Chapter 695 - 695: WAS THAT YOUR DOING?

WULFRIC was ecstatic when he received Aster’s call. He’d assumed the other would be sleeping by now, especially after attending both the show and the after-party. That’s why he hadn’t tried calling earlier, even though he’d been dying to. But who would’ve thought Aster would call him first? It was a good thing Wulfric wasn’t the type to sleep early—he would’ve kicked himself if he’d missed the call because he was asleep.

“Did you have fun?” Wulfric asked. More than the show’s success, what mattered most to him was whether Aster had enjoyed himself.

“I did, actually,” Astrid answered.

In his past life, he’d never walked in a fashion show—his height wouldn’t have made him model material. Tonight had been a good experience though, and a surprisingly enjoyable one at that. The venue itself had been impressive, and that flower shower at the end had been a nice touch.

Speaking of the flower shower—Astrid was just about to ask Wulfric the question he’d been meaning to bring up when the other suddenly spoke first, cutting him off.

“Aster, are you not in your apartment?”

Wulfric didn’t notice it at first, but as he kept looking at Aster, something felt different that usual. The wallpaper behind him wasn’t the same as the one in his apartment. Once Wulfric realized that, his mind just started racing. Was Aster in a hotel? It was late, so maybe he’d decided to stay somewhere nearby after the event. Or maybe he was at his agent’s place—or even a friend’s.

The idea that Aster might be alone with someone else right now almost made Wulfric frown. The only reason he stopped himself was because he knew how irrational it would be to feel annoyed. After all, he’d met all of Aster’s closest friends—except Lauren, but he didn’t count since he was already dating Reas. And while he wouldn’t say he fully trusted Kiran and Snow, he at least knew they were decent guys who cared about Aster.

But still.

So instead of driving himself crazy guessing, Wulfric decided to just ask directly.

“Ah, no,” Aster answered. “I’m at the Grimaldi main mansion. Nikki invited me, and I couldn’t say no to him. So I ended up coming back with Uncle Casey.”

Oh, that actually made sense. Wulfric had nearly forgotten EMMA was owned by Cassius Grimaldi. Of course, the other—and that brat Nicol—would be there to watch Aster’s runway debut. The realization settled his nerves immediately. Aster being at the Grimaldi mansion with family was infinitely better than any of the scenarios his mind had conjured up earlier.

But Aster’s answer raised another concern.

“Did you leave with Casey?” Wulfric asked, his voice tightening slightly. “Were you careful not to be seen together?”

If anyone spotted Aster leaving with a Grimaldi, it could spark dangerous rumors. The last thing they needed was those damn Lancasters catching wind of Aster’s connection to the family – they’d be on him like vultures the moment they suspected anything.

Ah, seriously. Maybe he should accelerate his plans to deal with the Lancasters. Not all of them, of course—just the truly rotten ones like the patriarch and that damned general. The family was like a basket of spoiled eggs, with a few still salvageable. Take that cadet in Reas’s class, for instance. The kid wasn’t half bad. With proper guidance, he might actually grow into a decent soldier and a proper human being.

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That’s why Wulfric had discreetly spoken to some instructors in the Mecha Division to keep a close eye on the Lancaster kid. He wanted to see if the cadet would pull anything like what he’d done to Reas during Wulfric’s one week teaching stint there. But according to the reports so far, the young Lancaster had been diligent and disciplined—though he still butted heads with Reas occasionally, their clashes seemed more like competitive rivalry than one originating from genuine malice.

After they graduated, it would probably be best to request them be sent to the Fenris Army. And by them, he meant Reas, Leland’s kid brother, and that Lancaster kid.

Anyway, to speed up his plans for dealing with the Lancasters, he should probably bring Cynric in on it. To outsiders, it might seem like his brother favored the Lancasters, but in reality, no one in the Empire would enjoy their downfall more—well, except maybe the Grimaldis.

But to have that conversation with Cynric, he’d need to prepare carefully. It would mean reopening old wounds his brother would rather leave buried. Still, letting things continue like this would only make everything worse in the long run—if it hadn’t already. Cynric needed to face this head-on, once and for all.

“Yes, I left with Uncle Casey. And we were careful not to be seen together.”

Aster’s response snapped Wulfric’s attention back to the present. The tension in his shoulders eased slightly—if Aster said they’d been cautious, he had no reason to doubt it.

A faint smile tugged at Astrid’s lips as he watched the visible relief wash over Wulfric’s face. Then he remembered what he’d meant to ask earlier.

“By the way, Wulf,” he began, “can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Wulfric replied immediately. “What is it?”

“That shower of jasmine petals at the end of my runway walk—was that your doing?”

As soon as Astrid asked that, Wulfric froze completely. His golden eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, he looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Ah, I—uhm…”

Wulfric stammered, uncharacteristically flustered. Astrid immediately noticed how he was suddenly at a loss for words. His mind was most likely scrambling for a plausible explanation that wouldn’t give him away entirely.

Wulfric’s frozen expression was all the confirmation Astrid needed. But he still wanted to hear the other admit it himself. Then he remembered what he did earlier in the bath. This was a good opportunity to use that.

He tried to stop himself from sounding playful, then said, “If you answer honestly, I’ll give you a reward. And I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

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