The Granddaughter of a Chaebol Family Is a Genius Child Actress - Chapter 12

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Conglomerate Heiress is a Child Genius
Chapter 12
Perched at the apex of a vertiginously tall building.
A heavy silence hung over the executive office of Baek Woon-hak, chairman of the Baek Gang Group.
……
Baek Woon-hak sat at his desk, quietly reading through documents.
But what he held in his hands now was not the usual business file awaiting his approval.
It was the Drama Role Contract for Baek Yu-jin, delivered to him this afternoon through Kang Jin-a.
‘Nothing problematic here.’
Baek Woon-hak’s eyes swept across the clauses laid out in the contract.
A shooting schedule with strict punctuality requirements, restrictions on night shoots, and a stage name to keep the child’s identity hidden.
It was a remarkably thorough and clean set of conditions tailored to the child.
In truth, given the standing of this drama and its production company, such meticulousness was only natural.
Before receiving the documents, Baek Woon-hak had already conducted a light investigation of the drama through his secretariat.
A major production house under the nation’s largest broadcaster, rolling out an anticipated work.
Among the dramas scheduled for terrestrial broadcast in the second half of the year, it was the most talked-about.
……
And it was into such a major production that Baek Yu-jin had been cast.
To be frank, it was quite fascinating.
At first, he had not held great expectations.
He had thought she would collide with reality once, feel the weight of a world that refused to bend to her will, and abandon the dream just as quickly.
Perhaps she might beg to try again once or twice more.
His intent had been more a matter of watching to see how far she would go, a kind of test—and yet……
‘To think she would actually land a role just like that.’
Even after finishing his review of the documents, Baek Woon-hak sat for some time, quietly studying the papers.
A moment passed.
After a prolonged silence, his firmly closed mouth finally opened.
“……Given that she’s appearing in such a production, would it be necessary to send her to an acting academy or anywhere like that?”
It was not that he harbored plans to groom Baek Yu-jin as an actress for life.
But since the decision had been made for her to step into the public eye, the very least he could require was that the blood of the Baek Gang clan not appear ridiculous before others.
“An academy, sir?”
Kang Jin-a fell briefly into thought at the question.
But before long, she shook her head with firm conviction.
“It was not a level of skill that requires instruction from another.”
……
At that resolute assessment, one corner of Baek Woon-hak’s brow lifted with apparent interest.
Despite the chairman’s surprised reaction, Kang Jin-a continued speaking in her characteristic calm manner.
“I too was greatly astonished by the young lady’s acting. If I may say so, her skill was quite extraordinary.”
It was high praise—the sort one would scarcely believe coming from Kang Jin-a’s lips.
Baek Woon-hak slowly stroked his chin.
‘To warrant such an evaluation from her……’
Kang Jin-a’s family was a lineage that had long received patronage from the Baek Gang Group’s scholarship foundation.
Among them, those who showed exceptional talent had been recruited into the core secretariat of the group, serving the owner’s family in the front lines.
Kang Jin-a was one such person.
From childhood she had been called a prodigy, had walked an elite path, and was known for her rationality and keen situational judgment.
She was not one to be swayed by private sentiment or offer exaggerated flattery.
……
In that instant, an image flashed through Baek Woon-hak’s mind—the child’s eyes as he had encountered her days ago in the study.
Eyes trembling with fear yet steadfastly refusing to yield, burning with determination.
That persistent gaze bore an uncanny resemblance to someone.
To the very person Kang Jin-a was meant to have served by design.
‘……Ah, what a relentless coincidence.’
The moment he grasped this, Baek Woon-hak let out a self-deprecating laugh.
But only briefly—he soon raised his hand dismissively toward Kang Jin-a.
“……Very well, I understand. You may go.”
“Yes, sir.”
Click-
……
Even after Kang Jin-a had bowed respectfully and left his office, Baek Woon-hak remained seated alone in the empty executive office for a long while.
***
A few days later.
‘……feeling empty.’
Even as the car rattled and swayed beneath me, I kept my head bowed, Script in hand.
Today was it—the long-awaited Script Reading.
Normally, Script Readings don’t begin until well after the Casting is confirmed.
‘In my past life, it was always that way too.’
Starting a Script Reading just a week after confirmation was extraordinarily rare, but this time there was no help for it.
I was the last actor cast for There Is No Good Child!
