Chapter 183: Beginning and End

The Seine River possessed a unique charm at night, looking exceptionally magnificent under the glow of the lights. Duke walked briskly along its banks until he reached a cafe overlooking the Louvre Museum. It wasn't large, split between indoor and outdoor seating, with the latter facing the river.

"A latte, thank you."

Speaking to the waiter in extremely rusty French, Duke pulled out a chair and sat across from the softly chuckling girl. "I apologize for being late."

"It's fine." Victoria pointed to her watch. "I arrived early. We still have ten minutes until our agreed time."

"Keeping a beautiful princess waiting is a terrible breach of manners."

Picking up the coffee the waiter brought over, Duke raised his cup toward her, took a sip, and smiled. "Can you forgive my rudeness, Your Highness?"

"Of course!" Victoria also picked up her coffee and took a sip, suppressing a smile as she spoke in a very serious tone. "I forgive you!"

She burst into laughter, and Duke offered a bright smile right on cue.

Chatting over their coffee, the two let out bursts of bright laughter. The princess, who was about to turn eighteen, hadn't completely shed her innocence. Under Duke's deliberate guidance, she relaxed more and more, seemingly viewing him as a friend with whom she shared many interests.

"I also have a younger brother and sister."

Without realizing it, Princess Victoria had even started sharing details about her family. "My younger brother really loves your The Rock and Saving Private Ryan. It's a shame he's currently studying in Britain."

"There will always be a chance to meet."

He said that, but unlike his interest in the teenage princess, Duke had absolutely zero interest in the royal family.

"Duke, look here." Victoria gestured toward the television on the side. "They're introducing your movie."

Turning his head, Duke looked at the screen. From the images and brief clips, he could tell the program was indeed covering Saving Private Ryan. They seemed to be conducting some kind of on-the-street survey, but unfortunately, he couldn't understand a word of the rapid-fire French.

"You don't understand French?" Victoria seemed to figure it out. "I'll translate for you."

"Thank you very much."

The two pulled their chairs closer together. In truth, even without Victoria's translation, Duke could roughly guess the gist. It was similar to the movie recommendation shows in North America, using fan interviews and audience praise to drum up more interest at the box office.

However, with Duke and Princess Victoria leaning in close—one speaking earnestly, the other listening intently—they looked exactly like the passionate couples seen everywhere along the banks of the Seine.

Hearing those fans' praises translated through the mouth of a princess, even someone as grounded as Duke felt a spark of smug satisfaction.

"There's nothing more to say. It's my favorite war film. I've watched it so many times and I absolutely love it. Every viewing is as thrilling as the first!"

A young French fan was being interviewed in front of the camera, and Duke could tell from Victoria's translation that the guy had already seen it multiple times.

Princess Victoria went on to translate the comments of several other French moviegoers.

"Nothing but pure shock. Duke Rosenberg is in a league of his own. Saving Private Ryan takes documentary-style realism to its absolute peak. A definite thumbs-up!"

"A total classic. The war isn't the theme; the director is highlighting human nature. In the face of death, everyone is insignificant. We must cherish our lives..."

"I never liked war films, but a friend dragged me to see Saving Private Ryan. I feel it was a worthwhile trip. The war in the movie is brutal, yet it comes with warmth, care, and wisdom. What kind of boldness does a director need to make a film like this? Why can't Europe produce movies this good? I think that young director has limitless potential!"

"Even though I can't understand why they had to save Ryan, that doesn't stop me from seeing Duke Rosenberg in a whole new light. He isn't just a crude, straightforward popcorn director. The scene staging in Saving Private Ryan is exceptionally good, the camerawork is spot-on, and the dramatic conflict is very prominent."

After finishing their coffee, the two left the cafe at Duke's suggestion and strolled slowly along the riverbank. They admired the brilliant night scenery on both sides of the river, soaking in the romantic atmosphere of Paris. From time to time, a French couple would appear by the water, kissing with typical French romance as if no one else was around, and occasionally they spotted an elderly couple sitting quietly hand-in-hand on a wooden bench by the Seine River.

Since the princess of the Swedish Royal Family had come to study in France, she had naturally picked up quite a bit of French artistic sensibility. Meanwhile, as a formally educated director, Duke's own refinement in this area was also quite good.

The two strolled along the banks of the Seine like this, admiring the water shimmering under the lights. They talked about the Louvre Museum, sculptures, and oil paintings; they discussed Notre-Dame de Paris, Esmeralda, and Quasimodo; they chatted about the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and more, talking until very, very late...

