The Heroines Are After My Fortune

37 – Skyrocketing, and Skyrocketing Again!

“What’s this, a premiere for ‘Eternal Moonlight’…?”

Critics with some recognition in the industry received invitations to a film premiere. While the cast seemed substantial and the budget appeared considerable, the director was an unknown entity, so expectations were low.

But that day, they tasted a new world.

“This is insane, like…!”

Action that made your palms sweat,

Music with a depth that transcended dimensions,

The exquisite use of color technology,

A story teetering, a tightrope walk on the edge of taboo.

He’d seen countless films, but nothing like this.

“I can’t stand idly by. Not after witnessing this…!”

One of the driving forces behind this whirlwind, were undoubtedly the critics.

[Two hours of magic, the shock of seeing this film for the first time will never be forgotten]

[If I had to see only one film before I die, it would be ‘Eternal Moonlight’]

[Whatever your taste, it is impossible to dislike this film]

Even those who usually expressed their opinions with refined language, were so moved that they resorted to attention-grabbing sentences, drawing the public’s gaze. The result: they successfully planted the thought, ‘Is it really *that* good…?’ in many minds, and their feet led them to the theater.

‘Hmm, worth the money I spent.’

Aiden smiled contentedly; he’d also subtly greased the palms of the media outlets where the critics worked. With the success of this film, the various ventures he had in motion were each reaping massive successes. Firstly, the film industry was booming.

‘Loen Theater’, being a theater he directly operated, meant he was free to allocate screenings as he pleased. He practically hogged nearly 90% of the daily schedule for ‘Eternal Moonlight’.

Other filmmakers grumbled, but they were forced to shut their mouths. The film’s results were so overwhelmingly dominant that the other movies were practically ‘nothing’.

‘…Jackpot.’

Sold out shows, day after day.

Word spread about the incredible film at such a low price and the audience kept on flooding in. In tandem, the newly introduced ‘Miracle Cinema’ special theaters were also cruising to success.

[If you haven’t seen this film in Miracle Cinema, you’ve only seen 50% of it!]

Many people scrambled to purchase tickets for the Miracle Cinema in order to experience the color transition scenes not shown in the regular theaters. Fueling this competition was the price.

1 Silver and 99 Copper,

The word went around that you could have the ultimate experience for less than 2 Silver – the price of a normal movie in other theaters. Even commoners, not flush with funds, started saying things like, ‘Maybe I’ll just save a bit and see it at the Miracle…’

As the theater business grew exponentially every day, his secondary persona also experienced a meteoric rise in recognition.

[A Full Circle, Completed in the Climax: The Hidden Contributor of This Work, ‘Van Gogh’]

[Why ‘Starry Night’ Pierces the Film’s Central Theme…]

Not just art experts, but even ordinary folk, knew the name and works of Van Gogh. In a flash, he’d become one of the Empire’s most renowned painters.

Thanks to that, the art museums exhibiting Van Gogh’s paintings had blossomed into new dating hotspots, teeming with crowds every single day. Because of it, the extra income Aiden was pulling in just from the entrance fees was truly substantial.

The nobles who sold off their paintings, led by Marco, were kicking themselves with regret, but the bus had already left the station. Van Gogh’s paintings were now worth at least ten times more than before. And of course, the most expensive of all, the one that appeared directly in the film and became its core, was ‘Starry Night’.

‘…This one, I’ll never sell.’

Even in that short time, the phone was practically ringing off the hook with purchase requests, but they were all ignored. Even with astronomical sums offered. It wasn’t like I was short on money anyway. I’m going to hold onto this till the very end, and use it only when it’s really necessary.

The name ‘Steven Starfield,’ who debuted as a film director, had also spread wide across the Empire.

[The Genius Who Presented a New Paradigm to Cinema, Steven Starfield]

[According to One Director, from Now on, All Filmmakers Will Be Forced to Follow His Footsteps]

[Director Starfield, Who, as His Name Implies, Has Become a Cradle (Field) of Stars (Star)]

He utilized filming techniques and editing methods never before seen, yet never lost the popular touch. Some said it was because a lot of money went into the film, but utilizing that was also a skill.

The more you knew, the more impressive Director Starfield seemed.

Many rumors circulated about his identity, and the whispers that spread all seemed to have one common thread.

[The Comet-like Appearance of a Genius Director, His Identity is a High Noble…!?]

He reportedly spoke casually to even quite high nobles, dictating the scene. Articles speculating about his identity were appearing frequently, as interest and awareness about him grew daily. Even the words I’d offhandedly said to René, “I used to film private movies for high nobles,” had, somehow, become the generally accepted truth.

But even beyond his identity, the thing people were most curious about was his ‘next project.’

“If he could make a film like this in just a month…”

“How much more amazing will something be if he takes his time and prepares…?”

“A Sequel—————!!”

