In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 29

Inside the car driving alongside the Han River.

Sunlight reflected off the river’s surface, shattering into sparkling fragments outside the window.

I took in the scenery while deliberately taking deep breaths.

Minyeong unnie, gripping the steering wheel, had been nagging nonstop for thirty minutes straight.

“You look way too nervous. If the veterans notice, it’s over from your first line. Want to take a calming pill? Wait, that might dull your edge. Should we pull over for some fresh air?”

“Ugh, unnie. Stop.”

Unable to take any more, I cut her off, and unnie let out a sigh.

“Yeah. Truth is, I’m the nervous one.”

Watching unnie’s profile as she exhaled deeply made me laugh.

“Look at you, laughing away.”

At unnie’s words, I cracked the window open to let some air into the car.

“It’s just—it’s surreal being here with you like this.”

“Hm?”

Unnie answered absently while focusing on changing lanes.

It felt strange.

During the Flat Shoes shoot, I’d ridden in Dad’s car or taken taxis, and I’d never been this close with the managers I’d met in my previous life.

This morning before dawn, unnie had insisted on driving herself and showed up right at my door.

Though I didn’t say it, I felt grateful inside.

Already Mom and Dad seemed to be leaning on unnie too.

“Unnie, don’t worry.”

“You sure about that?”

“I’m nervous, but I feel good. I really think I can do well today.”

And I meant it.

I was ready—completely ready.

Regardless of the outcome, I had the confidence that I’d poured everything I had into this.

“Yeah. Looking at you puts my mind at ease.”

Unnie glanced at my face and cracked a smile.

As I silently stared out the window, our destination came into view.

“Pour everything out and come back. Fighting.”

Unnie turned the wheel.

We’d arrived at the NBS Academy building.

Following the staff’s directions to the audition location, I started walking when…

Whispers reached me from behind.

“What, is that Han Sena? From Flat Shoes?”

“Han Sena…? She’s not quite at that level yet, is she.”

“Well, even if she bombs, just competing with her will boost her name recognition.”

It felt like déjà vu—a familiar scene unfolding before me.

Do these people talk this loud on purpose so you can hear them?

I glanced casually toward the source of the voices…

Huh?

Sitting side by side on the waiting room’s leather sofa were Seo Jaeyeon and Lee Nara.

The other actors sat in corners, clearly reading the room around those two.

They were the top two drama candidates Minyeong unnie had mentioned.

The two women stared straight at me and continued their conversation.

“She’s a rising star, isn’t she? Probably got that celebrity disease in full swing right now. Must think she can compete.”

Wait, I’m standing right here.

“Wasn’t that her debut work last time?”

They were treating me like I was invisible.

“Right, she probably doesn’t even know what sageuk tone is yet.”

“Being generous, you’d call it guts. Really, it’s recklessness.”

Lee Nara emphasized those final two syllables, and our eyes met.

She giggled at me.

That laughing face was really…

Pretty.

“Hello.”

I bowed my head in greeting toward both of them.

“Oh my.”

The two women looked at me with expressions mixing half surprise, half amusement.

This kind of power play was child’s play to me.

Recklessness or guts or whatever—what could they do about it?

Words from people who didn’t know me weren’t particularly important.

Actually, I rather liked this situation.

If I landed the role after beating out such strong candidates…

My acting would shine even brighter.

I walked past them toward the mirror.

“Oh my, oh my.”

The two laughed as if they found it absurd.

This wasn’t the time to worry about such things.

I focused on running through my lines internally.

A moment later, a staff voice came from behind.

“Han Sena-ssi, please come in.”

* * *

The moment I stepped into the audition room, what I saw was…

None other than that man’s aura.

Gasp.

My jaw dropped.

Lee Seokhyun.

Short black hair, broad shoulders, a small face filled with clear eyes and a high nose bridge, a sharp jawline…

The so-called face genius, and currently South Korea’s top actor.

This was my first time seeing Lee Seokhyun in person.

Even his eyebrows and the space between them are beautiful.

A few seconds later, realizing I’d been too obviously checking out his face, I turned my head.

But why is Lee Seokhyun here…?

When I looked at the judges’ panel with an openly surprised expression, people chuckled slightly.

“We called him in to run lines. Please introduce yourselves, you two.”

Lee Seokhyun gave a casual nod first.

I quickly bowed my head too.

At that moment, I suddenly remembered and looked back at Lee Seokhyun.

‘You know Lee Seokhyun’s really greedy about his projects, right? He also hates being called handsome. To him, compliments about looks sound like insults about his acting. But his last project totally bombed. He’s probably coming in with fire in his eyes this time.’

Minyeong unnie’s words came back to me.

Makes sense.

There’s no way a top actor like this would show up at auditions just to read lines with actresses.

Just then, something felt off, so I looked back at the judges’ panel.

A middle-aged man sitting at the edge was staring intently at me.

His gaze felt uncomfortably intense for the situation.

Is he someone I know…?

Someone noticed my stare and introduced the middle-aged man.

“That’s the director.”

“Ah! Hello.”

I bowed at the waist immediately.

The director raised his hand coolly in acknowledgment.

Yet his eyes remained filled with curiosity as he kept watching me.

Is it because of Flat Shoes?

For him to be this curious about me… feels nice?

The other people greeted me warmly.

“Our Yoo Ji-an-ssi. Your acting skills are already proven, naturally you’ll do well.”

“Don’t be nervous, just show us comfortably.”

Everyone laughed cheerfully—hahaha.

