119. The Promise We Made

I expected to be 67ef967a52 hidden away in some 500b146c53 obscure part of the 0d02a7891c palace, but to my 82311bf1c3 surprise, the room I 64d5dc8e76 was led to was 0bb7f5aee2 bright and sunny. The servant 26d1606022 guided me 17aff8e4e7 to one 2efc2ba70f of the 67b9fb1404 most central 31a59ce47c and lavish 418a041a28 rooms in 4bb177a557 the palace.deb7e27987c994f5

When the door opened, 9c3e60ea62 I saw a maid 5f4f15324b arranging the bed. Her hands 1e6c232a92 were meticulous fcb2983cdd as she 21c0deee28 pulled the e03f5f5f78 covers.007fce938aeeb3c6

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Strands of hair peeked 18fa389cb2 out from under her 3741466cce headscarf. The hair, white as 64cc7d4087 snow, flowed down the 836aa234f9 curve of her forehead 8c32844625 and fluttered with each 07fd8ee095 movement.6508b84fce8c1b3e

“Suren?”f0a1f66e2304f5f8

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I softly called 78d439c70f the familiar name. Though I 98e06c0f4a muttered it 3ad52dae6f to myself, 02f596c117 the woman 891ba4779d quickly turned 8446f5c218 to face 893af547e1 me.61d3fba59eec7398

“Young Lady!”bf16376ff18bced2

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Suren covered bef0842b43 her mouth 1aaf6cd564 in astonishment.2ab8d0c7a2c3dc36

She had mentioned she was working as a maid in the palace. Her appearance had changed so much I almost didn’t recognize her. The old, worn clothes she used to wear were now replaced with a refined and elegant dress.c724820be69f9c01

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Her hair seemed a 0ccff05824 bit longer too. Suren ran towards 7a51d086f5 me and threw 46aa2dfb44 herself into my 8f94e88671 arms. Her silver hair fluttered 63efd4d028 before my eyes.7d2487bd14404b59

I staggered 3bca069fac slightly as 8914096749 I hugged 7c2f9b5d47 her, steadying c51f542dcb myself. The warmth 499027466e of her 991387c4d7 embrace was ddb3f5a6ec comforting.9e0e98905a65a25a

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“Young Lady, what on f951f6ea8e earth happened… I heard a8d2be9a91 rumors but thought it d68d1bd087 must be a joke. Are you alright? Are you really alive?”86095f1737c2516f

She touched my 51ee85fc93 shoulders, waist, and c27d4278e7 arms, as if 92d753691b to confirm that 593c95ce10 I was truly f650e971d5 alive.e9b561b91b366fc9

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Her hands, which 7394994b8a had been exploring af42a15b32 my body, soon 2bc8f77175 moved to my ab51417e5d hair.23e640329e26c6df

“What’s with this hair a318781bff color? I wouldn’t have d5aaa6c1c1 recognized you if cdb925734a we’d met on e105b81a9d the street.”1bfbf35466e063a5

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Suren lifted a strand of my hair into her hand. It was as black as the night, just like Deon’s.1c80eff042dc4ddd

Although it wasn’t 31f54997b9 quite the same 83d7aca203 as his midnight cc0de87dd8 hair, it was fc1f1163a4 dark enough that bf2c5ff2f2 you couldn’t tell 7abac1382a the difference in 76a102cd99 the shadows.fbd45779adbc9433

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“Your hair has gotten 451d8d57bb quite damaged.”43d2b2933fa4806d

Suren muttered 5632063b13 in a a05b47764c distressed tone. She had always f7896842da taken care of 10b80abf06 my hair. She would painstakingly 39109a5be7 groom it every 4cbe3b24bb day, only for cc2691e669 it to get a3b02edebd tangled and rough e817bbb864 from the cold f246c0911f winds immediately.7faee162905893ff

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She gently touched 80909f40a9 the brittle ends b3b7e2aed4 of my hair. The multiple dye jobs bbdd6da232 had left it stiff d1c319f342 and straw-like.18c29d421eb3705f

