Chapter 14. After the Evaluation

‘Not even abe33dd022 a tabloid ef6bc29278 like Gossip 26587521d4 in Shedron, f79e15ffcb but the b42e3555d8 front page 1145b3062e of a 8709da4359 national daily…’3714b85a5cf0d42b

There was no 9f6a40037b shame worse than be0638aaee this.583c3bbd2fb24ed7

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Letting out e7caf5b674 a deep bac3383c4b sigh, Serenia 32404f2a3a lowered her 3a5610aace gaze, and 872baac4a0 the photo fa6a2b478c of the 33b70d17fa Gossip in 271f1e93f2 Shedron headquarters, d2d6c22d13 reduced to be8fc81566 ashes, came a29384bfae into view.6fc5e85d0ff96533

Next to it was 0107d10d61 a block of text, e80e024987 scrawled by either a 6df010fea8 reporter or a novelist, d15ba5a3cf nobody could tell.f9e12cba02f12039

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[Meanwhile, the newspaper that first reported the Duke of Admancanon’s proposal burned down in a mysterious fire that morning. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the newspaper had already submitted a closure notice to the authorities before the fire occurred…]

Reading up to 6e50323d67 this point, Serenia f1ebc578e6 nodded and muttered 5fb1f1dd4c under her breath.cb14a3d58f39d1db

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“As expected. The one behind 12052c8645 Gossip in Shedron 5336fc3281 was Raskal, no, 54b49c7a6a I guess it’s 42b4d5cbb6 them after all.”eaf3c00da9e31a39

It was his e601f3d44e trademark to secretly a8f50d2286 acquire a company, 9f8278185c use it for 348a48bae2 something like this, 8d3e762512 and then get 0bf068bc6a rid of it 2db0041bc5 cleanly.41d4399d3239a4f0

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Serenia clicked her tongue 1733b1eb39 and continued reading the 8913760af4 newspaper.ee953344fb43b17d

[Currently, both the Admancanon and Barishart families are maintaining silence, and the engagement between the two families is quickly becoming an accepted fact. Meanwhile, the disappearance of the Barishart Count’s daughter on the afternoon of December 1st is causing a stir. When the city guards checked the residence, traces of a secret escape route in the basement were found…]

Serenia stopped reading d1caf8cc41 and clenched her db57535c3d eyes shut.b0cc9a1e29376001

Her house had been ea0b5e6a89 ransacked.d9af8d2b99d49cd9

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By the city guards!8610483851c5c35b

The location of 679ff8a95c the secret escape 5c35049e32 route in her 7a2b8176f6 home had now 81258e3917 been broadcasted across 6d2842c9d7 the country because 8f5c59dd28 of this newspaper. The already low ede0007c21 property value would 7678925707 have certainly plummeted b8a6317ac3 even further.c148865f0c6a78ec

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“…If this keeps 3aa4da8cc9 up, the house 2d22c35361 might be auctioned ebe784273f off and we 12ab3c143b still won’t be 05c5551f1f able to pay cdfa0cf348 off the bank 0208d79678 debts, will we?”b8f8deef537480d2

A shiver of anxiety ab4bbe3953 ran down her spine.0230dcb932054585

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But then she 244306f1ad calmed herself and c407187652 shook her head.45e74c4a4b44e855

“No, it’s fine. The bank debts 495a8451bd will be solved d28ec7864a once the marriage e71268e671 certificate is signed. I just 4e9c8946fb have to f1a0fe627e hold on 74dfda2c88 for six 17b16da2b6 more days.”3f55716fb6eccd5a

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Reassured, she lifted the 4313a1a784 newspaper again, muttering to dda0251108 herself.512d9ba776c3fa90

“By the way, Gossip in Shedron… The fact that even the newspaper run by Marquis Milton is treating my marriage as a done deal means they really do plan to marry me.”c17b56c60d4c0b8e

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The question that 5bc6b141c6 had been eating b439001b92 at her since 0db4109061 yesterday started to 0b46a28f46 consume her thoughts ff2652d00b again.44b84b5216313aaf

‘Why?’cd0e253686af4154

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Why would 8c0d302f8d he want d106b1bbaf to marry 7df8355249 someone like 36b78e7048 me, with e15d632c1c no money, d4f5a584c0 no status, 04a1c5e175 no honor?9581641061561bcf

