Choi Ji-Yung mentioned the one thing Yoo-Jin was currently missing. "The presence of the lead role." Yoo-Jin tilted her head. "The presence of the lead role?" "What... does that mean?" Choi Ji-Yung smiled faintly as she spoke. "As it happens, today's exit scene is mine alone... so I'll show you how I act when I consider myself the lead. It'll be easier to understand if you see it rather than hear it. Let's talk after that." In Hwaranjeon, the female lead was Yoo-Jin. Yet, for today's exit scenes in Episode 15, scenes 20 and 21, Choi Ji-Yung was essentially the lead. By showing the acting she would perform in that scene, Choi Ji-Yung intended to demonstrate how Yoo-Jin should act moving forward as the lead. At that moment, from a distance, AD Geum Eun-Dong called out that it was time to start filming. Choi Ji-Yung nodded and reached out her hand to Yoo-Jin. "Well then... shall we go for our final lesson?" Yoo-Jin nodded, bracing herself. "Yes, Mrs. Choi." And so, Choi Ji-Yung took Yoo-Jin's hand and headed to the set for their final lesson. Scene 20 of Episode 15 in Hwaranjeon was a pivotal scene marking the transition from the early to the mid part of the story. On the day of the birthday banquet, Princess Yu-Hwa's mother, the Second Queen, is poisoned. This event solidifies Princess Yu-Hwa's decision to challenge for the throne. Choi Ji-Yung greeted the actors who had arrived earlier and made her way to the seat next to Song Ji-Hwan, who played King Eumgalmun. Yoo-Jin sat beside her, followed by the First Queen, Lee Tae-Yeon; the Third Queen, Yoon Joo-Yeon; Princess Jeong-Hwa, Han Sang-Hee, and Princess Do-Hwa, Min Gyu-Ri, as they each took their seats. The grand round table where the main cast of Hwaranjeon sat was piled high with food. Shortly after, supporting actors playing the ministers sat in a line at their individual tables. Lastly, around fifty extras dressed in ceremonial military uniforms stood behind the banquet table. After a while, the staff completed their final checks and stepped back. "Mrs. Oh, we're ready." Oh Bok-Hee picked up the megaphone. "Today is the final shoot for Mrs. Choi Ji-Yung. Let's finish it in one take and send her off smoothly. Everyone, please focus." The staff and actors nodded. "And the soldiers standing behind the ministers, draw your swords all at once on Mr. Song Ji-Hwan's cue. Have you timed it out in rehearsal?" The extras in uniform each touched their sword handles once. "Yes, we rehearsed thoroughly." After giving further instructions to the supporting actors, Oh Bok-Hee shouted into the megaphone. "Alright, we're rolling. Camera team, get ready. Ready... action!" At Oh Bok-Hee's cue, the cameras began to roll. And at that very moment, Choi Ji-Yung, once hailed as Korea's top actress, began Yoo-Jin's final lesson. Choi Ji-Yung suddenly sprang up from her chair and collapsed onto the birthday banquet table. Some of the food on the table spilled over. Choi Ji-Yung, draped halfway over the table, clawed at her upper garments. Her face was flushed red from the intense pain with veins bulging on her forehead. She writhed as if poison were melting her organs from within. Her agonized thrashing was so intense that even the actors nearby froze in place. As Choi Ji-Yung's terrible screams continued, the atmosphere on set changed in an instant. Choi Ji-Yung collapsed weakly to the floor and gasped for breath, staring at Song Ji-Hwan. 『Huff, huff, huff... Your... Majesty...』 With sorrowful eyes, Choi Ji-Yung looked at her husband. It was the look of someone who instinctively knew her life was ending. Only then did Song Ji-Hwan, playing King Eumgalmun, come to his senses and hold Choi Ji-Yung in his arms. 『What are you all doing!? Call the royal physician! Call him at once! Now!!』 The urgency in his voice snapped everyone else back to reality. At his command, the actresses playing palace maids turned around. Then, Song Ji-Hwan suddenly shouted again. 『No! Wait, don't let anyone here leave! The culprit is among us!』 Song Ji-Hwan's voice echoed loudly across the banquet table in the royal palace. At that moment, the soldiers stationed to guard the king shouted in unison and drew their swords. 『By the King's command!』 