The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Chapter 629: LUNChapter IN SPACE

The dining area on the spaceship wasnʼt very large, but it could comfortably seat around 15 people. He glanced around at everyone, noticing their expressions of amazement as they took in the dishes he had prepared. A satisfied smile spread across his lips.

Hildred stared at the food on the table, amazed by what he saw. The dishes were laid out neatly, each one looking better than the last. The smell was incredible, filling the room with a mix of savory and rich aromas that made his stomach growl. He couldnʼt believe that Astrid had made all of this. He didnʼt recognize most of the dishes, but that only made it more amazing.

Even though Ed had assured him that Astrid could cook, Hildred couldnʼt help but feel a bit apprehensive. After all, Ed was such a sweetheart that he wouldnʼt dare criticize anyoneʼs cooking, no matter how bad it might be. And then there was Wulf, who seemed almost reluctant to let them try Astridʼs food.

At first glance, it might have seemed like Wulf was trying to keep all the deliciousness to himself, as if the food was too good to share. But the truth was, Wulfʼs behavior was more about his possessiveness—he had fallen for Astrid so deeply that even something as simple as his cooking felt personal to him.

As he brought the fork to his mouth, Hildred braced himself, half-expecting the taste to fall short of the visual appeal. But the moment the chicken touched his tongue, his eyes widened in surprise. The flavors were incredible—tender, succulent meat bathed in a sauce that was both tangy and subtly sweet, with just the right amount of spice.

Hildred couldnʼt help but smile, realizing that Astridʼs cooking wasnʼt just beautiful to look at—it was truly delicious.

”This is amazing, Astrid,” he couldnʼt help but say.

Astrid glanced at Hildred, recognizing that this was likely the first genuine compliment he had received from him since they met. A natural smile spread across his lips as he responded, ”Thank you.”

It wasnʼt just Hildred who was surprised by the delicious food—Anthony, Astridʼs estranged grandfather, was equally taken aback. As he tasted the first bite, his fork paused mid-air, and a wave of emotions flickered across his face. The flavors were rich and expertly balanced, far beyond what he had expected. But as he continued to eat, a tightness settled in his chest.

The delight he felt was tinged with guilt, a pang of regret creeping in with each bite. Discover stories with m,v lʼe

Although he was glad to finally taste his grandsonʼs cooking, Anthony couldnʼt shake the unease that settled in the back of his mind. The food was undeniably delicious, a testament to Astridʼs skill, but that only deepened his concern. What circumstances had led Astrid to develop such expertise? What challenges or hardships had he faced to hone this level of talent?

As he savored each bite, these thoughts continued to linger.

If Astrid could have read his thoughts, he might have looked at him with a touch of pity, and maybe even laugh a little, and said, ʼNo, Your Grace, we didnʼt suffer or live in hardship. Iʼm a good cook because itʼs a skill Iʼve carried over from my previous life, much like my talent for acting.ʼ

”Brother Aster, your cooking is absolutely the best,” Nicol exclaimed, digging in with enthusiasm. ”Honestly, if you opened a restaurant, it would be an instant success.”

”I donʼt think so,” Wulfric suddenly said.

Nicol turned to Wulfric and glared. ”Why would you say that? You donʼt think Brother Aster is good enough to open his own restaurant?”

Wulfric gave Nicol a look, as if he were a child who didnʼt quite understand the bigger picture—which, in a way, he was. ”Itʼs because heʼs too good,” Wulfric said, his tone serious. ”No chef out there could match him. If Aster isnʼt the one in the kitchen, the restaurant wouldnʼt be the same. So, whatʼs the point?

Or are you suggesting that Aster should give up his dream of being an actor just to become a chef?”

Nicolʼs eyes widened in surprise as Wulfricʼs words sank in. It was only now that he realized Wulfric was right. He pursed his lips, clearly reluctant, before admitting, ”You have a point.” Turning to Astrid, he added apologetically, ”Sorry, Brother Aster, I didnʼt fully consider that.”

Wulfric nodded, then turned to Aster with a look that clearly said, ʼSee? Iʼm better than that kid.ʼ

Astrid was both amused and slightly exasperated by the two. Still, he couldnʼt help but smile, shaking his head at their playful banter. Instead of responding, he picked up a piece of meat and placed one on Wulfricʼs plate and another on Nicolʼs.

”Just eat.”

That simple gesture seemed to redirect their focus back to eating.

Everyone at the table witnessed the exchange, but the only ones who reacted were the Grimaldi brothers.

The others were either preoccupied or unfazed: the duke remained lost in his own thoughts, Edmund and Hildred were entirely focused on their food, Slade, who were surprised at first, didnʼt really care much to dwell on it, and Reas, already accustomed to such dynamics, didnʼt give it much thought.

Wulfricʼs behavior mostly surprised Casey and Thomas. They hadnʼt expected him to be so at ease and playful around Astrid. The way he was acting was almost... child-like.

What they were witnessing was completely different from the image they had of the prince. Seeing him so relaxed and open made his earlier confession about falling in love with their nephew even more believable. They honestly werenʼt sure how to process it.

”Reas, is he, I mean, is the prince always like this?” Casey finally asked in a low voice, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.

Reas glanced at Wulfric before replying, not bothering to lower his voice, knowing the generalʼs SSS physique meant he would hear it, anyway. ”Yeah, and sometimes heʼs even worse. You might as well get used to it.”

Casey showed a slightly horrified expression at the thought that the princeʼs antics could get worse than this.