In This Life I Will Die as an Actress Not a Villainess Chapter 43

I smiled subtly at the director’s words.

As if I’d settle for just that.

When I’d worked so hard to secure this position.

I stared at the fully set camera and mentally traced through the blocking again.

Then I started jumping in place.

I needed to be genuinely out of breath.

I could feel Director Kang’s gaze watching me intently.

And then, moments later.

“Ready, action!”

I started running alongside the camera gliding on its rails.

Before I knew it, several palace guards had attached themselves behind me.

The long skirt kept getting caught under my rapidly moving feet.

“This damned skirt!”

As Sunim, if I showed my face to those guards while wearing this skirt, I’d be dragged straight to the state tribunal.

I began letting desperation and fear creep into my expression.

The distance between me and the guards gradually closed.

Just then, I spotted a pond up ahead.

I stopped briefly to catch my breath.

There was no time to hesitate.

After glancing back once, I held my breath and gathered the skirt tightly in my hands.

Splash—

I dove straight into the pond.

While holding still underwater, I could hear the guards near the pond creating a commotion above.

“It might be an intruder. Everyone spread out and search!”

“Yes! Understood!”

How many seconds had passed?

Just as my breath was reaching its limit and the guards’ footsteps faded away.

Once the sounds completely disappeared, I slowly began rising to the surface.

Barely poking my head above water…

I locked eyes with someone who’d been staring at the pond.

“Puha… ah!”

The person who’d locked eyes with me also stumbled backward in surprise.

That face was unmistakable.

“Your Majesty…!”

It was the king.

The king in shabby disguise instead of his dragon robe.

Lee Seokhyun looked at me with an absurd expression.

“Wh-what are you doing here?”

“Your-Your Majesty, why are you here…”

At that, Lee Seokhyun brought his finger to his lips, gesturing quietly—shh.

Lee Seokhyun also seemed fully immersed, naturally conveying both the king’s tension and a comic element for the camera.

I nodded in response, but my breathing gradually grew labored.

I needed to get to shore, but it wasn’t working out.

That’s when Lee Seokhyun extended his hand toward me.

“Take it.”

“…”

A brief silence followed.

I couldn’t easily take that hand.

Below the surface… I was wearing women’s clothing.

But Sunim had a leg cramp and couldn’t hold on any longer.

I grasped the king’s hand tightly.

The king pulled me up with all his strength.

We collapsed together on the pond’s edge, both gasping for breath.

Before long, we each glanced at the other’s clothing with flustered expressions.

“How are you… wearing women’s clothes?”

Lee Seokhyun’s voice had sunk heavily.

“Cut!”

“Sena-ssi! Come here quickly!”

“Oh, I’m so cold I can’t stand it.”

“The first scene was excellent!”

Staff members’ voices and applause poured out.

Lee Seokhyun helped me up while staff with towels came rushing over.

In an instant, large towels and blankets were wrapped around me in layers.

Holding a hot pack in my hand, I looked through the staff toward Director Kang, deep in thought.

The okay sign hadn’t come yet.

A brief silence settled over the set.

Even I, shivering violently, became thoughtful.

I locked eyes with Director Kang, who wore an ambiguous expression.

“Director! Should we go again?”

I wasn’t satisfied with it either.

It felt lacking.

That’s when I heard several staff members gasp.

The director looked at me, shivering in the cold, and fell into thought for a moment.

I hurried over to him and looked at the monitor together.

“Director, here. When I dove in, the shot feels a bit ambiguous. I didn’t fully submerge, so it’ll be awkward to attach insert shots later when editing.”

“Right.”

Director Kang reflexively nodded.

It seemed I’d been right to come over.

The director looked at me, soaking wet.

“But I hate being inefficient.”

“Pardon?”

It was an unexpected response.

“Sena-ssi isn’t a machine, and making you dive in again in this cold weather doesn’t sit well.”

Wait, is he worried about me…?

“Sena-ssi is our drama’s female lead, right? You’re not going to drain yourself like this for every scene, are you? If you get sick or hurt, that’s a huge loss for the production.”

“Ah…”

Of course.

The director was simply weighing efficiency and profit regarding me—an important production component.

At that, Lee Seokhyun, who’d been listening nearby, shook his head.

“Our director. Sometimes I think he’s cold-blooded.”

I fell into serious contemplation for a brief moment.

But his point was undeniably valid.

However… my thinking hadn’t changed.

I couldn’t let this scene air as is.

With the hand holding the hot pack, I firmly grasped the director’s hand.

“…?”

“That’s fine, Director. You know why?”

The moment I spoke boldly, all the staff’s eyes on set focused in this direction.

The director looked with bewildered eyes at his hand I’d suddenly grabbed.

Even the director’s hand felt ice cold from the wind.

I had no prepared answer.

My mouth had moved on its own.

I spun my thought process frantically to produce a quick self-Q&A.

But nothing came to mind.

Unfortunately.

“I’m young.”

“…?”

Director Kang’s brow furrowed incredulously.

I’ve messed up.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

“I want to film it again! Let me film it!”

In the end, throwing a tantrum.

Against these people armed with logic and reason, their minds completely closed off—there was nothing else to do.

Except to pretend to be crazy and beg shamelessly.

