The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 48

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Morgan

Tsuneo, with surprising grace for such a large man, led me to the edge of the small pond that lay at the heart of the clearing. The surface, usually still, now rippled with a gentle luminescence, reflecting the moonlight and the fireflies' dance in a mesmerizing display.

Hesitantly, I stepped onto the water's surface. To my astonishment, it held me firm, as if a solid. layer lay beneath the shimmering surface. Tsuneo followed suit, his presence a comforting anchor beside me.

With the first notes of the song, he pulled me close. My breath hitched as our bodies touched, a slow burn igniting deep within me. His hand, calloused yet surprisingly gentle, found my waist, guiding me as we moved to the rhythm of the faerie song. ne our skin. The music.

We glided across the surface of the pond, the cool night air

now at cascade of tinkling bells and melodic whispers, seemed to speak directly to our souls. In Tsuneo's eyes, an emotion I couldn't quite name flickered - a mix of newfound hope, lingering grief, and perhaps, a dawning desire that mirrored my own.

As we danced, the world around us faded away. The worries of the court, Ari, Keiji, the uncertainty of my future all of it seemed insignificant in this moment of pure magic. This unexpected date in his mother's garden, the connection forged over stolen moments and shared stories, had blossomed into something more, something beautiful and fragile and utterly captivating.

With the last notes of the song, the faeries dipped and bowed, their tiny faces aglow with delight. As the music faded, replaced by the soft chirping of crickets, we stood suspended on the water's surface, our breaths mingling in the cool night air.

Tsuneo's gaze held mine, his eyes reflecting the moonlight and a depth of emotion that sent a shiver down my spine. In that moment, under the watchful eyes of the fairies and the shimmering cloak of the night sky, the unspoken words hung heavy in the air - a promise whispered on the wind, a dawning realization that this connection, forged in the heart of a secret garden, might just blossom into something extraordinary. He barely grazed his lips against mine.

We should head back..." He whispered. "So you'll have time to go before dinner/"

and we

the moment lingered around us, a subtle shimmer in the air, a secret shared only between us. He lifted me into the air and flew

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settled between

came upon the shimmering portal, the gateway back to my world. A pang of sadness lanced through me. I wasn't ready to go back yet, but

him. Tsuneo, his expression unreadable, stopped a few paces from the portal. He turned to face me, his eyes

began, his voice rough with an emotion I couldn't

blurted out, "I want to

yet a thrill shot through me at the very notion. But logic quickly intruded. "Tsuneo," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "I don't know

testing the barrier, he pushed forward, but his hand met only resistance. He winced, pulling back with a look of surprise. "See?" I said gently,

a moment, but then, a spark of determination ignited in his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Then promise to come back to me soon? Before

push the carts through myself. Maybe, it would work with a person too. Taking a chance, I stepped forward and reached out, taking Tsuneo's hand in mine. His eyes widened in surprise, but

stepped forward, pulling Tsuneo

swirling vortex of colors and sensations. Then, just

room. We were in the

stood there for a moment, his eyes wide with shock. He looked down at his hand, still clasped tightly in mine, then back up at me. His expression was a mix of awe, disbelief, and... something else entirely. Then, without a word, he pulled me into his arms.

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raw emotion

voice thick with a

a frantic rhythm against my ribs. "I... I wasn't sure if it would work," I