"How about Senior Ryu Shin?"
Given his talent, it wouldn't have been surprising if he had already landed a major role. Yet strangely, there had been no news about him.
"Uh... haven't you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"Right after you joined the film, Senior Ryu Shin also joined a historical drama. I thought you already knew."
"Really?"
"You didn't know?"
Since last year, Ryu Shin had devoted himself to acting practice rather than taking on projects, trying to overcome the defeat he had suffered against Yoomyeong. Of course, Yuri, Hye Seon, and Suho all knew this, but they avoided mentioning it to Yoomyeong out of consideration for Ryu Shin's pride.
And then this year, around the same time Yoomyeong joined a historical film, Ryu Shin chose a historical drama.
Was it really just a coincidence?
Upon hearing this, Miho laughed as though he found it amusing.
{Ha! That's so like him, kyung.}
"Maybe it's just a coincidence?"
{With anyone else, maybe. But not him. Ever since he returned to acting as a child actor, scripts must have been pouring in. And out of all of them, he just happens to choose a historical drama now? It has to be because of you.}
"Do you really think so?"
{People often bite off more than they can chew. It's like trying to climb a cliff without a rope—a stubborn determination to try even when it seems impossible. And that's exactly what he's like, only several times more intense, kyung.}
Suddenly, Miho turned sharply toward Yoomyeong and asked,
{Why don't you do another project with him?}
"Huh?"
{I want to see the two of you go head-to-head again.}
"Uh... maybe we'll end up working together someday."
{Someday isn't good enough. Do it soon.}
Yoomyeong chuckled at Miho's persistence and stroked his lush tail.
The sensation of the fluffy tail wrapping around his hand calmed his mind.
Tomorrow was the day.
The confrontation between a fully matured Lee Bang-won and Jeong Mong-ju, who was sharpening his final sword, was finally about to happen.
Yoomyeong slowly closed his eyes, recalling the spirit Hansung's Jeong Mong-ju had displayed during filming in China.
Lee Bang-won.
A man who seemed born with a burning desire for conquest engraved in his heart.
Yoomyeong might not fully understand such ambition, but just as he could never give up acting regardless of his circumstances...
Perhaps the throne was the same for Lee Bang-won.
{Let's get some sleep. Yawn.}
Yoomyeong followed Miho and went to bed early.
He wanted to be in the best possible condition for tomorrow.
There were about six tile-roofed houses built on the set.
One was Lee Seong Gye's meticulously constructed residence, while the other five were merely facades built for the camera.
The Yongin set had been under construction since pre-production.
Scenes such as Lee Seong Gye's sickbed visit, Bang-won's tea conversation, and the events unfolding beyond their sightlines required carefully designed sets that exploited specific blind spots in the camera's field of view.
The production designer's effort was evident everywhere—from the furniture filling each room to the paintings adorning the walls. Even the flowers in the garden were meticulously maintained, displaying vibrant beauty.
"Yoomyeong~"
"Are you doing well, Mother?"
"Ah! Mother! How I wish I had a son like you."
Yoomyeong's playful reply brought a motherly smile to Seon-ha's face. After all, she could have had a son like Yoomyeong if she had gotten into trouble at seventeen.
"This place is so beautiful. I'm going to ask them to sell it to me once we're done filming."
"It's a set, so it looks great, but it probably doesn't even have plumbing or heating."
"Ah, that's a problem. How was China?"
There hadn't been a scene for Seon-ha since the Mungyeong set, meaning it had been nearly three weeks since they had last met.
"Hansung hyung stole the show."
"Hansung?"
"You'll be surprised when you see it. It was incredible."
"He's always been good."
"He went beyond that."
"Wow. I should've gone too!"
Seon-ha's eyes widened even further.
She was naturally expressive—not only in acting but in real life as well. The ability to be genuinely surprised and sincerely impressed by small things, especially as one grew older, was a blessing for an actor.
After both actors finished their costumes and makeup, Director Son gathered them for instructions.
"It's been four years since the two formed their alliance."
"Yes."
"That's right."
"During that time, their relationship has changed. At the time of the alliance, their power dynamic appeared equal—at least on the surface. But now, Bang-won's insight and momentum overwhelmingly surpass Lady Kang's."
"Yes."
"So Lady Kang is gradually losing her composure, while Bang-won calmly and confidently asserts his views. Do you understand?"
"Of course."
"Good. Let's go with that feeling. Lady Kang will face directly forward, while Bang-won will be slightly turned to the side. Lady Kang has revealed everything and faces him directly, while Bang-won remains somewhat turned away. Remember that in your blocking."
"Got it!"
The year Jeong Mong-ju was assassinated.
The year Joseon was founded.
What stories lay hidden behind those events?
They were stories created by Director Son—stories that no one could definitively claim ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) had never happened.
A secret battle of wits was about to unfold.
Having sent the servants away under the pretense of taking a walk, they engaged in a dangerous conversation.
"Po Eun has sent word that he will come to visit."
"I've heard."
Seon-ha's voice quickened slightly, revealing Lady Kang's anxiety, unease, and ambition.
Meanwhile, Bang-won leisurely plucked a leaf from a drooping branch and slowly traced its veins with his finger.
"We must kill him."
Crack.
Lady Kang's voice broke.
It had been four years since the Wihwado Retreat.
She was anxious.
Lee Seong Gye wanted to obtain the throne peacefully through abdication. Thus, he continued to wait through the reigns of King Woo, King Chang, and King Gongyang.
