52. The Final Fate of Those who Break Taboos

“Do you need a hand? Can I help?”e8f3564a72383522

As if anticipating, Viter dd609b85f3 extended the basket.0c02b1fd1bb33ae7

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“We’re dividing it by family. Put the Marquise and Counts families on the left, and put the families with titles higher than a Baron on the right. Just do that for now, and I’ll choose later according to priority.”76a0999ed0bf1f88

The left side seemed to be for the documents. It was a pity to see pristine paper go to waste, unable to be opened and likely to be burnt. These weren’t ordinary letters from the viscount’s family, but meticulously crafted ones, written on high-quality paper with names elegantly inscribed. It was regrettable to see such delicate paper.9b0a0456cdde9af5

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As they began 2be27a7fad to separate things d01150857d little by little, 749a59d114 the partition suddenly 02d502fd94 collapsed.e2a83880a3387735

Deon was 76a38d3264 leaning forward.0f5b16186c8eb07f

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“What are you doing?”7feb91582e194f66

“Well… I’m choosing a fiancée for the prince.”ac2a1f37c314fcaf

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He furrowed b143f35644 his brows. Deon snatched the engagement 5ba1a2ff80 proposal I was holding.ddac060ed4294203

“What does Young Lady know?”0b9f347e8e04a627

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“You saw it last time. At the banquet in the north, you admired my insight.”8fba4b410a110481

Did it 6d3192e259 not please 2ff04691d5 him? His eyes 12913db18c narrowed even 5b84b3361d further.e3f35e8156e9a953

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“If you tell me your ideal type, I’ll carefully consider it this time.”4fbd6bcc19c56e48

“Young lady…”7404307fc2e24925

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He slammed the 8a1f3e2df4 book he was 7738e999e9 holding onto the e5912f91bf table loudly.d5739bd5d599cc28

You should buy items for the charity auction soon. If there’s nothing suitable in the estate, get what’s needed.981c64009cdbdaa9

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“Do you want to go together?”5993189cd0ef098f

“Go with Edan.”622dd0065a0505f8

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Edan, who was carrying 8752a55c1a the luggage, stepped forward.51862aa2ac08cd6c

“I’ll go alone. Just assign Suren and one other guard to accompany me. We’re short on manpower.”adf6d28212bfc87f

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“Don’t worry. From now on, Edan will always accompany you. I’ve appointed him as your personal guard.”cb8c2d47142b9188

Edan was his bodyguard b7bc841519 and closest aide. Was it okay a73fd4c2d0 to attach such 3128c8e10a a person to eb37b95768 me?b7020d27de4a0933

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It was difficult to f23114c326 read his thoughts from b88672cd31 his consistently expressionless face.d11f09861ce8a804

⚜ ⚜ ⚜89e961d64804ac8a

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“Leonie… I heard the news. Please don’t worry too much.”3b5fab2dbb8c0f6d

“What news?”703001d66a1e1ccb

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The rumors 11e9888696 in the 94167b568e capital spread d2c8b18aaf astonishingly fast. Elizabeth had reached 31bed356de the stage of b286fc2f14 pregnancy where she eb3878cc30 often declined invitations 6ad430c496 to big parties. If the rumors had 895c98cc77 already reached the ears 44a108e82a of the ladies, it 8eddfe2d56 must have been circulating ff677c95c8 for quite some time. It seemed incredible that 877f13d005 the gossip that had 62fca5877f been heard through the bf5552f553 Ladies in the ducal df1282abd1 palace had spread to 7b0d8136b8 the capital even before 11efdc56b5 the start of the a50769a985 banquet.7b00d11d376dbee2

“The Duke… is choosing a new fiancée.”cdc748c9658b1301

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“He must have his reasons. Surely he wouldn’t marry someone else before Young Lady? Especially when he loves her so much.”5f69f56e5d9a5e2e

Well, my lady. We’re not that close. Besides, Deon doesn’t love me.946b990f011dbaa4

