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 aroundall the time. It's hard to know."

| 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." | smiled.

From there, you can narrow it down by person by basically doing

the sthing 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 | gave you, a secret | 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, | 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. | 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 |

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. | was here now, and we would make this place stronger

than before.

As | moved through the corridor, inspecting the work being done on the tapestries and the flooring, a familiar

presence stirred within me.

Tsuneo.

It was Tarofu. | could feel his energy, pulsing beneath my skin, beckoningin a different.

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direction.

Come. There's something you must see.

| paused, glancing around to make sure no one noticed my moment of hesitation. Then, without a word, | veered

off the main path, following the pull of Tarofu's presence deeper into the palace. His guidance was direct and

strong, leadingthrough a series of narrow, hidden corridors. The scent of dust and stale air reached my nose,

along with the faint scent of something else that | couldn't name.

We arrived at a secluded part of 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?" | asked, feeling a strange weight in the air.

The original king's chamber, Tarofu responded. This room belonged towhen 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. | reached for the handle, feeling a subtle tremor in the wood

as if the door had been waiting for me. With a creak, it opened, revealing a room bathed in shadow. The air

inside was cool, almost unnaturally so, and a low hum seemed to vibrate from the walls themselves.

It was much 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, | knew something

was different. The darkness swirled within it, shifting as if alive, beckoningcloser. | knelt beside it, curiosity

overtaking me. Slowly, | extended my hand toward the surface, the tips. of my fingers Brushing against the

liquid.

The moment | made contact, a shock ran through me, and | 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 deeper still,

though the surface remained the size of a puddle. "How... how can it be this deep?" | murmured, unable to

comprehend the vastness | felt beneath my fingertips.

This pool, Tarofu's voice echoed within me, is the source of the black dragon's power. It is a gateway, one that

stretches far beyond this realm and into the unknown depths. It may look small, but it contains the weight of

eternity.

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

1 kept it locked away to protect the kingdom. Its power is immense, but it's dangerous. If left unguarded, others

may seek to harness it for their own sain

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

before the Convening.

Yes. The other rulers of the Celestial Compass are no fools. They will know of its existence, and if they can gain

access to this power, they will use it. And they cannot.

Is that what started the last war?

... That and Pyra.

| frowned at that. What did he mean? | looked around and stood. The pool had been left untouched for years,

perhaps even centuries. The protections had weakened, leaving the kingdom vulnerable.

"How do | restore the protections?" | asked.

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

I nodded. "Do we start now?"

No. Later. At night when it will be easier and the palace will be at rest.

I had no idea what that meant but | nodded, my gaze lingering on the pool. It was deceptively calm, hiding the

power that lay beneath its surface

With one last look around the room, | closed the door and locked it behind me. As | walked back toward the main

part of the palace, | wondered what Tarofu would havedo. | was at once nervous and kind of excited. It felt

like | was waiting to learn something else about myself.

Will you tellwhat happened at the last Convening?

| had to protect my Pyra at all costs. Those fools didn't understand that she is mine, and we fault.

| frowned. You mean that they want her?

The tiger did... He felt that he was better suited to stand at her side, but he is a fool who knows nothing but his

own interests. The turtle simply did not way us together. Jealousy... Perhaps she coveted my Pyra's place in my

life, but how can there be light and warmth without my darkness

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and coldness and the reverse?

He sighed. Hey are all stupid.

| chuckled at that. | thought you cfirst.

| did... And | would rather cease to exist than to be without her again.

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