Interstellar Age

Chapter 358 Off To A Great Start

Erich awoke the day after his wedding with the widest smile on his face imaginable. Lying in his arms was the pink-haired beauty who was his bride. Unlike in their previous life, where they did not sleep together for years after their wedding night, Erich and Erika had fully consummated their marriage as soon as they possibly could.

And as Erich lied there with the woman he loved in his arms, he couldn't help but reflect on this new timeline. Five years had come and passed in the blink of an eye. And during this time Erich had secured control over the Germanic Star-Empire, crowned yesterday during his wedding reception as the new dictator.

S'aleth was still alive, and his relationships with Ayumi and Erika were much improved. Meanwhile, he already had a good head start with Ayumi and Lunaria. All that really remained was to pursue Mirage and Celestia, and then the women he had genuinely loved in his past timeline would all be his again.

For the first time in a very long time, Erich was beginning to suspect that things might actually turn out alright. And it was all thanks to correcting the mistakes he had made by using his knowledge of future events for his own benefit.

While Erich was thinking about how smoothly things were going, Erika awoke in his arms and yawned before kissing the man on the lips. Her question was one that he never actually expected from the woman.

"What are you thinking about?"

Erich was stunned by this question. What was he thinking about? How did he answer this without looking like a madman? He squirmed for just a moment, before leaning over and kissing his newly beloved once more, while assuring her that he wasn't thinking of anything inappropriate.

"Just how lucky I am to have things turn out so well for me in this life... And to have you by my side..."

This was a satisfactory answer for Erika. So much so that she returned Erich's romantic gestures, where the two of them would spend their early morning going at it like rabbits once more. Once they had finished and taken a proper bath, Erich and Erika emerged from their bedroom within their penthouse and proceeded to the kitchen.

Erika prepared the coffee for herself and her new husband while also cooking breakfast for the man. Something Erich was not wholly accustomed to. After all, in his past life, he had private chefs in his beach house.

Speaking of, Erich felt a little off by his new residence. The Germanic Star-Empire wasn't exactly known for its luxury. Everything was extremely utilitarian, even the homes of the upper echelons of society.

But there were worlds that were less utilitarian than others. For example, Teutonia, where his beach side mansion in his past life was located. However, here on Germania, which was one giant city, and the capital world of the Empire. Its architecture was specifically designed to convey one emotion. Authority. And this penthouse was no different.

Though the Germanic Star-Empire was currently undergoing a cultural renaissance of sorts, it would be a while before architecture became more comfortable, let alone luxurious. After all, old habits died hard. And Erich did not see the Empire embracing luxury and comfort over utility any time soon.

But these thoughts were interrupted as Erich received his cup of coffee from his wife, along with a plate of what could arguably be considered one of the greatest looking breakfasts Erich had ever laid eyes on.

Erika seemed quite anxious, however, as she handed her new husband his breakfast, and Erich immediately noticed this. The Paranoid dictator from his past life surfaced as Erich's expression sank before asking the woman just what she was plotting.

"What's wrong?"

However, Erika did not take this the way Erich had intended, and instead became flustered on the spot, almost as if she was too embarrassed to speak the words. But when she saw that her husband was growing impatient, she was quick to express her thoughts, albeit in a bit of a jumbled state.

"It's! It's just that... I, I am worried you won't like my cooking... It's not that I'm a bad cook! I just... I don't know..."

lightsnοvεl This was of course not the response Erich was expecting, and actually took a deep breath to calm himself, reminding himself that he was no longer a galactic dictator who was despised by the entire galaxy, one who had made enemies of far more powerful beings than himself.

No, he was a beloved War Hero, and the architect of a new renaissance. His people already loved him, and it was just his first day on the job. Meanwhile, the other civilizations had yet to form a reason to try to assassinate him.

Thus, after hearing Erika's response, a bittersweet smile formed on Erich's face as he took a bite from the eggs and sausage the woman had made for him, after commenting on her words.

"I could never turn away a home-cooked meal made by a woman..."

After saying this, Erich ate Erika's meal and was surprised that it was better than he had expected it to be. It was really, really good. How she had time to master the art of cooking while working for the Propaganda Department as an idol, Erich did not know, but he was quick to give his compliments.

"It's really good. I'm actually surprised. I didn't expect you to be such a good cook, considering the busy nature of your former occupation."

Erich instinctively winced when he brought up this point of conversation. It had always been a sore spot in his past life. After all, in that life, Erika was forced to give up her career to marry Erich for propaganda purposes, and it was a huge reason their relationship was so flawed.

But in this life, Erika had voluntarily nuked her career simply to propose herself as an option for Erich to marry, and thus there was no animosity towards him because of her early retirement. Instead, she was elated by the idea that Erich loved her cooking, and was quick to serve him more.

"Really? You really enjoy my cooking! If you like it that much, I can make more! It's my job as your wife to make sure you are properly fed. I can even make sure you have some proper meals when you're at the office. If you wouldn't mind, that is..."

Erika, of course, knew that Erich could easily have the best cooks in the empire prepare his food for lunch and possibly even dinner while he worked as the Supreme Leader. But had a vain hope that Erich was serious when he said he liked her cooking.

As for Erich, he easily accepted this offer. He would much rather have a home cooked meal from a woman that loved him, than even the most extravagant cuisine prepared by the Empire's greatest chefs. And thus, his response only made Erika like him more.

"That sounds amazing. If it's not too much work, I wouldn't mind you preparing my meals for me. I mean, it's not like it's a long journey from here to my office. Speaking of, I need to get to work, but when you stop by my office at lunch, we should discuss our plans for our honeymoon."ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Novᴇ(l)ꜰɪre .ɴᴇt

And just like that, Erich's marriage to Erika was already off to an amazing start, as the woman made sure the man had everything he needed before he headed out to work. Which was quite literally just one story of the building below their residence.

The pains of the past were something only Erich remembered, and he would never want Erika to regain those memories even if she could.