Chapter 156: You’ll regret it.
"What happened to you?"
"Seriously... Kai, how did your acting improve this much overnight?"
The praise carried a trace of anxiety.
Faith and Jeffrey were contestants with professional experience and above average skill. Until now, they had probably considered Kai, a relative beginner, no real competition.
Watching them perform made it obvious that they were conscious of each other.
The nobleman and the merchant had comparable stage time and directly opposing roles. Each had likely been working under the assumption that if they could only outperform the other, second place was guaranteed at worst.
But suddenly Kai had changed.
The kind, innocent novice actor they thought they knew was now radiating a king's authority powerful enough to overwhelm them.
"Uh... but according to the interpretation we all agreed on, the king is basically a puppet who doesn't even realize he's being manipulated, right? Is acting him this dignified really the right choice?"
Jeffrey's question prompted an immediate response from Yu Myeong.
"He reigns, but does not rule."
"...?"
"It's a phrase often used to describe constitutional monarchies. The situation isn't identical, but Britain still has a royal family today. They possess no real governing authority. Does that mean they lack dignity?"
Modern day aristocracy.
People born into privilege often carried a natural sense of refinement.
"The king in this play is incompetent, yes. But I don't think that means he should lack a royal aura. In fact, a politically powerless monarch holding his chin high while ministers pretend to honor him creates a far more interesting picture."
To elevate the play into the version he envisioned, Yu Myeong needed two things.
First, Kai Nunan had to display such exceptional royal dignity that it contrasted sharply with the lowly slave Yu Myeong would portray.
Second, Faith and Jeffrey needed to abandon the comfortable belief that they only had to defeat each other and instead become desperate enough to fully commit themselves to the performance.
Kai's explosive growth accomplished both goals at once.
Joy shone in Kai's eyes.
Wariness and jealousy appeared in Faith's and Jeffrey's.
"Good work, Kai. Let's keep developing it in that direction."
"Yes, Hyung!"
"And I have an assignment for the two of you as well."
Yu Myeong didn't let the opportunity pass.
"When the two of you exchange dialogue, increase the speed by twenty percent."
"What?"
"Why?"
"The central narrative of this script is your confrontation. The key is creating a level of tension that makes the audience unable to look away."
"You can create tension through gestures and nuance too. The nobleman I've built speaks with elegance. Telling me to increase the pace by twenty percent—"
Yu Myeong cut Faith off.
"It's difficult to immerse an audience in a ten minute performance. Rapid dialogue exchanges are one of the most effective ways to create tension and seize attention immediately."
Faith looked ready to argue again.
Yu Myeong tilted one corner of his mouth upward.
"Then show both speed and characterization at the same time."
He paused.
"Unless you can't."
Faith's eyes widened.
He had already read her personality.
Stubborn.
Proud.
The type who thrived on expectations and threw herself into challenges whenever someone questioned her ability.
Sure enough, once her competitive spirit ignited, her acting improved dramatically.
"You insolent fool! Prince Roche has absolutely nothing to do with this matter."
"You truly expect me to believe Lord Narva acted entirely on his own?"
"On the honor of the nobility, yes. Do you not understand the significance of a nobleman accusing a fellow noble?"
"I'm afraid I don't."
"That is honor. Pride. Duty. The responsibility carried by those born noble. Even when one of our own commits wrongdoing, we must cut him away as though carving flesh from our own bodies."
Yu Myeong stopped them again.
"Too slow. Faster."
Both actors were sweating.
They had already repeated the same scene twelve times without rest.
To them, the dialogue already felt fast.
To Yu Myeong, it was nowhere near enough.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Finally Faith exploded.
"This is fast enough! How much faster do you want? The characterization will fall apart. The dialogue won't land."
"You can do it."
Yu Myeong's voice remained calm.
"Faith and Jeffrey are both more than capable of it."
The acknowledgment made her hesitate for a moment.
Then she raised her voice again.
"Then why don't you show us?"
"You'll regret asking."
"I won't."
Yu Myeong scratched the back of his head.
Beside him, Miho immediately encouraged the idea.
{Show them! Flatten that pride of hers!}
Showing them isn't difficult. But if she gets discouraged and it affects the next stage...
{It won't. She's stubborn. She won't collapse. She already admitted you're better than she is. She just hates hearing it out loud.}
Hmm. If we weren't so pressed for time, I wouldn't choose this approach.
Having a vastly superior actor perform your role for you was educational.
It was also devastating.
Yu Myeong studied Faith carefully.
She was blunt and hot tempered, but her ambition and passion for acting were real.
"Fine."
He stood.
"I'll read the nobleman's lines. Jeffrey, please take the merchant."
"Gladly."
Faith crossed her arms and watched with a look that clearly promised judgment.
Jeffrey delivered the first line.
"You truly expect me to believe Lord Narva acted entirely on his own?"
Before the last syllable had even fully faded, Yu Myeong's response struck like a blade.
"On the honor of the nobility, yes. Do you not understand the significance of a nobleman accusing a fellow noble?"
Fast.
Faith's eyes widened instantly.
The speed was dramatically higher.
Yet it never felt rushed.
Every word landed cleanly.
Part of it was diction.
Part of it was breathing.
Part of it was rhythm.
The overall pace had increased, but not every word moved at the same speed. Terms like "honor" and "fellow noble" slowed slightly, gaining emphasis.
"I'm afraid I don't."
"That is honor. Pride. Duty. The responsibility carried by those born noble. Even when one of our own commits wrongdoing, we must cut him away as though carving flesh from our own bodies."
