The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

CH29 Tsuneo

A beat of silence passed. Then, she began. Her hands were gentle as she began cleaning the wound on my shoulder. It stung, but I barely noticed it around the throbbing pain of my claws. gouging into my flash. "Nothing?"

I said nothing.

"Fine. Poison's making you crazy?" I scoffed. "Not that then. Is it making you dragon hyper-aggressive for some reason?... Or is this like a beast gnawing its own leg off to get out of a trap?"

I set my jaw, and her hands went still.

""Tsuneo? Am I right?"

I hesitated. The memory of the hallucination and the searing pain was still fresh in my mind. Part of me wanted to confide in her, to tell her everything. But a deep-seated shame, honed by the sheer amount of damage this whole incident has caused, held me back. "It's complicated," I mumbled, my gaze flickering away from her.

"Uncomplicate it."

I scoffed. "It hurts."

"Too simple, try again."

"I didn't watch my food and drink, and now everyone is paying the price."

She went still. "You only eat off jade plates. Try again."

I blinked and looked at her. She frowned. "I know poison probably messes with your head, but it

had to be something else."

I blinked and nodded. All this time, we'd been working on the assumption that it was something I ate or drank because there were so few people who had access to my clothes, but I nodded. I didn't remember much about the day I passed out or the days leading up to it. Maybe."

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she said. "You've got to get in close. Your clothes

sound like I should bathe in a

you should." I scoffed. "And this poison... are you sure

something more?"

throat once more. Was it so obvious, the way I was holding back? Taking a deep breath, I met

"There are things

"Uncomplicate it, husband."

smiled, hearing the words coming from her

"You're manipulating me."

the job of every wife, especially if it's out of your own

I laughed.

www

words heavier than I intended. "But trust is a two-way street. And right now, there are

flicker of disappointment crossed her features, but she nodded

now.

she said, her voice resigned. "So I'll keep guessing and

cleaned the wound, applying a cooling salve that soothed the burning ache. Her touch, though firm, was gentle, sending a wave of unexpected

thought flickered to life - perhaps trust, like any bond, was built not on a foundation of complete openness but on a shared journey, one careful step at a time. The thought gave me a sliver of hope. Maybe, just maybe, with time, I could tell her. For now, however, all I could do was focus on the gentle pressure of her touch and the quiet

"A neurotoxin like a snake or a spider bite, maybe

K 88%

10:03 Wed, Oct 16

CH29

paralytic."

thought

mother was a tailor,

sighed. "He

"Doctor Shang?"

one filled with the quiet thrum of our heartbeats running

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