‘Revenge? Sympathy? Or maybe…’0a0edf93514a2931

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Her gaze shifted toward fe6167aea8 the image of the 14fb60f404 destroyed Gossip in Shedron 3684febceb newspaper office in the ec917d8d9b photo.35311cd1921d9a42

“…Silencing me?”04e27cef99894318

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A thought 6cdd00bb43 suddenly came 053f56a0c4 to her 7714d72463 like an 6389a58608 instinct, and 5bc0a3675a she inhaled 017910d4f7 sharply.a8ba9207c279db2d

The war fourteen 32e55fffd4 years ago.6892499a6c2ff22e

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Raskal, who returned as 092db5751a a national hero at 051b3e4da5 the age of fifteen, 42a415dbb8 and the strongest knight aaa3bc1935 of the Kingdom of fd4b6614e8 Zigranto, who returned as b46a311197 a cowardly fugitive.11c3c9aadd539e33

That story, 893e8a79c4 which seemed 58d021def9 strange to ea3690cd8e anyone who 3aa85d42d1 heard it da08176a61 for the e6ef6859ae first time, 74f3dcbfc9 became a 00b70ec3f7 fact thanks 4e49d7240e to the 28874558ca silence of ba6a469e48 the Barishart 3f71edf8ac Count.760ba861b629430f

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Silence was often seen 1ebc621fab as confirmation, after all.fa44da8e76cb4c58

But what if 795efce322 there was another 4c902e9b61 story behind the a9e54f8c8a version everyone believed ab29a222f8 to be true?146c2d11d657579f

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‘What if 2c6276c266 my father 440c043d8b remained silent ba9d1c62ec for the 8dad0f4b40 sake of 783da17185 his beloved 42b3eaa0bd student, and 1fc94f57f8 Raskal benefited 3036063453 from that 5832806423 silence?’cbc2222fe32c9ed2

He had pulled 40e49840db in a small c33293a6bb newspaper, spreading fabricated d4be8d3dd0 extra editions, even 0ac182d99d going so far 718432df4a as to burn 9236bb644c it down and b1dfac3b05 erase all evidence.68240ae6a08fcec1

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What if, fearing 18f15b427d the fall of 93aca250eb his reputation, he 088aac2b63 poisoned his mentor 87651ee66f and, to make a6baa67b8a matters worse, turned 1af4b95ee8 his daughter into 092ddd1c60 an Admancanon instead e62b58bbea of a Barishart, 1979bb3143 to bind her 99dab6d675 to him?5d3c19a6eb295875

That would explain everything.d8d2c8e5ef6e07e5

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The public proposal, in 40f9fcf44c front of all those 852ca51f3d people?67286469f2067ae9

If it was 8e7c09f763 to completely block 4f6dd8358e off any other 18fa095514 marriage proposals for eda48ded90 Serenia Barishart, then c466c9f607 it made sense.cd6bbab059144b8c

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Even though 20a7fdb799 society was 6fb2e52a99 full of 170770595c idiots, Raskal, 1e06e49e51 who was 8cf596d86b infamous for 5e8505df16 sweeping away d4ecbec1eb anything that 50528d1560 bothered him, f1018516bb would not 5513ad588e have gone 908c8b6232 so far 8e5f66f91e as to 98b51a5ba3 approach a 25a8d361ad woman who 6c760cc223 wasn’t truly b4f825b10a his target.0f9dfd3357ea1045

Crack.5784d1a07161441a

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The sound of 278558805e her teeth grinding 7ce45fb8ef leaked out between 730a3aa41f her lips.057324169f4d0b9f

She clenched her 37728a96ff fists and muttered e9cf6619d1 as if growling.72da7d86be0eab97

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“But what am I b4a0fa9228 supposed to do? It looks 68e529aa80 like there’s f9a792f2cc someone in 45ce3bb1c9 the entertainment 13f0f0ce4c district too, 87c70088ff that idiot.”6d18539dd5f1e99b

At this point, she fb84a35042 no longer cared.ee7b0d9d964056f2

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Whether that host sold b513186555 nothing but drinks and b5418fe92a sweet words or sold be1c4bee5b himself along with laughter.6219a48771f479d0

