Even now, with Magic Films drawing audiences away, Katelina remained famous enough to be mobbed by fans whenever she went out.
So on the day of The Truman Show's premiere, she disguised herself and invited her closest friend along.
There was still time before the premiere, so she went to the Gold Depository on Commercial Street first and joined the queue.
"Is that Annan really so remarkable?" her friend Gira asked curiously.
Katelina had come back a different person. Gira had never heard her talk about anything but acting before.
"You haven't met him?"
"No. I happened to be visiting my mother when he came to the Flower Capital."
"You'll understand when you see him."
"All right, all right—"
It took them more than ten minutes to get inside the Gold Depository, only to find the hall even more crowded.
Fortunately, a sign beside them marked a VIP passage: "Customers depositing one hundred gold or more, please come this way." Katelina and Gira went over, and an attendant led them to a private lounge. When the door closed, the noise was shut out.
A pretty employee in a neat uniform asked, "Ladies, would you like to make a deposit or a withdrawal?"
"A deposit."
The Magic Ring on Katelina's index finger flashed faintly, and a wooden chest appeared before her.
"Please count how much is in there," Katelina said. She rarely had any reason to spend money, so she had saved the allowance her father gave her.
"Of course. One moment, please."
The employee put on a pair of gloves, opened the Money Chest in front of them, and began counting.
She stacked the coins in piles of one hundred Gold Narls each. There were five and a half piles.
"Wow, you have that much?" Gira exclaimed.
All her own