To put it simply, the meeting was mutually beneficial.

Both Ha-eun and Hong Su-eun gained something from each other.

However, what they gained wasn’t of the same type, let alone the same kind.

First, what Ha-eun gained: a deeper understanding of her character, Kim Jeong-hyun.

And—

“I’d like to meet with you again if the opportunity arises.”

—her expressed interest in appearing in Gods and Goblins.

Ha-eun’s statement, aimed at opportunities following her current project The Sunshine, caught Hong Su-eun slightly off guard.

After all, Gods and Goblins was still an unfinished drama without a completed script.

There were no confirmed cast members, no production schedule, and not even a broadcasting network had been approached.

Expressing interest in a role purely based on the appeal of the script was highly unusual.

Yet, instead of thanking her, Hong Su-eun simply replied with an “Alright,”

driven by an unshakable sense that Ha-eun could perfectly embody Baek Seol-hwa, the heroine of Gods and Goblins.

This conviction was rooted in what Hong Su-eun had gained from her extended conversation with Ha-eun that evening.

While Ha-eun sought to resolve her doubts about Kim Jeong-hyun, she ultimately left with much more than simple answers.

“If I’d known, I would’ve invited her over sooner.”

It was undeniable that Ha-eun’s desire to meet Hong Su-eun stemmed from her questions about Kim Jeong-hyun, something the writer was well aware of.

However, as their conversation progressed—

“So, what exactly does Park Joo-ho mean to Kim Jeong-hyun? Is that why she can’t let him go?”

—it became evident that Ha-eun’s doubts ran far deeper than Hong Su-eun had initially anticipated.

Ha-eun’s understanding of Kim Jeong-hyun extended beyond a simple resolution of personal curiosity.

“I thought it was just idle curiosity...”

In the end, Hong Su-eun had to completely revise her perception of “Lee Ha-eun” as an actress.

She was no longer just an actor with exceptional talent.

To be fair, it isn’t unusual for actors to have questions about their roles.

Curiosity is an integral part of understanding a character.

Naturally, performances from actors who truly grasp their roles differ in authenticity from those who don’t.

After all, reciting lines from a script is vastly different from acting through those lines.

While it was true that Ha-eun’s previous performances showed no signs of awkwardness,

she hadn’t fully grasped the writer’s intentions and thoughts behind Kim Jeong-hyun.

Even Ha-eun herself was vaguely aware of this.

Her decision to visit Hong Su-eun’s home stemmed from a realization that there were still gray areas she didn’t fully understand.

However, the extent of those gray areas exceeded even Hong Su-eun’s expectations.

“So, it all comes down to responsibility? Kim Jeong-hyun is the only one who can change Park Joo-ho’s mind, after all.”

“Ah, yes. That’s correct.”

After answering all of Ha-eun’s prepared questions, Hong Su-eun found that Ha-eun seemed to understand Kim Jeong-hyun almost as deeply as she did—if not more so.

Her clandestine visits to the home of Hanson Arnold, a missionary settled near Hanseong, were motivated by academic zeal.

Learning the alphabet from Hanson and hearing stories of foreign powers outside Joseon brought her genuine joy.

Thus far, all of Kim Jeong-hyun’s actions and words had been rooted in personal desires.

However, after continued interactions with Hanson and learning the hidden truths he uncovered—

“So, laying down railroads in Hanseong and erecting those shining pillars... all of that is...”

“To make Joseon reliant on them, under the pretense of introducing modern civilization.”

“And ultimately, to swallow Joseon—our entire nation—whole?”

“Most likely.”

—she could no longer remain absorbed in her personal pursuits.

Her reasons for leaving the expansive, tiled mansion changed completely.

“I can’t act like I’m following a noble cause just for show.”

What Ha-eun ultimately needed to portray was the transformation of Kim Jeong-hyun: a woman who comes to understand why her grandfather, Kim Ja-gyeom, once called Joseon a precarious nation.

This meant that she now sought out Park Joo-ho, who until then had been nothing more than an American in Joseon garb, to seek his guidance.

Park Joo-ho, as it stood, had connections with the U.S. military stationed in Joseon.

In other words, he was one of the few characters around Kim Jeong-hyun with diplomatic influence.

“I need your help.”

For the first time since his return to Joseon, Kim Jeong-hyun approached Park Joo-ho with a clear purpose.

Yet his response was brutally dismissive.

“Stick to your studies. Keep your interest in firearms as just a hobby.”

“Do my intentions sound that trivial to you?”

“Do you think anyone will take the words of a young lady, pampered in her quarters her whole life, seriously?”

Park Joo-ho remained unyielding no matter what Kim Jeong-hyun said or asked.

To him, her pleas were nothing more than the whims of a wealthy girl indulging in rebellion.

The memories of his parents, beaten and ultimately killed for their status as slaves, remained vivid in Park Joo-ho’s mind.

To him, Joseon was a nation unworthy of saving.

So when Kim Jeong-hyun stepped forward and seized his arm as he turned away—

Step.

Rustle.

“Don’t take my act of reaching out lightly. My plea to you is not something trivial.”

“How shameless. Have you forgotten what your grandfather did?”

“What stands before you now is not my grandfather, but my desperation. Are you saying I have no right to face you?”

Her grasp was firm, her resolve unshakable. Kim Jeong-hyun, standing as a Joseon woman desperate to save her country, refused to let him walk away.

From Park Joo-ho’s perspective, her persistence only deepened his wish for her to vanish from his life, along with Joseon itself.

This young lady who constantly made him hesitate, who forced him to confront his lingering regrets, was someone he wished would disappear entirely.

But for Kim Jeong-hyun, such a desire could never be fulfilled.

Thus, her gaze toward him, steady and unwavering, was imbued with both the guilt of a privileged daughter and the earnestness of a Joseon citizen.

“For the sake of Joseon, does my sense of shame truly matter?”

Her words carried a weight that even Park Joo-ho couldn’t ignore.

In that moment, Ha-eun fully embodied Kim Jeong-hyun.

Her delicate fingers, cautiously grasping Park Joo-ho’s coat but refusing to let go until the end.

Her trembling lips, hesitating to open until Park Joo-ho finally responded—all of it.

Every detail of her performance, down to the smallest gesture, forced even Baek Tae-hoon, who played Park Joo-ho, to respond in kind.

For that one moment, Ha-eun wasn’t just acting as Kim Jeong-hyun—she was Kim Jeong-hyun.