The Number One Star in the Interstellar Era

ASTRID stood and stretched, easing the tension from his body. After days of reviewing the performances from last weekend's auditions for [The Shadow Within], he had finally made his decisions. He had carefully selected the actors he believed were perfect for each role. To make the process faster and more efficient, Astrid had used a systematic method.

Astrid's system was straightforward but effective. He created a table with two columns: one for the role and the other for the actor he deemed the best fit. Whenever he watched a promising performance, he jotted down the actor's name in the corresponding row. If another actor later outperformed them, he replaced the name with the new contender. He repeated this process meticulously, ensuring that each role was matched with the strongest performance by the time he finished reviewing all the auditions.

And since he's now done, he quickly emailed the table he made to Director McCann. Now, the final decision of who would get the roles would be on him and the casting director.

He left his room and headed to the kitchen to brew some tea. While the tea was brewing, a notification pinged on his Terminal. When he saw that it was from Ellis, he subconciously raised his brow.

After their conversation over the weekend, during which he confided in her about his family's situation, Ellis had gone radio silent. This message was her first contact with him since then. The thought that she might have been scared by what he had shared had never occurred to Astrid. Surprised, perhaps. Shocked? Absolutely. But scared? That possibility had never crossed his mind.

Ellis had always been steady and confident, the kind of person who faced challenges head-on without hesitation. That's why he never thought the secret he shared about his family might scare her. He assumed she would handle it the same way she handled everything else: calmly, logically, and with a clear plan in mind. The idea that she might react differently simply never occurred to him.

After three days of silence, he was starting to wonder if he really had scared her away. The thought was disappointing, to say the least. But more than disappointment, it was simply sad. In the seven months he had known Ellis, she had become more than just his agent—he already considered her a close and important friend. Losing that connection would feel like losing something far more meaningful than professional support.

But now that she had messaged him, it seemed his initial guess was right—she had simply been taking her time to process everything he'd told her. And honestly, he couldn't blame her. The added pressure of his potential relationship with Wulfric only made things more complicated. It was no wonder she was feeling stressed.

Shaking his head, Astrid clicked on the message and read it.

[Astrid, don't forget to check out the trailer for <Serendipitous Summer>. It's going live tonight.]

Ah, right. That was tonight. He had nearly forgotten, with everything that had been going on. Considering the movie was set to release next month, dropping the trailer now felt a bit last-minute. Well, at least, according to his past life's standard.

In this era, where movies were churned out like instant meals, releasing a trailer just a month before the premiere had become the norm. With the trailer dropping tonight, it signaled the start of the movie's promotional campaign. And then there was [The Shadow Within] to think about. The next few weeks were going to be extremely busy for him.

Not that he was complaining; in his line of work, staying busy was always a good thing.

He responded to Ellis, assuring her he'd make a point to watch the trailer. Then he added, clearly teasing;

[I thought you'd already forgotten about me and decided to run away.]

Ellis replied almost instantly.

[Funny. You know that'll never happen. You're my ticket to landing a number one star. How could I leave just because I found out your mother is the not-so-dead daughter of Duke Grimaldi and your father is a wanted man?]

Astrid chuckled at the obvious dry humor. At least this confirmed that Ellis just needed time to process everything.

After a few more exchanges, they wrapped up the conversation. Just as he was about to turn off his Terminal, a video call request from Wulfric popped up. He didn't hesitate and accepted it.

Wulfric's handsome face appeared on the screen, his golden eyes sweeping over him with a gaze that felt almost hungry. The first thing he said was;

"I miss you."

Astrid felt a familiar warmth bloom in his chest, spreading like a quiet flame. His heart fluttered, not from surprise, but from the simple, undeniable pleasure of hearing those words from Wulfric again.

Yes, again. Ever since he'd responded to Wulfric's message with an 'I miss you too', those words had become Wulfric's customary greeting every time they video called. It was now a habit of his, almost like a ritual. And yet, for some reason, Astrid's heart still managed to skip a beat every time he heard it.
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Of course, if he thought about it long enough, the reason wasn't exactly a mystery. But Astrid didn't want to dwell on it too deeply. He'd already decided when he would respond to Wulfric's confession, and he was determined to stick to that plan. Besides, it would also serve as a good test of Wulfric's patience.

If Wulfric could wait for him without pushing or pressuring him, while still showing him the same adoration and love, it would give Astrid the reassurance he needed. It wasn't that he doubted Wulfric's feelings—far from it. But taking his time to observe Wulfric's patience and steadfastness would confirm, beyond any shadow of a doubt, just how deep those feelings ran. For Astrid, this wasn't about mistrust; it was about making sure he could entrust his heart to someone who would truly cherish it.

But for now, he simply smiled back at Wulfric, a smile he didn't realize was so bright it made Wulfric's breath hitch, and said, "I miss you too."