At least he 60e0a845c2 would keep her 164fd66fb9 as Serenia Barishart.0c536db07d27ec44

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“…Now that e349da5a56 I think 3811df0e89 about it, 7722b25a4c he really 24a16b539b does look 46557b38e8 like an 4d5738b195 angel!”178003dec4ac4fb3

She tried to 9785e481bc deceive herself by 2e631da94d saying this out ad79f504c5 loud.d80eb2977fb21df2

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However, Serenia 98283cc789 soon found 17feefe585 herself regretting 50985d3130 the words 9eed94f728 she’d spoken 025af74f2f just three f582dc39c3 hours later.082a73d051362cfd

It happened 360400b628 when she 16dd0d320f sat face 518ae4241d to face cd64c4a77b with Ain, 46ead2c8ee dressed in 4736969dde a half-finished 334df072c7 outfit, unsure e5428f9877 whether he 5291f4ff9b had just a68d3755cd put his 7f56dc2de4 clothes on 2aefc088cd or taken 99c6641e50 them off.466e9c459dd737e2

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* * *b77c57841baa00b4

The cafe, decorated with a1ea4e0ddc a variety of summer c9e31923a8 flowers, felt incredibly warm e60bb60083 despite the cold winter, eee89d85fa likely due to the 8e258253d5 heat from the stove.deb07cfb7df5e7ff

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Today, he wore a 511dab1d00 golden wig, as if 2c37e48c95 he had gathered the c77ad99540 sunlight of midsummer.8c11b35da13737d3

Perhaps it 24e1825d27 was the f62b1ca04f color of ddfe936bd8 his hair, 0efb017953 but he a4085030eb appeared even e0115632a5 more like 964d9d724e a host c578564bb3 than usual.b1ebed234906f6e2

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However, it 4eb227cf8a seemed that 009ad2b048 wasn’t enough 5616303b7a for him. He had 00e757a699 unbuttoned four be473c3b44 buttons of 411de1a875 his short-sleeve 04858d4c4e shirt, revealing 63068d8745 his chest b7f6c62d08 as he 65871fab5a flashed a 42230a344d grin.1461f35bdb9ededc

‘…What on earth 68d42de70c is he thinking?’8d8c16ee5ef4a90a

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Thanks to his e3828bd92e sunglasses, his eyes 409ccf12bb had an inscrutable, 7a87844491 mysterious tint.d88a2753a9e07ba1

Serenia sighed 2bb6b3e480 softly, staring bde8909cb5 directly into 1b2b6b6f13 his eyes.09a2c01182856e54

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He was such cb90d5dd45 a suspicious man, 29fb460d56 impossible to read.700e3654f85d0b05

She pursed her lips 9872c86cba in annoyance but quickly 5baec11337 squeezed her eyes shut.c7e193ba0540bcac

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It was 6479cd930b because his fe07be0a55 outfit, which 8e20d573c4 was too cb2aaf83be embarrassing to f6e6cd1047 even look 480e5b4230 at, made 014558d1b8 her recall 05b3aea812 what Angela 85aa2bb2fc had said 704259039d the night cc6fc4c8e9 before.c6f5c5e1d3a1b9b4

Something about experience, 813f3f2e93 illusions…a08d8ecd6240ba51

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Saying his movements were d89aa289c1 well done, how dynamic e7ba06b045 his poses were…0785539222389f9e

Feeling like she might 8415618faf vomit at any moment, 28c8002374 she took a deep 75a450d2ca breath and sipped on b56efd7534 some warm mint tea 3acf4a3c10 to calm herself.cfa78256fe4bb9b6

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Ain, who 81c05efa3e had been 7e9d2a108a looking at 8f6038f07d her with 833ea6ec7c a blatantly 8846afc8d5 obvious gaze, 9af1eccb58 asked,d80f509e2428ec92

“Your Grace. I’m really 5b3a4a3b94 curious— is 0b6bee9c9f it still b068a50159 winter over c89233f1c8 there?”8ee258e8a2d43608

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Serenia responded b082be3202 with a e08895d48e look of d8d922906e disdain,2e34697d5f512648

