The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 44

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Morgan

Ari's bravado seemed to falter for a moment, her gaze flickering between me and Tsuneo. Then,

with a defiant toss of her head, she spat, "I will not apologize to a human usurper."

The room erupted in gasps. The concubines, who had been mere observers until now, exchanged. wide-eyed glances, the weight of Ari's words settling heavily in the air. Usurper?

"She's stolen the place of your rightful bride! The rightful queen!"

The nerve of her. Fury surged through me, hot and potent. I didn't care about her thoughts about me being here. She was an idiot and asked to be here. It was the principal of the thing. This woman, this viper, had the audacity to speak of a 'rightful bride" while simultaneously

disrespecting the memory of Tsuneo's mother? I clenched my fists, the urge to slap the smug look off her face threatening to consume me.

But before I could react, Tsuneo did. His voice, when he spoke again, was devoid of any warmth, a chilling echo of the fury simmering beneath the surface.

"Guards!" he boomed, his voice echoing through the room. The doors flew open with a bang, revealing two stoic figures clad in black armor. It was my guard, the Queen's Guard, oddly enough., Their presence alone commanded respect, their silence a stark contrast to the commotion that had just unfolded.

Tsuneo didn't waste any words on explanations. He pointed a rigid finger at Ari. "Escort Lady Ari back to her chambers," he commanded his guards, his voice laced with steel. "And seize any and all items that may have belonged to my mother."

A collective gasp rippled through the room. Ari's face paled, the color draining from her cheeks like blood from a severed vein. "No, Tsuneo! You can't do this!" she shrieked, her voice laced with desperation. "Those are my things! Gifts from your mother!" "You're a liar. As such, I can't believe a word out of your mouth." His gaze held a chilling emptiness, devoid of any sympathy for her plight. We will determine the legitimacy of those claims later," he said, his voice cold.

The guards marched forward, their movements swift and efficient. Ari, realizing the futility of resistance, slumped in defeat. As they shered her out of the room, she cast a final venomous glare in my direction, promising silent threats that hung heavy in the air. The doors slammed shut behind them, leaving a heavy silence in their wake. The tension in the

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weight of

Tsumco

the state of my emotions. The air hung thick with the residue of Ari's defiance, her venomous words echoing in the

in my throat. Disloyalty, I could handle. But disrespect towards my wife, the woman who had not only saved my life but also begun to breach the walls I'd built around my heart - that was something I wouldn't tolerate. Especially now when everything in this situation. was already working against our relationship. Ari was a spoiled brat. She always had been. A lot of that was my father's fault, allowing her to be treated like a princess rather than a ward. But more of

wa

her father was a war hero. A dragon's heart was not swayed by diplomacy or bound

on her lips. The sight of it, a stark contrast to the turmoil within me, sent a calming wave washing over my dragon. Contentment, a feeling I hadn't known I craved, swirled within him, mirroring my own desire for peace and normalcy. She was

my voice rough with the remnants of anger, "I apologize

face me, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Spectacle?" she questioned, a playful lilt in her voice. "It was more of a one-woman

smile tugged at the corner of my lips. Indeed," I conceded. "But a show

in my chest. "Don't worry about it, Tsuneo," she said, her voice gentle. "It seems your... little sister has a rather inflated sense of

a sour taste in my mouth. "Ari is no sister of mine.

a silent understanding

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my voice firm. "I will speak with her... or perhaps my father can have a word. One way or another, she will be brought into line. If she will not see

you have my full support to do as you

a genuine smile, a sight that sent a jolt of pure pleasure through my dragon. Seeing her happy, content... it filled a void I hadn't even realized existed. Perhaps, just perhaps, amidst the chaos and uncertainty, a seed of something real, something hopeful, had begun

you are

not offended at

kiss to her forehead and sighed. "This is not how I wanted your few days after what happened to

life without a

her willingness to move on, soothed the