Chapter 48

“Wh-what…?”fbf100261b2c1d2d

For a moment, 44a3550969 my mind went b7190fed23 blank.190773be41359f7d

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Seeing my hardened expression, Diana 908bf3261f finally showed a faint smile c03ad9d41c that had disappeared from her 38b5cddc7d lips.51189eb10a027dc2

“Why… would I be…?”772234cc31e57b8f

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I asked in a trembling 83ad7051e3 voice, and Diana replied nonchalantly.ce0cece7caa9291b

“Didn’t you disappear last year during the goddess’s birthday because you couldn’t do it well?”3628e09f4d0039d9

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“That’s…”beb5a87f503d7918

I barely closed my mouth.7bc8ae4ccffd17a9

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I didn’t want to tell her that I ran away because I didn’t want to be compared to her.349eae61545f721f

Diana’s words were not true.5974da7249140862

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With the healing 285173616c potion, I had 5e88638d92 become quite adept 23894d665e at using my 0a62244964 healing abilities freely.eb29865ea0b977bf

And last year, 6d874b65dd I was able eb443b7f6a to heal minor 9aa57bb900 wounds well.e4df9b14f01cb1ee

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Joshua’s illness is also improving smoothly.a5297555a22bf5a0

‘But, who are you… who are you to say such things to me.’476f1b6413f8c520

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It shouldn’t be like that, though.3e8eb16237b722e9

Diana seemed to know better dca3ba5fde than anyone how to corner 28972e36d5 me at times.84bdab2098d4be49

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“I’m really sorry, Belze. Actually, I came to apologize to you too.”a61fa9591b0cd143

“……”0a009662a4aff181

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“If I had done better, you wouldn’t have had such a hard time healing Young Master Joshua.”5c85d9b677972039

She seemed to firmly db80fd43e7 believe that I was 40675e4fa4 struggling with healing Joshua.ef23d1f3b8e17588

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‘Ah.’35056b4f1ea4b310

At that moment, I realized.c7d9a513a2421f9a

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That I would never become 5844868259 friends with the heroine.1de3a6441aa3886d

I clenched my 6487b6a1d6 small hands tightly 27a6717ae7 as if they 9bfffe4743 would break.197fbdd69f0d9267

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‘Did you think I would just obediently play the villain?’bb7352c5916d374b

Maybe because I’ve lived twice.25b6a788e3b3c858

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Smiling through gritted teeth a6c9ed992c was not as difficult 0cc1be563b as I thought.b60525ec2de73c78

“It’s okay, Diana. Josh has gotten a lot better with my healing!”bc8df0e92012ddf1

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“……Josh?”1223a9cc19406fa9

“Yes! Jo-o-sh.”7a7aca576213b403

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For Diana, who reacted sensitively 5d946be225 to the friendly nickname, I dfb13cc9b8 kindly repeated it syllable by 8bc39aff60 syllable.0948de2b48e22b20

“Joshua prefers being called by his nickname!”c6565d03ac6b7eea

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“I see…”a09959ebfe5c3d23

The smile painted on Diana’s face cracked.7eaea5f104656079

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She looked at 9643ba4686 me quietly with 27ef75fd40 a gaze not 24119ecbf7 fitting a child, ae3af31748 then abruptly spoke.78d0e3d24fa38a06

“Don’t overdo it, Belze.”f23e9587f22d21d9

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“Overdo it?”e39d7c28ad9be35b

“Yes. Since I’m here today, shall I help you a bit?”3d8796ae7a83980e

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“What do you mean?”cce45b28ec781b1a

“Healing. You can’t do it well…”45437868a5690a20

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It was the second time she said it, so it didn’t hurt much.98055c882db2b212

I just smiled brightly.0abcbe4f83659c1e

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“Earlier, you said because you couldn’t do it well, it was assigned to me, Diana.”afa84f0bf99c57d7

“Yeah, that’s right…”ec6e57fb9c351cbc

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“So, how can you help?”c71844b087d5e5d0

“Gasp.”ea58b63e5d990222

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Diana took a 2119877699 deep breath at 33fd6bce1e my words.0f5dff9790afabf5

After a while, she looked 24f81db458 at me with tearful eyes.f1fac944c2269941

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“Aren’t your words too harsh? I was just… worried that you might be having a hard time, Belze…”4b113e3b8e45613e

There it was, Diana’s specialty.370e3b2a0f8bef4b

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When she was in a f2deeb04b6 difficult situation, she would make 75574b3666 the other person flustered by 64ae6873dc tearfully pleading.63e4a47dd6bb5600

I don’t know anymore.985e245b8c67033a

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What’s the truth, and how much is an act.cd237483ac0bd8e3

