A hunting cat.

    Or perhaps, an eagle.

    When Yoo Seong-jae first caught sight of Ha-eun’s sharp eyes, those were the images that came to mind.

    Of course, this impression was purely about her appearance. He didn’t think of Ha-eun herself as someone inherently fierce.

    Her calm tone conveyed a composed and measured atmosphere,

    with a layer of caution underlying her every move.

    Despite his frequent attempts to strike up conversations,

    Ha-eun didn’t push him away. She chose her words carefully,

    making it easy for him to close the distance between them.

    However, there was a particular moment from the past.

    When Ha-eun’s blade—meant for an imaginary boar—barely missed Seong-jae’s robe.

    The emotions radiating from her sharp gaze in that instant were far removed from anything resembling affection.

    Romance... is it even possible?

    This doubt lingered in Yoo Seong-jae’s mind.

    As the male lead in The Moonlight Split by Clouds, a historical romance drama,

    he couldn’t help but wonder if the genre’s core element would come through.

    He found it hard to imagine someone with Ha-eun’s piercing demeanor portraying love.

    It was an unnecessary concern.

    Having a sharp appearance and performing as a character in love were, ultimately, two separate matters.

    "From now on, I’ll only go out with you."

    "M-me? Just the two of us?"

    "Yes, just the two of us. The others only nag me endlessly."

    The playful exchange during their outing seemed lighthearted enough,

    but Yeong-wol’s feelings betrayed none of that lightness.

    The joy of being able to go on another outing with Lee Hyun filled her heart.

    But so did sadness.

    Yeong-wol, the bodyguard, could accompany Lee Hyun freely.

    But Yeong-wol, the woman, was never granted that privilege.

    "What has you so deep in thought? Do you hate following me around as I enjoy my leisure every day?"

    "...So, you’re aware of how much you enjoy your outings."

    There was no self-awareness, however,

    of how much his actions pained her.

    The words she swallowed down left a bitter taste in her mouth.

    Her heart still wavered.

    The man she served as Crown Prince felt less like her superior and more like a man she admired.

    Tap, tap.

    "A bodyguard shouldn’t walk around with leaves on their shoulders."

    Even the light brush of his hand as he removed the stray leaf startled her.

    Her unspoken feelings, the ones she’d given up on expressing,

    still weighed heavily on her chest, making it hard to breathe.

    Her piercing gaze and sharp features remained.

    Yet, the emotions layered over them—the feelings directed at Lee Hyun—

    softened her in a way that made her appear less a warrior and more a woman.

    In the past, Lee Hyun had only shown her the affection of a ruler toward a loyal subject.

    But what Yeong-wol truly desired now was the affection between a man and a woman.

    However, her belief that staying as his bodyguard was the best way to serve him held her back.

    "...The sun is setting. You should return to the Eastern Palace."

    Suppressing her desire to spend more time with him,

    she forced herself to walk behind him, not beside him.

    When Lee Hyun began walking ahead,

    only then did Yeong-wol allow herself to look at him.

    The unspoken emotions in her gaze were filled with nothing but yearning.

    Cut.

    The scene played out exactly as Jin Gyu-seong had imagined when reviewing the script,

    so there was no need for an NG call.

    "Compared to the first episode, she’s definitely softened up."

    Shooting the scenes in chronological order offered a unique advantage—

    it allowed the gradual evolution of the characters’ relationships and emotions to naturally unfold.

    The initial dynamic between Lee Hyun and Yeong-wol was far from romantic.

    But over time, their reasons for valuing each other shifted.

    "Once this airs, Seong-jae is probably going to get some flak."

    "If this were a man-to-man relationship, no one would care. But with a woman, it feels like flirting."

    "Unintentional flirting tends to come across even worse. It can’t be helped."

    Capturing the emotional distance between Lee Hyun and Yeong-wol was crucial.

    Scenes like S#51, where Yeong-wol’s feelings don’t reach Lee Hyun,

    would make their eventual connection all the more poignant.

    The next scene, S#52, was equally pivotal in setting up their eventual union.

    Unlike the tranquil tone of S#51, however, S#52 was far darker.

    "We need to rehearse the slapping scene. Da-yeon, let’s get ready."