I steadied my heart amidst all those gazes.

* * *

Director Cheon Insu’s eyes gleamed as he watched the young actress catch her breath.

A peculiar aura flowed from Han Sena.

An energy not easily found in other young actresses.

‘Just like that time. She’s definitely appealing.’

That night from before, late at the movie theater.

Cheon Insu had a hobby of visiting movie theaters alone late at night after finishing all his schedules and work.

And recently, at his hideaway independent theater, he’d seen Han Sena.

‘Flat Shoes’ Yoo Ji-an.’

That had been his first impression.

But the young actress watching three films in a row never stopped taking diligent notes.

A completely different image from all the rumors and gossip.

“Hm.”

Cheon Insu had first taken interest at that sight.

Later, when he belatedly heard that Han Sena had joined hands with Kwon Minyeong after shaking up True Actors, that interest snowballed.

For some reason, he felt like he was seeing his younger self in this unfamiliar actress—almost like an illusion.

Cheon Insu had climbed to this position over more than twenty years through sheer guts and determination to believe in himself.

He never counted effort as effort unless he could be proud of it himself, and never listened to people talking this way and that.

So it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Cheon Insu had DNA that made it hard to ignore people who worked hard.

And now.

Cheon Insu found himself secretly rooting for Han Sena without realizing it.

‘Show me. Show me how hard you’ve been working all this time.’

Soon Han Sena stood facing Lee Seokhyun.

They made quite a fresh and beautiful pair.

The scene they’d perform was one where the king teases the female lead, still unaware of her gender.

“We’ll begin.”

Just then, Han Sena suddenly knelt before Lee Seokhyun.

‘…!’

Cheon Insu, Lee Seokhyun, and everyone at the judges’ table froze, catching their breath.

Meanwhile, Han Sena alone wore a subtle smile.

“A subject always kneels before the king.”

At that, Lee Seokhyun ran his hand through his hair and laughed.

Then plopped right down on the floor himself.

Everyone leaned forward with interest, watching the two.

Lee Seokhyun sat cross-legged on the floor, looking at Han Sena as he began.

“Royal wine. I’ve filled the cup to overflowing with my affection for my subject.”

His soft voice came out low and pleasant to the ear.

Lee Seokhyun made a gesture of offering something to Han Sena.

Han Sena bowed her head and reached out, acting as if receiving a tiny cup.

The mime was realistic enough to be convincing.

“It’s precious wine, so you mustn’t leave a single drop.”

As Lee Seokhyun delivered the king’s playful line, Han Sena made a gesture of setting the cup on the floor.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot drink it. Getting drunk on strong liquor is not the way of a gentleman.”

“How dare you refuse.”

Han Sena’s shoulders flinched at the king’s reprimand.

She truly looked like a subject being toyed with by the king’s games.

The people watching began getting completely absorbed in the scene.

‘Wait, this is fun.’

‘Right, this was a really good scene…’

The corners of mouths curled up on faces worn down by the long audition.

Lee Seokhyun also started riding the flow.

He truly became the king, beginning to covet the subject before him.

This subject of unknown identity who kept him lost in confusion…

“Then as punishment, compose a love poem for me.”

Han Sena also became Sunim before the king.

Sunim bowed her head deeply before the king.

“That would be… inappropriate. I cannot write frivolous verses equating loyalty with romance, nor use romance as analogy for devotion.”

At the perfect diction, the director’s eyes widened as he stared at Han Sena.

‘She’s practiced sageuks…’

The writer also couldn’t contain her laughter at Sena’s lines delivering exactly the emotional range she’d wanted, delivered with complete freedom.

The king spoke again.

“How dare you refuse both this and that—such disloyalty knows no bounds. Do you truly wish for exile? I’ll confine you to that island in the pond and not release you all day long!”

The king looked hurt that the subject wouldn’t grant him even one wish—such a childlike king.

“Then I would prefer exile.”

With that, Sunim, who’d been bowing, rose and began splashing as if rushing into the pond.

The startled king jumped up and ran into the pond, grabbing Sunim’s arm to stop her.

In that moment, the king and Sunim’s eyes met at close range.

The breath of everyone watching stopped instantly.

In people’s eyes, the two’s space transformed from an audition room into a palace where lotus flowers truly floated.

The king’s breathing was rough, and Sunim’s hands trembled.

“Your Majesty! Your dragon robe is completely… Ah.”

The king gripped Sunim’s arm tighter with a flushed face.

“Then let’s live together on that island, just you and me.”

Sunim’s eyes wavered with hesitation.

The king’s dark eyes already held emotions deeper than the pond.

Tears suddenly welled up in Sunim’s eyes for just a moment.

‘I cannot even tell you I’m a woman, yet you know nothing and keep toying with me. If only you weren’t my sovereign…!’

This was Sunim’s narration that would be inserted.

Sunim shook off the king’s hand.

“Where would you go? Your Majesty must remain on the throne.”

In the end, the king’s pride was wounded.

The king whirled around and rushed out of the pond.

‘It’s not that I hate you—I hate myself. I’ve gone mad.’

The king’s feelings that Sunim would never know.

Watching the king’s back, Sunim let a tear she’d been holding slip onto the pond’s surface.

‘As a woman’s greed, I would have run away with you a hundred, a thousand times under cover of night. But I still have so much, so very much left to do.’

Sunim bowed her head.

The audition scene ended there.

The writer stared at Sunim—at Han Sena—as if in a trance.