Chapter 51

CH51

Morgan

Tsuneo looked surprised.

"What is it?"

"I was under the impression that your family of humans-"

I snickered. He wrinkled his nose.

"Is that odd phrasing?"

"A little," I smiled at him. "But a little endearing..."

His smile turned warm, and his eyes brightened. I looked away.

"You were saying?"

"Your family... is from an area that bathes communally, isn't it?"

"My father's family, yes." I nodded. "But I never got the to never had the time, and I was always excluded from going."

go to the communal baths. I

My lips twitched at the thought.

"The Jaki Baths in my hometown are the best on this side of the continent, but I never went."

"Why?"

"Well..." I shrugged. "It was a luxury, for one."

"Your family didn't seem to be poor."

aren't really. It's

my gaze to my knees. After everything, should I really be cagey about this? It wasn't like it was my fault that my family were jerk No one ever want to go with me when I had time, I said. "Then... I was too busy to go. Even though the estate has

frowned at that. He looked genuinely confused, or maybe troubled. Then he

"That's terrible."

to try it, so this is

my head back against the stone and closing

eye open. His eyes were bright

a way that made it hard to reconcile

a proper honeymoon," he

eyes bulged at the

like that, but... I wouldn't be

away. "You

things settle

I think you will like a great deal. There are these... fairy springs, hidden. deep within the mountains to the south. The water is said to

a magical pool, surrounded by nature, sounded

time we are in your realm, we will go to these Jaki Baths so you have something to compare

sunk down a little more into the bath with

genuine smile playing on

"You need not thank

me, wife."

silence, the only sound the gentle lapping of the water. The tension of the evening had melted away, replaced by a sense

blood roared in my ears, a maddening drumbeat

CH51

82

hear them snickering, laughing, gossiping about me. About what that human woman had said. How the king was treating me now. How everything between me and

threatening to boil over. I stormed into my chambers, slamming the heavy oak door with a resounding

it be? How could everything have gone so wrong? Tsuneo... my Tsuneo... he was supposed to be mine. I knew since we were children that we

Empress.

His wife!

sound of shattering echoed through the room was almost cathartic. I screamed and threw chairs. I clawed through a tapestry I'd had since I was child. I couldn't stop until every surface was bare and overturned. My pillows

"That little bitch!"

I spoke with the concubines and managed them and their petty gossip. I made the lazy servants do exactly what they should be doing. The king loved me. The entire palace bent to my will. I was crown princess

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