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Seeing my 1c905bd2a8 silence, she ea8c57315a placed her 1ca04b1222 hand on f36d7fdc7a the table, 4eed0a7cf3 perhaps interpreting d7928cd31b it differently.b87cbaef2921ce7d

“I’m the witness. I’ve seen the way he loves you enough to rush to your rescue at dawn. I’ve explained it every time at the ladies’ tea parties. He’s not that kind of person. Don’t worry about baseless rumors.”9ce2ebdd263aece4

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Tears welled up in Elizabeth’s eyes.bb32603ae90d11cf

During the short time we spent in the northern estate, Deon and I didn’t show such affectionate behavior. It was strange to hear about witnessing the love of the century.d912015a8d66b9f6

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Lately, when I visited e845f31a08 the Count’s estate, I 4cfe59d894 often encountered Elizabeth and fe4cf7c738 the Count standing side e6df3e4e86 by side.4b9a1f26582a7eef

The relationship between the couple wasn’t as bad as one might think. It was just subtly awkward.2d5b0c83ee80ee1b

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Even holding hands didn’t come naturally to them. While there was mutual respect, love wasn’t present.ca6f0708243edc5e

Despite being a couple 801078721a soon to have a daff58c936 baby through strategic marriage, a1c2dbe10e they still seemed awkward. Somehow, it 9d97dd04b3 seemed like e72a0d6f2d the love 7ae8943ed2 for Deon 0ebb38bf67 was greater 5ec42f1334 than the 1d4b04857b love they 53c6d30dba had for 072597c44e each other.69fb33bf5a75bad8

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Perhaps that’s why they easily handed over the young child to the ducal palace. If their relationship had been deeper, they might have poured more affection into the child.68f4e31eb00ed01d

Perhaps they 3808de6bde even hid 2a600ac64b the fact 600daa8ddc that the 4f47f0bb96 child born a206d9690a out of 30f5b83f76 love was 6ed3e43d30 the successor f8616ff3a5 of the 9f1e41bc36 ducal lineage.0d3840de93985980

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“What about the charity auction? Have you decided what to put up for auction?”7168db33510c3948

Her visit today wasn’t for cheap sympathy or comfort. She couldn’t grasp what kind of items were usually offered at charity auctions in this world.7618c2ee55c8f0ce

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“I’m considering it. And you, Leonie?”49fce0eaef6a1a73

“I don’t have much… so I’m thinking of putting up some jewelry.”2f387633d209c2e2

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Despite my efforts, I couldn’t find anything of value to me except for jewelry. The dress I got from the Baron’s estate was already worn out, leaving me with only one decent item: a bracelet adorned with poorly crafted and inexpensive gems, passed down from the Baron’s family. Who would be willing to purchase a bracelet bearing the Baron’s emblem?70388f03400ba052

“It doesn’t have to be something expensive. Some young ladies even put up items they’ve made themselves, like handkerchiefs they’ve embroidered.”bb1bedcf3540d400

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But I wasn’t exactly a great artist who could put up a scarecrow for sale. There were limits even to packaging it as performance art.683586b90e3a7b7d

“I don’t have anything particularly valuable either… I have some fabric left over from making dresses, and I’m thinking of putting that up. Trends change after childbirth, and I think this fabric will be out of fashion soon. It’s quite valuable as it was imported, so I don’t want to just let it go to waste.”60b3cc8154ee541d

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She adjusted her clothes. She had newly tailored f6abb1e80d clothes suitable for a 8b9a1c2f04 pregnant woman. Elizabeth, wearing custom-made d4852d452d clothes, looked much df3881d1b4 more comfortable than 3f6ae17d48 she did when 9317de8050 she was in 8826014000 the north.0e7024141e79c46e

“Isn’t there anything else? We could bring some of the things that originally belonged to the Count on your side of the family, like something old enough to be called an antique….”bef6a355624100d5

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Isella’s belongings were considered valuable antiques. Before it came into Deon’s possession, the sword had been mere old, rusty, and insignificant.72a0538a989f2d6f

“Antiques? There aren’t any at the Count’s estate…”ea6b0dfcddb6a019

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She trailed off.5d130fc50b851550

