The night passed quickly, and a message reached the suite as early as Anastasia had promised. Khan and Monica had to leave the bed and prepare for the political breakfast, and their arrival in the open caused some uproar.
Servants were waiting for the couple outside their room, and their eyes inevitably fell on their attire. Khan and Monica had changed into elegant clothes, but their intentions had nothing to do with Anastasia. Monica simply wanted everyone to see the marks of their passion.
Khan wore a white shirt, highlighting the big, dark hickey on the right side of his neck. That mark had threatened to fade due to his incredible healing capabilities, but Monica took care of that.
As for Monica, her neck had a barely visible mark, but her dress' cleavage revealed more compromising details. Khan had planted one hickey right under her collarbone and another lower on her chest. Her clothes partially hid it, but spotting it hinted at where it went.
Of course, the servants didn't dare to stare. Still, they weren't blind, and rumors were bound to spread once they finished escorting the couple to the appointed location, which was exactly what Monica wanted.
The servants led the couple to a relatively small, empty dining hall before departing. Khan and Monica remained alone and seated at one side of the table. There were only four chairs, so they made sure to be close.
The two didn't exchange words and focused on waiting for Monica's parents, but only servants appeared whenever the doors opened. The latter prepared the table for breakfast, filling it with food before departing once again.
Khan didn't care about manners and ate without waiting for Monica's parents. Monica laughed at his never-ending hunger and joined him with alcohol-free drinks. She wasn't big at breakfasts, but fighting back that lateness felt mandatory.
Luckily for the couple, Anastasia and Luther didn't make them wait too long. Monica's parents soon entered the dining room and strode directly for the empty chairs. It seemed they had predicted those arrangements, but the visible hickeys still briefly distracted them.
Monica's smile brightened when she saw her parents inspecting her marks, but her father quickly disregarded them. Instead, Anastasia allowed herself to heave a helpless sigh.
"Why the tasteless act?" Anastasia asked. "The entire Global Army is aware of your private routine."
"I wasn't the one trying to put rules on my womb, Mother," Monica replied, "And you taught me to address insults."
Monica inevitably glared at her father, but Luther merely ignored her. He remained detached even before Khan's pressure. He didn't seem to care whether the young couple agreed or disagreed with his directives.
"I should be glad I approved the birth control," Anastasia sighed again.
"You should," Monica confirmed, "Especially since last night."
Truth be told, Monica was livid about the matter, but the real target of her anger didn't give her any edge. Luther even fueled her fire by filling his plate and ignoring the conversation. His expression remained still, no matter how much his daughter spoke about sex.
"The purpose of this meeting wasn't only to reaffirm our support toward your relationship," Luther finally spoke, ignoring the previous bickering. "I also wanted to confirm that your preparations for the wedding are going well."
Rick's wedding was a high-profile event, one of the highest even. The involvement of a noble family made Luther's concern and interest more than justified. Still, the couple wasn't in the mood to respect him so soon.
"If you need additional support," Luther continued, "Our faction already has experts in place. They can provide assistance immediately."
"You educated me thoroughly for such events," Monica declared, "And I shared my knowledge with Khan. We are fine on our own."
"I'm aware of your training," Luther stated. "However, time will be against you."
The marriage was less than three months away, which was plenty of time if the couple prepared seriously, especially since Monica didn't need actual training. Luther had to know that, so his words gained a different meaning.
"Are there problems in Neuria?" Khan asked.
"Not problems," Anastasia intervened. "Still, reminding the aliens and our workers of our involvement is standard practice. Besides, my dear Monica shouldn't waste this opportunity."
Both Khan and Monica knew Anastasia was right. By spending more time on Neuria, Monica would have a higher chance of obtaining opportunities with the Thilku. Those might not arrive immediately, but the Empire would be bound to update its records about her.
Needless to say, the news saddened Monica. She knew she couldn't always be with Khan while both worked to improve their political positions. Still, she wished for that break to be longer.
Khan shared that mindset, but the statement sent his thoughts into a specific direction. His relationship with the Thilku was currently odd due to the intentional leak of his achievements. He half-expected Lord Exr to contact him soon, and Monica's departure would create that chance.