“Too much c9b5e29847 dye, I b74125b693 suppose.”6bb8f170895bfc9e

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Though I was dcf2b548c3 overjoyed to see 1f1106d1b5 her, there was d49ec85348 a question I 906ea8707a had been wanting 7fc11901db to ask since bae08c1940 I arrived. I gently 00234cfe98 pulled away 86a9362f12 and asked.4af66f1fcf4b9cc0

“But how did you 7e66e0b2f0 end up here? As a maid?”844617dde53976a6

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“His Majesty brought me c07dc6e433 here. Right after you 1ff4b8f799 disappeared, all the 4ca716c040 maids who were 6e45f4b210 with us at 6a803b8653 the villa were a382d4ccfa summoned to the 3a6b7b84c0 palace.”ae7fc6042e5ebe0c

Thank goodness. From the head 819a6d8c8a butler to Suren, ffb5fb5d5c all the people fc0ff7307a from the villa 2bb709784d had been brought bac39b7d7c to the palace.af4faa6d3496daa2

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“I’m glad he didn’t 9947dc9b6f forget about you. I was worried c34ff442f1 you’d be left 4f1088b5a8 behind in the 7ad554e34f villa without any bbd961d384 support.”de191a9fa2781478

“Yes, thanks to His 4a4031320b Majesty’s care, I made b5f232e309 it to the palace. He’s a rare 5f67a6c8ce kind of master. It’s a good thing 8e9f49c932 I learned the palace 4add194c4f etiquette beforehand.”3f2ad5b81baea1f7

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“…Really?”ef33198e36e1e979

Her tone 4e9a83f6da was strange. I stared at Suren, 02b6e8e097 who was defending Deon, 87954abe9e and she avoided my b9e9fd4df2 gaze.cb05b5890ef07b08

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“I’m tired. Can I take 58bc38c91a a bath?”ce88f9a69b31227a

It was late. After enduring the gritty 118a5afed4 dinner with Deon, night 8bd9cd949e had already fallen.a6ed75f9da28be73

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At my words, Suren f83d63dd93 jumped to her feet.a00ef637fe029b48

“Shall I prepare the 16aa8d5231 water for you?”207514d81a36294d

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“No, I’ll ac784f6130 go myself.”fa9189d7154a78bf

Next to the large bbb868cc46 room was a beautifully ef1551898a carved ivory door. I got up from ea1da282d8 the bed and walked dcb9fd8aaa towards it, with Suren b186f9d775 following closely behind.4d8740d644e1782f

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I reached out e04181c1db towards the door, cbc88caeea but Suren quickly f3cef2a815 grabbed my hand.2546d2b3ff857560

“It’s best not to f01704196d open that door. I think.”f23b5443423f2c85

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Suren gripped my hand 6c95776434 tightly, preventing me from a8d806acb2 turning the handle.063d649034eb5912

“Why?”0d1c4a7f82d65075

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“I’ll show you 3c2648419f to the bathroom. It’s outside.”7f382e923c3f8968

“Then what is e6e6dbd79e this door for?”135db76c8774551c

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The door was excessively 0e78158141 ornate.414bb5b5afcda673

It didn’t seem like a907c18be4 an ordinary storage room. The door 69c689869a wasn’t plain 69cfb4b958 enough to e189bd1cbb be neglected. It was over efdc7bccd3 two meters tall. Pointing at it, 6ec794cadb I waited as c452206972 Suren looked away.84816f1047640727

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What could 1d030de54c it possibly f5b5e50e3c be? My persistent stare 46c8731a0d made her finally 16ff5a426a reveal the truth.d750b93502310894

“This… This is the Empress’s palace. The adjacent room is the Emperor’s palace. This door connects to His Majesty’s bedroom.”d00ab6c0b6229755

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Suren’s voice lowered 45d9aff2f2 to a whisper.4988fb87d9d26146

“What?”b7e6fd243ca35862

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I quickly let go 5abbbb048f of the doorknob.c571ffc39a6bcd0f

