The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

Chapter 849: THE NEW ASSISTANT

ASTRID let out a small laugh. ”Thatʼs kind of you to say, but Iʼm pretty sure youʼre doing more than youʼre letting on.”

”Maybe a little,” the makeup artist admitted, a grin tugging at her lips as she reached for a brush. ”But itʼs still a pleasure working on a face like yours.”

As they chatted, a clatter from the doorway pulled their attention. Both Astrid and the makeup artist turned to see a tall man fumbling with the drinks he was carrying. He had messy brown hair falling over his eyes, hiding most of his features. His clothes were baggy and mismatched in color, making him look shapeless and completely unaware of basic fashion sense.

The man looked like he was about to drop everything at any second, but somehow he managed to steady himself without losing a single drink. He let out an audible sigh of relief, clearly grateful he hadnʼt made a mess.

Astrid almost laughed out loud. Who would ever guess that this fumbling, mismatched mess was actually the prince of the Empire? When Wulfric had insisted on coming along, an idea had formed in Astridʼs head. And from the way Ellis had stopped arguing, she had clearly caught on to it too.

She had quickly dressed Wulfric in the mismatched shirt and pants, added a messy brown wig, and used makeup to round out his face. Even Astrid had to admit the final result was impressive. Looking at the man shuffling toward him now, no one would ever guess he was Wulfric. The clumsy act he was putting on only made the disguise more convincing.

Astrid hadnʼt known Wulfric had it in him to act. It was a pleasant surprise, though.

”Aster, hereʼs a drink for you,” Wulfric said in a slightly higher pitched voice, setting a cup into Astridʼs hand. He then turned to the makeup artist with an awkward smile. ”And thereʼs one for you too, miss. Iʼll just leave it here,” he added, setting the remaining drinks on the nearby table.

”Thank you, William,” Astrid said, offering him a gentle smile.

”Yeah, thanks,” the makeup artist echoed, giving a small nod.

Wulfric acted shy, offering a small smile before shuffling off to a couch on the side and sitting down. Astrid had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. It was obvious Wulfric was enjoying himself far too much.

”Is he a new assistant?” the makeup artist asked, glancing toward the couch. ”Iʼve never seen him around before.”

”Yes, heʼs new,” Astrid said simply. Even if Wulfric only played the role for one day, it wouldnʼt raise any eyebrows with all the employees at Polaris. People came and went all the time, new assistants were hired and left without much notice. No one would question it if he wasnʼt seen again.

Wulfric, meanwhile, kept sneaking glances at Aster from his spot on the couch as the other got prepped. Just as Astrid had guessed, he was genuinely enjoying the whole clumsy assistant act. It was probably driving Ellis up the wall, which only made it better. She had likely expected him to be humiliated by the disguise. What she didnʼt realize was that he couldnʼt care less about what he wore. He would act like a complete fool if it meant staying close to Aster. And honestly, it wasnʼt that hard. He just had to channel his inner Edmund, and the awkward, bumbling act came naturally.

He pulled out his Terminal and activated the privacy mode, making the screen invisible to anyone but him. He pointed it at Aster and started recording. He wanted to capture the whole transformation. He had already seen the outfit Aster would be wearing, and he couldnʼt wait to see it on him.

After half an hour, Wulfric had to close his mouth to keep from drooling. Aster had finally finished his makeup. Dark red gems sat at the corners of his eyes, catching the light and glowing like tiny embers. His black hair had been styled into soft curls that framed his face. He was wearing a red suit with a deep v neckline that stopped just below his navel, revealing a sheer white fabric underneath that hinted at the pale skin beneath. The jacket extended into a long tail that reached all the way down to his ankles, trailing behind him like a shadow.

Aster looked... incredible. Mouth wateringly incredible. In that moment, Wulfric wanted to cross the room, peel off every layer of that outfit, and see what was underneath. He even caught himself thinking about licking his way down—and immediately slammed the brakes on that thought. If he let his mind wander any further, he was going to have a very visible problem. Like a tent on his pants. And that was the last thing he needed right now.

He quickly turned off his Terminal and forced himself to look away. But it only took a few seconds before his gaze drifted back to Aster. Just in time to find Aster already looking at him.

Aster grinned at him, the small gems catching the light. ”What do you think?”

”You look...” Wulfric swallowed, catching himself before the words ʼgood enough to eatʼ could slip out. ”Amazing.”

Asterʼs smile widened, clearly pleased with Wulfricʼs reaction.

The makeup artist and stylist showered Aster with compliments, which he accepted with a humble smile and quiet thanks. He made sure to return the praise, telling them the final look was entirely thanks to their skill.

”Alright, everyone,” Ellis called out, clapping her hands together. ”Time to wrap it up. We need to head out now.”

***

They rode to the theater in a car with only Ellis, Astrid, and the prince inside. Ellis had made sure of that. She didnʼt want to risk an extra driver overhearing something that might give away the princeʼs identity. He had behaved well enough back at the dressing room, but she wasnʼt about to trust that he would keep it up for the whole ride.

She glanced across at Astrid and the prince. The prince leaned in close to whisper something in Astridʼs ear, and Astridʼs lips curved into a small, amused smile. Especially when these two flirted so openly like this.