Seeing Victoria start to check her watch, Duke asked tentatively, "Where are you staying? How about I walk you back?"

"Actually... there's no need." Her eyes flicked backward. Duke had already noticed that someone had been tailing them the whole time—likely an attendant or bodyguard.

Victoria hesitated for a moment before asking, "When do you leave Paris?"

"I have a flight tomorrow afternoon. I'm heading back to Los Angeles." Duke's gaze subtly swept across her face as he spoke in a teasing tone. "Could it be that Your Highness wants to see me off at the airport? I wonder if I have that honor?"

"Sorry..." Princess Victoria seemed a bit disappointed. "I have to return to Stockholm first thing tomorrow morning."

"What a shame!" Duke immediately put on a dejected expression. "Vicky, it's truly rare to meet a kindred spirit like you."

Perhaps he had spent too much time around Tom Hanks; Duke's acting skills had visibly improved.

Turning around, the young girl gazed at the sparkling waves of the Seine River. She fell silent for several seconds before speaking again. "Can I know when you'll be visiting Europe next?"

She looked back, staring intently at Duke, her bright blue eyes filled with inquiry.

Something stirred in Duke's mind, and he reacted with lightning speed. "I'm planning to take a vacation in July. Maybe Europe would be a good choice?"

It sounded as though he were muttering to himself, yet he made sure his voice carried just enough for the girl opposite him to hear. As Victoria blinked rapidly, Duke added right on cue, "That should be during your summer break, right, Vicky?"

Princess Victoria gave a quick nod.

"Could I invite you to vacation with me on Ibiza Island in Spain this July?" Duke's tone brimmed with sincerity. "Do I have that honor?"

"I... need to think about it." Princess Victoria flashed a reserved yet radiant smile, offering a temporary excuse. "I also need to ask my parents for permission."

"I'm sure they will agree." Duke gently squeezed the young girl's hand where it hung by her side. "Right, Vicky?"

"That depends on how sincere your invitation is."

With that, Princess Victoria lingered no longer. She turned and walked toward her attendants, looking back to wave at Duke. "Goodbye. It was a lovely evening."

Watching his prey vanish from sight, Duke felt no frustration. After all, she wasn't some Hollywood actress living a life of drunken stupor. Fully winning her over would certainly take more than a meeting or two.

If Her Highness were truly as loose as those female stars, there would have been no need for him to waste time and energy on her in the first place.

As for his impulsively scheduled July vacation, Duke now felt a slight sense of anticipation.

The next day, right before Victoria boarded the Swedish Royal Family's private jet, Duke made a well-timed phone call to check in on her. Although she didn't give a definitive answer regarding their joint vacation, her tone of voice already leaned in his favor.

In the afternoon, Duke caught his flight out of Paris—where his film crew was based—wrapping up his promotional tour and heading back to Los Angeles to handle some of his other work.

After nearly a year in theaters, Independence Day finally concluded its run across all official global markets. The film's worldwide box office settled at 912.13 million dollars. In the end, it failed to surpass the 914.7 million dollars of Jurassic Park, leaving it in second place on the all-time box office charts.

In reality, the North America box office of Independence Day completely eclipsed that of Jurassic Park, but its overseas numbers were noticeably weaker. After all, the former's Great Americanism was bound to provoke resentment among certain crowds; its foreign box office trailing behind the latter was a completely normal outcome.

Even so, this was enough to engrave Duke into the annals of history. He was the second member to join the 900-million-dollar club, and globally, only he and Spielberg had achieved this feat. That alone served as an enormous halo of prestige.

While promoting Saving Private Ryan, the media outlets under Warner, Fox, and Disney were also hyping up the final box office numbers for Independence Day. This was an equally effective marketing tactic. Driven by the news, fans who appreciated Duke's previous style but normally disliked war films bought tickets and headed to the theaters, injecting a small shot of adrenaline into the gradually softening box office trajectory of Saving Private Ryan.

After Saving Private Ryan passed its fourth weekend in North America, its North America box office officially broke through the 200-million-dollar mark, soaring to 217.71 million dollars.

As for overseas, the movie maintained its massive popularity from Europe, opening across numerous markets in the Far East and Latin America. Its cumulative international box office surpassed 120 million dollars!

Meanwhile, as the direct box-office competitor to Saving Private Ryan, Braveheart not only suffered from lackluster performance in North America but also ran into quite a few troubles in other areas.