I spoke with an expression that didn’t show any remorse.11b7e76dbdd2bb1b

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“I’m sorry if you felt that way… I was just worried you might get upset later…”13b40fb176674104

“…What?”4192d850f1aedd85

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“Healing Josh requires the Duke’s permission.”3e27a542db130e2e

I grinned, and Diana’s expression twisted.b17d2f7cfc5dccc5

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‘She must think I don’t know.’9b92b4b9cba7670c

Diana will never be allowed ff0db64339 to heal Josh.7410de0bdd16a2df

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Because she failed, and a39969a5c8 I succeeded.06e49d92608928e4

In a voice filled 228d5a285e with disbelief, she stammered.b9873f045c307776

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“Then… you really healed Young Master Joshua and got to live at the Duke’s estate?”de3756f1e28ca107

“Yes!”bd071ca2e4362800

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“It wasn’t that the Duke, who was passing by, saved you when you were being hit by the High Priest?”5f40c95c085f1e8a

“That too!”9c2077b0bec99300

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“Yes?”b0347aab5305afab

Color returned to Diana’s face.3865de4d476a8a29

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She seemed to think there was no way I could have succeeded in healing where she had failed and gained the Duke’s support.47f1dbf60a24bc3e

I shattered that thought with fc1f368acf an innocent face.0b8d805b0b99ed21

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“But the support was decided before that.”a930418482957790

“…What?”fe004c69274365b1

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“The very first day I healed Josh, he got better right away! So the Duke came to the temple to get me, and it just so happened that he saw it. That nasty dog was about to hit me…”5360eab2d95e1b2c

“Is that… so?”9393f24d1bc61f33

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“Yes! So, what I’m saying is, I succeeded in healing Josh and got the Duke’s support! So you don’t have to feel sorry for me, Diana.”ff36808184840463

“……”ffbe16d5a898e0f4

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Diana’s face darkened abruptly at my words.d1f6ade2fcaf94df

I looked at her 74f471d0d4 with cold eyes.63b61fbed6167031

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‘She must have something to say to me now.’026c0fd5a5d9cb4d

I waited, but no apology 015b5590e1 came from Diana.a0c2bdd95ad2f122

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She was the kind of 9739eb02fd person who would apologize for 52f0aa220d trivial things but pretend not d7c52daed3 to know when she said c2b4a6b477 something that genuinely hurt me.f23d853b339a887c

‘Maybe it’s because we don’t match in any way, from one to ten, that she’s the heroine and I’m the villain.’e7a62c8e9f5ec35e

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But it didn’t matter anymore whether Diana apologized or not.fe0e329799830a4d

Because I was no 8d07ec1f72 longer hurt.3f66170ff0a9fbc5

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“……But. How did you know about that?”7739f3358fc64d96

Instead, I changed the d32e2c6eeb subject casually.4db16e508a5506fa

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“Huh? About what?”567dc2fa124d8c99

“That I almost got hit by that nasty dog.”ee5e60a5b9e785e7

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“Oh~ A knight from the imperial palace came looking for me.”99d7ad67086f1d6f

“A knight?”ce1fe3badb700c44

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“Yes! He asked if I had ever been hit or severely punished at the temple!”64bf5a32e5c018bd

‘It seems the Duke’s report yielded results.’43b2273fcd81d893

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It was somewhat reassuring to c5ea315aa1 know that the investigation was 9b2de4cd0d making progress.7b5f18a9435eb2f0

Of course, Diana would have 34a1433675 answered that she had never 7a28743605 experienced such a thing.6eb142d2a8d3bed5

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“I didn’t know the High Priest was such a bad person…”805c3a41c975a7d9

As expected, Diana e7575d15a9 mumbled with a c31261466b dejected face.adc071a45894d61e

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“It must have hurt a lot, Belze. You were punished often.”fa65963819182c28

“It’s okay.”eb32f1a1c4bbc2af

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“I heard the Room of Repentance is gone too? That’s really a relief! The goddess will surely punish such a bad person!”090d4d0ba25030f9

Diana looked at 7a6a3f126d me with tear-filled 3baa33f1c7 eyes.5268948ff7a56a6c

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While I was 371896b399 half-listening to her 65cf64721a words of comfort, 812f1e8af9 I hesitated and b98b19f7ec looked back at 0a0cc93779 her.502f63fac27550d8

“…But, Diana.”7fd1dafabac8a188

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“Huh?”e2a4b4bf7021b139

She said she didn’t know the High Priest was such a person.3893a71065eb5a42

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‘But how do you know about the Room of Repentance?’46006bad98867cad

I was about to 5f70e07e61 ask that when there c78429be07 was a knock.e5838e6570570ea3

