The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 103

CH103

Tsunea

He flinched, clearly surprised that I knew his name

Eventually, he shuffled forward, nodding and bowing his head. "Yes, Your Highness."

"Do you know why her lunch is late? He hesitated, glancing between me and the woman. 'Do not fear telling the truth."

"Lady Maro has requested that she have lunch alone, earlier than the others, on the opposite side of the palace in a private parlor and has required a special menu. I cocked an eyebrow. "We have had problems procuring the ingredients for it. I scoffed. "And the rest of you?"

"Our meals are late as well!" They said.

1 scoffed. Let me guess. They have much of the same requests?"

Gen ducked his head. "Yes, Your Highness."

"And what is this request?"

"Star Fruit Pastries."

I shook my head. Star Fruit has been out of season for months.

Tarofu laughed from the back of their minds. It seems they are trying to gain your father's favor.

What does that mean?

more alluring

and I rubbed my head. He showed me an image of it and it took

with the fruit in hand, snacking on it randomly, and my father had always looked at her with a knowing smile. I suppose I am grateful that I didn't know exactly what they were doing when I was younger. How often did my mother flirt with my father in plain sight aside

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CH103

to somehow procure Star Fruit for Morgan though I didn't need to make her smell

chuckled. I have

I could only hope

staff with your ridiculous requests. don't care if none of you like each other. I don't care if you don't want to share a meal together. I don't care

the

the staff with her

I turned to Gen. "You can have them all served in the common

meals in the dining hall. I will allow

these separate parlors or randomly across the palace arrangements any longer. Whatever modifications you have done to the parlors they have been using as their own personal dining rooms, I need a

health need, there is no reason that any of them should need any special accommodations." I glanced over them. "If you have personal servants or a relationship with staff member who can and is willing to make you whatever specialty thing from your home region, that is something different, but you will not make yourselves, your whims, nuisances. And it

Their jaws dropped.

I said.

until His Majesty

will like the

turned to the servants, who

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palace as well. Bring your concerns and outrageous requests to my attention and do not fear retaliation, I said, my voice filled with a sense of reassurance. They will suffer much more for the attempt than you

get to

taken all of their burdens away with such a simple decree. I could only imagine how stressful dealing with the concubines was without my mother's presence and with Morgan still just

my siblings, who generally avoided me, looked stiff in their seats as if they were afraid of offending me and ending up like Keiji and his sister. It was a good fear to have, considering their ambitions. As I walked to my seat, I felt their eyes on me-the unease, the quiet fear-and yet it didn't stir a

me.

a deep, dark part of me said.