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

eyes widened in surprise,

was a

me. Don't give up

captured a hunk of melon, popping it into his mouth. Morgan frowned, studying the

really wanted

"I guess you have to take

was strong, but 1 held it back. I could not trust myself 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 by Kal's playing.

nodded. "I used to play it all the time with my father. The

with a bramble berry. From

like this in the human

to play games like this, too," Morgan said,

slumped. "You did that

fair in a

all's fair in war." He looked down. He used to cheat

"Did he? Did you tell him

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

sounded like a quintessential red dragon. Knowing Ari, that seemed to be the most likely, but I really didn't know of any

about your father," I asked, my voice soft.

eyes grew distant, a hint of sadness clouding

replied, his voice barely a whisper. "And

longing for his father evident in

don't think he wants

me to scold me...I think he sees Ari more. Sometimes, I think he blames me for a while. We don't live in

pushed a slice of peach forward." But I guess now

offer comfort. "And he's

nodded, a small smile playing on

"Maybe."

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

juniper barely is mine!" He cackled triumphantly. "I have never won

berry towards him.

up with pride. "Really?" he asked,