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

guilt. The air was charged with something I hadn't felt in a long time. I

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Hope.

would be okay. Hope that maybe I could go back to that beautiful place with Haruka and stay there next time

outward displays of emotion unless in private. He'd loved Haruka just as fiercely

started after he'd woken up from the four-day coma, after all. Looking at them now, it felt even more obvious. The way he looked at her, the way Morgan's hand rested gently on his chest, it was

the privacy of my chambers, but that dream, that place, had ripped me open, unleashing the 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 couldn't. I thought of the dream again. I could almost feel her warmth in my arms. The guilt of wanting

still gnawed at

low for me to hear, and she smiled

that there was anyone or anything else in the world. I pushed to my felt, feeling like an

have their reunion in peace and return

I slipped 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 or get around unseen in the palace,

I needed that

the passage, I heard something-a sound that didn't

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the last time I carried a sword regularly. No one should have been in these tunnels. Few knew of their existence, and even fewer had access to them. My mind raced, wondering who

have even gotten this

ming quickly, almost frantically, so fast I barely had a chance to ready myself. Then, I froze in place, stunned and haunted by

seen a ghost. As much

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

I'd had of her was just

how... How could she

I took in 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