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

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

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Hope.

that beautiful place with Haruka and stay there next time without the guilt, knowing that Tsuneo would

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

was something different about him now, something I couldn't exactly put my finger on. It may be that he's just stepping more into his position as the crown prince now that he had Morgan, but I was wasn't convinced. It had started after he'd woken up from the

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

still gnawed

into his arms, whispering something. His voice too low for me to hear, and

that there was anyone

their reunion in peace and return to

as the back of my hand. I had used them

I needed that

to the passage,

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CH111

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, and even fewer had access to them.

have even gotten this far into the

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

ghost. As much

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

had of her was just that-a

How could she

my throat. My heart 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