Chapter 907: Breakdown
Princess Montares was an ally, a friend even, but the pool had intensified certain extreme aspects of Khan's personality. Princess Montares' disrespectful words had made Khan snap, but her reaction to his threat quelled that feeling.
Princes and Princesses received strict and severe education from an early age. Still, they weren't stranger to mistakes or occasional mental breakdowns. Rachel seemed to be going through both now, and all her training couldn't stop her tears.
Khan gazed at the silky blonde hair under him, and his senses updated him on everything else. Rachel was shaking, fighting a losing battle to retain her composure. She squeezed her fists, desperately trying to salvage a modicum of self-control, but her sniffs and leaned head had already exposed her.
'It had to be a woman,' Khan cursed before heaving a sigh. Appearances aside, Princess Montares had done nothing but help him and was now experiencing a difficult phase. Consoling her was the friendly thing to do.
"Easy," Khan whispered, the hand on the wall descending on Princess Montares' hair. "It's my bad. I shouldn't have joked about it."
Princess Montares held firm to her dwindling self-restraint, but the gentle caress on her hair shattered that resolve. Her fists relaxed, giving in to her distress and searching for any source of emotional support. She was already leaning on Khan, and her arms soon joined her forehead.
Khan instinctively lifted his hands in innocence when Princess Montares hugged him. His expression became the embodiment of guilty awkwardness, but Rachel only squeezed him tighter. Childish vibes tainted the symphony, describing the Princess' mental state, which Khan sadly understood.
Nobles and wealthy descendants rarely had the opportunity to build honest friendships or relationships. Their emotional sides were often underdeveloped, suffocated by their families' expectations. Khan had seen that with Monica and could only guess Rachel had experienced far worse.
Khan heaved another helpless sigh, lowering his hands. One returned to Rachel's head while the other went on her back, patting it in an attempt to reassure her.
"There, there," Khan said. "Don't worry. I'll tutor Mister Parket properly. I'll turn him into a monster, just like me."
Khan's words seemed to work since Rachel's hug lost some strength. Yet, she still held onto him, hiding her face while hysterical sniffs unfolded.
"I'll also mediate with your family if needed," Khan promised. "I know I'm good, so it's just about buying time until Mister Parket becomes worthy of a Princess."
A few louder sniffs resounded before silence filled that recluse area. Rachel's mana also confirmed that she was calming down, but her arms didn't move from Khan's torso.
"Really?" Princess Montares asked, incredulous. Khan had no business with her family, and interfering with its internal affairs was bound to bring problems to his doorstep. No sane man would do that when the nobles were involved.
"What's another political feud anyway?" Khan scoffed. "Besides, the solution is always the same. I must make myself necessary, irreplaceable, and impossible to oppose."
Khan's statement had almost sounded like a joke, but Princess Montares knew he was slowly achieving those goals. His power and alien connections made him unique in the entirety of the Global Army, and the benefits of having him around increased by the day.
Princess Montares broke the hug, and her hands slid over Khan's sides until they reached the bone armor. She held onto it, looking up at his glowing eyes. That light carried immense, oppressive pressure, but Rachel felt strangely safe under it.
Also, Rachel knew she couldn't oppose that development. Her mistake was real, and she needed Khan's help to fix it. In a way, she was completely in his power, but strangely, the situation didn't make her feel trapped.
"Do you need a mirror before going back to the terrace?" Khan wondered, stepping inside the elevator. "Monica has backup makeup stuff here. I only have to remember which bathroom."
Princess Montares recalled something while Khan scratched his head, looking at the elevator's controls. Teases aside, many could misunderstand the situation, and Rachel liked Monica. She liked Khan, too, but that was a different problem.
"Khan," Princess Montares called, entering the elevator and pulling Khan's arm. "Don't tell Monica about this. I don't want her to misunderstand."
"I'll obviously tell her," Khan responded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I
tell her everything."
"But-," Rachel tried to complain, startled.
"You cried on me," Khan scoffed, interrupting Rachel. "Big deal. Well, I won't hear the end of it, but you two can start to be real friends now, at least."
Princess Montares was speechless once again. She had never been part of a similar world, and the thought had never crossed her mind, either. As a Princess, each of her actions could have immense repercussions, especially when involving an infamous man like Khan. Yet, he didn't
look worried at all.
Truth be told, Khan didn't seem to care, either, which annoyed Rachel. She wouldn't have cried with anyone. She had let herself go because it was Khan, but his apparent disregard told her he didn't appreciate her trust.
"Prince Khan, I cried on you," Rachel scolded. "Please, realize how difficult it was for me."
"You need to ask Monica's permission for the next hug," Khan half-mindedly said, finally pressing one of the elevator's controls. "Other than that, sleeping and bathing together is definitely out of the question."
"What are you even saying?!" Princess Montares gasped.
"Sorry," Khan laughed, enjoying the astounded Rachel. "It's better to draw the line early on."
Princess Montares felt she was taking crazy pills. She would have never expected Khan to have such a playful side to him. She knew he teased Monica, but that behavior was on another level. "What did I even get myself into?" Princess Montares sighed, shaking her head. "Will you act like this in public, too?"
"I can't yet," Khan admitted. "But hey. You wanted my friendship. You have it. It was about time one of you nobles went mask-off."
"You are also a noble, Prince Khan," Princess Montares pointed out, a chuckle escaping her mouth. She promptly closed it, noticing how out of character that reaction was, but Khan didn't let it slide.
"I'm already growing on you," Khan teased. "You are in deep trouble, Princess."