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."

really. It's

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

genuinely confused, or maybe troubled.

"That's terrible."

wanted to try it, so this is a pretty

back against the stone and closing my

and I cracked an eye open. His eyes were

made it hard to reconcile

had a proper honeymoon,"

bulged at the thought.

that, but... I

looked away. "You

settle down," he

a place in mind, 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 have

a magical pool, surrounded by nature, sounded worlds better than bathing with half of

the next time we are in your realm, we will go to these

lips twitched and I sunk down a little more into the bath

a genuine smile playing on my lips. "Thanks,

"You need not thank

me, wife."

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

a 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

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

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

Empress.

His wife!

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

"That little bitch!"

had been as good as Tsuneo's wife. I'd taken 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

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