    This scene marked a turning point, signaling a crisis for both Lee Hyun and Yeong-wol.

    "Try angling it slightly downward and grazing her cheek this time."

    If the Queen’s goal was truly to brand Yeong-wol and her father as traitors,

    there was no need for such threats.

    “Leave the Crown Prince’s side. Never return to the palace.”

    What followed was a narrative of power struggles between Lee Hyun and Queen Yoon,

    specifically the Queen’s fears for the safety of the child in her womb.

    “If the Crown Prince ascends to the throne, he will undoubtedly eliminate my child. Do you think he will let a threat to his position live?”

    “His Highness would never do such a thing.”

    “Even if the Crown Prince isn’t that kind of man, the throne is a position that demands such measures.”

    But if Yeong-wol left Lee Hyun’s side,

    his mind and spirit would begin to crumble.

    Eventually, he would fall out of the King’s favor.

    “His Majesty will entrust Joseon to me, not to a weak man who collapses just because a single bodyguard is gone!”

    If this happened, Queen Yoon and her child would be safe.

    “For the sake of your aging father, leave. This is the last mercy I can offer.”

    The Queen was determined to isolate Lee Hyun, even if it meant forcing Yeong-wol to leave.

    She made it clear that her method was the only way to protect everyone.

    “If you disappear, no one will be harmed. Truly, no one.”

    Her heavy, unyielding gaze.

    Her authoritative voice, steeped in the power of her high status.

    The cold reality Yeong-wol faced left no room for choice.

    “............................”

    The realization that she had become Lee Hyun’s greatest vulnerability crushed Yeong-wol.

    When Da-yeon saw the profound sorrow in Ha-eun’s eyes as they filmed this scene,

    something clicked.

    Throb.

    It was then she understood why she had found Ha-eun’s behavior odd when surrounded by classmates in the past.

    “Cut! That was excellent!”

    Even as the cameras and lights were packed up,

    even after changing into her usual clothes and stepping into Kim Jin-soo’s white van,

    Da-yeon couldn’t shake the image of Ha-eun’s sorrowful eyes from her mind.

    For 11 years, Da-yeon had shown nothing but sharpness toward Ha-eun.

    Like Queen Yoon, she had played the villain.

    ‘How did it end up like this?’

    At first, it had been a matter of pride.

    A competitive drive to surpass Ha-eun’s acting.

    She stayed close to Ha-eun to savor the satisfaction of outperforming her.

    But as time passed, Da-yeon began to notice things beyond the competition.

    Subconsciously, she feared that Ha-eun, tired of her unfriendly demeanor,

    would eventually leave her.

    She had refused to acknowledge this fear,

    choosing to ignore it until she saw Ha-eun chatting comfortably with others.

    Throb.

    In that moment, she was reminded of her own isolation.

    Of how, at six years old, she had driven others away, believing herself special.

    Taking on the role of Queen Yoon in the same drama as Ha-eun had been Da-yeon’s last act of desperation.

    She thought competing with Ha-eun on screen would help her forget her loneliness.

    It was a grave miscalculation.

    The more she played the villain opposite Ha-eun,

    the heavier her guilt became.

    It was just acting. There was no need to take it to heart.

    But the turmoil inside her only grew.

    Tap.

    “Da-yeon? Are you okay?! Why are you crying all of a sudden?”

    “I... I don’t know. Nothing’s wrong....”

    Da-yeon finally understood why Ha-eun had stayed by her side all this time.

    It was because Ha-eun was kind.

    If Ha-eun ever decided to push her away,

    she would have no one left.

    Should she apologize before it was too late?

    But perhaps it was already too late.

    She knew she had to change.

    But she had no idea where to begin.

    [ekdus7 has donated 100,000 won!]

    "I’ve had a friend I’ve bullied since we were kids. I want to apologize, but I’m afraid they won’t forgive me. It’s hard enough just to approach them after all this time apart. But I don’t want to let things end like this. What should I do? It’s so embarrassing to even say that I still want to be friends."

    Get to the point.Why are you confessing here?This isn’t a school counseling session.Too long, couldn’t read.Well, you can’t ignore 100,000 won, lol.

    “Um, well...! Let’s discuss this one-on-one─☆”