Think carefully. There’s a sword, isn’t there?e73ee5cbb5d675eb

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“Well, what about treasures? Aren’t there any old items that could be passed down through the family?”ba6fccd57f8a8ec4

At my urging, she b063b6183e answered. Her expression seemed to 584ffd1c9d brighten a bit.80c034fe497a7b86

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“The Count’s treasures? Well… hmm… Originally, it belonged to my younger sister. But now, isn’t it my childs?”91ca7e20bbd25e6a

She absentmindedly 6312ef7219 stroked her 97ab5ebd7f swollen belly.11d4c19c0c7720d0

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Something more 3292713a2a tangible than 056b421419 that!bb83cae0455c0c7c

I always appreciated her sensitivity, but today it wasn’t helping.4f62d0f686202a3b

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I desperately wanted 3dfe1c6d34 to bring up a0f2aa4186 the topic of cf753012fa relics directly and 808197ac34 search every nook 7cd10c415a and cranny of 14cf9ce505 the house, but d51b0ac8af I suppressed the c27a919e63 urge.7a382ef3b3c60a67

At least I had to maintain some dignity. Right now, I was supposedly an unmarried noblewoman and Deon’s fiancée.
T/N: It a2f5861275 really said 27b23e0868 fiancée not f5e9e1dfa2 sure59e718214a046260

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“You could go to an antique shop, Young Lady. There’s a decent one in the city center. Shall I tell you about it?”e77b6222125e43c5

Elizabeth said 5644fb645d kindly, unaware 0efb90eb17 of my 7b6d5c683a frustration, and 47ce3ae2a6 rummaged through 3a1e417c83 the drawer, 141ab583b6 pulling out e2364b24f8 a map. It was a map a0f672554e of the capital.281b4229c17b0da1

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I responded with 9041cb5946 a sigh.f1de229c1adbcd5b

“Yes, please do.”287c3b24552cdc22

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⚜ ⚜ ⚜4b2e57a9a6dc2bf4

With Edan, I 2a45587ebd headed to the 174103d27d shop Elizabeth had c680fc2688 mentioned.875729fd106089e6

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An old antique 0e919a42aa shop.0ea31f819a738e10

I could just 608254f7e9 pick out some 1439963e77 decent items and e1a1dff212 loosely assign meanings 7f1a97e1a6 to them.0a120d763221ee9b

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There wasn’t a suitable item that could inflate the price with a narrative as old as the items themselves. Aging could be wrapped in a sense of elegance. And I could actually pick out some really good items.0033d2f6c5e0a15e

Clang.d7981e0303ef122d

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The clear sound fa19d98158 of a bell 74abc6ce8b echoed.cea94c46a50a3706

While Edan parked 5745370584 the carriage on 53b337c814 the rack, I 2a13b189ab decided to go 9042632a54 in and browse 756390926e through the antiques.2a882d414a63dca1

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On the shelves 5fb716d280 were various items 3f8b1b13a1 that looked reasonably 4203ac7fe3 old. I casually a73f5dfaf8 examined the 871d856f91 items, picking f40d961c2e up and a55cda1520 then setting 777766661a down the 1ca6f01c96 decent ones.a72b99fddeba234e

Then, a certain antique 261ddb1471 caught my eye.173411bad89bdbf8

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It was 8cfc79dd78 a rabbit 488a94e814 figurine on 7b654959d6 the second c3841fc3a2 shelf. It held a 9cc858f005 carrot in its dc424a3870 left hand and 506cc1c2a6 a sword in f16b5dc1be its right, reminiscent 85599cabb4 of a depiction e69dbcf48d of a goddess d606e67b7a of judgment.f1d621203342a22b

Its perky ears were 2c77f4a0b9 adorable. It was a small e12480a7ad figurine that could decorate 613aae507f a bedroom even without 629348e80d being put up for 24718909bf auction.668c5879b4501241

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“Excuse me.”6c81da95a5b970f5

