The Dragon King's Substitute Bride

Chapter 130

CH130 Morgan

There couldn't be enough staff around her for it to take long to figure out.

She shook her head. "I only know when he has something to say that someone overheard something, but there are so many different staff members around me all the time. It's hard to know."

I nodded. "Here's an idea: have at least three different stories. Make sure you remember how

you've tweaked the story for different subgroups of attendance. You'll know then at least what subgroup of attendance are reporting to your brother based on what he says to you or what he criticizes you about." I smiled. From there, you can narrow it down by person by basically doing

the same thing until you figure out who the person is."

Lady Jun nodded. 'T'll give it a shot... Something simple should be easier to remember."

Just be sure to make it a significant detail... like a gift I gave you, a secret I told you, or something of that nature."

She nodded again. We spent the rest of lunch discussing our plan to gather information and suss out the people who were on his side.

Tsuneo

After lunch with Kai, I made my way to the western wing, where the renovations to the palace had already begun. The workers were sparse, their faces tired but determined, hammering away at broken beams, clearing debris, and reinforcing walls that had suffered years of neglect. I oversaw their work, ensuring that everything was progressing according to plan. Despite the steady progress, the palace still showed scars from the coup five years ago.

A wave of frustration hit me. The harem's selfishness had drained the resources, delaying the repairs, and now I would have to rush it. If they hadn't wasted so much, we wouldn't be scrambling to fix everything before the Convening. But there was no use dwelling on the past. I was here now, and we would make this place stronger than before.

As I moved through the corridor, inspecting the work being done on the tapestries and the flooring, a familiar presence stirred within me.

Tsuneo.

Tarofu. I could feel his energy, pulsing beneath my

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direction.

something you

main path, following the pull of Tarofu's presence deeper into the palace. His guidance was direct and strong, leading me through a series of narrow, hidden

the palace, far from the renovations and the noise of the workers. Before me stood an ancient door, its wood darkened by age, covered in intricate carvings I'd never seen before. "What is this place?"

room belonged to me when we first established the dragon kingdom. Few know of its existence, but its power runs deep. You need to see what lies beyond. It's a place that needs protecting and will help you in your efforts. I reached for the handle, feeling a subtle tremor in the wood as if the door had been waiting for me. With a creak, it

like the place in my dreams, but instead of the large pool was a small pool of liquid as black as midnight. It looked harmless enough-no larger than a puddle. But the moment I laid eyes on it, I knew something was different. The darkness swirled

gasped. It was cold-far colder than anything I'd ever felt-and yet it felt like I'd touched the very depths of the ocean. My fingers sank in deeper, and

of the black dragon's power. It is a gateway, one that stretches far beyond this realm and into the unknown depths. It may

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withdrew my hand, shaking off the chill that clung to my skin. "What is it doing here? Why

immense, but it's dangerous. If left unguarded, others

glanced at the pool again, a knot forming in my stomach. "You're saying this chamber needs to

existence, and if they can gain access to this power, they will use it.

that what started

... That and Pyra.

pool had been left untouched for years, perhaps even centuries. The protections had weakened, leaving the

I restore the protections?"

will need to commune with it. I will guide you... and no, you will not lose yourself

nodded. "Do we

be

that meant but I nodded, my gaze lingering on the pool. It was deceptively calm, hiding the power that lay