He calmed himself from the turmoil of emotions, his expression turning curious as he began to think carefully.
'What made her fall for me?'
Leon was utterly confused.
He looked at the wardrobe beside him and caught sight of his reflection in the mirror.
'Is it because of my looks?'
Leon frowned.
'Doesn't seem like it.'
Leon wasn't narcissistic, but he was indeed very handsome—more so than most men featured as "handsome" in local magazines.
In this regard, he got his looks from both of his parents.
Fair skin like a woman's, a sharp face framed with dull blond hair, well-defined brows, small reddish lips, and the rarest eye color on earth—a muted violet.
His pale complexion and eye color were mutations, traits he was born with. A blessing, and a curse at the same time.
'Is it because I spoiled her too much?'
Leon reflected on his closeness with Rinia and her personality.
He remembered how Rinia would only act spoiled around him, like a pampered little princess—even their parents weren't as indulgent with her.
He would often give in to her whims, finding her endearing when she acted out. But because he loved his little sister so much, that affection had become a curse for both of them.
"…I guess it really is my fault..." Leon sighed.
He stood up and walked toward his desk, deep in thought as numerous ideas raced through his mind.
"What should I do? Should I distance myself from her? No, that's not enough. There needs to be a stronger stimulus to make a real impact..."
"But I also can't go too far—I don't want her to hate me entirely. After all, she's still my sister..."
Leon tapped his pen against the notebook in front of him, mumbling to himself.
Before long, the pages were filled with scribbles and notes. Some were crossed out, others circled in ink.
"Alright. Let's do this." Leon nodded seriously.
---
Morning.
Leon opened his eyes as sunlight pierced through his bedroom window.
He squinted, yawning in discomfort, and walked out onto the balcony as he opened the glass door.
"Another beautiful morning as usual..." he said, taking a deep breath of fresh air.
His eyes reflected the stunning view of snowy mountains in the distance, a green-tinted lake below, and a forest filled with melodious birdsong—like something straight out of a fairytale.
Switzerland—A land blessed as the most beautiful paradise on Earth.
From a geographic and natural standpoint, the country was like something out of a fictional fantasy world.
After taking a shower and changing into his school uniform, Leon headed downstairs to the first floor.
Walking into the kitchen, he saw his father and older sister already seated at the dining table.
Eric Bastein—that was his father's name. With dull blond hair and a handsome face framed by a light mustache, his calm expression contrasted his overall warmth. He was a kind man who valued etiquette highly.
Eric was English by blood. And like most Englishmen, he still looked like he was in his 30s despite being well over 40—although he did take excellent care of himself.
As for Leon's older sister, there wasn't much to say except that she was 'extremely beautiful'.
Her face, figure, and overall charm would easily score a 9.6 out of 10, by any standard.
"Morning, Dad, Sis...". Leon greeted as he sat next to his sister, Lilian.
"Mm." Eric nodded while reading the morning paper.
"Morning." Lilian replied, eyeing her brother. "Hey, what was Rinia doing in your room last night?"
Leon's hand trembled slightly as he held his coffee cup.
His heart pounded as he noticed his sister's curious expression.
'...Does she know something?' Leon thought nervously.
"Oh, she just asked why I chose Media Communication and Broadcasting as my major instead of modeling or industrial business..." Leon replied casually, masking his unease.
"Oh..." Lilian lost interest immediately.
Leon silently sighed in relief.
Eric looked at his son and asked while flipping the page of his newspaper, "Are you really not interested in becoming a model? I have a friend who wants you to join his agency."
"Uncle David, you mean?". Leon asked.
"Yeah, has he contacted you?". Eric nodded.
"Mm, it took a lot of effort to turn him down. I felt kind of guilty—please send him my thanks, Dad."
"Will do."
"...I just don't get it. Why would you want to be part of a film crew? Do you want to become a director? Unknown directors get paid little and have to build their reputation from scratch...". Lilian said, tapping her cheek with her finger.
Leon smiled. "That's only one reason. Once I graduate, I plan to join Y\&M Productions to review scripts and oversee the filming of potentially high-performing movies."
"Oh? What's that about?".Eric's interest was piqued.
"...Well, it's not really a secret, but typically a company will invest in films they see as having potential. Even if the film doesn't become popular later on, the investors and marketing teams will push it to the market as a 'quality product.'"
"That's why early-stage marketing is critical. By planting the idea in the public's mind that a film is worth watching and distributing it widely to cinemas, the opening week sales tend to soar."
"Through that marketing push, investors can still profit. Even if the film's ratings drop later, people will still think it's worth seeing. That can lead to long-term returns—even potential television broadcast rights."
"Mm, that's a smart take, but such investments can still result in losses if the returns are smaller than the amount invested." Eric shook his head.
"Yeah, that's the downside. But what if we only invest a small amount?". Leon replied, not denying the risk. "Because of copyright ownership, companies tend to cover up these internal issues, and marketing firms usually reach out to investors even if the film is just average. By becoming part of the company internally, we'll know which films are truly worth investing in."
"Also, investors can exert pressure to make broadcasters sell overseas film rights at low costs but high profits."
"So you're thinking of small-scale investments? That's a smart strategy—the losses are smaller compared to the potential gains."
Eric was impressed by his son's insight. This was something many investors failed to factor in.
It wasn't a secret—Switzerland wasn't known for its film industry. Many investors planted "spies" in production companies to scout films with business potential, himself included.
He was just amazed at how quickly Leon had figured this all out.
"What do you think about domestic vs. foreign film investment when the release times overlap?" Eric asked.
Leon thought for a moment before answering. "I think foreign films do have higher potential, but the competition among investors is the main problem. So I still think domestic films are worth investing in—as long as they're investment-worthy."
"Also, the best strategy is to avoid release dates that clash with major foreign films. If they're released too close together, it can lead to losses."