The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 111

Bride

CH111

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

bench as Tsuneo and Morgan embraced. Hearing my son's laughter eased some of the pain in my chest, but not the the guilt. The air was charged with something I hadn't felt

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Hope.

to that beautiful place with Haruka and stay there next

Haruka just as fiercely as I had, and she was really the only

he had Morgan, but I was wasn't convinced. It had started after he'd woken up from the four-day coma, after all. Looking at them now,

well of grief that I had nearly drowned in years ago. Haruka's absence felt as acute and as heart-wrenching-as

stay there, still gnawed

voice too low for me to

or care that there was anyone

let them have their reunion in peace and return to

familiar to me as the back of my hand. I had used them for years to come to this garden or get around unseen in the palace, either to visit Tsuneo or handle court affairs. These past five

that sanctuary more than

the entrance to the passage, I

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CH111

time I carried a sword regularly. No one should have been in these tunnels. Few knew of their

have even gotten this far into the

myself. Then, I froze in place, stunned and haunted by what I was seeing. I

stumbled back as if I had seen a ghost. As

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

I'd had of her was

how... How could she

Her short curly hair was a bit longer than she