The director had explained it to me.
All the adult roles had been locked in ages ago, but they’d struggled to find anyone for the Child Role—the female lead’s younger self—and the slot had remained empty.
So the adult cast had already started their Script Reading, he said.
‘That makes sense—this is an incredibly difficult role.’
I nodded to myself, mulling it over.
This character I’d been given, Seo Young, was in essence a hollow child.
A child who felt nothing—not when a friend fell and wept with blood streaming down, not when a beautiful puppy wagged its tail.
So she had to constantly run complex calculations in her head, faking sadness and kindness.
A mechanical child, planning everything down to the finest detail before she moved.
That was Seo Young as I understood her.
‘It was incredibly difficult.’
Among all the roles I’d played in my past life, this personality ranked among the hardest I’d ever tackled.
So I read the Script whenever I had a free moment.
Of course, I couldn’t spend all day glued to it.
I had mountains of schoolwork piling up every single day.
If I cut corners on my studies, my parents would grow suspicious quickly, and more than that, I knew Grandfather would be disappointed.
So I still had to study English and mathematics, still had to take etiquette lessons.
But strangely, none of it felt difficult at all.
‘Back then I used to cry because it was so hard…….’
Now I could grit my teeth and power through my homework.
Once those tedious, grueling hours were over, I could indulge myself with my favorite Script!
Just imagining and pondering what kind of child Seo Young was filled me with joy, not exhaustion.
‘Hehe.’
If reading the Script for just a little while each night made me this happy, how blissful would it be to act all day long?
Already anticipating that time, I found myself grinning foolishly.
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[Pass Grandfather’s Test!]
Objective: Display Acting that completely overwhelms the veteran performers!
Reward: Permission to engage in Acting activities until elementary school graduation
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‘…….’
A blue window materialized before my eyes with a soft pop.
I blinked for a moment, then glanced down at the fox sitting in my lap.
-Mm. What’s wrong?
The fox merely swished its tail casually in response to my gaze.
‘Tch, as if I don’t remember…….’
I pursed my lips without meaning to.
I didn’t need the fox to tell me—I already understood that I had an objective I absolutely had to achieve.
If I failed to reach this goal, that happy future I’d just imagined would crumble to dust and vanish.
But I’d prepared for this in my own way!
I’d spent the past several nights planning exactly how to perform in a way that would astound the adults.
It was fortunate that the role I’d been assigned was so challenging.
The harder the task, the more impressed the adults would be.
‘So I really have to do my absolute best……!’
I clenched my fists and made a silent vow to myself.
And that was precisely when it happened.
“Yes, this is Kang Jin-a. Yes, we’re expected to arrive shortly.”
The sound of Jin-a’s voice on a call filtered in from beside me.
At the sound of it, I glanced sidelong at her.
“Yes, I’ll head over once we arrive. My condition? There’s nothing to report, but……”
“…….”
Hmm.
I let out a long sigh when my cousin wasn’t looking.
That blank expression, that stiff voice!
Frustration gnawed at me, and I pursed my lips.
If she acted like that, who would ever believe Jin-a was actually my cousin?
‘……Ugh.’
The internal grumbling lasted only a moment before I froze, realizing something, and my breath caught.
Wait—wasn’t that actually a serious problem?
Unlike last time when it was just the director, today there would be a huge crowd gathered here.
And worse—reporters would be there too!
‘What if someone recognizes me?’
I’m not famous at all, but my family is incredibly well-known.
If some sharp-eyed person started suspecting Jin-a’s odd behavior and pieced together my real identity…?
“So rumors about your true identity have spread everywhere. Tsk, don’t you ever think of acting again!”
Gulp.
“…….”
Grandfather’s stern voice echoed through my mind.
Just imagining it made my vision darken.
‘This can’t happen……!’
The moment that thought crystallized, the car came to a gentle stop.
I quickly checked the clock on the dashboard.
There was still some time left before the appointment the director had mentioned.
“Unnie!”
“……Young lady?”
I grabbed Jin-a’s collar urgently just as she was about to get out.
Only then did her eyes turn toward me.
They flickered with confusion, a little uncertain, but I pressed on undeterred and declared solemnly.
“Let’s practice acting together before we go in!”
“……Pardon?”
I was going to fix my cousin’s awkward demeanor, no matter what it took.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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