The blades gleamed in the light, creating a majestic scene. As the flame of Choi Ji-Yung's life faded, this moment marked the spark of a new war in Hwaranjeon. That's when Oh Bok-Hee called cut. "Cut~~!! Moving straight to scene 21. Shift the cameras!" At Oh Bok-Hee's shout, the cinematographer who had been filming the full banquet table rushed toward Choi Ji-Yung as it was time for a close-up. But then, Choi Ji-Yung didn't stop acting and continued her performance even though the scene had ended. She clutched her chest and gasped raggedly with her face turning deep red. And from the corner of her mouth, fake blood meant for the next scene began to trickle out. As Choi Ji-Yung became fully immersed in her role, Song Ji-Hwan, Yoo-Jin, and the other actors couldn't bring themselves to move. If Choi Ji-Yung broke her immersion, they would have to start this grueling scene all over again. In the end, everyone had no choice but to follow her lead and continue acting. Song Ji-Hwan held Choi Ji-Yung and wept. Lee Tae-Yeon and Yoon Joo-Yeon looked completely panic-stricken. The other actors also stood frozen, watching Choi Ji-Yung anxiously. It felt as though everything on set was revolving around her. Soon after, the cinematographer arrived, followed by the staff with lights and reflectors. Then they signaled they were ready. Seeing Choi Ji-Yung's state, Oh Bok-Hee immediately shouted, "Going straight into scene 21. Camera, start with a bust shot of Choi Ji-Yung and Jung Yoo-Jin. Then zoom in on both their faces to close. Ready, action!" The camera operator brought the lens right up to Choi Ji-Yung's face. Soon, Choi Ji-Yung began acting out the next scene. 『Yu-Hwa... I'm sorry... I can no longer protect you...』 Acting through the pain of her organs melting from poison, Choi Ji-Yung broke into a cold sweat. But even then, her face held a smile. She was acting to make sure her daughter wouldn't remember her final image as one of unbearable pain. Yoo-Jin fell to her knees and cried out. 『Mother! No! You can live! If we just call BiHyung..』 At that moment, Choi Ji-Yung raised her hand and gently covered Yoo-Jin's lips just as Yoo-Jin was about to say the name of the goblin BiHyungRang, 『Don't speak that name so easily... A human's burden must be resolved by human hands.』 Tears streamed from Yoo-Jin's eyes as she shook her head in denial. But then, Choi Ji-Yung's pupils lost their focus in a strangely mystical way. 『Even so, he will... protect you. Because... he promised me.』 As if she could no longer see, Choi Ji-Yung started groping blindly in the air. When her hand touched Yoo-Jin's cheek, she gently stroked it. 『Huff, huff... And so... I... will watch from the heavens... as my beautiful Yu-Hwa... blooms into the great flower of Gyerim...』 At that moment, Choi Ji-Yung's hand dropped as she couldn't finish her sentence. And the rapid rise and fall of her chest suddenly stopped. Her gasping breath ceased and her trembling body went still. All at once, her entire frame went limp. But even then, Choi Ji-Yung looked at Yoo-Jin with a faint smile with her eyes still open so that her final image for her daughter was something to be remembered with a smile. At Oh Bok-Hee's shout, the staff burst into cheers. Because Choi Ji-Yung had acted through two scenes in one go, the repressed thrill exploded doubly. "Mrs. Choi Ji-Yung, that was incredible..." "I got chills... what did I just witness?" As Choi Ji-Yung was helped up by Yoo-Jin, she bowed to the actors and staff. "Thank you all... so much for everything." The staff clapped so hard it seemed their palms might wear out. "No, we're the ones who should thank you, truly." "You're the best, really!" Cheers came even from the supporting and background actors who had performed with her. No one on set could take their eyes off Choi Ji-Yung. In that moment, it truly felt like she was the lead of Hwaranjeon. After bowing a few more times, Choi Ji-Yung slowly exited the set to the sound of applause from over a hundred people. Yoo-Jin, who had been by her side, supported her and led her to the waiting chair. Choi Ji-Yung sat down with Yoo-Jin's help. Though Yoo-Jin had to begin filming scene 22 soon, Choi Ji-Yung asked Oh Bok-Hee for a moment, saying she had something to tell Yoo-Jin. Park Woo-Min handed over a cup of warm honey water he had prepared. Choi Ji-Yung smiled and took a sip, thanking him. Then she turned to Yoo-Jin and spoke gently. "Yoo-Jin." "That acting I just did—do you think it was different from usual?" Yoo-Jin placed a hand on her chest, calming her stirred emotions before replying. "Even after Mrs. Oh gave the cut signal, you continued leading the scene on your own. Thanks to that, none of us could step out of our roles." Choi Ji-Yung nodded. "Exactly. Then do you know why I did that?" "Was it to keep the character's emotions flowing?" "Then what's the other half?" After taking a sip of the honey water, Choi Ji-Yung replied, "I forced the supporting actors to stay in the emotional