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Chapter 187: The Invitation
🕑 Added 2024-12-16 17:53:43 +0000 UTCThe Seine River at night has its own charm, appearing especially magnificent under the illumination of the lights. Duke walked briskly along the riverbank and arrived at a café by the river that offered a view of the Louvre. The café wasn't large, consisting of two sections: one indoors and one outdoors, with the outdoor area facing the Seine River.
The café was cozy and casual, with no bright neon lights or loud music, only the soft melodies of a piano playing in the background. Duke's eyes scanned the dozen or so tables outside, and across from a television, he saw the familiar figure of Victoria. He walked directly toward her.
"A latte, please," Duke said in halting French to the waiter. He pulled out a chair and sat across from the girl, who was smiling softly. "I'm sorry for being late."
"It's no problem," Victoria glanced at her watch. "I came early. There are still ten minutes before the agreed time."
"Making a beautiful princess wait is quite rude."
Duke raised the coffee the waiter had brought him, took a sip, and smiled. "Can you forgive my rudeness, Your Highness?"
"Of course!" Victoria took a sip of her own coffee and, suppressing a smile, said in a very serious tone, "I forgive you!"
She then burst into laughter, and Duke responded with a bright smile of his own.
As they drank their coffee, they chatted casually, often breaking into hearty laughter. This princess, who was about to turn eighteen, hadn't yet fully shed her youthful innocence. Under Duke's gentle guidance, she became increasingly relaxed, starting to see Duke as a friend with whom she shared many common interests.
"I have a younger brother and sister."
Before they knew it, Princess Victoria was sharing details about her family. "My brother loves your movies *The Rock* and *Saving Private Ryan*. Unfortunately, he's studying in England right now."
"There will be opportunities to meet."
Although Duke said this, he wasn't particularly interested in royalty compared to the young princess.
"Duke, look over here." Victoria motioned toward the television beside them. "They're talking about your movie."
Duke turned to look at the screen. From the images and brief clips, it was clear they were discussing *Saving Private Ryan*, and it seemed they were conducting a live survey. Unfortunately, Duke couldn't understand the rapid French commentary.
"You don't speak French?" Victoria asked, having likely picked up on this. "I can translate for you."
"Thank you very much."
The two of them pulled their chairs closer together. Although Victoria didn't really need to translate, Duke could generally guess the gist: it was similar to the movie recommendation shows in North America, where fan interviews were used to promote the film and attract more viewers.
Nevertheless, Duke and Princess Victoria huddled together, with one earnestly translating and the other listening just as intently, looking for all the world like a couple in love along the Seine River.
Especially when compliments from fans were being translated by a princess, even someone like Duke couldn't help but feel a bit proud.
"There's nothing more to say. This is my favorite war film—I've watched it many times and love it. Each viewing feels just as thrilling as the first!"
A young French fan was being interviewed in front of the camera, and from Victoria's translation, Duke gathered that the fan had watched the film numerous times.
More comments from French fans were translated by Princess Victoria.
"Stunning, just stunning. Duke Rosenberg's unique style shines through. *Saving Private Ryan* is the pinnacle of realism and deserves high praise!"
"A classic war film. War isn't the focus—the director highlights human nature. In the face of death, everyone is insignificant. We must cherish our lives…"
"I've never liked war films, but my friend dragged me to watch *Saving Private Ryan*, and I'm glad I went. The war scenes are brutal, yet there's warmth, care, and intelligence woven throughout. What kind of director has the courage to make such a film? Why can't Europe produce movies as captivating as this? I think this young director has limitless potential!"
"Although I don't understand why they had to save Ryan, it doesn't stop me from seeing Duke Rosenberg in a new light. He's not just a simple, explosive director. The film's staging is superb, the camera work is spot on, and the dramatic tension is intense."
After finishing their coffee, Duke suggested they leave the café, and the two of them strolled slowly along the riverbank, enjoying the splendid nighttime views of both sides of the Seine and soaking in the romantic atmosphere of Paris. Along the riverside, couples could often be seen, obliviously kissing in the typically romantic French manner, and sometimes older couples would quietly sit on benches by the river, hand in hand.
Since Princess Victoria was studying in France, she had naturally absorbed some of the country's artistic spirit. Duke, being a director with formal training, wasn't lacking in this area either.
