Chapter 119: The Phoenix (1).
Chapter 119 < The Crane (1). >
He couldnt afford to neglect the matter that had suddenly come up, even though he had more accomplices now.
After leaving the investigation to Im Seung-hyun, Yoo Yeon Seo arrived at the filming site of The Crane.
Oh? You came early. You still have some time before your shoot, Yeon Seo.
Yes, I came to watch.
Actually, this wasnt the place where he was supposed to film. But it was easier to understand the whole flow of the drama if he watched as many scenes as possible.
The well-made set, the elegance and beauty of the traditional Korean house, and the colorful linen curtains fluttering in the wind were captured on the monitor. The visual quality was impressive even without any post-processing.
After a brief camera adjustment, the scene between Lee Seo-eun, played by Shin Ye-won, and her uncle and the current emperor, Lee Wook, began.
Lee Seo-eun tossed her head back nervously and crossed the courtyard. She was more noticeable for her aura than her luxury suit, high heels, and sparkling accessories. She had a presence that matched her reputation as a veteran actress.
Is he in there?
Just a moment, Your Highness.
Ignoring the court ladys attempt to stop her, Lee Seo-eun flung open the door and stared at the back of Lee Wook, who was managing the orchid.
Uncle.
Youre still the same. I said I wanted some time alone
Its not my fault.
She glanced at the newspaper that was lying next to the orchid and said. The newspaper had the headlines: (Princess Lee Seo-euns abuse of power scandaldropping popularity. Is the Korean Empire okay with this?) (Current emperors collusion controversy, is the crane fake? Conspiracy theories spread) on the front page.
I know. Its Lee Kang, that bastard.
But why a marriage proposal all of a sudden?
The royal family had quickly explained that the abuse of power scandal was not true, but the public was already having a field day with the princess who had caused trouble. She knew it was wise to let it pass quietly in this situation.
But a marriage proposal out of the blue? It was no different from getting rid of the troublesome princess.
Are you trying to marry me off and make Lee Kang your heir?
Dont say such horrible things. Hes a scoundrel who will ruin the country.
Then why!
Lee Kang, the only son of the current emperor, who was always causing trouble. Lee Seo-eun was frustrated by everything, including her grandfather who she couldnt understand at all.
Seo-eun.
Lee Wook, who had only shown his back, turned around and looked at Lee Seo-eun. He had a stern expression, but a gentle smile on his lips.
Cheon-oh Group is a good match, isnt it? We can also form a business alliance with them.
But hes the second son. Im just cleaning up after my brother.
Everyone knew that the second son of Cheon-oh Group was a bastard.
Lee Wooks cheek muscles twitched slightly at Lee Seo-euns innocent answer. But it was only for a moment. He smiled again, looking friendly.
Hes like you, then.
Are you teasing me right now?
No, Im always sorry for you.
Lee Wook smiled meaningfully and approached his niece.
Its better that hes the second son. You can just bring him in as a consort
Just meet him once. He has a good image, so he might help you raise your popularity.
Lee Wook patted Lee Seo-euns shoulder. Lee Seo-eun glanced at the hand on her shoulder. Lately, she felt a chill from Lee Wooks touch.
By the way, do you have anything on your mind these days?
Ill go.
He even said something weird. Lee Seo-eun frowned and turned to leave. The court ladies who had been holding their breath closed the door.
Tsk, whats so good about that stubborn girl that he had to arrange a marriage for her first?
Well, thats good for me, though. Lee Wook clicked his tongue and carefully wiped off the dust on the orchid.
As Lee Seo-eun was crossing the garden, a woman followed her. The woman, who had prominent cheekbones, whispered in a voice full of joy.
Your Highness, is it true that you got a marriage proposal from Seong Hyun-woo?
Choi Court Lady, do you really like him?
Of course. Hes Seong Hyun-woo, you know. Dont you know?
I dont.
Choi Court Lady was the comic relief of The Crane, playing Lee Seo-euns secretary and friend.
Hes the nations husband material. Hes handsome, well-behaved, and has no bad rumors. Hes more popular than most celebrities these days.
Really?
She explained with a cheerful voice, or secretly watched the two main characters romance and enjoyed it. That was her role. Lee Seo-eun was intrigued by Choi Court Ladys explanation.
So, are you going to reject him?
Ill see him.
Just then, a negative news about Lee Seo-eun came up on the electronic board at Gwanghwamun Square. She sighed softly as she saw it.
Cut! Good job! Ah, youre amazing, Ye-won!
The director of The Crane, Gu Do-hyun, gave Shin Ye-won a thumbs up. Shin Ye-won, who nodded with a smile, saw Yoo Yeon Seo standing in front of the monitor and widened his eyes.
Are you here already?
Yes. I just wanted to get a feel for the flow.
Thats why youre improving so fast.
Shin Ye-won smiled and stood next to Yoo Yeon Seo. Even though Shin Ye-won was wearing high heels, Yoo Yeon Seo was still a head taller than her.
They had a chemistry that came from their size difference, and the camera that was filming the behind-the-scenes didnt miss them.
Lets move quickly!
The filming team and the two actors moved to a nearby cafe after finishing all the shooting at the palace.
There were already a lot of people gathered, probably because the shooting was announced.
Wow, its Yoo Yeon Seo.
Crazy, awesome.
Yoo Yeon Seo got out of the van and quickly entered the cafe.
The screams of the spectators were heard belatedly.
Inside the cafe, there were extras sitting at the tables. They must have been waiting since early morning for this short scene.
From now on, Im Seong Hyun-woo.
Yoo Yeon Seo checked his half-pulled-back hair and didnt take his eyes off the script.
