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

from the 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 in a long time. I felt it thrumming in my chest as I leaned forward

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Hope.

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

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

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 as if they had finally found their way back to

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

to stay there, still gnawed at me,

too low for me to hear, and she smiled resting her head

realized or care that there was anyone or

have their reunion in

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, either to visit Tsuneo or handle court affairs. These past five years,

needed that sanctuary more than

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

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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

he have even gotten this far into the

frantically, so fast I barely had a chance to ready myself. Then, I froze in place, stunned and

I stumbled back as if I had seen a ghost. As much as I

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

I'd had of her

could

raced as 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 to