Chapter 328
Egbert stared blankly at the four bowls before him, silent as the grave.
Carrol, standing awkwardly to the side, ventured, "Eileen, what on earth are you doing?"
Having just wiped her hands clean with a dish towel, Eileen fixed her cold gaze on Egbert and said sternly, "If you pull another stunt like this, I'll have even less reason to talk to you."
With that, she turned on her heel and strode away.
Egbert watched her retreating figure, silent for a moment before turning to Carrol.
Carrol, somewhat embarrassed, offered, "I didn't expect her to react like that..."
Egbert replied calmly, "Let it be."
Carrol suggested, "Don't worry, I'll try talking to her again."
Egbert cut him off, "No need."
He added, "I understand her."
During the actual scene, Eileen hadn't touched the food; she was simply using the moment to express her dissatisfaction.
And Carrol wasn't entirely wrong; with Egbert's time on set limited to just three days, if Eileen went out of her way to eat something foul to get back at him, it would impact the whole crew.
In the scene where Andromeda seduces Evander for the first time, it was Andromeda who made the first move.
After drinking the wine that Andromeda had lied was a gift from his wife, Evander started to feel dizzy.Owned by NôvelDrama.Org.
His vision blurred, and he sometimes saw Andromeda, sometimes his wife Shirley. When Shirley's face stayed in focus, he grabbed her hand in his confusion.
A lucid Andromeda, noticing Evander's hand on hers, smiled slyly, pressing her curvaceous body close to his solid frame, her delicate hand wandering over his chest and waist.
Finally, she reached for his belt buckle, tugging at it and asked seductively, "General, what seems to be the matter?"
Evander swallowed hard, his other hand encircling Andromeda's waist, his foggy eyes reflecting her image as he bent down and captured her lips with his.
Andromeda passively accepted his kiss, a playful smile on her face, her hand venturing further down with a look of pleasure and triumph in her eyes. "Cut!" Carrol called out, eyes fixed on the monitor.
The two actors, wrapped up in their passionate kiss, instantly broke apart.
Eileen pulled her hand back, pushing away from Egbert and taking a step back. She accepted a bottle of water from Janice, twisting off the cap to take a sip.
Egbert watched her for a moment, then walked off the set.
After a while, Carrol shouted, "Alright, that's a wrap for this scene. Let's prepare for the next one. Mr. Reed... Hey, where's Mr. Reed?"
Eileen, her cheeks flushed, didn't say a word.
A male crew member stammered, "I think he went to... wash his face."
Carrol sighed.
The crew began changing the set, and twenty minutes later, the next scene was ready to shoot.
That morning, they completed two love scenes and three kissing scenes.
Egbert and Eileen got it right in one take.
Carrol was pleased. Seeing there was still time, he teased, “A couple of shots could be a bit better, shall we do another take?"
Eileen remained silent.
Egbert, with a firm voice, said, "This take is good enough."
Carrol made exaggerated signals at Egbert, his intentions clear – he was trying to do him a favor.
Egbert, ungrateful, simply said, "Isn't it time for lunch?"
Realizing Egbert was adamant about not reshooting, Carrol conceded, “Alright, lunch break for everyone."
As Eileen passed by Egbert, she gave him an unexpected glance.
By the end of the day, most of the indoor scenes between Andromeda and Evander were completed.
The next morning would bring an outdoor fight scene, where Evander, upon learning that his wife and daughter had been killed by Andromeda, engages in a desperate battle with her.
At nine o'clock that evening, after Eileen had 'stabbed' Janice to the ground with a clothes rack, she dropped it, dissatisfied, and said, “Can't you at least put up a bit of a fight?"
Janice, sitting up from the carpet, asked blankly, "Then, what should I do?"
Eileen flopped onto the bed and declared, "Never mind, I'll just practice by myself."
Eileen then proceeded to practice her swordplay alone, mimicking the scenes from the script.
After ten minutes of solo practice, she tossed the clothes rack onto the couch, exhausted, and lamented, "If only I had someone who knows the craft well enough to spar with me."
Janice, sensing Eileen's dissatisfaction with her, pouted and muttered, “Eileen, I'm really trying my best. Shall I go find the fight choreographer?" Eileen replied with annoyance, "Why bother someone at this hour?"
Scratching her head, Janice offered, "I'll try again, and I'll make it look convincing this time."
Eileen, unimpressed, retorted, "Forget it, you can't act."
At a loss, Janice asked, "Then how can I help you?"
Eileen, feigning exasperation, wished aloud for a capable scene partner.
Finally catching on, Janice exclaimed, "I'll go get Director Carrol!"
Eileen grabbed Janice before she could dash off, and eventually relented, "Alright, go back to your room and sleep!"
Once Janice was off, Eileen sat on the bed, stewing in frustration.
With no other option, she picked up the clothes rack again and began jabbing at the pillows.
Ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door.
Irritably, Eileen called out, "Didn't I tell you to go to bed?"
As she swung the door open, anticipation hanging in the air, her breath hitched at the sight of the man standing before her.
Egbert, script in hand, lightly bit his lip and spoke with a softened tone, "Got a moment? I want to practice for the fight scene."
Eileen's heart skipped a beat. With a reluctant huff, she replied, "Tomorrow's scene is demanding on the action. Best to nail down the angles now to avoid re-shoots tomorrow!"
Egbert didn't argue; he just nodded. Whatever she said was law.
And so, they began rehearsing.
Andromeda lunged forward, her foil pressing against Evander's chest.
Evander's face soured, a flash of confusion crossing his features. He hadn't expected a woman, seemingly ordinary, to prate his defenses so effortlessly!
Ignoring his surprise, Andromeda smoothly withdrew her "blade."
A wicked pleasure danced across her seductive face as she taunted, "General, do you feel the sting of heartache? Mmm, such a rich resentment. Do you hate me, General? ...Such cruelty. We've shared nights as man and wife, you were tender then. Why so cold now?"
Step by step, Andromeda advanced until she stood before an infuriated Evander.
The man was powerless, and with a flick of her finger, she tilted his chin, forcing him to look at her.
This demoness, cruel by nature, feasted on the dark aura of humans - anger, resentment, greed, lust.
Evander, once a saint, now found his life in ruins because of her. The malevolence she drew from his fall from grace filled her with a sense of satiation she had never known before.
She leaned in close, her breath brushing his face as she clicked her tongue, "That's the look, the torment in your eyes, General. Do you have regrets?"
At that moment, Evander, seemingly defeated, made a desperate move!
He grasped Andromeda's wrist in an unexpected counter and, in her moment of surprise, flipped her beneath him! His hand closed around her throat as his other hand seized a nearby foil, aiming for her heart.
Eileen lay on the carpet, looking up at Egbert as she awaited the descent of the makeshift prop, ready to deliver her line.
But the "blade" hesitated, and confusion washed over her.
The hand around her neck loosened.
He set aside the prop, his fingers now softly tracing her hair with tenderness in his eyes. No longer Evander, he was Egbert as he whispered, "I have no regrets... for you, I'd face a thousand deaths and call it bliss."