The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 109

CH109 Tsunco

I clenched my fists, the realization sending a fresh wave of anger through me.

Had he been behind that idiot's access to poison?

What other strings had he been pulling in the palace all this time?

I turned sharply, heading back toward my office, my mind racing ahead. If the funds were being funneled to Elia, that meant there was a trail. He would have left traces, contacts, payments, something that could lead me directly to where he was staying. I didn't want to have to wait for news about Ari to reach him, assuming that he cared about her at all.

This time, he wouldn't be so lucky as to just vanish into wilderness of the celestial realm.

I was going to exile him in the most painful way possible so he could live the rest of his life with his phoenix.

When I reached my office, I closed the door behind me. I opened the door between my and my father's office. Sota hadn't moved from his spot, but he was still working. Good.

He was probably working toward some sort of leniency.

Hours passed, and the tension between my eyebrows was building at a steady pace. A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. Sota was still working quietly and Renji hadn't come to see me. "Enter," I said, my voice cold and steady.

The whole of my father's harem harem members entered my office. I wasn't surprised. They were

most likely here to co

about the seizure of their treasury keys.

Lady Maro glared at me. "You overstep your place."

"And yet you have come to speak to me," I said. "I assume my father told you that you are to deal

with me and not him."

She flushed.

"The King refuses to see us," one of them whined, her voice filled with a mixture of entitlement and petulance. "It is our right."

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CH109

you an audience," I

about what a Husband and

plenty. You

snarled. "You think you have

than to entertain you. He is exhausted,"

his wives, one of them protested, her voice rising. "He

a mixture of frustration and determination.

a whisper. "He has a duty to the kingdom. There is no

his health. He will see you

to us. We have things to purchase for our

on the ledgers, you all are more than comfortable,"

until the king hears

since you

rounded the table. "I would rather be done with

and led them all to my father's chambers. As I grew nearer, I started to slow. There was something telling

seemed unusually quiet, their eyes filled

"Is everything alright?"

side to side. "We haven't seen the King in days," he replied. "It is... unlike him to at

night."

started to race.

hasn't... come out in all this

They shook their head.

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CH109

"Food?"

"The servants bring food bit by the time of the next

past them into my father's chambers, opening the doors

here,

Where is he?

lost in the panic. I turned back to the

voice barely a whisper. "Find him now, and

nodded and one of them left. The other remained. I looked at

back to

"But-

or you will be

they turned and followed

he was safe. I couldn't even hear Tarofu's voice at the back of my head. I joined the search, but with each passing moment, dread settled heavy in my gut. Where could my father be? Had

he might be in the chamber where my mother was. I willed myself to go there, but I couldn't. I checked the gardens he usually went