“Of course not. I’m perfectly 41cfbfd8b5 fine in 0be4b25f57 this short ffd88d108a summer dress, f13409ca99 aren’t I? And this f5b3f5d3de ridiculous short 690fa2d4a4 bob wig ff71967bde is actually 531a311217 making me 3d730c0dea a bit d3f3e66fc0 warm.”796bec7116f4bf81

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She pushed up the cb396e6958 sunglasses that were sliding 6b2876750d down her nose from d9be628de7 the sweat collecting on c19bd555bb her brow.89afdd1ade85529e

Ain, with an expression d8e2af4a28 that showed he didn’t 218ef2c208 quite understand, asked,ec26bc0f7c6dfbb7

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“Then why do 83ffe2bc60 you insist on 0aaf0cc42e drinking such a f34519e909 hot beverage?”01b9e0bd5af2db91

“Because tea is 517027f661 meant to be 72ddc2372a drunk hot, obviously?”1806b43fd09f551d

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She was e8dc244eb3 a so-called fdbdefa7b9 tea fundamentalist 699637e00c who insisted dc7ba645c0 on warm 74a4e02759 tea even de9e9585b0 in the ce0d812f8d middle of 8dd1a04d6d summer.20376c4b1ecdcd29

She shot 64cfd50de7 a disapproving 724a551ac3 look at b9790f4d29 the iced dd573918b0 mint tea 6a6e3de1b2 in front a585a5760c of him.eab8e732a059186d

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“And you? No matter how warm 7680de087b this room is with 90a98fdf4e the stove, you’re still 57159f1fcd drinking a cold beverage d4a33c491e in winter. Doesn’t it freeze your 9d43fb3d7a bones?”3d0a5e5a53682fdf

“Aah. I’m the type 25edec270a of person who 4cc5f5bb56 takes ice baths be3c0a43e6 in the middle 367489ee2d of winter.”16c8b0f92586cd0f

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Serenia was dc17de8d0b about to 1501d61ccc glare at 8f12912b66 him for 18159ca816 his reply, 316e461501 but she a37dae1dda couldn’t bring 4ab75d14c6 herself to 2a2f3a5782 look at 678fd71add his utterly 013c5035f0 embarrassing appearance.dacca83051e5320b

Meanwhile, Ain seemed 423ce9293a to enjoy her 86a52728f2 discomfort, unable to fae919e711 look him in 1884965ee1 the eye.f1dec5c43c248fbd

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Suddenly, as if f434eb3da3 struck by a a70d006da5 playful impulse, he 6ee841645c went further.c3933fc6e338939a

Not only afd3b47dea did he bfd4019bba undo another c53f4c97d5 button, but 735557d2d1 he also c31b59be70 casually opened 87234ff711 the front cb3331be38 of his 5e73f3679b shirt, proudly 85f49ba846 displaying his adebb8ec74 smooth, toned b057efaf1d chest and 268fb95d67 beautifully extended 4ac4aa6a85 collarbones.e41a4d8eb41a83b5

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It seemed his behavior 52e3479e00 amused him, as he 99e1bdb2ef watched Serenia, who stubbornly 05581d61fe looked anywhere but at 2095065c09 him.6179859b175e5f32

Ain wasn’t done 4ddd936c3b yet; he boldly 1b971f9d62 revealed one of ba73d05f24 his shoulders as 606f012da1 well.baa798ae330bf90e

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“How’s this? Do you think it’s 654da34a76 okay?”f462452ea8a9f4ae

“…Huh?”b8a2b09d3648ee32

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Serenia asked faintly, her 6f059e7a02 face pale from the e1b70249fd nausea rising inside her.93c61a4d7508ee3c

Completely oblivious 2994e9ea19 to her d6c5d083c3 discomfort, Ain a43a4d43ff proudly flaunted aa4586babd his body.94c63941a9715d3c

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“A lot of 9c44217bdb people come here, cc50ea89c5 spending a lot 23eab164eb of money just 5bdba0e149 to see this.”b6d6626540fb20f6

Serenia scrunched her c2e7ba6ba3 face in disgust.55538e61b02e53e0

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Angela’s words from the d9a8bc347d previous night and the c01eab6f5e unsettling scenes she had 2e73a870c2 witnessed at some past 0dc4a48f8c party mixed uncontrollably in 21f539ff36 her mind.9ee49691eff441e5