The two of them walked along the Seine, talking about the Louvre, sculptures, and paintings, about Notre Dame, Esmeralda, and Quasimodo, and about the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Arc de Triomphe. They continued chatting until it was very late.
Noticing that Victoria was checking her watch, Duke asked cautiously, "Where are you staying? Would you like me to take you back?"
"I... don't think that's necessary." She glanced behind her, where Duke had already noticed someone following them—likely an attendant or bodyguard.
After a moment's hesitation, Victoria asked, "When are you leaving Paris?"
"My flight is tomorrow afternoon. I'm going back to Los Angeles." Duke discreetly glanced at her face and, in a joking tone, said, "Are you planning to see me off at the airport? I didn't know I was so lucky."
"Sorry..." Princess Victoria seemed a little disappointed. "I have to go back to Stockholm early tomorrow morning."
"That's a real shame!" Duke immediately put on a dejected expression. "Vicki, it's rare to meet someone like you who shares so many interests."
Perhaps his acting had improved after spending so much time with Tom Hanks.
Turning toward the shimmering waters of the Seine, the young princess was silent for a few seconds before speaking again, "Can I know when you'll be coming back to Europe?"
She turned to face Duke, staring at him intently with her bright blue eyes full of curiosity.
Duke's heart skipped a beat, but he reacted quickly. "I'm planning a vacation in July. Maybe coming to Europe would be a good choice?"
Though it sounded like he was talking to himself, his voice was loud enough for the girl to hear. When Victoria blinked rapidly, Duke added at just the right moment, "That's around summer vacation, right, Vicki?"
Princess Victoria nodded quickly.
"Would you consider joining me for a vacation on the island of Ibiza in Spain in July?" Duke's tone was full of sincerity. "Would I be so lucky?"
"I... will need to think about it." Princess Victoria gave a reserved but radiant smile, using a temporary excuse, "I'll also need to get my parents' permission."
"I think they'll agree," Duke gently squeezed the girl's hand as it hung by her side. "Don't you think so, Vicki?"
"That will depend on how sincere your invitation is."
With that, Princess Victoria walked away toward her attendant, turning back to wave at Duke. "Goodbye, this was a wonderful evening."
Watching his target slip away, Duke felt no disappointment. After all, she wasn't like the wild Hollywood actresses. Winning her over would take more than just a couple of meetings.
If this princess were as wanton as those actresses, he wouldn't have bothered investing so much time and energy in her.
As for the vacation in July, which he had just decided on, Duke now had something to look forward to.
The next day, before Victoria boarded the Swedish royal family's private plane, Duke made a timely call to check in on her. Though she didn't give a definitive answer about their vacation together, her tone suggested she was leaning toward it.
That afternoon, Duke boarded his flight, leaving the production team behind in Paris. His promotional tour was over, and he returned to Los Angeles to take care of other work.
After nearly a year of screenings, *Independence Day* had finally been pulled from all regular markets worldwide, with its global box office total reaching $912.13 million. It had just missed surpassing *Jurassic Park's* $914.7 million and ended up in second place in the all-time box office rankings.
In truth, *Independence Day* had outperformed *Jurassic Park* at the North American box office, but its international box office was noticeably weaker. After all, the patriotic American themes of the former had alienated some viewers, so its international box office trailing behind was to be expected.
Even so, Duke had cemented his place in history, becoming the second member of the $900 million club, with only him and Spielberg achieving this feat. These accomplishments were more than enough to make him a legend.
At the same time, Warner, Fox, and Disney's media outlets were promoting *Saving Private Ryan* while hyping up *Independence Day's* final box office performance. This was an effective promotional tactic, especially for fans of Duke's past work who didn't usually enjoy war films. Driven by this news, many of them bought tickets and headed to theaters, giving *Saving Private Ryan's* slowing box office a small but much-needed boost.
After its fourth weekend in North America, *Saving Private Ryan* had officially crossed the $200 million mark, reaching a total of $217.71 million.
In terms of overseas box office, the film continued its popularity in Europe and was released in many markets such as the Far East and Latin America, with the cumulative overseas box office exceeding 120 million US dollars!
As a competitor of "Saving Private Ryan" in the same period, "Brave Heart" not only performed poorly in North American box office, but also encountered many problems in other aspects.
