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“…Where have you been?”

A powerless gaze.

A low voice.

The moment Kim Jin-soo returned to the waiting room, he was met with the endlessly dark expression of Da-yeon.

However, he couldn’t let Da-yeon know that he and Ha-eun were secretly preparing a surprise birthday party for her.

“Hey, I’ll just be a minute in the bathroom.”

“…Next time, just tell me before you go.”

“Ah… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

He covered up the fact that he had met with Ha-eun while saying he just went to the bathroom.

What followed was a silent stillness.

Only the sound of the script being flipped in Da-yeon’s hands broke the quiet.

‘It would be nice if she could at least share what’s bothering her.’

Having spent nearly every moment aside from sleeping with Da-yeon as her manager, he knew better than anyone what her current state was.

Yet, he couldn’t grasp what cast such a dark shadow over Da-yeon’s face.

After all, no matter how much he asked, she wouldn’t answer.

Thus, Jin-soo tried to deduce the reason for Da-yeon’s distress, but retracing his memories provided no clues regarding why she should feel this way.

She passed the audition for the role of the Queen with high competition.

Her midterm grades had improved, albeit slightly.

After filming for “Moonlight through the Clouds” started, she even received compliments that her acting had progressed a few levels.

Every single thing seemed to be good news.

It didn’t make sense that all this positivity would lead to Da-yeon feeling so low.

-Tap.

“Um… Da-yeon, are you hurt?! Why are you suddenly crying?”

“I don’t… I don’t know… It’s nothing…”

In the past, when Da-yeon had burst into tears, it was after they had completed filming for “Moonlight through the Clouds” successfully.

Out of concern, he had cautiously asked if playing the role of the Queen was difficult, but all he received was a vehement shake of her head.

The bigger issue was that since that day, Da-yeon had rapidly become more withdrawn.

The atmosphere felt exceedingly heavy.

At least when she was watching some internet broadcasts on her phone, she seemed momentarily better.

But at all other times, she only showed a gloomy demeanor.

Sometimes, she would even mutter incomprehensible things while staring into the mirror in the empty waiting room.

“I’m sorry for getting annoyed over trivial things. I’m sorry for being upset about grades and for calling you out to boss you around. I’m sorry for pushing you into this acting career and for making you look for my sponsorship…”

All of this unnerved Jin-soo, leading him to take Da-yeon to the hospital the very next day, albeit against her will.

“That’s definitely not schizophrenia. She’s just trying to muster some courage on her own.”

Ironically, the doctor who consulted Da-yeon concluded that there was nothing wrong.

With a deeply flushed face, Da-yeon left the consultation room, her eyes filled with resolve.

In the end, all he could do was watch over her.

He was also worried that any actions taken on his part might inadvertently have the opposite effect on her.

“Da-yeon, it’s almost time for the shoot~.”

And so, when a staff member came to fetch Da-yeon, he encouraged her as he gently patted her shoulder, hoping she would do well in the upcoming scene S#101.

From Da-yeon’s perspective, Jin-soo’s words were surely comforting.

However, they didn’t provide the substantial support she needed.

Perhaps it was natural.

After all, Jin-soo wasn’t the one who had caused her to feel this way.

‘Should I ask Yoo Seong-jae for help…?’

Recently, the person who spent the most time with Ha-eun was Yoo Seong-jae.

In stark contrast to Da-yeon, who barely crossed paths with Ha-eun anymore, they were inseparable.

No matter how you looked at it, improving their relationship was the only solution.

He believed nothing else could make Da-yeon feel better.

So first, he had to meet Ha-eun.

He needed to ask Yoo Seong-jae to help him meet Ha-eun, express his sincere apology, and plead for forgiveness.

However, Da-yeon had realized that Ha-eun was intentionally avoiding her lately, which filled her mind with worries and negative assumptions.

Would she really just brush him off if he mustered the courage to apologize?

Was she thinking that she didn’t need to mend things with Da-yeon?

‘…What should I do…’

Not long after that, when he finally arrived on the set of “Moonlight through the Clouds,” his thoughts were completely occupied by Ha-eun.

Maybe that’s why.

-Tap, tap.

“…?”

He hadn’t even noticed someone approaching until a supporting actor lightly touched Da-yeon’s shoulder.

“Um, Da-yeon. Can we run through the lines just once? I think my mouth is a bit stiff.”

A cautious request for the S#101 scene, which was about to start filming.

Despite Da-yeon’s poor state, she felt the need to separate personal and professional matters, so she ultimately accepted the supporting actor’s request.

“How did it go?”

A cold voice.

A gaze directed not at the lowly servant before her but at the Crown Prince Lee Hyun beyond.

Her eyes glinted with fierce intensity.

In that menacing glare lay the powerful will of Queen Yoon.

“The Crown Prince’s dancer will not face another dancer but an assassin.”

“Are you skilled enough?”

“Yes.”

Currently unfolding before Queen Yoon was a feast hosted to entertain an envoy from Qing.

This was the first court event since the Crown Prince Lee Hyun had taken over regency.

This feast was the first trial and mission for Lee Hyun to ascend the throne.

He had to skillfully entertain the envoy in place of the ailing king and prove himself worthy of being king in front of numerous officials.

For Queen Yoon, who sought to bring Lee Hyun down, this feast must be disrupted.