Seong Hyun-woo had lived in his brothers shadow. He had done the eldest sons duty by cleaning up his brothers mess, but the glory always went to his brother.
It was natural. He was a bastard. He felt the injustice of this discrimination and harbored a darkness to take his brothers place, but he didnt show it and wrapped it up with a mask of cunning.
He had a wish for the first time in his life. It was Lee Seo-eun.
Mr. Seong Hyun-woo?
Yoo Yeon Seo, who had become Seong Hyun-woo and sat down, smiled faintly at the voice he felt behind him. It was a smile that made him curious about his situation, mixed with longing and joy.
The camera wasnt on him, but he had to act as Seong Hyun-woo himself. The staff who watched this held their breath and looked at Yoo Yeon Seo.
Its Lee Seo-eun.
Im Seong Hyun-woo. Your Highness.
Seong Hyun-woo smiled happily. Lee Seo-eun, who thought his smile was unpleasant, looked around slightly.
There were too many people for them to meet. There were even people taking pictures.
Did it have to be here?
Lee Seo-eun said in a displeased voice, and Seong Hyun-woo was supposed to answer cunningly, Yes, it had to be here. But Yoo Yeon Seo was silent.
Cut! Mr. Yu?
The director stopped the shooting reluctantly. Shin Ye-won was surprised and tapped the table with her index finger.
Yeon Seo, whats wrong?
Yoo Yeon Seo stared blankly at the air and lowered his head.
Something dropped with a thud.
Fortunately, he blocked it with his hand and it didnt stain his clothes. Shin Ye-won, who was sitting across from him, heard him say, Hey, hes bleeding from his nose.
Excuse me. Im the manager.
Lee Tae-gyeom came in between the cameras and handed him a handkerchief. Lee Tae-gyeom, who was nervous because Lim Seung-hyun wasnt there, whispered.
Hey, are you okay? Do you want to go to the bathroom?
Lee Tae-gyeom, who had received Lim Seung-hyuns special order to take care of him when he wasnt there, took Yoo Yeon Seo to the bathroom.
Hes bleeding from his nose at this timing.
Wasnt his smile bad earlier? Should we film that?
Good, do we have more cameras?
The director and the staff didnt take it seriously and prepared for the shooting again. Nosebleeds could happen in everyday situations. No one took it seriously.
Hey, should we call off the shooting?
But Lee Tae-gyeom, who knew the truth, said cautiously as he saw the blood falling on the sink. There was quite a lot.
Its okay.
Yoo Yeon Seo, who barely stopped the bleeding, lifted his head and frowned.
Oh, really.
He felt good, but he couldnt help but lose his immersion because of the figure above Shin Ye-won. He suddenly felt angry that this only happened to him. The original body in his memory didnt have such a hysterical reaction.
I have to put my personal matters aside for a while.
There was still a lot of shooting left. If he ended it like this, it would look like he was quitting the shooting because of a nosebleed. He closed his eyes and did mind control.
Mr. Yu, are you okay now?
It stopped. Im sorry.
He fixed his makeup and sat down again. He lost his immersion, but his strength was that he could switch on and off quickly. Yoo Yeon Seo gave the okay sign.
Yes, it had to be here.
Seong Hyun-woo said cunningly and crossed his arms on the table. He only looked at Lee Seo-eun with a new eye, who he met after a long time. Lee Seo-eun thought, why is he looking at me so uncomfortably? She closed her mouth tightly because she didnt want to talk.
But, Your Highness.
What?
Havent we met somewhere before?
Lee Seo-eun frowned and pulled her head back.
Wow, really, isnt that an old-fashioned way?
Ah It doesnt work.
Seong Hyun-woo raised his hands to show his surrender and said languidly. Lee Seo-eun actually thought, why are you acting so badly when youre supposed to be decent?
Do you hate having a marriage meeting with me that much?
Yes, I dont feel like doing it at all.
Youll have to do it anyway, right?
What did you say?
Seong Hyun-woo glanced around.
Why do you think I chose this place as the meeting spot?
A cafe on the second floor of a busy street, where people recognized them and snapped photos. By tomorrow, the front page of the newspaper would be flooded with articles like (Lee Seo-eun, dating the third generation of Cheon-o Group) (Princess Lee Seo-eun X Chaebol third generation Seong Hyun-woo, the wedding of the century?).
Lee Seo-eun shot him a horrified look.
Huh! Mr. Seong Hyun-woo, arent you very different from whats known?
Were you that interested in me?
No way.
She felt there was no point in talking anymore. As Lee Seo-eun got up to leave, Seong Hyun-woo spoke in a serious tone.
Let me make a proposal. Will you sit down again?
Please.
In the end, Lee Seo-eun sighed and sat down again.
Our princess needs me to inherit the throne. A handsome, well-known, and popular candidate for a husband.
Seong Hyun-woo pointed at himself with his index finger, waving it lightly. His gesture looked so casual that Lee Seo-eun crossed her arms and said sarcastically.
Arent you embarrassed to say that yourself?
And I need your power too.
Why?
She hated being dragged into a one-sided relationship. But if Seong Hyun-woo needed her too, things would change.
Seeing his attitude turn serious, Lee Seo-eun also dropped her uncooperative posture and looked into his eyes.
I dont want to live in my brothers shadow anymore. To do that, I need the royal family.
So?
Lets make a contract.
Seong Hyun-woo smiled softly at Lee Seo-eun. She doubted if this was really true, but she didnt avoid his gaze.
They felt a strange atmosphere just by looking at each other silently. It was like a battle of wills, but also like a chemistry between two famous actors.
Cut! Okay!
The director shouted loudly, having captured the scene on camera for a long time.
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