The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Once satisfied with the arrangement, he turned his attention to another tray. On it, he set a tall, elegant pitcher filled with a cool, pale amber liquid, its surface dotted with delicate ice cubes. The drink, infused with subtle notes of jasmine and a touch of honey, was the perfect accompaniment to the dessert. He then added empty glasses to the tray.

Before he could carry the trays, Wulfric had already arrived by his side and carried both. "Where should I bring them, Aster?" Read chapters at m_v-l'e|m,p| y- r

"I also want to carry a tray!" Nicol declared on the side.

Wulfric glanced down at Nicol and snickered. "Try to go a few more centimeters and I might just let you carry one, shorty."

Nicol glared at Wulfric, his foot ready to kick out of frustration. But when he noticed the two trays Wulfric was carrying, he stopped himself. If he kicked Wulfric and the trays fell, all of Brother Aster's hard work would be ruined. Nicol couldn't let that happen. So, instead of lashing out, he just pouted, holding back his frustration.

Astrid watched the two and couldn't help but chuckle. It had been two days since they left the capital, and ever since, Wulfric and Nicol had been glued to his side whenever he was in the kitchen. Whether it was cooking or preparing something simple, they were always there, eager to help and constantly bickering over who would assist him.

If he were a less patient man, it might have been annoying, but instead, he found their antics more amusing than bothersome. It was like watching a live comedy skit, and he couldn't help but be entertained by their endless bickering.

"Alright, let's serve everyone today's snack," he said, stepping in to put an end to their squabble.

They first went to the cockpit where Hildred and Edmund were. The moment they walked in, Hildred rushed forward and asked excitedly, "Is that our snack for today?"

"Yes," Astrid replied with a smile.

"Don't just stand around—grab your portion," Wulfric commanded.

Edmund quickly stepped forward, grabbing two bowls of the dessert and pouring the drink into two glasses. He then placed them on a nearby elevated surface.

Hildred picked up one of the bowls and took a small spoonful, letting the dessert melt on his tongue. The smooth, silky texture was perfectly balanced by the subtle sweetness of the jelly, which was infused with delicate flavors that lingered pleasantly. The fresh fruits added a burst of vibrant flavor, their natural sweetness complementing the lightness of the dessert.

"This is so good," Hildred said with an expression that showed just how much he liked it. He turned to Astrid. "If I don't already have someone in my heart, I might really be tempted to take Aster away."

Wulfric felt the corner of his eye twitch in irritation. This bastard. Ever since they finished their first lunch, Hildred had casually started calling Aster by his nickname, as if they'd been close for ages. It grated on Wulfric's nerves. If he didn't sense that Hildred wasn't genuinely interested in Aster in that way, he might have already tossed him out of the spaceship.

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "And what, become your personal chef?"

Hildred acted surprise. "How did you know?"

Astrid shook his head. When he saw how Edmund didn't even react to what Hildred had said and was just focused on eating, he felt a bit pity on Hildred and decided to just ignore his comment.

Nicol suddenly scoffed. "Ha! As if my brother would ever be your personal chef. Keep dreaming."

Wulfric glanced at Nicol with a nod of approval, clearly pleased with what he said.

Astrid only shook his head when he saw this.

They moved next to the lounge where the Grimaldis were gathered. With everyone seated together at one table, it was easy to set down the bowls of dessert and glasses of drink in front of them.

Casey watched with a mix of disbelief and discomfort as Wulfric carefully set down the bowls and poured the drinks. No matter how many times he saw the prince behaving like a waiter, seemingly at his nephew's beck and call, it was something he just couldn't get used to. It still gave him goosebumps — definitely not the pleasant kind.

Thomas, on the other hand, seemed to have accepted the situation without question. No matter how strange the scene appeared to him, he figured it was best to just pretend he hadn't seen anything. That way, he could maintain his peace of mind.

"Thank you for always making delicious food for us," he just said to his nephew.

The duke followed, "Yes. Eating anything you make is always a blessing."

Casey shook off the goosebumps he's feeling and also quickly added, "Yes, everything Aster makes is delicious!"

Astrid chuckled softly. "Thank you." He then turned to Nicol. "Nikki, do you want to stay here and eat with your Dad, Uncle, and Grandpa? I still need to bring snacks to your Brother Reas and Captain Slade as well. The two of them are probably sparring right now. I remember how Nikki doesn't like the smell of sweat."

He was saying that since the two were sparring, the place would definitely be filled with the smell of sweat.

Nicol scrunched his nose as if he was imagining it. "Okay."

Astrid nodded and set Nicol's bowl of snacks and glass of drink on the table. With that done, he and Wulfric headed to the spaceship's sparring room.

Just as he had mentioned, his brother was sparring with Slade. But how did that come about? On their first night here, Reas overheard Slade asking Edmund to spar. When Edmund declined, Reas stepped in and volunteered to take his place. Surprisingly, after just one round, the two hit it off. Since then, they had been sparring whenever they get the chance.

This development pleased him, knowing that sparring with Slade would give his brother the perfect opportunity to sharpen his fighting skills.

Astrid glanced at Wulfric, still balancing the two trays. "Here, let me take one of those," he offered.

Wulfric shook his head. "No need. I've got this—it's no trouble at all."

"If you say so." Then Astrid suddenly thought of something. "By the way, we're arriving in Delryria in a few hours, right?"

They had been traveling at maximum speed, jumping from one space warp to the next. It was almost unbelievable how quickly they were covering such vast distances, crossing an entire galaxy in just a matter of days, as if it were nothing.

"Yes," Wulfric confirmed with a nod.

"Have you thought about what you'll say to my parents?" Astrid asked, the question suddenly coming to mind.

"...I prepared a speech," Wulfric admitted with a slight sigh, "but I doubt I'll be able to get through it all once I'm standing in front of them."

Astrid noticed Wulfric's awkward expression, the slight frown and the way he pursed his lips, revealing a hint of unease. Seeing that, Astrid decided to offer some advice.

"If my father challenges you to a spar, just go with it. And if my mother poisons you," Astrid added with a wry smile, "Let me know. I probably have an antidote."

Wulfric nearly stumbled over his own feet when he heard that.