Speaking of his departure tomorrow, Astrid had already secured a three-day leave for next week. He wondered if Reas had also managed to do the same. The last time he called his brother to ask about his plans, Reas mentioned that he would request time off as well.

Astrid suggested to his brother that he could call the military academy and give a sob story to get his leave approved easily, noting that a few tears would probably do the trick. Reas chuckled at the suggestion and assured Astrid that there was no need for theatrics. Given his stellar record, getting a three-day leave from the registrar’s office wouldn’t be difficult.

Hopefully, that would really be the case.

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“You’re going to be gone for five days, right?” Ellis asked suddenly. “Is that enough time for you to get to Delryria and back?”

When Astrid mentioned he was going home due to a family emergency, Ellis assumed he would need at least two weeks of leave. After all, Delryria was in another galaxy, far from the capital. So when she heard he would only be taking a five-day leave, she wondered how that could be possible.

“Wulf will help with transportation,” Astrid explained. “We’ll be using a spaceship from his army, along with their exclusive space warps. That will significantly reduce the travel time.”

Ah, right. Ellis had almost forgotten that the prince was courting Astrid. The way Astrid casually mentioned using a spaceship from the prince’s army made the situation suddenly feel much more real.

“Is the family emergency you mentioned not that serious?” she asked, shifting the subject. “You know you can always ask for my help, right?”

If the prince offered his help so Astrid and Reas could travel home faster, then this emergency had to be more than just a simple home visit.

“Thank you for the offer, but it’s really just a simple family reunion,” Astrid assured her. “It’s important to our parents, so Reas and I need to be there.”

Ellis nodded, no longer asking.

“When I return, I’ll tell Sister Ellis all about the reunion,” Astrid said after a moment.

Ellis turned to Astrid and saw him smiling innocently at her. Seeing that smile sent a chill down her spine. Surely, he wouldn’t drop another bombshell on her, right?

Right?

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Upon arriving at the company, the receptionist informed them that Director McCann was already in Ellis’s office, so they headed straight there.

Entering the office, they saw Director McCann quickly stand up as soon as he saw them. He looked even more haggard than the last time they met, which was only four days ago. Dark circles underlined his eyes, and his clothes appeared rumpled, as if he hadn’t slept or changed in days.

“You’re here,” the director said, looking visibly relieved at the sight of them.

“Please, sit down, Director. There’s no need for formalities,” Ellis said as she and Astrid took their seats on the couch opposite the other. After the director sat down, she asked, “You said when you called that there was a problem?”

“Yes, it’s about the production cost,” the director began. “The main investor I was counting on for this film suddenly backed out. His business experienced financial setbacks, so he can no longer finance the movie. I’ve tried finding other investors, but I’ve had no luck.” He paused, a sad and apologetic expression crossing his face. “I’m sorry.

I know I said I would handle it, but here I am, four days later, already showing you how incompetent I am.”

Ellis wasn’t too surprised or disappointed. She already expected that something like this would happen. After all, Director McCann was still new in the industry. Gathering funds for a movie without the backing of a major entertainment company would definitely be hard.

She was about to assure him that it didn’t matter and that Polaris could assist, but before she could speak, Astrid beat her to it.

“Then I can be the main investor. To increase the budget, I’ll forgo my talent fee and accept a running guarantee instead.”

This meant that instead of receiving a fixed payment upfront for his role, Astrid would receive a percentage of the film’s profits over time. By doing so, he not only provided immediate financial relief for the production, but also showed his confidence in the film’s success. This arrangement would help free up more funds for the movie’s production.

Both Ellis and Director McCann looked at Astrid in surprise.

“Astrid, are you sure about this?” Ellis asked. “Polaris can cover most of the production costs. I just need to talk to Grant—I mean, the president—and convince him that investing in this movie is worthwhile.”

“Miss Payne is right. I don’t want to burden you with this,” the director said. “As the director, it’s my responsibility to gather the funds. Relying on one of my actors is, to say the least, quite embarrassing.”

“It’s fine. I haven’t spent much of the money I’ve earned since I started working,” Astrid said, his voice steady and reassuring. “A lot has accumulated, especially after I was hired as the ambassador for EMMA’s next collection. We can use those funds. However, since the budget isn’t limitless, you’ll likely need to sign newcomers or lesser-known actors.

I just hope the director will choose the right people for the remaining roles.”

Director McCann’s eyes widened in surprise, and a mixture of relief and gratitude washed over his face. He seemed momentarily speechless, clearly taken aback by Astrid’s generosity. After a brief pause, he managed to compose himself, his expression softening with appreciation as he nodded.

The tension in his shoulders eased, and it was clear that Astrid’s offer had lifted a significant burden from him.

“Thank you. I will do my very best to make this film successful.”

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