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“Miss! It’s me, Tara.”0a35cd891993b6b7

Tara announced her presence.a994ac71025057d1

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I had no choice 458b00b53a but to put aside 3d530a2452 the uneasiness that had e59800f485 risen to my throat.87e5b72b8fbe4b97

“Yes, Tara! Come in!”6611879a837d1d4d

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“Were you having a good conversation? Were you playing with dolls or something!”e513740f39fcd724

“We’re too old for that now…”bc400699e33d6bd2

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“Yes, yes. Is that so? Sorry for being a bit late. I was preparing a few more snacks.”663fa34da061747d

Ignoring my words, Tara f724894990 pushed in a trolley.c4e5a969273ecc6f

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My eyes widened at f37597e3f0 the sight of a fb5af965d5 large, ornate three-tier tray 346a64b842 decorated with flowers.290e825c42fe72d4

‘Just a few snacks? This looks like… did she raid a bakery?’c017ede66ee6be2e

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The plates were 5104bbd6ed filled with various 55b45271f5 desserts, from cookies 0d93f325c3 to macarons, cakes, c577b737cc and sandwiches.e7e1f8a896fb377a

“Wh-why did you bring so much?”57dce1d65e30690d

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“It’s the first time you’ve had a friend over, miss! The head chef put in some extra effort!”fffee0ebea8f9f7f

“Is the chef a wizard or something…?”4544b150d55d49d2

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“If the head chef heard that, he’d be flying around on a ladle.”c1517657b975b0a2

Tara grinned as a37ccc7670 she finished setting 8ffc579f4c up.e39c60d04370ba9f

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Everything was very small 997ef39315 and cute, as if 6122d5d159 specially made for children: 7a93ebf5b5 tiny cups, teapots, and dde2622d1c teaspoons were lined up 47ed803be1 in succession.1063a3c90da4c678

‘Playing tea party at this age.’cf1f679f79d374d3

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Unlike my somewhat skeptical attitude, Diana’s eyes sparkled.84a680aa451c5d51

“Wow! So pretty!”c538363ccfb33f94

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“Isn’t it? The Duke had these custom-made for when our young miss would host tea parties, and now we finally get to use them!”6e667d88511796aa

“The Duke…?”da88f03da1f99fe6

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“Yes!”1ddc04b669637d72

Tara’s words touched a part of my heart.9b7c4d7aae3664a0

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‘Come to think of it, he bought something like this in my previous life too…’d20354d8ae46604c

The tea set the 0d08378431 Duke sent as a 699a97e161 gift was very luxurious 905f835f2f and beautiful.daae9f0dbde65dfe

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It was clearly meant to 090d2f724d encourage me to invite friends 8ce70856fd over for a tea party.855d9eec427cd601

But those pretty 04d0aba21a teacups never got 0236760017 used.973a0b48d2f9d858

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After hosting a c0a309c702 tea party that a4d179ee3b no one attended, 47469483a7 I put them e92dc114e6 away in the 751eeca08d cabinet and never 4b04b0d9cb used them again.2246701f3f75d68d

‘I should have just invited the Duke to drink tea with me. Or Edwin, or even Tara…’c71c96ca8a0fd130

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That kindness. That warm-hearted gesture.415c05bd7dd94779

I shouldn’t have let it go to waste in the cabinet.a2e4a9e8d4fac55f

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‘It’s okay. This time, I’ll make sure to have a tea party with the Duke!’fa033a6242b0b00a

And I’ll invite Joshua, and Edwin too!c6aabf9d0147b493

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‘I’ll make lots of money and buy all the famous desserts from the capital!’1d7124ce8dc229a0

Just as I was 2eec81312d clenching my fist and 62b563405e making my resolution, a 82a44eb72b refreshing sound of water 9bc20fb8b0 pouring into the teacup af7ba85ed8 brought me back to 015a605b4b reality.213212359c4c6d98

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“Princesses, what would you like to have first? Just let me know, and I’ll serve it right away.”eeb3e400ad2bc48e

Tara, who had poured tea into Diana’s and my cups, started the princess roleplay again.0c7d57840d59cd15

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“Princess…?”aeb006c1c730c2d1

Diana mumbled, looking puzzled.576899399eb472bb

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Used to this, I replied 830fb52c0f without hesitation.cb673562e46be3dc

“How about we start with the pecan pie Diana brought?”f49de1901f997d78

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“Okay, sounds good!”6ba0247853766674

The palm-sized pies she e5e75dba47 brought were neatly cut c74873c519 into bite-sized pieces.b612bb43fb74cca1

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Tara used tongs 962b7a412b to place a 666c99db8e piece on each 8e150d9b27 of our plates.36465eb7c3b7bb69

