The Dragon King's Substitute Bride (Morgan and Tsuneo) novel Chapter 29

CH29 

Tsuneo 

A beat of silence passed. Then, she began. Her hands were gentle as she began cleaning the wound on my shoulder. It stung, but I barely noticed it around the throbbing pain of my claws. gouging into my flash. 

“Nothing?” 

I said nothing. 

“Fine. Poison’s making you crazy?” I scoffed. “Not that then. Is it making you dragon hyper- aggressive for some reason?… Or is this like a beast gnawing its own leg off to get out of a trap?” 

I set my jaw, and her hands went still. 

“Tsuneo? Am I right?” 

I hesitated. The memory of the hallucination and the searing pain was still fresh in my mind. Part of me wanted to confide in her, to tell her everything. But a deep–seated shame, honed by the sheer amount of damage this whole incident has caused, held me back. 

“It’s complicated,” I mumbled, my gaze flickering away from her. 

“Uncomplicate it.” 

I scoffed. “It hurts.” 

“Too simple, try again.” 

“I didn’t watch my food and drink, and now everyone is paying the price.” 

She went still. “You only eat off jade plates. Try again.” 

I blinked and looked at her. She frowned. “I know poison probably messes with your head, but it 

had to be something else.” 

I blinked and nodded. All this time, we’d been working on the assumption that it was something I ate or drank because there were so few people who had access to my clothes, but I nodded. I didn’t remember much about the day I passed out or the days leading up to it. 

Maybe.” 

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“Poison is pretty personal,” she said. “You’ve got to get in close. Your clothes or bath?” 

“You make it sound like I should bathe in a jade bathtub.” 

“Maybe you should.” I scoffed. “And this poison… are you sure it’s not e 

something more?” 

Shame burned in my throat once more. Was it so obvious, the way I was holding back? Taking a deep breath, I met her gaze head–on. 

“Morgan,” I began, my voice low and measured. “There are things I can’t tell you yet. Things that are… complicated.” 

“Uncomplicate it, husband.” 

I smiled, hearing the words coming from her lips. Then, I eyed her. 

“You’re manipulating me.” 

“I hear that it’s the job of every wife, especially if it’s out of your own way.” 

I laughed. 

www 

“I trust you, Morgan,” I said finally, the words heavier than I intended. “But trust is a two–way street. And right now, there are things I simply can’t share.” 

A flicker of disappointment crossed her features, but she nodded slowly, accepting my answer for 

now. 

“Alright,” she said, her voice resigned. “So I’ll keep guessing and patch you up.” 

With a practiced ease, she cleaned the wound, applying a cooling salve that soothed the burning ache. Her touch, though firm, was gentle, sending a wave of unexpected comfort through me. 

As she worked, the silence stretched between us, no longer suffocating but strangely comfortable. In the quiet intimacy of the moment, a strange thought flickered to life – perhaps trust, like any bond, was built not on a foundation of complete openness but on a shared journey, one careful step at a time. 

The thought gave me a sliver of hope. Maybe, just maybe, with time, I could tell her. For now, however, all I could do was focus on the gentle pressure of her touch and the quiet rhythm of her breathing, a soothing melody in the face of the storm that raged beyond the walls of my chambers. 

“I’m guessing nerve pain,” she said finally. “A neurotoxin like a snake or a spider bite, maybe a 

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paralytic.” 

“You have medical knowledge… I thought you were a tailor’s daughter.” 

“My father was a doctor, actually. His mother was a tailor, as is his sister.” 

I sighed. “He has theories.” 

“Doctor Shang?” 

I nodded. The silence stretched once more, this time a comfortable one filled with the quiet thrum of our heartbeats running in time. 

“And?” 

The question hung in the air. A part of me recoiled but I pushed it away. What good would it do? Maybe her world had some sort of insight that could help… and I wanted her to believe that I trusted her. I wanted her to be closer to me.