What stunned Faith wasn't merely the pace.
It was how much more aristocratic the nobleman felt.
The characterization differed from her own interpretation.
He wasn't simply elegant and refined.
The arrogance of the aristocracy remained.
But beneath it lurked something ugly.
A man who condemned the merchant's vulgarity while secretly being even more vulgar himself.
And suddenly Faith realized something.
Despite not even playing the role, he understood the character better than she did.
The difference in expressive ability between them felt like the difference between an adult and a child.
When the scene ended, Kai instinctively began applauding before noticing Faith's expression and hurriedly lowering his hands.
Faith bit her lip.
Her face had gone pale.
He's from a completely different world...
Seeing her shaken expression, Yu Myeong pressed the advantage.
"You said this was your last chance. That you quit your job to be here."
"...I did."
"In my opinion, your current ability is already enough to earn a living as an actor."
"..."
"I never ask for the impossible."
His gaze remained steady.
"But as a director, I'll continue demanding everything I believe you're capable of achieving."
A brief pause.
"You can show me that level of commitment, can't you?"
Something hardened behind Faith's lowered eyes.
A decision.
"Not really."
Faith laughed weakly.
"That hurt quite a bit."
After Yu Myeong and Kai left, Jeffrey quietly approached her.
Faith managed a tired smile.
"Shin Yu Myeong can be a little much."
"..."
"Honestly, he's a contestant just like us, but he acts like he's already the director. What he did to you today felt excessive. And then he performed your role himself..."
"Jeffrey."
Faith cut him off.
"I was the one who asked for it."
"Oh."
"He warned me I'd regret it. I insisted."
Her smile disappeared.
Jeffrey looked embarrassed.
"Ah... right."
"Don't misunderstand me."
Faith folded her arms.
"I have complaints about him. Plenty of them."
Her tone became surprisingly serious.
"But fundamentally, we're benefiting from him."
Jeffrey blinked.
"This is technically a team stage, but there's no realistic scenario where Shin Yu Myeong gets eliminated here."
He nodded reluctantly.
"Probably not."
"After what he did in the first two rounds, the network isn't going to let him disappear."
Faith sighed.
"He's basically carrying all of us through a stage that's almost a free pass for him."
"Well..."
"Why?"
She answered her own question.
"Maybe he wants to demonstrate leadership and directing ability by creating the best possible performance. That's probably the most likely explanation."
A faint smile appeared.
"Or maybe he's simply insane about acting."
Jeffrey laughed despite himself.
"That too."
"But regardless of his motives, we're benefiting."
Silence followed.
"Whether that's a better chance of advancing or simply the training we're receiving, I owe him something."
"...Yeah."
Jeffrey nodded.
"So do I."
He smiled awkwardly.
"I just wanted to cheer you up. I didn't realize you were evaluating yourself this objectively."
Faith's expression softened.
"I probably overdid it."
She looked toward the rehearsal stage.
"I wasn't really talking to you."
"...?"
"I was reminding myself."
She laughed bitterly.
"Watching his version of the nobleman was a shock."
Jeffrey nodded.
"I can imagine."
"I got trapped by the word noble."
She shook her head.
"My interpretation became too one dimensional. The dialogue speed is one issue, but I think I need to rebuild the character from the ground up."
Her smile turned wry.
"Which is unfortunate, considering how little time we have left."
"I'll help."
Jeffrey stood.
"We still need to practice the dialogue exchanges anyway. Want to continue tonight?"
Faith smiled.
"Sounds good."
Outside the rehearsal room, Yu Myeong quietly stepped back.
He had returned because Faith had been bothering him.
After overhearing their conversation, he smiled to himself.
He had already noticed that Jeffrey liked Faith.
The image was easy to imagine.
Jeffrey seeing her vulnerable and trying to move into the empty space beside her, only to be thoroughly outmaneuvered.
She's strong.
Not easygoing.
Not particularly pleasant.
But deeply aware of her own flaws.
Today's confrontation had become medicine rather than poison.
And Jeffrey Lane.
He looked relaxed on the surface, but he was sharp and ambitious.
With Kai and Faith pushing themselves so hard, there was no chance he would allow himself to become the weak link.
At last, every member of the team was under control.
Motivated.
Focused.
Now all that remained was to run.
Faith and Jeffrey's chemistry became exceptional.
Faith's nobleman projected refinement while letting traces of suppressed ugliness leak through.
Jeffrey's merchant openly flaunted his greed while needling the nobleman at every opportunity.
The combination was excellent.
Their exchanges became so rapid that whenever the nobleman and merchant clashed, the dialogue flew like machine gun fire.
Between them sat the king.
Relaxed.
Interrupting with completely unrelated observations.
His overwhelming royal presence made his obliviousness both hilarious and infuriating.
Without realizing it, they had stopped seeing Yu Myeong as a fellow contestant.
He had become the director of the production.
And then—
Three days before the finals.
For the first time ever, Yu Myeong arrived late to rehearsal.
"Morning, Yu Myeong."
"Ten whole minutes late? The man who always arrives first actually has human flaws."
"Hyung, Jeffrey Hyung only got here a few minutes ago too!"
"Hey, Kai!"
But Yu Myeong burst through the door holding the script and breathing hard.
"I... made a mistake."
"It's fine, Hyung."
"No."
His voice was unusually urgent.
"I think we've been completely wrong."
"...?"
"Our interpretation of the script."
The room fell silent.
"I think we've been interpreting it completely wrong."
And every pair of eyes widened at once.