“Wow…”

Even Lee Seokhyun, who’d monopolized the 4D position, looked at me dumbfounded.

At that, the director pulled his hand from mine with a still-flustered expression.

“Good grief… fine, then.”

The moment those words fell, the makeup team whisked me away as if kidnapping me.

* * *

Splash—

“Okay. Cut!”

The second pond scene I’d ultimately pushed through.

As I barely climbed out of the pond and faced Lee Seokhyun, the okay sign echoed across the set.

Whew, I really was confident when I insisted, but it’s genuinely freezing.

My jaw chattered uncontrollably.

“Sena-ssi worked so hard.”

“Oh, seriously, this seems worse than the Flat Shoes scene.”

Staff from the previous project threw out comments.

“Not at all. I’m Yoo Ji-an, after all.”

The staff laughed cheerfully at my response.

I hurried toward the staff holding towels…

A thick coat was draped over me.

I turned around to find Director Kang.

When our eyes met, the director turned smoothly back toward the monitor as if nothing had happened.

“You did well.”

Leaving just those words behind.

What’s with this person…

Is this… what they call tsundere?

Just then, Lee Seokhyun chuckled.

“Sena-ssi, so this is how you’ve been winning people over to your side.”

“Pardon?”

For a moment, the atmosphere Lee Seokhyun created turned serious.

“Pretty impressive, really. But you know.”

“…”

Lee Seokhyun leaned in close and whispered.

“Strangely, when you work too hard, you end up with just as many antis?”

This time it wasn’t the 4D weirdo persona.

“What on earth does that.”

I looked at Lee Seokhyun with a confused expression, and he flashed that playful smile again.

“Social skills. You need a little of that.”

Lee Seokhyun winked and moved away toward the next scene’s preparation.

I watched his retreating back, then looked again at Heo Sojin, who’d finished makeup and was waiting.

When our eyes met, Heo Sojin smirked as if finding it ridiculous.

Heo Sojin’s gaze moved to the director’s coat I was wearing.

In that instant, I sensed it.

She’s pissed.

It was an uncomfortable moment.

The moment of feeling someone’s baseless hatred with my whole body.

And somehow…

Looking at Heo Sojin’s smile, I had a premonition I’d face even more vicious conflicts than with Kim Eunseo.

I turned my back on Heo Sojin’s gaze.

Whatever happens, what mattered right now was preparing for the next scene.

* * *

The next day.

A flashy coffee truck rolled onto the set.

‘Congratulations on Palace Flower’ first filming! – From fans who love Han Sena’

That was the phrase on the coffee truck banner.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“Wow! The fans’ timing is incredible, isn’t it? This fast.”

“We’re living well thanks to Sena-ssi. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

Staff gathered around the coffee truck in small groups, expressing their thanks.

Just then, Lee Seokhyun came running from afar.

“Ah! I lost!”

At that, the assistant director laughed incredulously and shot back.

“A top actor losing the coffee truck race to a newcomer’s momentum, huh?”

At that, the staff each burst into laughter.

Watching that scene unfold…

I quickly lowered my head, and the road manager checked my complexion.

“What’s wrong?”

My brightly smiling face slowly crumpled.

“Oh my, Sena-ssi, what’s wrong?”

“Are you crying?”

I quickly wiped away tears.

“No. Ugh, how embarrassing.”

Why are you crying, Han Sena?

Like an idiot.

For some reason, tears kept flowing.

At that, the assistant cinematographer laughed heartily.

“Rookies are rookies. Even if you act like you’re not, you were nervous. You did great! Really great.”

At those words, Lee Seokhyun raised his index finger and waved it back and forth.

“No. Sena-ssi is crying because she’s moved right now.”

Another senior actor smiled knowingly and approached with warm coffee.

“Is this your first coffee truck from fans? Aw, it reminds me of my debut. Feels like forever ago.”

It really was.

Combining even my previous life, it had been nearly forever since debut.

This was the first coffee truck I’d received.

In 21 years.

My heart ached with affection for fans whose faces I didn’t even know.

How could they love me like this without knowing what kind of person I am?

I smiled sheepishly at people and left the area.

After briefly washing my face and cooling down in the bathroom, I returned to the van.

I picked up my phone and snapped a selfie.

After gulping down the coffee I’d set aside earlier in one go, I uploaded a photo to the fan cafe.

‘Our sweethearts who sent warm coffee on this cold day♡ Thanks to you, the set atmosphere is so warm! I’ll become an actress you can be proud of. Thank you!’

As I gazed contentedly at the post, comments started appearing in real-time within less than a minute of uploading.

– StrapCinderella: Ah! Unnie!!!!!!!!!! Water scene from the first filming?! But you’re pretty even soaking wet!!

– SojuGoddess: The traces of crying—did you cry? So touching ㅠ0ㅠ

– YooJianFloormat: We’re the ones who are grateful♡♡♡♡♡

I grinned while reading the comments, when suddenly my head felt slightly dizzy.

A bit of heat started rising to my face too.

What’s this feeling…

Tipsy.

“Hm?”

At the strange sensation, I instinctively brought the coffee cup I’d been drinking to my nose.

Only now did I catch the smell of alcohol.

I opened the window and fanned my face with the script.

The buzz was starting to hit.