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.

trailed off, meeting his gaze. He looked at me 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

He looked genuinely confused, or maybe troubled.

"That's terrible."

wanted to try it, so this is a pretty good

back against the stone and closing

I cracked an eye open. His eyes were bright with

that made it hard to reconcile the fact that

a proper honeymoon," he began, then

at the

that, but... I wouldn't

away. "You

things settle down,"

deal. There are these... fairy springs, hidden. deep within the mountains to

of bathing in a magical pool, surrounded by nature, sounded

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

twitched and I sunk down a little more into the bath

incredible," I whispered, a genuine smile playing on my lips.

"You need not thank

me, wife."

while, we sat in comfortable silence, the only sound the gentle lapping of the water. The tension of the evening had melted away,

ears, a maddening drumbeat that drowned

CH51

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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

veins, threatening to boil over. I stormed into my chambers, slamming

my vision. How could it be? How could everything have gone so wrong? Tsuneo... my Tsuneo... he was supposed

Empress.

His wife!

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

"That little bitch!"

care of him while he was in his coma. I was at his side. 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

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