Chaos Heir

Chapter 1030: Prince

'Why do women always slap me around?' Khan wondered, feeling awkward in that motherly embrace.

Khan expected the hug to be short, but Princess Rebecca kept lingering in it, tightening her embrace even further. She didn't seem willing to let Khan go, and he didn't feel like using his real strength to push her away.

"Aunt?" Khan called. "Do you mind?"

"I do mind, Nephew," Princess Rebecca said, not showing any sign of breaking her hug.

Khan could only sigh. Closing his eyes to enjoy the moment didn't feel right, so his gaze looked past Princess Rebecca, staring at the symphony and the mana inside her body. Genuine affection filled her, saddening Khan's thoughts.

The idea of delaying the departure crossed Khan's mind again, but he quickly killed it. He would happily do it. Khan honestly thought his life was worth less than his loved ones, so enduring sleepless nights was nothing compared to their safety.

However, Khan had also made up his mind. He simply couldn't stay. Khan had to find a solution to the scarlet eyes, and his presence on Baoway would only start new wars. His wild urges would make sure of that.

"I'm fine," Khan reassured. "I want to do this."

"I know," Princess Rebecca sighed, finally breaking the hug while sitting at Khan's side. "It's something you must do to save yourself."

Princess Rebecca didn't know about the scarlet eyes, but the nightmares alone were enough to make her agree with Khan's decision. She didn't want to see him suffer one day longer and knew she would be of no help in that journey.

"However," Princess Rebecca continued, reaching for Khan's cheek to pinch it softly, "Promise me you'll look out for yourself. Come back in one piece, and once you do, start living your life to its fullest."

Princess Rebecca's words sounded dangerously similar to Jenna's, and Khan could only nod upon hearing them. He had tried doing that before getting rid of the curse, but the result had been unclear.

"Well," Princess Rebecca added, lowering her concerned gaze toward Khan's bandaged hand. "Do your best to enjoy the journey, too. After all, you belong there, don't you?"

Khan's eyes couldn't help but widen when faced with Princess Rebecca's understanding smile. The two weren't too close. Khan had been too busy to deepen that family bond, but his Aunt still seemed able to see right through him.

"I-," Khan muttered, but proper words didn't come out.

"Don't worry," Princess Rebecca intervened, reassuring Khan with a warmer smile. "I should have expected it. Genes aren't everything, but when you have parents like that..."

Princess Rebecca diverted her gaze, reclaiming her drink on the nearby sofa before returning to Khan's side. She looked lost in old memories, recalling details Khan had only heard from others.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Princess Rebecca declared. "Elizabeth was as free as they come, and your Father was stubborn to a fault. You never had any hope in surviving the political world."

Khan was speechless. He had expected a scolding or attempts to change his mind, but Princess Rebecca acknowledged his decision without uttering a single complaint. She looked like she had expected something similar to happen.

"It's my fault," Princess Rebecca claimed. "Well, ours. You couldn't refuse everything the faction offered, so we chained you to a world you didn't enjoy."

Princess Rebecca stared at her drink, memories still flooding her vision. She had said it herself. She had always been unsuited for her status, but that allowed her to understand Khan's mindset now.

"My Father made that mistake with Elizabeth," Princess Rebecca concluded. "We know how that ended, so I won't make the same with you."

Princess Rebecca took an elegant sip from her drink before showing another smile to Khan. He still found her unreasonable, profound affection strange, but maybe that was what a mother was supposed to be.

"I'm sorry," Khan could only apologize. "I really do wish I was ... Normal."

"I don't," Princess Rebecca giggled, stealing Khan's left arm while leaning on his shoulder. "You have nothing to apologize for. I told you. You are my Nephew. I'll always be on your side."

"I did some pretty bad stuff," Khan pointed out, knowing he couldn't escape from his Aunt's new hug.

"So, what?" Princess Rebecca scoffed. "You aren't like us. No one is like you, so just pave your own road. I only ask you to be happy while treading it."

Khan glanced at Princess Rebecca before leaning deeper on the couch and staring at the ceiling. Feelings he hadn't experienced in a long time resurfaced in his brain, which accepted their familiar intensity. He hated how his curse prevented him from enjoying an ordinary life and its benefits.

'Am I back at the starting point?' Khan wondered. 'Will I make the same mistake?'

Khan couldn't let anything corrupt his desperation anymore. However, his element also hated those seemingly unbreakable rules. He could feel the desire to make compromises looming above him, but his desperation devoured it, leaving no trace of it.

'No,' Khan realized. 'I'm different. I'm beyond saving because there's nothing to save. I'm just me.'

"I asked Monica to come with me," Khan decided to reveal. That moment was intimate enough to allow those topics, and George wasn't available. Also, Khan felt like sharing something after his Aunt's bold statements.

"Did you?" Princess Rebecca asked. "That girl is quite demanding but has a good influence on you. I always liked her."

"She is indeed great," Khan agreed.

"You know," Princess Rebecca exclaimed. "Whenever you were busy or away, she would always study or practice. She can't match your strength, but she tried her best to be worthy of being at your side. I can see her becoming a great Matriarch in the future."

"That girl always goes overboard," Khan sighed. "She is already better than me in many ways, and I don't need her to become a Matriarch to be with me."

"I disagree," Princess Rebecca snorted. "She should work even harder to be worthy of my dear

Nephew."

"She has done plenty," Khan scolded. "One lifetime isn't enough to repay her."

Princess Rebecca lifted her gaze to look at Khan. His love for Monica was apparent, but

Princess Rebecca still sensed some sadness. Khan's subconscious had probably realized something his brain wasn't ready to accept.

"I know," Princess Rebecca sighed. "I told you. I've always liked her. She is the perfect match

for a Prince."

Princess Rebecca fell silent, wondering whether she should utter her following words. Eventually, she pushed away her worry, speaking her mind. "But, you are no Prince, are you, Lord Blue Shaman?"