Chapter 9
They had said that committing evil deeds would increase her acting ability.
She was probably doing this because she wanted to improve her acting even a little before she had to act with Jeong Ga-yoon.
With a faint, airy laugh, Jeong Ga-yoon muttered,
“How childish.”
It wasn’t loud enough for the people around them to hear, but it was certainly loud enough for Baek Ga-yoon.
“Hah!”
Baek Ga-yoon spat out a curse and reached out, grabbing Jeong Ga-yoon by the hair.
“Whoa!”
Just as the startled people rushed forward to pull Baek Ga-yoon away—
“Yeah, come at me. You think you can beat me with acting? Besides, I’ve already filled the required time!”
Baek Ga-yoon spat the words out through clenched teeth.
Behind her, a gigantic shadow writhed and swayed.
An evil spirit.
So she has to commit evil deeds for a certain amount of time to gain acting ability?
Jeong Ga-yoon stared directly at the shadow, carefully observing it.
But last time, there had been several of them swaying behind Baek Ga-yoon.
This time, there was only one.
What happened?
“Director! Let’s start filming!”
Before the people who had approached could stop her, Baek Ga-yoon abruptly released Jeong Ga-yoon’s hair and took her position among the supporting actors.
That was Baek Ga-yoon’s starting position for the scene.
“Are you okay?”
“Are you all right?”
Min-ji and the other staff members checked on Jeong Ga-yoon.
So-hee pressed her lips together anxiously as she fixed Ga-yoon’s hair.
“I’m fine. I’m fine. Director.”
After reassuring everyone around her, Ga-yoon looked toward Director Kang, clearly indicating that she wanted to start filming.
Director Kang nodded solemnly, seemingly grateful.
He appeared to think that she had somehow managed to get Baek Ga-yoon to agree to film.
“All right, all right. The drama ends after this week. Let’s hang in there!”
Director Kang clapped twice, trying to lift the atmosphere.
Jeong Ga-yoon also took her position in front of the balcony.
“All right, ready.”
Once the staff hurried around and finished preparing everything—
“Action!”
Director Kang’s cue rang out.
Standing among the supporting actors, Baek Ga-yoon grabbed a nearby champagne glass and began bringing out Lee Ha-yeon’s emotions.
With her gentle eyes, soft gaze, Baek Ga-yoon instantly immersed herself in the role of Lee Ha-yeon, the graceful and sorrowful heroine.
“Congratulations on the brand launch. I listened carefully to your explanation earlier.”
There wasn’t actually any dialogue written for this part.
The script simply said that Lee Ha-yeon was talking with people around her during the party.
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
The supporting actor receiving Baek Ga-yoon’s improvised line struggled not to look flustered before barely managing to answer.
How could someone who had looked so fierce just moments ago become this gentle?
The supporting actor, as well as Director Kang and the surrounding staff, were secretly impressed by the instantaneous transformation.
As expected of Baek Ga-yoon.
Her personality may be absolutely horrible, but no one can criticize her acting.
“Ah… I’ll step away for a moment.”
Baek Ga-yoon hadn’t even taken a sip of the champagne she was holding, yet her cheeks had already taken on a rosy flush.
Just then, she placed the champagne glass onto the tray of a passing waiter and gracefully walked toward the balcony.
The camera followed her.
“Cut. Let’s go straight into the balcony scene.”
They got the shot in one take, and the cameraman entered the balcony.
The balcony wasn’t particularly spacious, so there hadn’t been enough room to properly position and secure the camera.
“Ready.”
The cameraman gave the signal, and Baek Ga-yoon nodded.
“Okay. Ready.”
Baek Ga-yoon thought about Jeong Ga-yoon, who would soon enter the balcony.
Since they were the heroine and villain, they had acted opposite each other quite a few times.
And every time, Baek Ga-yoon had thought the same thing.
There was something different about Jeong Ga-yoon’s acting.
It was irritating.
That must be what people call talent.
No, she was certain of it.
When they had first done the script reading for The Conditions of Inheritance, Baek Ga-yoon had been confident that Jeong Ga-yoon wasn’t better than her.
But now—
Every moment Jeong Ga-yoon spent filming this drama, she became Na Yu-joo to a frightening degree.
To the point that Baek Ga-yoon sometimes felt Jeong Ga-yoon’s immersion was better than her own.
The acting ability that some people had to endlessly offer their strength to evil spirits just to obtain.
Could it really be because she’s Geum Sara’s biological daughter?
“Ms. Baek, are you ready yet?”
Without realizing it, Baek Ga-yoon had tensed the corners of her eyes, causing a subtle crack to appear in Lee Ha-yeon’s mask.
That damn Director Kang.
He never let anything slide and always seemed to notice everything.
“Hoo…”
Baek Ga-yoon shook her head, relaxed the muscles in her face, and changed her expression.
It’s fine.
It’ll be fine.
She had filled every possible moment with evil deeds and offered her malice to the evil spirit before today’s shoot.
Her acting ability should have increased even more than yesterday.
Focus.
“Good. Action.”
A gentle breeze blew.
The pleasant wind cooled Lee Ha-yeon’s flushed cheeks, and a smile blossomed across her face.
It was a smile reminiscent of a cherry blossom tree in full bloom in spring.
It was an expression warm enough to melt even the hearts of those watching through the camera lens.
But then—
Creeeeak.