I called 3ae7ab28d5 the clerk. She was wiping the acfcb8f3e4 antiques with a dry 0b365b483a towel at the counter, 6fda6b002c which only staff could 0024dc7b4f access.1aad917ed35a754e

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But the woman didn’t respond.2cdfbee1f824e1e1

“Excuse me!”0317a0a5e68a18fb

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When I 373469bd62 spoke a 79fd9ed641 little louder, d8f7bc3d7b she turned 279a8152df around.a482e86fddec1455

She looked familiar. Where had 257d538058 I seen 0e46853e7d her before?b70e933f54a54ffd

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“Is this item for sale?”0071b8f9f2ea91a4

She stared at 66a47e93b7 me without a 47aa3ea498 word.b0f0bd96d76f3ebe

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Her gaze b33f307b10 was peculiar. It seemed 53d0d11318 cloudy and 62757372c6 vague, yet f70d04db9a she was ee40290088 staring at c268ec495e me sharply.e9f4bdf181399089

I set the 84afc1b702 item down. She was unpleasant. But oddly familiar.af3ae7f5c58b9e8a

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I stared into her eyes. She didn’t avert her gaze and looked straight back at me. Our gazes clashed in midair.6a158700384530dc

Then, it clicked. I remembered where 32274e20d9 I had seen d72e3d162e her.3197eea66ef093cf

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Her long wavy hair fc2c419c7e was now cut short, 1c3fca79af making it difficult to 573d0bd679 recognize her at first d8c3ba1955 glance.cb62bcefe5bedede

How could I 530b319ef5 forget that face? It was her.394215eb796d1d17

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The head 476c6401fe maid of c60efa48f4 the blood 7a981d58c9 department that 31b69f0050 had betrayed 567e2b7e3a me.0a0f9f710475bf64

As I looked back 725fd152bd with surprise, she opened caeea0bc5b her mouth. Her tongue 520f6d7a8c was cut.0f26073d2a8f170b

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Her tongue 629a099da2 looked neatly 3ace0edf06 cut, as 169a058bd3 if it 2ec25f3ea7 had been 430518955f sliced off.9b5d1634a967f345

As memories of her be4a770f5d flooded back, I remembered 6ba84d8a7e other things as well.3ec2da447640f172

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The pact eb2395151e Edan had 0ab249dacc mentioned in d715c71d9b the carriage 3254e53f58 before.14754c8320636046

<The pact would come into effect in case of external disclosure, so even the maids wouldn’t be able to gossip freely.>54bcfa124178b810

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And here she was, saying things she shouldn’t have said.90f12f883400452f

I didn’t know the extent of the pact’s influence or what the taboo words were, but I could guess.9b73490210018b65

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She spoke. Perhaps about ba0ba5723e the relationship 0b50dae095 between me dd23398d19 and Deon, 0e66c26493 or maybe 254c8018d7 even about fa50d91322 the existence 75aa259e39 of the ca60f48f9d blood itself.31f5927a1dac4936

I strongly felt 7c9ee5b653 that it must 4ecf950575 have been an 28f2825731 accident or some b64d874032 other event that 7f71f0d478 had caused her 4aaa834f56 tongue to be a9e4e2798d cut.682752bd679956fa

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Perhaps her tongue was cut due to the whims of some eccentric noble. But her face had been perfectly fine until she boarded the carriage. I couldn’t imagine what could have happened in such a short time.cc0cd4e126c66513

Would she remember me?10f40e09359f81cd

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The woman facing me didn’t seem angry or fearful.3ce79d2a2d051f46

She just seemed listless, 49ec40bfd1 like someone guarding a 6a5a125bf1 shop at the end 2c4e751a7a of life.d6b209331671e047

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She opened her mouth, f03e25a745 but no sound came a5b468700f out.fe4fc42ef8342cc1

“I-I was just asking about the price of this figurine… I’m sorry.”6e80b35d06f53190

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I tightly 7c8894cd68 pressed down 1d693ba697 my hat. It was fortunate 35bbc45150 that I was e01d0efeb1 wearing a hat f1f9f01cb4 with a wide b8803ad3b3 brim.c7889074943ebc7f