Many folks, they replayed ‘Eternal Moonlight’ countless times, hollering their throats raw for a sequel—

‘Ha, if I ever shoot another movie, I’m no better than a dog.’

Aiden, the one in question, had absolutely no such intentions.

He’d suffered so much in the last month he was now sick to his stomach at the very idea of a film set. He’d had to concept-wrangle and control those noble b*stards, bust his gut trying to explain modern techniques to them, and then stayed up all night to edit…

‘Since it was all done in a mask anyway, let’s just find some suitably talented sap and pass the torch.’

His ‘Second Starfield’ plan, one that would’ve horrified his fans, was firmly cemented in his heart.

####

“My Lady, are you alright…?”

“Yes, I’m fine…”

Renee, her face gaunt with dark circles under her eyes.

She was currently enduring a murderous schedule related to the film. Every day, she was doing stage greetings, autograph sessions, interviews, cutting into her sleep time to carry out the tasks.

“How does it feel, being the most famous actress in the Empire?”

“…It’s amazing. I didn’t expect things would turn out like this with just one movie, in such a short time.”

Renee spoke of how crowds would gather everywhere, causing chaos, even at the academy when she briefly went to submit paperwork. Even other students had swarmed her just to get a glimpse.

“I felt a bit guilty when I visited a recent banquet…”

“What happened?”

“There were so many noble ladies imitating ‘Luna’ from the movie. They really shouldn’t just blurt things out like that…”

“Hmm, I see…”

He had added those crowd-pleasing cathartic scenes for female audiences to enjoy, and they actually went and started imitating them. If they mess that up, they’d be screwed….

Anyway, it’s about time to move onto the next stage.

Starfield, schmearfield, compared to the fame Renée had snagged, the renown my alter egos had garnered was a flea’s fart in a hurricane. That’s how massive the impact of a face imprinted directly onto the public consciousness was.

[Renée Este’s Acting Shines Among a Galaxy of Stars]

[Overwhelming Performance and Near-Perfect Looks. Her Future is Highly Anticipated]

[Renée Este Autograph Session, Approaching a Staggering 1438:1 Competition!]

Renée’s popularity had soared far beyond what I had initially planned.

“Miss Renée, we’re about to detonate ‘that article’.”

“Ah, so the time has come.”

Renée, accepting it,

I’d given her a heads-up beforehand.

Before leaving, I spoke to her in a low voice.

“…After this is all over, you’re free to resent me as much as you want.”

“Huh? What are you…”

“I’ll see you later.”

I fled, practically running from the room.

Thinking about what was about to unfold,

I might find it hard to face her with any pride after this.

####

“Newspaper…!”

At the Royal Knight’s training grounds, a knight frantically grabs the delivered paper. A fellow knight, surprised, asks.

“What’s with the fuss? I’ve never seen you like this before.”

“Heh heh, don’t go getting all shocked now. They say there’s a spread of Rene’s photos in today’s paper, right on the front page. After seeing ‘Eternal Moonlight’ more than ten times, how could I just sit still?”

“What…!? I, I want to see it too…!”

“Calm down! I’ll look first and then show you…!”

The reporter, having to stop a colleague who claimed he’d seen it seven times and was lunging for the paper, unfolded it.

But soon his hands started trembling.

“Wh…?”

“What is it?”

“Are, are my eyes playing tricks…?”

“What is it, tell me!”

And with that, his colleague snatched the paper, practically ripping it from him, and began to read.

His eyes widened.

“Popular actor Rene Este, to marry the heir of the Roen Baron, the Empire’s wealthiest…!?”

The two reporters were in a panic.

Once they calmed down, the two of them could roughly grasp how things had come about.

“It’s like something out of a movie! A man from a rich family putting all sorts of pressure on a fallen noble family to hand over their daughter…”

“Hey, are you joking right now? How is the Este family a fallen noble family? I guarantee that’s not what happened.”

The Este family, a pillar of the noble faction, was far too powerful to be considered fallen. The colleague reporter soon came to a conclusion.

“Then…?”

“They must have sold off their daughter. There’s no other explanation.”

The Roen family, after all, had nothing but money.

The disparity in lineage, the sheer chasm between houses—it’s a monstrous thing, this current situation. If this marriage was pushed through for the sake of ‘money’, which is still somewhat acceptable, it would almost make sense.

“Is the Este family truly so insensible, so devoid of all propriety!”

He knew that arranged marriages between nobles were common enough.

But this…this shouldn’t have been allowed.

His daughter, just as she began to spread her wings toward her dream of becoming an actress…to sell her off like this, instead of protecting her. It was no act befitting a noble house.

Even if they had some unspoken reason, those who were now seeing red upon hearing the news wouldn’t care. They merely wished to prevent a young woman from being forcibly sold off, like ‘Daniel’ in that film.

“Where are you going…!”

“…to the Este March!”

And so, the ‘Daniel’ claimants, gathered from all corners of the empire, began to swarm toward the Este March. Most of them completely blind with fury.