moment." "Yes. Acting isn't something you can pull off alone. Unless it's a one-person show, how others respond changes everything. You know that, right?" "Exactly. That's why I did it on purpose just now. In that moment, I thought of myself as the lead and pushed everyone to match my pace and emotions." Choi Ji-Yung may have had a supporting role in the script, but in that final exit scene, she was no different from the lead. And by showing her performance, she was also teaching Yoo-Jin how to take the lead in Hwaranjeon from here on. A lead had to act like a lead, someone who could strongly command the scene. "Yoo-Jin, you're a kind kid and sometimes I see how much you try to accommodate your co-stars. You went head-to-head with Mrs. Kim Soo-Mi in In the Name of God without faltering. So why are you holding back in Hwaranjeon? You acted like a lead when you were in a supporting role. And now that you're the lead, you're playing to your co-stars' level like a supporting actor." In In the Name of God, Yoo-Jin gave it her all, facing off against the legendary Kim Soo-Mi with full force. Back then, she showcased raw talent that amazed everyone despite being inexperienced. However, in Hwaranjeon, that brilliance had become harder to see by adjusting her performance to the level of the cast. It was as if she were holding back her power. Yoo-Jin nodded cautiously. "Now that you mention it... I think you're right." Even in Hwaranjeon, her performance was impressive. Yet it was shaped by matching the others, especially when the others were seasoned actors like Lee Tae-Yeon, Yoon Joo-Yeon, Choi Ji-Yung, and Song Ji-Hwan. Asking Choi Ji-Yung to assess Yoo-Jin's performance had been a brilliant move. Choi Ji-Yung smiled with satisfaction. "Exactly. So sometimes... forget trying to match the others and just charge ahead. They might call you a tyrant, but that's what being the lead is about. It's like being a soloist in an orchestra! From now on, don't adjust to them. Make them adjust to you. Got it?" As tears fell from Yoo-Jin's eyes, Choi Ji-Yung gave her a sympathetic look. "Don't cry. Why are you crying?" "Because I'm grateful..." Despite being physically drained after barely eating for three days, Choi Ji-Yung had squeezed out every last bit of strength to give Yoo-Jin this final lesson. Yoo-Jin cried out of gratitude for that. A moment later, Yoo-Jin asked after wiping her tears, "Do you think I'll be able to do well, Mrs. Choi?" Choi Ji-Yung grasped Yoo-Jin's hand firmly. "Of course. I said you didn't have the presence of the lead role, but I've actually seen it before from your old self. You just need to bring it back out now. And even if you make a mistake along the way, Chief Jung here is more than capable of covering for you. So trust him and go for it." Yoo-Jin looked at me briefly, then turned her eyes back to Choi Ji-Yung. "Okay, Mrs. Choi." Choi Ji-Yung gave a gentle smile. "Good. Then I'll stay and watch your performance before taking a break." When Park Woo-Min saw that Choi Ji-Yung wasn't going to rest right away, he let out a short sigh. Without a word, he placed a hand on her shoulder. Choi Ji-Yung laid her hand over his and smiled softly, full of unspoken apology. Then, Choi Ji-Yung called out to Oh Bok-Hee with a smile. "Mrs. Oh! Yoo-Jin says she's ready!" Oh Bok-Hee, who had been monitoring, nodded. "Alright then, Miss Yoo-Jin. Let's go right into the shoot." The moment Oh Bok-Hee also called out to the staff and other actors, the set came alive again. Yoo-Jin took a deep breath and stood up. Before heading off, she took one last calming breath and spoke quietly. "Mrs. Choi I'll show you what it means to be the lead—just like you said." Choi Ji-Yung nodded and gave a short reply. "Yeah. Go out there and own it!" Yoo-Jin nodded and took her first step forward. Her stride was more confident than ever before. Scene 22 of Episode 15 was where Princess Yu-Hwa declares vengeance over the death of the Second Queen, who was killed by poison. Song Ji-Hwan and the other actors, who had briefly left the set, returned. Yoo-Jin quickly completed her emotional immersion and stood with her head bowed in front of the chair. This scene continued directly from where she had roared and stood up in scene 21. Noticing the clear change in Yoo-Jin's demeanor, Oh Bok-Hee swallowed nervously and picked up the megaphone. "Miss Yoo-Jin, can we go straight into it?" When Yoo-Jin silently nodded, Oh Bok-Hee raised the megaphone and called out, "Alright... we'll go right in. Ready~~ action!" At that moment, Yoo-Jin began to show the result of her final lesson.