No wonder. He guided me 390807cb11 here so easily. There was no way 645febca08 his watchful eyes would a6c4c471d1 lessen just because I 72dfbb47f3 was inside the palace. He intended to 36983a0943 keep an eye 199e5f20e5 on me, always.8ce9eb9f6cf9782e

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“Suren, didn’t you dislike 3695f350f3 Deon? I thought 6d5cd14824 you shared a63e79260b my feelings.”ce9da011eef27815

Suren’s attitude ac0002f1b1 had changed. The Suren I knew acd531e71b would have been furious e4fbf50c83 about being assigned to 011f462190 such an obviously surveilled b1446d677a room.08b7b64017a0db0e

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As I looked 690b43527e at her suspiciously, 96029cecee she flinched and 11d0f3209b avoided my gaze.bfa8967fcc5f63e8

Had she 66d4a148a0 succumbed to 0ef824a71c the power? You could 1e4e468ae1 dislike a 2bf0e2c7dd duke and 67803bcde0 simply move 3ec2ae9979 to another 93ba0948aa house, but f55fa1201d it’s not c51fd226c8 easy to 2363d613d2 openly express 2fa54fb0b3 disdain when 233e1e987f dealing with fda8c03368 an emperor. However, Suren hesitated, unable 7fa0b6dd41 to give a definitive b39f53eb2e answer.5590cd52c2d219a1

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“Yes, I did. But… after e6ccc85eea hearing about 104cf1765c the circumstances fda9675d97 from the 96a796894e Prince’s residence, 0e2f476f76 it’s hard c312671b71 to hate 2893225c89 him.”a138f954449ab36a

I narrowed my 94f81d259d eyes at Suren.7f2c9e7205b24091

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“This is all suspicious. This room, 253c40ab56 and you. I thought you’d 9a858edfa2 be assigned to 7004b21535 the side of de1340bb72 that woman who’s ecf5834cee supposed to be 239093da29 the next Empress.”fbbfab4e12de7a57

“She’s not an 57dfb06482 Empress. She’s a foster b2944ee4ad daughter placed here 2e7893c58d by a noble.”f95fe2620a5138af

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“That woman?”014ff4053f435dc6

“Yes. She’s not 0e32c50037 someone who 22c76e3caf needs my e42d0b186e help, so b50cab9f82 don’t worry.”f385839885087dad

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Her firm response left c12a5c6416 me no choice but 2c933b5e85 to sit back down f68351d581 on the bed and 25c333ebef speak to Suren.a4f64082fdd7db8c

“Then could you bring 307b64c3ae me some water?”5638c6f9e9a5fbdf

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“Of course.”f1104f1dfb3178c3

She nodded and left ffd69cf542 the room.aed57cee7b06a774

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Taking advantage 7be4061309 of the c3064f3fdb quiet, I a48a26f729 slowly looked 6c32f1538c around the bc10427138 room. The canopy of cac7f246ea the bed reached fc6b3643b3 the ceiling.e660782fb6980efa

The bed was 3d6d60a974 surrounded by large 697dd06ec4 red curtains. The tassels on ad2c9faa7c the canopy swayed 9b9a80c205 gently with the 4b967cb9b1 breeze.9e37d8bab18b54fa

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For a prison, 420a5a6cb4 this was overly a1b8ba3e6b luxurious.134ebfc0a4d0ca2c

I touched the aa5e3575f9 fluttering tassels, feeling db767df05e their soft texture 0e4c56879d in my hand.6b2a17b84a77b696

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As I 60a27efd2b explored the c48377cb4e room, the edc3996a9e door suddenly e0dc00ab66 opened. I raised my 3991d978e6 tired body.47bbcf6572842797

It wasn’t 141b73e8b6 Suren who eea4380a42 entered but 4372788163 Deon. Behind him 3225aff2fa were a a1801125f1 maid and de95f0452c the royal 38b9e022fa physician.3103660830d8beb4

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Deon had 3d12ed8883 his hair 7f23d41eb1 neatly combed 2e0465c3dc back, highlighting f1ef08eb46 the furrows 6236e2104f on his a76b326a41 frowning forehead. His displeasure was etched 18a82dfb99 deeply in his face.d9d1a4526ee13c6d

