Chaos' Heir-Chapter 1130: Real reasons

Rachel mentally cursed herself. Her attempts to move to happier topics or lighten the mood always seemed to lead toward darker places, ruining her positive intentions.

Mental curses aside, Rachel mainly felt bad for Khan. Stories about him littered the network, and most were sad. Rachel had also read all of them, learning more than most people, but hearing them directly from his lips somehow hit harder.

Khan's life had truly been an endless series of struggles that often ended in tragedy. For all his achievements, he always seemed able to lose what he genuinely cared about, and countless deaths surrounded those sad events.

Rachel's life had by no means been easy. As a Princess and a popular one at that, her family had educated her for years, preparing her for all the dangers her status could attract. She had learned to see dark shades everywhere until it became the norm for her.

However, compared to Khan, Rachel had been quite sheltered. Her dangers were real, but she had always had her faction's support and a lot of help. Meanwhile, Khan had to survive on his own, putting his life on the line over and over again to obtain the tiniest rewards.

The latest revelation and the silence that ensued made Rachel desperate to find something to fix the mood. She truly wanted to make Khan feel better, but the only ideas that popped into her mind involved certain lessons that threatened to make her blush. Besides, Rachel wasn't that shameless, and the topic even had another problem.

Nothing was official, but everyone knew about it, especially those close to Khan. The engagement was no more. Monica and Khan had broken up, and all that remained were attempts to prevent a political ruckus.

Rachel didn't know if the time was right, especially with someone who handled emotions as deeply as Khan. She was also scared about mentioning Monica out of fear of worsening his mood even more. Her quest looked hopeless, so she opted for the purest and most genuine move she could muster.

Khan couldn't help but turn when he felt something hit his shoulder. Rachel had laid her head there before sneaking a hand under his arm, reaching for the spaces between his fingers.

The gesture carried no lust or impure intentions. Rachel only wanted Khan to know that he wasn't alone. She couldn't find the words to express that, so she relied on that sweet move to show her support.

Khan saw Rachel shrinking under his eyes' light. She had never done anything similar with anybody, and starting with Khan definitely wasn't easy, especially due to the many issues around him. Yet, Rachel steeled her resolve, not wanting to give up on her supportive stance.

Rachel grew tenser and tenser under that bright illumination but relaxed once it went away to point at the metal wall before her. She also felt secretly happy that Khan wasn't pushing her away, but his next move ended up shocking her.

Rachel had already wrapped her fingers around Khan's hand, and her eyes widened when she felt him doing the same. She had never expected any reaction, let alone that slight sign of acceptance, and her gaze peeked past her blonde strands to check for more of those.

Sadly for Rachel, Khan kept looking at the room's metal wall, his expression as inscrutable as ever. If anything, he looked a bit conflicted but also too tired to care, or maybe Rachel's hopes were simply giving birth to delusions.

Truthfully, Khan also didn't know why he wasn't pushing Rachel away. He sensed how the woman felt about him but was also aware she wasn't trying anything strange. She only wanted to be there for him, and part of him needed that.

It had been the same with Jenna. Except the positions were reversed now. People had limits, especially when alone, and Khan had been alone for the better part of a year. He felt a bit guilty about using Rachel so selfishly, but that was him overthinking the issue. After all, that was precisely what Rachel was trying to do.

"How was the marriage?" Khan eventually asked, breaking that tense and slightly awkward silence.

"It was nice," Rachel revealed, slowly adapting to that more intimate position. "Madam Ildoo's mother was especially happy to see so many Princes and Princesses attend the marriage."

"She is that kind of woman," Khan said, not hiding his insulting tone while recalling a certain dinner during his time in the Harbor. "Thank you for attending it. I know you didn't have to."

"We did it for you, Khan," Rachel announced, "The other representatives and I. You earned more support than you think, and that was one way to repay you."

Khan didn't react at all to those words. Rachel peeked at his face again, but his expression remained inscrutable.

"Besides," Rachel continued, trying to lighten the mood. "As tedious as these kinds of marriages can be, they are a good chance to wear dresses I wouldn't wear otherwise."

Rachel could hardly contain herself when she saw Khan smirking, but that expression soon vanished, and his face became inscrutable once again. Then, Khan asked something that killed Rachel's temporary, selfish happiness.

"How was she?" Khan asked, knowing he didn't need to say more for Rachel to understand him. He knew she had attended George's marriage anyway, so there was no reason for additional explanations.

"She looked thinner," Rachel revealed, not daring to say Monica's name but also not daring to lie. "I managed to talk with her a bit. She is doing better. I think she only wants to stay away from everything for a while."

Khan nodded but didn't say anything. Still, a sigh escaped his mouth when he sensed the sour emotions spreading from above his shoulder. His question had been unfair for many reasons, so he did what he could to make up for it.

Rachel had become dejected. She was still holding Khan's hand, and he was holding hers while her head rested on his shoulder. Yet, the intimate moment had grown suffocating after the last question, almost making her run away.

Nevertheless, something warm gently bumped into Rachel's head and remained there, preventing her escape. Her dejection also dispersed when she understood that Khan was resting his cheek on her hair. Rachel felt confused beyond reason, but that much was enough for now.

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"Thank you, really," Khan muttered, trying to sound as grateful and kind as possible, "But I think it's time you tell me why your family sent you here."

Rachel held back a sigh and closed her eyes. As pure as her intentions were, she couldn't just travel to the far reaches of the regulated universe for no reason. Rachel genuinely wanted to see Khan again and support him as much as possible, but her visit had a more official purpose, something that might ruin that innocent intimacy.

"Don't worry," Khan added as if reading Rachel's mind and her worries. "I know my family agreed to it. I just thought we could talk about it now."