Chapter 160: Stick to it!
The first thing that came to mind was delicate.
The narration was flat, but the emotional grooves pressed deep into it were palpable. It was nothing more than narration, but Muyoung was completely immersed and focused.
The moment he uttered, “One day,” his gaze seemed to reach far back into the distant past, and when he said, “I became king,” his eyelashes fluttered faintly.
“They say the king is bestowed by heaven, so how is it that I ascended the throne by stepping on my subject’s back? A king established by mere human strength—how vain and absurd is that?”
His voice was truly pleasant to listen to.
Given the nature of an actor’s profession, where vocalization is crucial, most people would be above average, but Muyoung was a bit different.
All the actors gathered there had to acknowledge that there was something charming about Muyoung’s fair features.
“His pronunciation is neat and nice.”
“Elegant yet dignified—it works well. Not bad.”
“Hmm. His breathing is stable, too.”
Among veterans, things just clicked.
The seasoned actors exchanged knowing glances, as if to say, “I know what you’re thinking without you having to say it.”
“I was the one who rose from the earth. A fool who struggled to reach the heavens by stepping on a blood-soaked staircase. And yet, I was the king of Joseon. I was their sovereign.”
The delivery of the lines was both disillusioned and self-deprecating, yet the underlying desire was vividly conveyed.
The historical drama tone was also perfect. There wasn’t a single element that could break his focus.
“This guy…”
Everyone except Cha Eun-seong.
Isn’t this his first historical drama, and he’s only in his second year?
“He’s got some skills, huh?”
He looked so clueless that I wasn’t sure about him, but honestly, I was a bit surprised.
I’d heard he won awards at the Baeksang and the Blue Dragon Film Awards, but what did that mean?
Winning awards as a newcomer doesn’t necessarily mean acting ability. I thought it was a combination of popularity, box office success, potential for growth, and luck and momentum.
I was a mess when I was a newcomer, but I swept up every award imaginable. Maybe that’s why I didn’t expect much from him. Like, how good could he really be?
“Your Majesty.”
At that moment, as the narration ended, the minister naturally stepped in. Muyoung, lost in thought, slightly shifted his gaze to look at him. His posture seemed stiff with tension yet oddly relaxed.
“Your Majesty. To achieve great things, the beginning of the uprising started with the execution of Shin Suk-geun. However, now his daughter is about to enter the court. If she is made the queen, there will be problems for the royal lineage. So—”
Shin Suk-geun was Yeonsangun’s brother-in-law and the father of Queen Jangyeong. The king, who ascended the throne through a coup, had to first eliminate his own wife, his first love.
Ah. What a pathetic and resentful man.
But under the great glory of the throne, everything else seemed trivial. Even if he was a king placed there by his subjects.
“Do not hesitate and make a swift decision. You must not be swayed by personal feelings.”
He couldn’t refuse the subjects who had placed him on the throne.
A sense of powerlessness seemed to engulf his entire body, but as the king, even that was not allowed.
Muyoung stared into the air for a moment before speaking. In that instant, the flicker of desire in his eyes was surely no coincidence.
“…As it should be.”
“Your Majesty.”
“The stability of the royal lineage is of utmost urgency, so I will do as you say.”
Thus, just a week after becoming king, he eliminated his wife at the urging of his subjects.
But this was only the beginning. Even Jo Gwang-jo, whom he cherished as his own, would meet the same fate.
“Alright. Let’s do that.”
The director smiled in satisfaction at the final gaze.
With so many teachers and, most importantly, Cha Eun-seong present, he couldn’t openly shower him with praise. But was there a more definitive expression than “Let’s do that”?
“These days, it’s hard to keep up with dramas.”
“Huh? What part?”
In the warm atmosphere, as they continued, a seasoned actor quietly muttered to his colleague. The nearby director didn’t miss it and chimed in.
“Oh, I didn’t mean it was bad.”
“Please speak freely, teacher.”
It was curiosity about why the first episode started with the coup of Jungjong.
“Usually, historical dramas follow a chronological order, right?”
After all, that’s less confusing for viewers. Since it’s a story from the distant past, it was a device to minimize confusion.
Starting with the child actor and progressing chronologically.
“Jungjong and Jo Gwang-jo are about six years apart, so if it were chronological, it would start with Jo Gwang-jo’s story before Jungjong’s ascension. Hehe. I was just curious.”
But Edge of the Blade was different.
The writer wanted both Jungjong and Jo Gwang-jo to appear in the first episode as main characters.
“I thought it was interesting, too. It seems like a fresh directing style.”
What should I explain?
Noticing the director’s perplexed expression, Muyoung stepped in.
His voice was as clear and unwrinkled as a child’s chatter, and all the seasoned actors sent him warm smiles.
“The first episode starts with the coup of Jungjong, progresses from Jungjong’s perspective, and ends with the scene of him meeting Jo Gwang-jo at Sungkyunkwan. The second episode is about Jo Gwang-jo’s teenage years studying abroad and entering Sungkyunkwan. And again, it ends with the scene of them meeting there.”
Whenever he talked about the work, his eyes sparkled.
Ko Gyeongmin smiled faintly, only glancing at Cha Eun-seong.
He just stared at Muyoung with an unreadable expression, wondering what he was thinking.
“The endings of the first and second episodes are the same scene, just from different perspectives. I found that really interesting.”
The real story of their meeting begins in the third episode.
With about 20 episodes to spare, intense political episodes were set to unfold from then on.
“I’ve rarely seen such directing in historical dramas. I think it’s a unique charm of Edge of the Blade.”
“Really? Young people probably know the trends better.”
“Come on, teacher. I could never be as good as you.”
“What? Hehehe!”
