If he continued to argue with the other and insist on what he thought was the right thing to do, he would only seem like a stubborn guy who simply didn't want Wulfric's help. All the things he said would only sound like excuses.
"You really are quite tenacious."
Wulfric shrugged. "It's my only virtue, so I might as well use it properly."
"I don't think that's your only good point."
Wulfric's ears perked up and then asked like a puppy waiting to be praised, "What else do you like about me?"
Astrid raised a brow. How come the 'good point' he mentioned turned into things he liked about him? But since Wulfric surprised him in a lot of ways today, he might as well indulged the other.
"Hmm... if I were to choose, then it would be your willingness to change," he said. "I know it took a lot of willpower and determination for you to do that. But you did it anyway. So, yeah."
"Because it's for you. So, it's not really that hard," Wulfric said, a hint of red appearing on his cheeks.
Astrid almost laughed again when he saw that. After straightforwardly telling him his feelings, he would suddenly feel shy about something like this. The contrast made Wulfric even more adorable.
"And, to be honest, I haven't really changed that much," Wulfric added. "I'm still the same jerk I've always been to others. You're the only exception."
Astrid had already expected as much. But he really didn't care. The fact that Wulfric was willing to change for him already meant a great deal. "Then I'm honored."
Wulfric scratched his cheek while showing what seemed to be a shy smile. Then he cleared his throat. As if only now realizing that it's not time for him to act love-struck.
"We've been trying for years to obtain evidence of what they have against Cynric, but it has all been in vain. We suspect they didn't keep it digitally; instead, they have a physical copy," Wulfric continued. "As long as those bastards have that, it's hard for us to do anything. So, what I said earlier was mostly bravado. But if you insist on wanting to assassinate--"
"Okay, stop. I never insisted on anything like that," Astrid said, cutting off what Wulfric was saying.
He then fell into deep thought. Based on what Wulfric had said, as long as the Lancasters held that blackmail material, they were essentially untouchable. After all, they had the Emperor as their backing.
He wondered what could the Emperor have done that was so damning that he could be blackmailed to this extent. But Astrid had no plans to ask. He would be overstepping too much if he did that.
He decided to just go back to what they were originally talking about.
"Regarding the help you're offering, I will be very satisfied if you can help the Grimaldis to meet my parents without alarming the Lancasters."
Wulfric was a bit surprised by the sudden change in topic. He thought Aster would ask more about Cynric being blackmailed by the Lancasters. But then again, this reaction was also very much like Aster. Besides, it's not like he could tell him about it even if he asked. It's Cynric's traumatizing past, after all. Wulfric had no business telling others about it.
Even if that person was Aster.
"I can help with that," he said in response to what Aster had said. "But I need to talk to both parties so we could coordinate everything easily. Have you... told them about me? I mean, about us specifically?"
Astrid subconsciously winced. "About that... let's just say, it's on the works?"
He just had no idea how he would go about it. He probably wouldn't have trouble telling this to the Grimaldis. No matter what their reaction might be, he wouldn't be that affected. The real problem was how he would tell it to his parents.
Just thinking about it was already giving him a headache.