The Dragon King's Substitute Bride (Morgan and Tsuneo)
Chapter 74

CH74

Tsunto

I kissed this out of her head, walked around the table, and joined them

"You want to learn too?" Kai asked.

Kai, sat across from Morgan, his small hands carefully placing the pieces in a pattern. I recognized the game from my childhood. Playing it against my father and Ke when he could be bothered to play with me.

*I believe I know how to play this game. Though we usually play with an actual board." I picked up a piece of fruit from the fruit bowl. "Though I could certainly get behind this version of it."

I pop the piece into my mouth and licked the juice from it. Morgan's eyes lingered on me. Her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed. It was such a dangerous

look. I smirked at her.

"Careful, wife. You'll get yourself into more trouble. It's not even our honeymoon yet."

She scowled and looked away from me. "Well, Kai, how do I play?"

He started explaining it, but I watched Morgan. There was a darkness in her eyes, a hesitant, a distance. She was there, and she was engaged, but her mind was somewhere else. I took her hand, threading our fingers together. "Are you all right?"

She gave me a thin smile and squeezed my hand back. "Later,"

I lifted her hand to kiss the back of it before settling in to watch the game. Kai seemed very concentrated after explaining the rules. His eyes darted back and forth between the pieces on the board and Morgan, who seemed equally absorbed in the game.

I watched them, a little amused. It felt ironic that Kai had quickly taken a shine to Morgan, his fear and confusion from the previous day melting away in her presence. Though it was clear that she had a knack for connecting with people, I could have never expected that Ari's child would ever truly like Morgan

I was so trying to wrap my head around the fact that Ari had a child. She'd always been more like a little sister to me. It was hard to think of her as having a child, not being wed, and actively pursuing me in a very twisted manner

"Your turn," Kai announced, his voice filled with a childlike excitement.

It looked like he moved a grape forward. Morgan nodded, her eyes scanning the board. She picked up one of her grapes, hesitated for a moment, then placed it on the board

Kal's eyes widened in surprise, then he pouted.

That was a good move...

I think you can still beat me. Don't give up yet. It's too early in the game for that."

He moved an orange and captured a hunk of melon, popping it into his mouth. Morgan frowned, studying the board.

"I really wanted that melon."

Kai beamed. "I guess you have to take mine then."

The urge to fish out a piece of melon to feed her was strong, but 1 held it back. I could not trust myself to do that in front of a child and just leave it at that. As they continued to play, I couldn't help but be impressed by Kal's playing. His strategies were well thought out strategic... Have you played this game often before?

He nodded. "I used to play it all the time with my father. The only time he'd spend time with me."

I clenched my Est against the armrest, Morgan mude another move with a bramble berry. From what I could tell, she was testing him. There must be a

game like this in the human realm.

*My dad and I used to play games like this, too," Morgan said, eating one of Kai's cloudberries.

He pouted, and his shoulders slumped. "You did that on purpose."

"All's fair in a game of strategy."

"Father would say all's fair in war." He looked down. He used to cheat a lot."

Morgan laughed and made another move. "Did he? Did you tell him that he would cheat?"

Well, when I figured out he was cheating, Yeah, but he would always say that it's not cheating if you can get away with it. He wrinkled his nose. "He said it was important to learn how to think strategically, and that it was important not to get caught." at had bee

He sounded like a quintessential red dragon. Knowing Ari, that seemed to be the most likely, but I really didn't know of any red dragons that born into the family that wouldn't already be accounted for.

"Tell me about your father," I asked, my voice soft. "What is beke?"

Kai's eyes grew distant, a hint of sadness clouding his expression

"He's very strong," he replied, his voice barely a whisper. "And he...wants Ari."

My heart ached for the child, his longing for his father evident in his voice. Morgan's eyes hardened.

You don't think he wants you?"

He shrugged. "He only ever wants to see me to scold me...I think he sees Ari more. Sometimes, I think he blames me for a while. We don't live in the palace.

He pushed a slice of peach forward." But I guess now I'm here, so I don't have to worry about it."

"I'm sure he doesn't," I said, trying to offer comfort. "And he's probably very proud of how smart you are."

Kai nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. It was an empty smile.

"Maybe."

As the game progressed, Morgan put up just enough of a fight that Kai didn't notice that she was letting him win.

Your juniper barely is mine!" He cackled triumphantly. "I have never won before."

Morgan smiled at him, pushing the berry towards him. "I concede defeat. You are quite the formidable foe,"

Kai's eyes lit up with pride. "Really?" he asked, his voice filled with excitement.

Morgan nodded, her smile warm and genuine. "You have a natural talent for this game," she said. "You've learned well. Next time, I think you'll have no problem beating your father" Kal grinned. Without cheating?"

""Without cheating

"Can we play again?"

Murgan smiled, Id k

Id love to

A little while later, Kais headed to drift off to sleep. Morgan scooped him up in her arms, and I walked them to Kai's room. Morgan put him down, and Then we were alone. Tuning to lie, I sine

the haunted look in her eyes

CH74

"Are you alright?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

She nodded, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Just worried, I guess... about him."

"Walk with me," I said, taking her hand. "What's on your mind?"

the garden, the cool midday air was nice. It was much warmer than usual this time of year. For a

We headed towards the garden. As we stepped out into the ga while, we wandered without saying anything.

We were walking alongside a stream when Morgan finally started to speak.

Her name's Adele. And when I was younger, I didn't quite understand. I didn't really need to understand because I was my father's eldest, and I was expected to be the heir. But soon enough, I figured out that no matter what I did or how good I was at something, Adele wouldn't notice, and she didn't

My gut clenched. Morgan sighed. She helped murder my father because she was in love with his brother. My younger brother is only my half-brother, and he's in a coma right now. He's my uncle's child. But I know that she doesn't really care about him either." "How can you say that?