reactions were key in acting, but performing with her made him truly feel what that ant. The power of her reactions as she attentively listened to every line he threw and responded genuinely made the scenes feel real.
He was about to express his admiration for her acting, but she beat him to it.
Seon
Yoomyeong!!
Huh?
Wow youre no joke. Phew Im supposed to leave the audience breathless, but you almost took my breath away.
?
Youre really good at both speaking and listening. I felt like I truly beca Lady Kang while I was acting with you.
Uh
I knew it since our workshop. Shin Yoomyeong is the best!
She had said everything he wanted to say.
Thats what I was going to say
Ah Really? Is this what my theater colleagues an when they say its comfortable acting with ? Its easy to concentrate
I felt the sa.
Really? Were both pretty amazing, huh?
Yoomyeong chuckled at her genuinely surprised expression. Just then, Director Son approached them.
Ms. Lee Seon-ha, that was excellent!
Thank you, Director.
People from theater can sotis overact on cara, but you didnt do that at all.
I tend to act plainly on stage, too. And I practiced a lot.
I see. Maybe youre more suited for the cara than the stage?
Maybe? I should have gotten used to the cara earlier!
Lee Seon-ha joked brightly in response to the directors praise.
Yoomyeong, you must be tired of it, but
Yes??
Im sure youre tired of hearing praise, but you really did great.
Hahaha, Director, youre too much
Yoomyeong waved his hand, laughing.
Its okay as it is now, but I have a feeling that one more take could make it even better. Shall we take a short break before we go again?
Lets go right away!
No pressure.
A scene of sharp confrontation.
Despite its intensity, the scene was enjoyable due to the good chemistry with their co-actor.
Yoomyeong and Seon-ha readily agree to another take.
*
Yoomyeong still had one more scene left after finishing the shoot with Seon-ha.
Although it seed that Bang-won had revealed his true intentions in allying with Lady Kang, it was all a facade. It was filled with half-truths, a clever mix of sincerity and lies to deceive her.
After finishing his conversation with Lady Kang, he entered his room and summoned his personal vassalsoone who wasnt a follower of Lee Seong-Gye, but one who served Bang-won himself. The most trusted, and yet, not entirely.
Si-heon.
Yes, my lord.
Prepare for the diplomatic trip to MIng.
So you are going, after all.
Dont be mistaken, Bang-won spoke coldly.
Its my own decision to go to Ming. I just pretended to fall for Mothers trickery since I had to go anyway.
Although he was officially a diplomatic envoy, he was a hostage in reality.
Si-heon, who thought that Bang-won was going due to Lady Kangs sche, beca puzzled.
What do you hope to gain in Ming?
I need to understand the intentions of the capricious old Emperor of Ming.
What?
Whether he sincerely recognizes King Chang, how much he intends to interfere in Goryeos affairs, and whether Ming would beco our enemy should our great cause succeed.
Bang-wons foresight always went beyond the imdiate; he planned not just one step but several steps ahead, preparing for various contingencies.
The imdiate enemies might be the powerful families and the remaining loyalists of Goryeo, but the greater future threat will be Ming. Its wise to stay out of the attention of an overwhelming enemy or to step into the shadows.
Bang-wons eyes glead with determination.
If only Mogeun goes, then who knows how that sly old man might influence the Emperor of Ming. Thats why soone loyal to Father must be in the delegationto read the Emperors intentions and to keep Mogeun in check.
So thats your plan.
Yes. Who else but could do it? There might be others, but Im the only one within our faction who could manage it.
The statent There might be others referred to his teacher, Jeong Mong-ju.
This implied that only he was capable of matching his teachers abilities. Although he was confident, he didnt sound arrogant.
Of course. Theres no one else but you, Young Master.
Right. By going, Im rely incurring a debt to Mother and planting a small misunderstanding.
There was no spy.
The conclusion that Lady Kang was the reason why Lee Seong-Gye recomnded Bang-won for the diplomatic mission was entirely derived from Bang-wons insight. And Lady Kang, perfectly deceived, now harbored the misunderstanding that Bang-won would never have discovered her true nature had it not been for the spy.
If she hadnt misunderstood, she might have tried to eliminate Bang-won first, as he would be a significant obstacle in her sons path.
His sarcastic tone,
The look of betrayal,
And the naive offer of suggesting they join handsit was all calculated acting.
Bang-won allowed himself a faint smile, satisfied that everything was playing out in the palm of his hand.
OkayExcellent!
The director gave a thumbs up.
Shootings over. Lets start packing up, everyone!
team wrapped up the scenes in Mungyeong.
Their next location scheduled was in China.
After a few more local shoots, the critical tea conversations scenes would be shot at a dedicated set being built in Yongin.
Take a full days rest, and Ill see you at the airport the day after tomorrow!
The assistant director, with dark circles under his eyes, shouted out.
The rest was ant for the actors; the staff would be leaving tomorrow to prepare for the overseas shoot. The hectic schedule was expected to continue due to the cost of filming abroad.
However, Yoomyeong was looking forward to it.
They would be acting out the diplomatic interplay between Jeong Mong-ju and Lee Bang-won on the vast lands of China.
Yoomyeongs chest swelled with rising ambition, eagerly anticipating the start of his first overseas location shoot.
You can rate this serieshere.
Join our discord for updates
User Comments
0 comments from readers