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

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

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Hope.

okay. Hope that maybe I could go back to that beautiful place with Haruka and stay there next time without the

Haruka just as fiercely

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 four-day coma, after all. Looking at them now, it felt

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

there, still gnawed at me,

Morgan into his arms, whispering something. His voice too low for me to hear, and she smiled resting her head on his chest. It

there was anyone or anything else in the world. I pushed to my

let them have their reunion in peace

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, they had been a sanctuary for me, and

I needed that

I reached the entrance to the passage, I heard

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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,

gotten this far

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

ghost. As much as I wanted to

not that place. It wasn't possible.

had of

How could she

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