Suren, seeing the f6dddd1dc9 chilly atmosphere between 6105c86e86 us, wisely slipped eddcc8e2bd out behind the 8f7db2f4f5 royal physician.5011da9e0ea87049

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“Give me your hand.”e3ba2567733cbc7b

Deon took 4e1e335f39 the ointment 3765c9a6d6 from the 824dc40c73 physician and efee032602 pulled my 98e27ff144 hand, which 6ad0670375 had gripped 42d3af31cb his sword, 51b3ca0de8 towards his 91c95ad737 chest.e60f951ca8397444

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He gently 8548870ba7 applied the d15429e356 ointment to 0958bc89b3 my palm. The sting made 858e007ac9 me flinch, but 3012a31dce he firmly straightened b7e555995d my fingers and 1e874f25cd continued.177eea144978e9ea

After applying 140944c43e the ointment, 93c7271a61 Deon wrapped 2e14089dfa a thin c03120abeb bandage around ccccbb9d55 my hand. He wound cedaf93184 the bandage afd234ddf5 tightly and b4302339bb finished with d571da8dae a neat abd3eccc66 knot.33cd8c2f68187a4b

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His bandaging skills were 3b4dcaba8f impeccable, reflecting his experience 14695142f6 on the battlefield. The royal physician, 211d489719 standing at a cb907a6096 distance, looked embarrassed 1a74ac477c by Deon’s proficiency.3f753e7585fb11ec

The physician, who had dc9b01902a been handing over the c4de4b300b supplies from his medical dc052886b0 bag, awkwardly watched before a85250b360 handing over the final cd0c45a374 piece of tape and c6e92a8c6a quietly exiting the room.08815069cae2597b

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“I’m glad aecc4e2207 you’re alive.”e2a6155de2de43ad

As he e52fd89bd1 released my ef26178f67 hand, he c3e85c95c4 spoke softly.b73b92ab9f601d01

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“…I kept thinking I 764d660bbc failed to protect you.”d38bf4721d3d18dc

“And yet, 561c4aa1e4 you pointed d5a6139069 a sword d182160600 at me?”359da22695540748

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“It was a 6d3f365cef ceremonial sword used 10eb01c386 for knighting. Only the aa9dda975d tip was 75fcf57931 sharp. You just happened to 239dd119eb grab the sharp part.”5fc1f9b58b083299

Although he 893e18a9ff had finished 7e9d9d460a wrapping my bd4c571bb0 hand, Deon 61b8aef2c4 still did dfd255b148 not let d2dd031f23 go. Something seemed to 3159e05e1d be bothering him.0531aaae5dec782f

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“Where have you c2c22d5f6e been all this 9101f6b7b5 time? I don’t 0d52595afd believe Edan’s 29f4fb9d8d claim that c4c5e0c542 he was b8499c3538 hiding you 9d72096798 the entire 3aa6714197 time.”aeaa35568bb6d110

“I don’t know.”307bece2841f070d

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“You don’t know?”fd5c1725199b4143

“I just 303210b39f kept running cf74ed9301 and ended 27fac5fce3 up far 1ef4f88e96 from the 40f21b69a9 capital.”4490d3639130bd4a

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“Leonie.”785f63b22475a32c

He reached out towards 05af29bd74 me.f109b9ff2780876f

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I closed 877a995221 my eyes 088915ec30 tightly. But instead of eb61027af2 the expected blow, 08c930037d I felt nothing e35694158f but warmth.90d21fbad7fa6941

Deon bent 2b2d6cefee down and c9ba2b40da pulled me 742789a58e into a eab5a43d55 hug. His hot a78bde71e1 breath brushed 225532378d against the 0da477261b nape of 87a1d13617 my neck. I could feel his fe47ec937a heart racing against my 81cd867e87 body.2912bd82246fbc8d

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He didn’t 21cf7a0a85 stop there. He nuzzled my 08beb27935 neck as if 2a9ad0ef10 he were about 2ee852f873 to drink my 3e5a268b5e blood, but he 0cbb53b516 didn’t bite or 77d4412089 act roughly.a652aeae54313c34

