The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

REAS glanced at his brother who just bent down and picked the AI cat lying in wait for them in front of the apartment's entrance.  The other started walking inside, the lights automatically turning on as he did. 

"What is it?" Astrid asked, noticing his brother's stare that was almost boring a hole on his back.

"Why did you tell that to that guy?" Reas asked as he also walked inside.  "That thing about being friends first before he could eat your homecooked meal."

The way Astrid said that, it was like he was encouraging the other to make effort to befriend him.  If he just wanted to refuse that prince, he could have just said it directly without mentioning any of that thing.  That's why he couldn't help but think that his brother was actually thinking of being friends with that jerk.

Astrid put down Xiao Lan before turning around and facing Reas.  Just looking at how the other was scowling, he already had an idea on what he was thinking. 

"Relax, Reas.  Do you really think someone who has that low of an EQ would know how to befriend someone?"

"But even so--!  Wouldn't he just use that as an excuse to get closer to you?"

"Maybe.  But I honestly don't really mind."

Reas was shocked to hear this.  "Aster!  Did that bastard actually feed you some ecstasy soup that's why you're acting like this now?" he said with a mixed of frustrated and unbelieving tone.  "Could a simple apology really change your mind this much?"

"Of course not.  Although it played a part.  I just realized something while interacting with him earlier."  Astrid sat down on the couch's arm rest.  "He could be useful to us."

The crease on Reas' forehead became even deeper when he heard that.  "What do you mean?"

"For some reason, Wulfric finds me 'special', hence his urge to get close to me.  Because of that, he wouldn't do anything that would upset me.  That's why no matter how antagonistic or disrespectful you are to him, he doesn't react.  If this happened when we first met him, he probably would have already gone on a rampage," Astrid started.  "With his identity as the prince and our Empire's youngest general, being friends with him would be beneficial to us in the long run.  He could help us during situations that we don't have any control over.  Like our real identities being accidentally exposed."

Reas scoffed.  "That still doesn't make any sense.  It's like you're handling our safety over to some lunatic!  If that was the case, it would be better to just ask the Grimaldis for help."

Astrid almost winced at what Reas said.  Hearing it, even he felt that what he said was rather stupid.  Probably because it was.  And it was clear as a sunny day that he was just spouting those things as an excuse.

It was simply because he wanted to know.  He wanted to see just how far Wulfric would go just to get closer to him.  And as he was doing so, would he remain as he was now or would he actually change to a better version of himself?  Could someone like him really even change for another person?  And could that person really be Astrid himself?  These questions, he wanted to know the answers.

Was it just simple curiosity?  Or was it because the matter involved him that's why he couldn't help but feel a bit narcissistic and want to see a person with Wulfric's status to do his best to please him?  He suddenly wanted to laugh.  He couldn't believe that he actually had that kind of weird kink.

But although what he said to Reas was mostly an excuse, he still believed that some of it was true.  Like how Wulfric wouldn't do anything to upset him.  Or if they encountered a problem, the other would definitely do something to help them.  Yes, that's a bit narcissistic.  But his instinct was telling him that he was right.  And this gut-feel of his was seldom wrong about such things.

With Wulfric's involvement, he could easily completely erase whatever traces that were left that would connect their family to the Grimaldis.

Even though the new identities forged by Uncle Leigh for their parents were almost foolproof, the keyword here was 'almost'.  Upon a much deeper inspection, one would definitely find some clues that could lead to the Grimaldis and to what happened two decades ago.

Astrid raised his head and sighed when he saw Reas' expression.  He looked like he was about to beat up someone.  At times like this, being honest was the best thing to do.

"You're right.  Maybe I just want to be his friend."

"Astrid!"  Seeing as how the other shouted his name instead of his nickname and also did it in such a disapproving tone, it was quite obvious that he was not happy with what he said.  "Are you hearing yourself right now?  Where is your sense of danger?  This is that crazy prince we're talking about!"

"Reas, first, calm down," Astrid said.  "You're making it sound like I'm losing my mind."

"Because maybe you are?"

For the first time in a while, Astrid suddenly had an urge to smack this brother of his.  But he also could understand his perspective and where he was coming from, that's why he wasn't doing any of that.   

"I assure you, I'm very sane and all my faculties are very intact as well," he said dryly.  "I didn't say what I said because I'm going crazy.  I really couldn't explain it to you properly.  So, just think of it as me finding an interesting toy and wanting to play with it for a bit longer."

Currently, that's the best way he could explain his feelings for Wulfric without Reas thinking that there was anything more than that.  Because there wasn't and he simply didn't want his brother to misunderstand him. 

But Reas only looked at him as if he had truly gone mental.  Out of all the people in the Empire, his brother was probably the only one who dared to think of that prince as a toy.  And he was not just saying it to badmouth the other, he really meant it.

"You- are you really okay?"