The balcony door opened, and Jeong Ga-yoon appeared.
The atmosphere that had been filled with the feeling of a spring breeze instantly froze as though it had been violently thrown to the ground.
“Are you happy?”
Her voice was strangely discordant.
A coldness that seemed to have carved resentment all the way into her bones seeped into her every step.
Everyone at the scene flinched.
Baek Ga-yoon was no exception.
“……”
Baek Ga-yoon, who had been leaning against the balcony railing and looking outside, stiffened her expression and turned around.
Her acting got even better.
That crazy, monstrous bitch.
She even managed to make that flawless, jade-white skin seem as though it contained blue blood.
Once again, the mask of Lee Ha-yeon cracked.
But this time, Director Kang didn’t interfere.
After all, Lee Ha-yeon and Na Yu-joo were enemies, so he probably thought the expression suited the scene.
No one knew that Baek Ga-yoon’s immersion in the role had been shattered.
But her pride had been crushed.
Normally, she should have called Na Yu-joo’s name as though asking, What are you doing again?
But she didn’t want to.
She was about to deliberately cause an NG when—
Click. Click.
Jeong Ga-yoon approached with her back perfectly straight.
She stopped in front of Baek Ga-yoon and slightly raised her chin.
Her downward gaze was domineering.
The moment their eyes met, Baek Ga-yoon felt overwhelmed and unconsciously bit down hard on her lip.
Jeong Ga-yoon looked down at her.
Then she twisted the corner of her mouth in an unmistakably contemptuous smile and reached out with her pale hand, catching a lock of Baek Ga-yoon’s hair around her index finger.
She spoke.
“After taking everything that belonged to someone else, you act as though it was yours all along.”
The vicious whisper beside her ear stabbed straight into her heart.
Of course, in the drama, Na Yu-joo said this because she believed Lee Ha-yeon had taken everything from her.
But to Baek Ga-yoon, it sounded as though Jeong Ga-yoon were speaking directly to her.
“Without even knowing your place.”
Even though you’re not Geum Sara’s biological daughter.
You stole my place and lived as though it had always been yours.
And you’re happy?
The empty gaze in Jeong Ga-yoon’s eyes as she drew closer sent chills down Baek Ga-yoon’s spine.
Slide.
Jeong Ga-yoon moved her hand from Baek Ga-yoon’s shoulder, sliding it upward until it closed around her neck.
Her cold, smooth hand felt just like a snake.
“Do you know what happens when you don’t know your place and try to climb above it?”
Her grip tightened.
“You get stepped on. Like this.”
“Khk!”
The pressure gradually grew stronger.
Is she really going to choke me here?
Baek Ga-yoon couldn’t breathe.
The words Jeong Ga-yoon had whispered to her right before filming came back to her.
“Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid I’ll really strangle you? Just like you did to me, sunbae?”
It felt as though a grim reaper had come to punish her personally for coveting something she knew had never been her place.
“AAAH!”
Baek Ga-yoon forgot that she was in the middle of filming and screamed as she desperately struggled.
Then she shoved Jeong Ga-yoon away with all her strength and frantically rubbed her neck as though something filthy had touched her.
At that moment—
Bzzzt.
“Cut! NG!”
Director Kang’s voice rang out through the speakers.
“……!”
Baek Ga-yoon’s movements abruptly stopped as she continued brushing at her neck with fear-filled eyes.
Beyond the balcony, dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at her.
Some of them had covered their mouths with their hands and were whispering among themselves.
What are they talking about?
“She strangled my neck.”
She had only acted according to the script.
Were they saying she was exaggerating?
No.
Jeong Ga-yoon still held a grudge against her.
She was obviously using the script as an excuse to take revenge on her.
Jeong Ga-yoon had stepped back and was standing with her arms crossed, looking down at her.
She must be planning to brush it off by saying it was only acting.
She couldn’t let that happen.
Clutching her neck protectively, Baek Ga-yoon trembled and shouted,
“She really strangled me! She wasn’t pretending! For real! Aah!”
If she continued filming like this, her neck might end up covered in dark bruises.
Just like the bruises that had appeared when she had strangled Jeong Ga-yoon.
She might even be deprived of enough oxygen to the point of passing out.
Jeong Ga-yoon wouldn’t actually kill her in front of all these people.
But she would probably keep choking her until she came close to death!
“Calm down, Ga-yoon.”
Lee Jeong-han approached the panicking Baek Ga-yoon and covered her with a blanket.
“Ms. Baek Ga-yoon.”
Director Kang had approached without her noticing.
He spoke with an awkward expression.
“Let’s monitor the footage.”
Baek Ga-yoon frowned at Director Kang’s unexpected suggestion.
Lee Jeong-han gently supported Baek Ga-yoon by the shoulders and guided her forward.
Why are we suddenly monitoring the footage?
Did he completely ignore everything I just said?
She wondered whether she should scream again, but Lee Jeong-han quickly led her to the monitoring table while patting her reassuringly.
And then—
“Look. Ms. Jeong Ga-yoon wasn’t actually strangling you.”
The footage they had just filmed began playing on the monitor.
Jeong Ga-yoon’s hand was around Baek Ga-yoon’s neck.
But there wasn’t even the slightest bit of force in it.
This is bad.
Baek Ga-yoon had been completely swept away by Jeong Ga-yoon’s acting—as though her life were actually being squeezed out of her.