“Enjoy your meal!”765b78ebff58a301

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It felt like 6157171d48 I was finally 8b89d6dfc6 having the tea c74d5ed3d9 party I never 32dc1a3e10 got to have bc69e5fdf1 in my previous 2461e18770 life, and I af6299a395 was a little 15f5aef1c0 excited.610c0f7c1d499a86

I eagerly stabbed 74ec434d30 the pie with 59c05a7ecd my fork and bb5b3554e4 took a big 001bae17cd bite.1684fd1a425c3cfb

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Crunch!133969cbea1cbbcc

The crispy, savory tart crust 26287d3a5b crumbled in my mouth, and cdf219b1b8 the finely chopped pecans and 026374f871 sweet jam filled it.e7f0de1ca7deabd4

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“Wow… it’s delicious!”f4f35ca4b408e1a8

An exclamation escaped my lips.e1f86668670a0b97

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‘They said it was the most famous in the capital…!’7594bd1a83d1020c

Even a child (like me) who didn’t particularly like nuts found it delicious!0ac28613fd7d0962

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“I’m glad you like it.”09a332ba2fb38983

Diana smiled broadly at my b842084166 reaction.931d3c2c7939942f

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Unlike me, she was f865a6334d elegantly cutting the edges 3c2f9ed9a2 with her fork and 371481da88 eating small bites.5b9668deddd2a876

Having quickly devoured 8aa01d45f6 a piece in b99dd64ffa a few big 478decaff6 bites, I felt d236aace63 a bit embarrassed 3edcbbfcb5 and quietly put 3ff76beba6 my fork down.44af9e59fef483e1

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“Don’t you like it? Why are you eating so little?”63abc14a55d80890

“No, it’s not that…”f3d876cbfe33e70c

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Diana’s smile deepened at the corners of her mouth.e3a08ea802bf568d

“Actually, it’s my first time eating so much like this too.”1a2f3e6067cff014

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“…Huh?”1b3f5b83283847b0

“Thanks to you, I get to try all these things, Belze.”26fc3fbab8d30fde

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I didn’t understand what she meant.b814e6b4fa02a7c3

‘Didn’t she say earlier that the Marquis bought it for her?’cbca224c01376b09

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It was then.7198e212ac6b7ca4

Suddenly, I saw a small yellowish glow bloom near Diana’s neck.bee59cdaa46766da

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“…Wait.”b439b0bb864df156

I instinctively called out to 72f4c3b71e Diana.318feb8077dab526

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But it was already 37ec58efb2 too late.364e471f6c3ce604

“Hoo, ha…”0cd4478b0e198202

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Suddenly, Diana took a f32c44b90a deep breath and plunged 25b8d02165 a forkful of pie 0e481b4f67 into her mouth.d33a896fd671a419

Before I could stop her, e8293003f0 she had already shoved the ab6c17eaf5 large piece into her mouth.7cc9f6e5fbf72d71

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Crunch, crunch. Gulp!fbae2d358d7e1637

It seemed a bit too dfd9d8d52e big for a child, so db5735f4eb Diana quickly chewed and swallowed 6473caf691 it with the tea that 0aefd47d09 Tara had poured.112d4c1bc665213f

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And at that moment.abfa8f71e5371a00

Whoosh―!4c15204885bc830b

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The small yellow glow at 26d39f5b02 her neck instantly swelled up.177b499bf0d8d767

I jumped up from d74d52702b my seat.3ed3cd5499a23246

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“Spit it out immediately!”3b34d334776d7b0b

“Ugh…”02a2e5d21f2458c7

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Diana grimaced and clutched 36d6ddd5ea her neck.73cf9f266af4b8ae

“Miss Belze. What’s wrong?”6ba84227cd528429

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Tara, looking flustered, turned to d3bf276665 me.bce05796d539a10c

And then.df392b0b22d164ea

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“Gack!”a2f0891101992ef1

Diana’s face suddenly turned red, and she started gagging.e75ecc6180046997

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“My, my body feels strange… I can’t… breathe…!”fff3e3cd62191e76

“Ah! Miss! What’s happening!”ecc2a3e118836f8b

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At that moment.d2c195a9477583a0

Bang!760769d9543bd811

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The door flew open.c097085d6913a5d8

“Lady Diana!”3536c0a846a9fe92

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Diana’s maid rushed in through the open door.593a6fe9de4a53c3

“…What’s going on?”28065ecc8409249f

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Another person followed her in.450009ccbdb2f115

It was Edwin, his 8674abc4ee face filled with shock.dd943aef037dfdfe

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Everything felt like 06a2e782ea it was moving e0a2397b17 in slow motion, 90c09969da like a scene 159c1da823 from a movie.07f1b4eea87acfed