Chapter 759: HIS CUTE ANYTHING

WHEN Astrid accepted the video call and Wulfric’s face appeared on the screen, the first thing he noticed was the clear pout on the other man’s face. He raised an eyebrow, wondering what the problem was this time. But he didn’t need to ask because what Wulfric said next cleared that up from him.

"Aster, there are a lot of comments saying that you and that guy, Valentine suit each other. You don’t agree, right?" Wulfric asked, his voice a low, unhappy grumble.

Ah, so that was it. Astrid almost let out a chuckle. He should have expected this reaction after reading all those comments himself. It seemed that while Wulfric had matured in many ways, in this particular area, he was still exactly the same.

"They’re only talking about us acting together in movies, not about an actual relationship," he explained. "And if anyone suggested that, I’m sure Valentine’s fans would be the first to object."

Wulfric’s brows drew together, his irritation was plain for anyone to see. "How dare they object? They should be grateful that Valentine is even being associated with you."

This time, Astrid could not help but laugh. "You dislike it when people associate us together, but you also hate it when others think he is too good for me. You are being contradictory, Wulf."

Wulfric’s lips formed that adorable pout again. "It’s fine for me to think that way, but not for others. They act like that guy Valentine is too good for you, when I think you’re way too good for him."

"Why are you acting like there’s a chance for Valentine and me to ever be together?" Astrid asked, his voice full of amusement. "We both know that’s never going to happen."

"You’re incredible and beautiful and talented. How could he not be tempted by you?" Wulfric grumbled, his voice a low mix of genuine worry and stubborn pride.

This made Astrid laugh again. "Do you really think he’d be interested in me when it’s so clear he’s in love with your brother?"

Wulfric was quiet for a moment.

Astrid raised an eyebrow and added, "Are you not confident in Valentine’s feelings for the emperor? Then why did you give him love advice?"

"Well, Cyn seemed interested in the guy, so I gave him some advice," Wulfric said with a shrug. "Truthfully, I think he could do a lot better."

"And yet you still gave your brother advice about his relationship with Valentine," Astrid pointed out, his tone gently teasing.

"I decided to respect his choice," Wulfric said, his voice heavy with resignation. "Even if that choice was... Valentine."

Valentine had better be careful not to hurt Cynric. If he did, Wulfric would make sure he was sent to a remote, primitive planet with no access to modern technology.

Astrid chuckled softly. The way Wulfric said Valentine’s name made it sound like the name itself was a mistake. But the fact that he had given the emperor advice about his relationship with the man must mean that, deep down, he did approve of Valentine to some degree.

"By the way, did that guy Valentine do anything to you during the show today?" Wulfric asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Astrid shook his head. This was likely the real reason Wulfric had called. "No. He was a little too friendly, maybe? But other than that, he did nothing."

"Really? That’s... surprising," Wulfric said, sounding genuinely taken aback. "Then why in the world did he want to be on the same show as you?"

"I honestly don’t think he had any bad intentions," Astrid explained. "My guess is he just wanted to meet me and see what I’m like."

A confused look appeared on Wulfric’s face. "What for?"

"He probably just wanted to satisfy his curiosity about the person who tamed the great white wolf," Astrid said, giving Wulfric a knowing look.

Wulfric blinked. So it was because of him? He cleared his throat. "Why would he do something so pointless?"

"Well, considering he told me we would be family soon, he probably assumes I’m going to be a permanent part of your life just like he will be for the Emperor, so he most likely wanted to see what kind of person I am," Astrid said, a slight smile on his lips.

Wulfric paused. Family? When he first heard it, he wanted to scoff. Did Valentine deserve to be a family with his Aster? But when he heard the next part, he felt like Valentine had a good point. It seemed that he didn’t have to do anything against the other, after all.

"That’s very smart of him," Wulfric said, a hint of reluctant approval in his tone.

Astrid watched the play of emotions on Wulfric’s face and found it incredibly charming. He could easily follow the other’s train of thought, from the initial outrage to the slow, grudging acceptance. Seeing Wulfric process everything so openly made his heart feel soft. The other was simply too adorable.

So, he heard himself say, "Do you have any idea how cute you are right now?"

For a moment, Wulfric just stared, unsure if he had heard Aster correctly. Then, as the words fully sank in, a deep blush spread rapidly across his face, coloring his neck and ears. "I don’t think that word fits me at all."

"Nope," Astrid said in a playful and teasing voice. "If you look in a mirror right now, you would see exactly how well it fits you."

Wulfric looked at Aster with a helpless expression. The other was probably the only person in the entire Empire who would ever describe him as ’cute’. If anyone else heard Aster say that, they would likely think he had lost his mind. And yet, a warm, happy feeling spread through his chest. He much preferred that Aster saw him this way, rather than how everyone else in the Empire viewed him.

He would happily be Aster’s ’cute’ anything, rather than have him think of him as the feared general or the butcher everyone called him as.