Thus, she aimed for a fatal accident during the performance of the key “Sword Dance,” where Lee Hyun’s dancer would meet her demise.

“The envoy from Qing must witness the Crown Prince’s dancer dying in a spray of blood.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve instructed to use only well-placed swords.”

If the feast prepared by Lee Hyun as the Crown Prince ended in screams, Lee Hyun would ultimately face the same fate.

Even without Queen Yoon intervening, the many attendees would inevitably scorn Lee Hyun for his mistakes.

“…The moonlight will soon fade away.”

With that, Queen Yoon’s murmured thought as she gazed at the spacious night sky marked the end of the short rehearsal.

The next sound was the supporting actor’s gratitude for helping with the rehearsal.

Soon, as the supporting actor returned to their original position, no less than a minute remained before filming began.

Other than Da-yeon, the other actors had started to arrive on set and were preparing for their respective roles.

However, only one person.

Ha-eun, who played the role of Yeong-wol, was nowhere to be seen.

‘…What’s going on?’

Without realizing it, he turned his head toward the spot where Yoo Seong-jae, who played Lee Hyun, was.

So far, Yeong-wol and Lee Hyun had always been closely intertwined during filming.

Yet, Ha-eun remained absent.

And so, he proceeded to the filming of scene S#101 without ever finding Ha-eun.

“Alright, 3, 2, 1… Action!”

– Boom─!

The sound of drums announced the start of the feast.

Next came the sounds of the court ladies’ gayageum and the swirling dances of numerous dancers, amplifying the festive atmosphere of the event.

On the highest seat of the tiered arrangement sat Lee Hyun and Queen Yoon.

Directly below them were the Qing envoy and officials, who took a moment to enjoy the feast.

“What a peaceful scene.”

A review from Queen Yoon, devoid of any sincerity, expressed no real sentiment.

Upon hearing that, Lee Hyun responded,

“It shall be peaceful. Always.”

This suggested that there would be no ‘change’ from Lee Hyun being the Crown Prince to Queen Yoon being the Queen.

After that, there was only silence.

However, the crucial moment of the feast, the Sword Dance, began preparation.

To be more precise, the very moment Lee Hyun noticed that the dancer for the Sword Dance had changed.

“…Why?”

The panic was evident in his expression, as he lost his composure.

In contrast, a malicious smile bloomed on Queen Yoon’s face.

In just a moment, everything would come to an end due to the assassin she had slipped in unnoticed.

Lee Hyun’s face would warp into the most agonizing expression possible.

Thus, the two dancers standing at the center of the stage drew their swords.

And at that moment, they began a thrillingly suspenseful display of the Sword Dance.

‘…Huh?’

Unexpectedly, the dancer’s face didn’t seem so unfamiliar.

No, it even felt somewhat familiar as Da-yeon’s eyes began to tremble.

Her hair was neatly tied back, cascading down in a long braid.

Atop her hair was a beautiful flower pin, blooming a lovely white.

“…No way.”

Queen Yoon was equally taken aback by the dancer’s alluring gaze and graceful presence.

After all, the dancer meant to counter Queen Yoon’s assassin had also been swapped out.

A sword aimed discreetly at vital spots flew through the air.

And the dancer deftly twisted her body to evade every strike towards her.

All the eyes of the feast attendees were captivated by her enchanting appearance.

A sight so beautiful it was impossible to look away.

“That… how… why is that here?”

An innocent question slipped from Queen Yoon’s lips.

The alarm borne from the disarray of her plans bloomed on her face.

The dazzling spectacle beyond was undoubtedly wrong.

Yet, it couldn’t be called wrong.

In defiance of the past’s warnings, Yeong-wol had irrevocably become a woman.

And so, when all the sword dances were flawlessly showcased, and the moment Queen Yoon realized that the screams she had anticipated did not come,

“I hope you all enjoy my desire for the peace of Joseon.”

The voice of Lee Hyun began to resound through the air, affirming the successful conclusion of the feast.

No incidents occurred during which Lee Hyun was denounced by all the attendees of the feast.

– Clang.

Finally, with the last image of Queen Yoon’s face twisted in deep rage, the cut was called.

The filming of S#101 of the feast wrapped up smoothly.

Da-yeon’s gaze shifted to where Ha-eun had been, but she was nowhere to be seen.

“……………”

Upon realizing that Ha-eun had vanished once more, Da-yeon’s expression darkened.

And then someone approached her.

“Hey, Da-yeon. Can you come with me for a bit?”

Yoo Seong-jae was speaking to her in his uniquely gentle voice.

“…Where are we going?”

“That’s a secret. But you probably won’t regret it, so just come with me for a moment.”

In the end, she followed Seong-jae’s lead.

They continued to walk in silence for a bit.

-Creak.

“Please, go in.”

Yoo Seong-jae gestured for her to enter through a door into a waiting room they had reached after a few more steps.

And just a few seconds later, she was greeted with,

“Happy birthday.”

A familiar face.

And a small piece of cake with long candles.

In an instant, silence filled the room, with only the gentle glow of the flickering candlelight.

Yet that gentle light gradually grew hazy, and then—

“Don’t cry, Da-yeon. It’s your birthday. Why are you crying?”

She found it increasingly difficult to even stand on her own two legs.

A wave of emotions surged from deep within her chest, choking her up.