The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 74

CH74

Tsunto

I kissed this out of her head, walked around the table, and joined them

"You want to learn too?" Kai asked.

Kai, sat across from Morgan, his small hands carefully placing the pieces in a pattern. I recognized the game from my childhood. Playing it against my father and Ke when he could be bothered to play with me.

*I believe I know how to play this game. Though we usually play with an actual board." I picked up a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl. "Though I could certainly get behind this version of it."

I pop the piece into my mouth and licked the juice from it. Morgan's eyes lingered on me. Her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed. It was such a dangerous

look. I smirked at her.

"Careful, wife. You'll get yourself into more trouble. It's not even our honeymoon yet."

She scowled and looked away from me. "Well, Kai, how do I play?"

He started explaining it, but I watched Morgan. There was a darkness in her eyes, a hesitant, a distance. She was there, and she was engaged, but her mind was somewhere else. I took her hand, threading our fingers together. "Are you all right?"

She gave me a thin smile and squeezed my hand back. "Later,"

I lifted her hand to kiss the back of it before settling in to watch the game. Kai seemed very concentrated after explaining the rules. His eyes darted back and forth between the pieces on the board and Morgan, who seemed equally absorbed in the game.

I watched them, a little amused. It felt ironic that Kai had quickly taken a shine to Morgan, his fear and confusion from the previous day melting away in her presence. Though it was clear that she had a knack for connecting with people, I could have never expected that Ari's child would ever truly like Morgan

I was so trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ari had a child. She'd always been more like a little sister to me. It was hard to think of her as having a child, not being wed, and actively pursuing me in a very twisted manner

"Your turn," Kai announced, his voice filled with a childlike excitement.

It looked like he moved a grape forward. Morgan nodded, her eyes scanning the board. She picked up one of her grapes, hesitated for a moment, then placed it on the board

in surprise, then

was a good

give up

orange and captured a hunk of melon, popping

wanted that

beamed. "I guess you have to

to do that in front of a child and just leave it at that. As they continued to play, I couldn't help but be impressed

play it all the time with my father.

mude another move with a bramble berry. From what I could tell, she was testing him. There must

like this in the human

dad and I used to play games like this, too,"

shoulders slumped. "You did that

fair in a game of

He looked down. He

made another move. "Did he? Did you tell

figured out he was cheating, Yeah, but he would always say that it's not cheating if you can get away with it. He wrinkled his nose. "He said it was important to learn how to think strategically, and that it was

I really didn't know of any red dragons that born into the family that wouldn't already be accounted

father," I asked, my

eyes grew distant, a hint of

voice

for the child, his longing for his

don't think he

think he sees Ari more. Sometimes, I think he blames me for a while.

a slice of peach forward." But I guess now I'm here, so I don't have to worry

trying to offer comfort.

smile playing on his lips. It was an

"Maybe."

game progressed, Morgan put up just enough of a fight that Kai didn't notice that she

mine!" He cackled triumphantly. "I have never

berry towards him. "I concede defeat. You are

lit up with pride. "Really?" he asked,