Monica knew she had no choice on the matter, so she held back a sigh, steeled her resolve, and asked the only relevant question. "When?"
"By the end of the week," Anastasia revealed. "Preparations are currently ongoing."
Monica didn't ask how long her stay would be since no one could answer that. Chances were that she would return only when the marriage became too close to ignore, which prompted her next statement.
"Khan doesn't need additional training," Monica declared. "I vouch for him."
That was the expected reply. Anastasia completely agreed with that stance. Monica had to protect her relationship and keep adding value to it. Yet, the marriage was too important, and Anastasia had hoped her daughter would be more flexible because of it.
"Monica," Anastasia called.
"Very well," Luther interrupted. "We'll save money on the experts. However, there is another matter at hand."
Luther slipped a hand into his suit to retrieve a small container. He placed it on the table before sliding it forward, making it stop right before Khan.
Khan's eyes darted between Luther and the container, and the lack of additional explanations made him drop his food. He opened the rectangular item, and a disk unfolded in his view.
"The Lightning-demon style only scored seventy-eight points," Luther announced. "It's time you upgraded it."
Khan couldn't hide his curiosity, and his hand instinctively reached for the disk. However, his fingers stopped right before the item. That was different from Monica's present. Her parents didn't have his best interests in mind.
"Why are you giving me this?" Khan asked, his cold gaze rising toward Luther.
"A member of the Solodrey family shouldn't have anything less than high-level martial arts," Luther explained, "Especially one in a relationship with my daughter."
Monica couldn't help but be happy about the matter. She knew the political implications of the gift, but her mind only cared about Khan's safety. As long as he got stronger, he would always return to her.
However, Khan could read between the lines and spot a different layer. Getting stronger was his top priority, and Luther was handing him that chance for free, but the deal had drawbacks.
"You don't want to increase my status," Khan stated, closing the container. "You want to tie my future achievements to your generosity."
"Don't be difficult, Khan," Anastasia responded, surprising Monica with her lack of honorifics. "It's a win-win situation, and this isn't the time to be petty."
"I see plenty of losses," Khan pointed out. "If implications of grooming appear, I wouldn't be any different from the other descendants."
"Think about my daughter," Anastasia snorted. "I told you already. You can't afford to face dangers unprepared."
"You think of me as unprepared," Khan commented. "I thought I showed you the extent of my power."
Khan pointed a finger to the ceiling before adding something. "Do you think buying this energy makes it yours?"
The symphony shook, and currents of synthetic mana gathered to condense into bright, purple-red masses. Soon, ten needles materialized above Khan, which began to spin according to the movement of his finger.
"The mana is mine," Khan declared. "It belongs to me in ways you'll never understand."
Luther retained his detached expression, but Anastasia's eyes briefly betrayed her. Multiple relevant forces in the Global Army had studied Khan's ability closely, keeping track of all his improvements. Yet, even when standing before them, Anastasia had no idea what was happening.
The mana was a magical energy on its own, but Khan's performance went beyond that. The world bent under his will, accomplishing mystical feats humankind couldn't explain.
The needles soon dispersed, becoming invisible energy that disappeared into the air. Khan even lowered his hand, and a question escaped his mouth. "Do you call this unprepared?"
Anastasia and Luther didn't reply. Their brains lacked words to address the event, and their mouths remained shut even after Khan pushed the container toward their side of the table. He had won that exchange.
The rest of the breakfast passed silently, and Monica couldn't suppress the proud smile on her face even after the couple returned to the ship. The flight to the nearest teleport inevitably suffered delays due to her mood, but the two eventually returned to their flat in the Harbor.
"Hurry," Monica cried, jumping on Khan as soon as they left the elevator. "Take me to bed."
The entirety of Khan's resolve couldn't make him deny that request, especially when Monica had arms and legs wrapped around his neck and waist. Of course, he didn't even think of trying, but something else ruined that moment.
The walls rang, showing one of the few names Khan couldn't ignore. Mister Cirvags was calling him, and he accepted that request among Monica's loud curses.
"Captain Khan," Mister Cirvags announced, "Lord Exr has requested a meeting. I'll forward the relevant information in the next minutes."
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