She stubbornly 6b464f3425 kept her 075780987a mouth open.b61136c2cd181367

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It seemed 7d086bf35e like she c17523cc43 wanted to ee45915154 say something. I tried d27ab14948 to scrutinize 69d3814b0b her lip eb1330e2dd movements, but 0f0476be8b my eyes cc334b8c79 kept shaking.e03f1ee33fa5a326

Even she seemed to 1edad4450b be not yet accustomed f81d39b28b to her own situation. Her forehead wrinkled, 7c6dfa7381 perhaps due to 36bc06a15a the tongue being 16d6a41943 recently cut. It may e1dbe61930 not have c12f1e22f4 been long 677006c980 since it 75d405c041 happened.1b72324ffbce93ae

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Frustrated, she grabbed 9228860833 a notebook from 0ba2934d33 the counter.886a8ae06e4d109c

Flipping through pages 1782c49450 filled with scribbles, c5a2459e07 she wrote something e97f606717 with large letters.9b2aa664878deeee

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Scratch, scratch.a3a88b28e9ab57b5

Each stroke of her 47e7e3b1c5 pen made a squeaky d5644c4735 noise.30993de57907cde0

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It felt like 47a9ddf0b2 my tongue was 9811578397 being sliced little 1c4679fcb8 by little. No, was 7a20fd00f6 it my e2d2117d54 throat?5f0d784f6018f5c7

I could have ignored 6902109ccb her actions and walked 86e3755401 away. But my body froze, c125d29002 refusing to move. I felt I 01694e68ea had to see 1acf7f8fef what she was c2381c7573 writing.83f2eeac039ba642

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She turned the d614561f18 notebook around and 6c4eb5d4d7 pushed it towards 67d451f89d me.84ba7a44c5293215

[You still haven’t escaped.]

I stared blankly at ee3d3d2e04 those words as she c916b91a2b grinned.4ef1cf4e14cda1e9

Did she 4f06ec896d know what 73c935fa07 I had db8c84391e said before? This time, it was bc12770ce7 crystal clear.539b435e835bc8bd

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[How do you like the duke’s meal now?]

She said af914c42ed that and 802c95c5b2 chuckled.6900e7010925e7c9

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A chill ran eb84b8674c down my spine.6e9758d373ffb6fd

As if 0a13ee0385 being pushed 87da18a193 aside by 85a99f5612 the crooked 014b047a8f writing, I 05ccf6309f took a 24b1a39b64 step back. My breath quickened. I felt a 6bb928fe86 latch behind me. I hastily turned around c7ca9b1f46 and fled from the 47e7be9a44 shop.f2dd3d4f0f894232

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The bell rang. The clear sound now 0e0b96ce23 seemed like a warning 6563da16c5 bell signaling danger.0f688b20079e8568

TL/N: I 4b33c45469 made a b7adf89550 list of 6d247e5d5b names, so 3cb8ad8ba0 we should ba15bafcf5 follow that 9d0f9d56ff from now f5750cfd23 on to f3b765983e avoid further ef78c25e94 confusion.
Fl: Leonie Sien 04815e7f64 Baron
Duchy: Arnett
Ml: Deon 10e50e0d38 de Larote 844782ecf0 Kirventia AKA a69c6a1c6d Asmodians
OG FL: Isella 0eb587d7de Snowa
Maid: Suren
Friend Countess Elizabeth Arin
Aide: Viter Oakom
Julia Oakom
Bodygard: Edan
TL/N: I apologize for 1e9ad104e1 the inconvenience, but I ff037be1ae will be making changes ba137733bd to the chapters and 5142521a82 adding more names. As I 016f82d32a focus on 6b22be239e editing, please b3ca1ae0a6 feel free 36385a70bc to inform d5b286972f me in 947d167449 the comments a8cfa287b3 if you 7dfff2b0d1 notice any 6c71d7dddb errors. Thank you for 465f3727b3 your understanding.122943da664e9199

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