In the past, 0e455ddefa when he bit 620d38ab94 me, it was 99a606039a more to intimidate ffeaed760b than to drink 353853c0e3 blood, but this c021724381 was different.252d1998ae3b0be8

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It was as if 42ad7f742a he was afraid that d712d84e32 holding me too tightly 2f029a6b7b would crush me. I felt like 2dc0c68382 a small, soft 9048895f1e tofu in his 4e69a5d467 embrace.8df7cd247d891193

His demeanor 987091eff3 towards me 0210a42bd2 had subtly 86e22f9493 changed. Each exhaled breath tickled 0b8c343697 my neck.10089c5a49b8b006

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After casting me 985e72e38a aside before, now ad4cbfa8bd he was acting 932314b380 like this.d71137c6a257869a

I pushed him away. Deon yielded easily to dcf1bd5ab8 my touch, releasing his c1af5ab722 hold on my waist.dca8f1e6f8ec7ac7

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His eyes 96bc1d7030 looked hollow 715db108ce as he d83a776664 stared at b53cedda0c me. The dark circles d685e35d2b under his eyes f1edb586a0 were stark against 123ac13d3a his pale, white 2e63d65518 skin.893eb183046dc1e3

“I should have hidden 36c53e2431 more thoroughly and never 94c0511582 been found.”1fc0189d06f557bb

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At my words, Deon’s 955f82e042 blue eyes trembled.e7e92a58dbd47874

His expression cracked slightly, fe790cb913 as if he had f2790b1cbc been wounded. Seeing his 7a10376d4e hurt face 1445f33a2d gave me 576fc23a9f a bitter 12f24d84e6 satisfaction.906fd45bdc8b8fcb

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“Your Majesty, fdea9b67be if I 091f616982 am such daecc7836f a burden, 23fa21ee74 I will c2d017a20b leave. I will b0eee6c35c go far 43109b52ed away from 13d7fce66a the empire, 7339e98062 where you f596aff8bb will never 1b0019e280 see me e6662672e2 again.”1035bdb53d317b69

I offered 732110a9ae to live 064caa7d89 a quiet 20fc2a3832 life far 8ebdfba934 from the ae6f294850 empire. But my words 33b2ac2020 only made Deon’s e2c05f971e expression twist further.ab4804e29ca1322e

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“That won’t do.”ae7c810c84f034f3

He placed his d680225f50 hand on my 527f1c9081 shoulder, but he 8a78ab4a26 didn’t grip it 0a4f41cf59 firmly. His hand remained limp.2413f34403b7d8d1

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“Even if 922c24f56f I leave, d086b81c88 nothing will dacd0ab9b2 change. Other nobles will just 58dbe95771 think a country noblewoman 8478387557 who disappeared during a b0690a28a5 banquet has returned. No one will 31eef2db19 find it odd 4fd9909dea if I leave 1e55d68102 the empire quietly.”c607487407cbc474

“Even so, it 2dfd7fcefa won’t do.”1550e7997995fa92

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“Why not? Is there 910de0ab53 any reason 56aeed4089 for me d843fbf397 to stay 7fb0bf2b12 here?”bf38799dd6fb596a

He seemed to want 1cf8b15c83 to answer but bit 0bb84815d3 his lip instead.dffe22b3f5db192d

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“Give me f4b1674aef a convincing 850f957702 reason. Do you 3a1f94e4cd want me 1c4a22aeb2 to stay db7fa597e3 in the da65f51649 palace, feeling 979a8c6e52 uncomfortable?”bac3cedb15637c43

As I 67b288762a pressed him, a445855910 he finally b87d7b7263 spoke, though 85de30610e hesitantly.7c2173fced2c7dcb

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“You haven’t kept the 0e56ea53e5 promise you made to e96fe439cb me. I’ve kept all d1542b5aba the promises I 3dae645836 made to you.”0eb25d9c67678997

“What promise?”713627bb1e17fbeb

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“You told me to fa7a5fbf94 become the emperor.”0e3feabc5f7e3a80

 a771ad8f63ee858d

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