The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Chapter 712: ANNOYED ASTER

THE man standing before Astrid had messy brown hair that fell over his eyes, nearly hiding them from view. His loose, slightly oversized clothes made him seem broader than he really was, the fabric hanging in a way that blurred his actual shape. With his slumped posture and plain appearance, he looked like the kind of person who could blend into any crowd without being noticed.

But Astrid knew—without a doubt—that the person standing in front of him was Wulfric.

The disguise was good. The messy hair, the loose clothes, the way he held himself like he wanted to disappear into the background—it all showed that he was a different person. But that voice? And that sharp, familiar gaze peeking through the strands of hair?

There was no mistaking it. This was Wulfric.

Now it all made sense—that intense, unwavering gaze Astrid had been feeling since earlier, the one that prickled at the back of his neck like a touch he couldnʼt shake, belonged to Wulfric. No wonder it had given him so many mixed signals: how a stare that burned with the weight of someone who wanted to devour him whole somehow didnʼt feel threatening in the slightest, didnʼt carry even a hint of malice. But of course it wouldnʼt, because its owner was none other than Wulfric.

Even the crowdʼs strangely orderly behavior earlier made sense now. With Wulfricʼs SSS-level mental strength, influencing a group that size—planting a quiet suggestion in their minds to stay calm—wouldnʼt have been difficult.

But that didnʼt mean it was safe. Only someone with an equally high-level physique could pull it off without suffering backlash. That was why Astrid had never attempted it, despite having the same mental strength. His body was ordinary, and the idea of manipulating peopleʼs thoughts, even briefly, didnʼt sit right with him, anyway.

Wulfric probably felt the same—just for different reasons. He wouldnʼt see the point unless it amused him. The fact that heʼd done it now meant only one thing: heʼd done it for Astrid.

He sighed.

He didnʼt feel relieved by this discovery at all. Okay, maybe a small part of him found it amusing—maybe even strangely sweet—but after spending hours on edge and nursing a pounding headache, he was mostly just annoyed now.

So he smiled sweetly at the other man and signed his Terminal, all while quietly plotting how to get back at him for the headache still throbbing behind his temples.

Was it petty to do so? Maybe. But would it make him feel better? Absolutely.

***

Wulfric could only watch as Aster left with his agent and the other people he assumed were from Polaris. When he found out Asterʼs last stop for these surprise viewing parties was Auralis, he immediately made plans to go there. He worked hard to finish all his annoying paperwork, then boarded his spaceship and traveled to Auralis.

With Samuelʼs help, getting a spot at todayʼs viewing party had been easy. Once inside the theater, he recognized Aster immediately in the crowd. Even with the hat and mask hiding his features, and even though Aster was trying hard not to be noticed, Wulfric knew it was him. Yet everyone else just ignored him.

This made Wulfric sneer. These people clearly werenʼt true fans. How could they not recognize Aster? Just look at those black strands of hair peeking from under his hat, those dark eyes—how could they miss that perfect silhouette?

Well, that was their loss, not his. This just proved how different he was from these ordinary people. After all, he wasnʼt Asterʼs number one fan for no reason.

He took advantage of knowing where Aster was sitting and kept his eyes on him the entire movie. The film itself was good, but he had no interest in watching Aster play sweet with the actress who portrayed Abby again. So he ignored the screen and focused solely on Aster instead. This went on until the credits rolled.

And when Aster finally revealed himself to the crowd, Wulfric acted without thinking—his mental strength instinctively reaching out to calm the frenzied audience. He hadnʼt planned it. But the moment he saw those hungry expressions, those eager hands reaching like starving animals, his power spread on its own, tempering their excitement into something more controlled.

Using his mental strength like this wasnʼt something he normally did. In fact, he didnʼt like controlling people this way at all. Where was the fun in that? Heʼd much rather use his physical strength—but that wouldnʼt have worked here. So this time, he didnʼt hesitate to rely on his mental ability instead.

And he was glad he acted when he did. Just the thought of that many people swarming Aster was enough to put him on edge. Especially when the so-called security team assigned to protect Aster looked about as reliable as wet paper. Maybe he should just assign a few of his own soldiers to guard Aster instead.

As Wulfric considered the idea, he glanced down at his Terminal to see what Aster had written. The moment he read it, his entire body locked up.

”Wulfric de Lunaris, I know itʼs you. And guess what? Your staring gave me a headache. So if you donʼt want me to ignore you for a month, figure out how to make it up to me.”

***

After the autograph session ended, Astrid, Ellis, and the rest of the Polaris team returned to their hotel. They headed straight to the restaurant there to have lunch.

Astrid turned to face the group before sitting down. ”Before we eat, I want to thank everyone—the staff, the security team, all of you. Today went smoothly because of your hard work.”

One of them shook their head. ”We were just doing what weʼre supposed to do. Youʼre the one who kept things under control out there.”

One of the security crossed his arms. ”Still, you handled the fans well. That always makes our job easier.”

Astrid gave a tired smile. ”We all did our part. Now letʼs eat—I think weʼve earned it after today.”

As their food arrived, Astridʼs gaze flicked to his Terminal. The notification for Wulfricʼs call blinked up at him once more.

And once gain, he ignored it without hesitation.