The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

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.

as if he already knew I was lying and it pained him. I-bit-my lip and dropped 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

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

"That's terrible."

it, so this is a pretty good

head back against the stone and closing my

me and I cracked an eye open. His eyes were bright with excitement. He grinned

hard to reconcile the fact

a proper honeymoon," he began,

at the thought.

like that, but...

looked away. "You were

settle

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 have

pool, surrounded by

time we are in your realm, we will go to these Jaki Baths

I sunk down a little

whispered, a genuine

"You need not thank

me, wife."

the evening had melted away, replaced by a sense of intimacy and relaxation we both needed. The world outside seemed to fade

maddening drumbeat that drowned out everything else as

CH51

82

the hall away from the dining hall toward my room. Servants jumped out of my way, but I could 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

my chambers, slamming

my vision. How could 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 were

Empress.

His wife!

process. The 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 on the floor. Sheets ripped and shredded, yet it did nothing for the tempest raging within me. This wasn't fair! It

"That little bitch!"

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 and