The years 1391 and 1392 were the period when Jeong Mong-ju and King Gongyang joined forces in a final struggle to preserve the Goryeo dynasty.
In the fall of 1391, continuous petitions from Jeong Mong-ju's faction led to Jeong Do-jeon's exile.
Early in 1392, Lee Seong Gye fell from his horse and was injured. While recovering on Byeokran Island, his allies Jo Jun, Nam Eun, and Yun So-jong were exiled one after another.
It was the final counterattack of the Goryeo loyalists.
Lady Kang grew increasingly anxious.
Why was her husband still waiting instead of simply taking the throne?
Fearing that all their efforts might come to nothing, she repeatedly tried to persuade Lee Seong Gye.
Yet he remained unwavering in his determination to ascend the throne peacefully.
"If we kill Jeong Mong-ju, there will be no one left to threaten us. Kill him."
There was something ghastly about her expression—not a forced smile, nor an emotionless face, but a twisted look filled with anxiety and murderous intent.
Yoomyeong inwardly admired the expression and replied,
"Let's try to persuade him one last time."
"If he were someone who could be persuaded, we wouldn't be in this situation."
"He's too valuable to lose."
"Do you want all of us to end up dead because of one valuable man?!"
Bang-won met her sharp criticism without losing his composure.
"We need to set a trap. It'll be interesting to see whether the proud Po Eun chooses capture... or death."
"How can you possibly set a trap for such a cunning man?!"
As her voice rose too high, Bang-won gave her a piercing look.
Startled by his gaze, Seon-ha instinctively stepped back.
It felt like a reprimand.
Like a superior looking down upon an inferior.
Overwhelmed by the force of Bang-won's presence, she reacted naturally despite having planned the scene.
Without taking his eyes off her, Bang-won crushed the leaf in his hand.
Green sap stained his palm, and a droplet fell to the ground.
"We'll set a trap along the path of the hunter who's preparing a trap of his own."
"Even the most cautious hunter lowers his guard when he believes he's the one doing the hunting."
What kind of trap is he planning?
"Can't you see?"
Bang-won smiled faintly.
For a brief moment, the facade peeled away, revealing a glimpse of his true nature.
Gulp.
Lady Kang swallowed hard.
The expression was so unfamiliar that it was difficult to believe he was the same person she had known since childhood.
"I can see it."
Lady Kang stared blankly at him, unable to grasp the meaning of his words.
The twenty-six-year-old man had already become a monster beyond her comprehension.
"This is amazing. Lee Bang-won's charisma is unbelievable."
"If it keeps going like this, the quality will be incredible."
"Do you think we'll get a bonus?"
The staff buzzed with excitement.
The first shoot at Yongin had begun exceptionally well.
The sixteen-year-old Lee Bang-won, already intense despite his youth, had fully matured ten years later.
At twenty-six, he had become a man perfected beyond reason for his age—born with extraordinary talent, guided by remarkable mentors, and constantly refining himself through his own thoughts and insights.
Taejong Lee Bang-won was a man who even calculated his own cruel image for practical purposes.
Director Son's vision of Lee Bang-won had been fully realized.
Standing on set, Director Son felt a surge of emotion.
If we can maintain this level of tension throughout the next month of filming the tea conversation scenes, this final work of mine will become the masterpiece of a lifetime.
For that to happen, another character would need to match this intensity.
Director Son turned toward another actor sitting calmly in the waiting area and watching Yoomyeong's performance.
His face, still slightly gaunt from a six-day fast, carried a tense atmosphere.
Yet his presence was overwhelming, as though the tension itself were wrapped around his body.
In twenty years of knowing Hansung, Director Son had never seen him like this.
It's embarrassing. They say one actor awakens another, but even after working with him several times, I couldn't draw out this level of talent.
A conversation over tea.
On the day Jeong Mong-ju visited Lee Seong Gye, he met Bang-won and shared tea with him.
Why had Jeong Mong-ju visited Lee Seong Gye at a time when their conflict had become so intense?
Was it simply the duty of a thirty-year friend visiting an ill companion?
Or was it to verify whether Lee Seong Gye was truly injured and plan his next move?
At a time when their relationship had reached such extremes, that seemed too weak a reason to walk willingly into the enemy's lair.
Though Jeong Mong-ju was often portrayed as an elegant and virtuous scholar, he also knew how to employ extreme measures when necessary.
In other words, he knew how to restrain and conceal himself until those measures became necessary.
He had orchestrated the exile of his old friend Jeong Do-jeon by attacking his humble origins.
He had also ordered the execution of Jo Jun and Nam Eun during their exile.
With all his carefully laid plans on the verge of collapse due to Lee Seong Gye's return, could his purpose truly have been no more than a sick visit?
Director Son's script answered that question differently.
It interpreted Jeong Mong-ju's visit as an attempt to assassinate Lee Seong Gye.
Lee Seong Gye was the greatest warrior in Goryeo.
An assassination attempt would have been reckless if he were not truly injured.
But if he really was hurt, then the opportunity was too good to pass up.
To prepare for the possibility that even the rumor of his fall was part of a strategy, Jeong Mong-ju came under the guise of a sick visit to observe the situation and verify the truth of the injury.
Meanwhile, after hearing of Jeong Mong-ju's planned visit, Bang-won discerned his intentions.
The tea conversation scene would unfold as the final strategic battle between Jeong Mong-ju, who intended to kill Lee Seong Gye, and Lee Bang-won, who was setting a trap to win him over.