“Gongchan must be on cloud nine today. Hearing such praise from Muyoung. Ah, now that I think about it, there was something unusual in the third episode, too. Is this the trend these days?”
The conversation about the work continued, one topic leading to another. Watching quietly, the director whispered to the assistant director.
“They look like a young king and his ministers.”
“Hahaha. I wasn’t the only one who thought so.”
Their discussion of the work resembled a political debate. It was quite a sight.
The reading was important, but building camaraderie this quickly was also crucial.
Squeak.
“Director, shall I bring in the reporter?”
“Ah, yes. Everyone, just a moment. We need to take some photos, so let’s continue the reading.”
“Oh, sure. Sure. Where were we?”
“Um, since there are many scenes of purges after the coup in the middle, let’s skip to Scene 34.”
They snapped back to attention, focusing on reciting their lines.
The reporter, like a shadow, moved quietly around the conference room, snapping photos.
Click, click.
His lens was mostly focused on Ha Muyoung and Cha Eun-seong.
The two sitting across from each other were like a painting. They were the perfect leads for a visual historical drama.
“Next, Cha Eun-seong?”
“…Yes.”
“Please continue.”
Finally, it was Cha Eun-seong’s turn.
Muyoung watched him with anticipation. In fact, everyone in the room was focused on him.
“Your Majesty. The monarch should not rush his steps. Walking with the wind but not chasing it, not pushing it—this is the dignified bearing of a ruler.”
Jo Gwang-jo, who always carried the teachings of Neo-Confucianism with him. Especially under the influence of his teacher, he considered the elementary learning of Confucianism, which he studied at a young age, as fundamental and carried it with him daily.
That man, by chance, met Jungjong in the backyard of Sungkyunkwan. It was the final ending scene of the first episode.
“Ah…”
Cha Eun-seong’s gaze fixed directly on Muyoung.
Instead of a rebellious look, his demeanor was neat and plain.
At first, Muyoung had been honestly worried.
He wondered if the character’s personality and the actor’s personality were too mismatched. But he trusted the production team, and their choice was not just right but perfect.
“Wow.”
Muyoung couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
Having seen countless actors, he now understood why Cha Eun-seong was at the top. Why, despite his terrible personality, he remained popular with the public and a favorite of production teams. Definitely.
“He’s really… really good.”
Was it because the gap in his image was so big?
It was astonishing how his aura could change so completely, as if possessed.
His delivery and gaze, fitting his experience, were exceptional, and the charisma he exuded naturally was intense.
“Your Majesty?”
Cha Eun-seong tilted his head, signaling him to speak faster. Muyoung murmured to himself.
“Are you Jo Gwang-jo?”
“I don’t know what kind of person that Jo Gwang-jo is, but I am the only one in Sungkyunkwan with that name.”
“…Just as rumored.”
A stubborn scholar who, upon meeting the king for the first time, dared to offer criticism. So straight and unyielding that anyone who opposed him would be pierced through.
Yet, neither of them knew that one day, his branch would reach his sovereign.
“Great. Wow, your voice has improved even more, Eunseong?”
“I’ve been taking care of it since my last project.”
“What do you think, teachers?”
“What is there to say? With our leads doing so well. I feel younger every time I see juniors act like this.”
“Exactly. It feels like when we were young.”
Even the veterans couldn’t help but praise him. The director laughed heartily, looking at the two.
Acting, visuals, teamwork with the production team and fellow actors—everything was guaranteed.
“If there are no major issues…”
This time, too, they aimed for a hit.
There were no concerns about Ha Muyoung, but the problem was Cha Eun-seong. The only silver lining was that there were many senior actors?
Rumor had it that his private life was a mess, and there were many whispers, but the public would never know.
“Alright, let’s take a short break and continue.”
“Sure. Coffee, anyone?”
“Ah, I’ll get it. What would everyone like?”
“I’ll have an iced Americano.”
“The cafe is on the first floor.”
Muyoung asked playfully as he stood up. And then, his gaze circled back to Cha Eun-seong.
“What about you, senior?”
“…”
But he just grabbed his cigarette pack, stood up, and left the meeting room with a cold breeze.
Those watching him leave stiffened slightly, but Muyoung didn’t mind, shrugging his shoulders.
“I guess he doesn’t drink coffee. I’ll get him a drink.”
A strawberry latte with lots of whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. Hmm. Yes, that’s it. Go ahead and sip through the straw with that annoyed face.
“I’ll be right back, Hyung!”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Muyoung also left the meeting room with Ko Gyeongmin. The teachers laughed, sharing their first impressions of Cha Eun-seong.
“He’s quite full of himself.”
“What an asshole. Yeah.”
“We can deal with him, but it’s Ha Muyoung I’m worried about.”
Meanwhile, Ko Gyeongmin was also badmouthing Cha Eun-seong to Muyoung, saying how rude he was.
“What kind of person is he? Tsk. I’ll be grateful if he doesn’t cause any trouble during the project.”
“Hmm. Me too. I’ll bow with you.”
Muyoung’s response was just as puzzled.
The script clearly had flower petals and smoke, but there was no smoke around Cha Eun-seong.
“I guess I’ll have to wait and see.”
I really don’t know.
As Muyoung tilted his head, heading to the cafe, Cha Eun-seong was in the break room, smoking fiercely.
“Eunsung, are you okay? Why are you like this?”
“…”
Even to his manager’s words, he remained silent.
“That little brat is something else. Damn.”
It was a fresh shock, a mix of inferiority and inspiration. He stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette and laughed.
“This is going to be fun. Let’s see how it goes.”
“What, what is…”
Unaware of his manager’s worried expression, Cha Eun-seong muttered to himself.