The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 111

Bride

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Tsuneo

Beautiful.

Breathtaking.

My Pyra....

Pyra... I blinked as the name, the word, rang through my mind. I had never thought about it. before, but it was an old word for light and fire, generally meaning life-giving fire. It was generally our word for true, healing fire? ad it become our word for healing because of what Tarofu called his wife? The stories said that when the phoenix died so long ago, all life went cold and nearly vanished.

Slowly, her body floated and landed on the banks. The glow began to fade. Her face was serene and peaceful. I reached out, my hand hovering between us. A wave of warmth washed over me, a comforting energy that seemed to radiate from her. My feet dragged me forward, drifting like a moth to a flame. Then, I reached her, my fingers brushing against her cheek.

I felt a jolt of energy, a connection forming between us. Morgan's eyes fluttered open, her gaze meeting mine, no longer that rich brown, but glowing golden and red, like red-gold and molten

gold.

*Morgan?"

"Tsuneo," she whispered. 'I hope... you've been behaving with that troublemaker in your head."

I laughed, sweeping her into my arms.

"Don't ever do that again."

"I don't plan on it... I'm sorry. Are you okay?"

"Much better now."

Hayato

eased some of the pain in my chest, but not the the guilt. The air was charged with something I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt

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Hope.

that things would be okay. Hope that maybe I could go back to that beautiful

in private. He'd loved Haruka just as fiercely as I had, and she was

convinced. It had started after he'd woken up from the four-day coma, after all. Looking at them now, it felt even more obvious.

deep well of grief that I had nearly drowned in years ago. Haruka's absence felt as acute and as heart-wrenching-as painful-as the moment I'd found her body. I thought of Tsuneo's words, the confession, and tried push it down, but I

stay there, still gnawed at me, even

for me to hear, and she smiled resting her head on his

made me wonder if they even realized or care that there was anyone or anything else in the world. I pushed to

them have their reunion in peace and

away, heading toward the hidden passageway that would take me back to my chambers. The secret tunnels beneath the palace were as familiar to me as the back of my hand. I had used them for years to come to this garden

needed that sanctuary more

passage, I heard something-a sound that

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instinctively going to my waist, but I was not armed. I couldn't even remember the last time I carried a sword regularly. No one should have been in these tunnels. Few knew of their existence,

he have even gotten this

almost frantically, so fast I barely had a chance to ready myself. Then, I froze in place, stunned and haunted by what I was seeing. I recognized every detail on the robe, every piece of jewelry she

if I had seen a ghost. As much as

in the garden, not that place. It wasn't possible.

dream I'd had of her

How could

every detail of her running toward me. Her short curly hair was a bit longer than she usually had it. It bounced with every step. The crown bounced off her head, clattering to