However, Oh Min Jung, sitting in the front row with her arms crossed, remained silent. Her unevenly wrinkled eyes and frozen expression clearly displayed her displeasure.

She was unhappy about not being the first face on screen, despite being the protagonist. Moreover, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of being overshadowed by Eom So-yeon right from the start of the drama.

The scale of the first episode, starting and ending with Eom So-yeon, was beyond Oh Min Jung’s imagination.

Whooosh―.

A gust of wind blew somewhere, making her bright red dress ripple like a river of blood. The large flock of white birds that gathered around So Ye Hwa was just the beginning. A gigantic figure soon soared up from below the rock, creating a majestic wind.

So Ye Hwa, who effortlessly climbed onto the dragon’s back and flew high into the sky towards the village square, was a warrior who could command the legendary dragon as if it were her own body.

As a huge dragon appeared in the sky, people stopped what they were doing and ran after it, gathering in front of the royal palace in a massive crowd.

The dragon landed, and from atop its high back, she shouted loudly.

“I am the daughter of King So Myeong, So Ye Hwa!”

She was the princess of Hanok Country, embracing her tragic fate with dignity.

“I have come for you! People of Hanok, weep no more! We will rise again!”

The crowd was overwhelmed by So Ye Hwa’s beauty, her clear and ringing voice, and above all, the bold and intense presence of the female warrior, shedding tears of emotion.

Looking at her enslaved people who had fallen to being slaves after losing their king, So Ye Hwa’s heart ached even more, and she shouted with even more resolve.

“I will definitely regain the freedom of this country and its people! I, So Ye Hwa, will make sure of it!”

Waaaaaah…….

As the crowd’s cheers echoed throughout the royal palace, the royal doors suddenly opened.

And from those doors, a man in black armor riding a black horse appeared. He was Ma-wang Ki Cheon Yul, the dark lord who plunged Hanok Country into darkness and a powerful ruler who had the world at his feet.

“If that’s so, you must defeat me first. Welcome, Princess So Ye Hwa.”

His cold smile and intense gaze seemed to cut through Princess So Ye Hwa.

The close-up of Eom So-yeon and Tae Seo Jun facing each other was highlighted as the drama’s background music deepened.

Then, the screen froze on a rooftop scene overlooking the night view of the modern city, where Tae Seo Jun and Oh Min Jung met for the first time.

This was the ending of the first episode of “The Master of the Sun.”

While everyone else was awestruck, So-yeon, sitting quietly at the back of the screening room, was calm. The pounding of her heart that she had felt throughout the drama had now faded. Instead, what filled her heart was an overwhelming sense of helplessness and an unbearable longing.
The provided Korean text has 21 lines. I will now translate it into English, maintaining the exact same number of lines.

Staring at Tae Seo Jun on the screen for an hour made it seem all the more real.

Then, there was a moment.

“……!”

Suddenly, So Yeon’s gaze, which had been fixed downwards, lifted. Her eyes began moving rapidly, searching the surroundings.

Though it seemed unlikely, she felt as if he might actually be there. Knowing it wasn’t true, but feeling as if he was watching her from somewhere, So Yeon had this strong sensation.

But, as expected, it was just a feeling.

A feeling was merely a feeling.

Her eyes returned to the screen. The slender hope that had briefly flickered in her large eyes had turned into bitter regret.

Regretting not holding onto his hand tightly as he left the exhibition, not telling him she wanted to see him when he called. Although her mind knew it was over with Tae Seo Jun, her heart couldn’t let him go.

So Yeon’s feelings were indescribably sad.

Until the subtitles disappeared, everyone in the screening room couldn’t take their eyes off the screen.

“Is this a drama or a movie?”

“Wow, unbelievable!”

“Absolutely amazing!”

With its grand story and impressive graphic imagery, it had completely overwhelmed everyone’s sight and hearing.

“So, what happens next? Does that evil Ki Cheon Yul kill So Ye Hwa or save her?”

“Really, how are we supposed to wait until tomorrow if they cut it off here?”

“Exactly. I think I’ll just keep rewatching the first episode until tomorrow.”

While everyone was eagerly discussing, a text message arrived on So Yeon’s silent phone.