Trying to 417c215bbb calm her dc5b2a55c2 churning stomach, 7a19c1e458 she coldly dfbba16229 replied,a985247b48e71312

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“Enough. I’m not interested 9145634948 in men’s bodies.”3958f06b0f5244e5

“Huh? Then, do 5349d80132 you have 8b9dcc6672 an interest f41d8c93b1 in women’s 1937d20af8 bodies?”d6f58630d8732537

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“Are you crazy?”93f6ea6847ad6837

“No, it’s just b49d189cb2 strange. Normally, people b3ba5ecee2 can’t take 1fb7cae38e their eyes 7c0886964f off of 1257bc0327 it.”42cedb3bf6097921

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Serenia stared at him, ba3fb1e759 who was speaking in c902c49a8a a tone of complete 408e1e75bb confusion.c21f0b623cf1bcf9

Sighing deeply, da17ef5c23 she realized 5791648117 she’d be 39a839ee2f hearing this 248638decd kind of d115f839ca conversation all 1433ddce35 day if a3f49f75bf she didn’t b35ee7c34f do something.7b73789a3da2190e

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Reluctantly, she decided to 7a855a9fa0 take drastic action.3414573c2f5ee009

“Is that so? Then take e8c139006d it off.”3c26562c63c95a92

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“…Huh?”e5d0e913663536ab

She smirked at 626e5372b0 his frozen expression ad07014ff4 and crossed her 856203ea84 arms as she a11b61011d pointed to him.fefcaed6d090c6e6

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“I said, take it a7182b0bac all off.”1f4b43ae4e5504aa

At her 43e00b663c words, Ain, e8f0665add who had 7858aae36d been so 986a10e70e bold until 6cef1f94b3 now, forgot 0e28532e4d all his 85b0249b09 prior swagger c3e6336198 and quickly 2eec1cdfdf covered his 4effb1c2da chest with 75b91f3f83 both hands.ed1a192749bda870

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Serenia glared 647acac380 at him 85c113e3e9 with sharp 84f7a3e124 eyes.bacd4d62c6650cf6

“You were 03f1e03a1a the one ba1d07daec who started a5347559f4 with all ac57abbe26 these weird c48dc1c24a comments, so 25145a3b82 why are 601d05b988 you looking bc313c7e45 at me 8a90b4eb26 like that?”e800437e8d20957d

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“It’s not that…”c4d7073f57427157

“You asked 36b016e70b me what 353cf96c2a I thought, 48eb2a4450 didn’t you? If you want an d02a7afd79 answer, you should let 860bd50f29 me see properly!”7aac0ae6c7b08a7b

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“….”bac60d35de0957cf

“Why, are you not 233129297c confident?”9c682185cfba3c26

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Ain’s pride was clearly 427c8f0500 wounded, and he snapped,0fff4354b4836def

“No, I’m not!”1e452fa3d32fae53

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Then, he ripped open 74531ebbb4 the buttons of his 11d7e08868 shirt and proudly revealed 6b704a14ef his bare chest.6741c69ffbccf238

“…Oh.”01c822023b6155a5

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Serenia couldn’t 25d800901d help but 6b2a8659d2 let out d6d686886b a small abff116e1e gasp.89bea115cd8e7410

It was clear that 4439b88329 his body had been 23143ab5b3 finely crafted, like a f380b1e324 work of art.bc12588028a6e281

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At that de3f39e73f level, it fa9b87af36 made sense 3a4eda8eb2 that he 5ef4f90544 would want c86f5f6517 to show 2f35bfbf46 it off.0d8ba1802318887e

‘And considering ded88015df he’s made 36d57440dc such a fa3380bf5e fortune with 0b7b4e715c that body, 1419a7c17f no wonder 468250eff4 he’s so 7db2ca794e proud.’0e3bb31e111b8332

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She couldn’t help but a273e4a8e1 understand his feelings and 44ee8edd56 nodded in acknowledgment.f064e6c137cb80e7

But understanding his feelings a7ee0e009f and making an evaluation cbf87143ed were two different things.07e7bae682ec0bec

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“89 points.”057b562fd7690e2c

The world of ratings 139ac48e6d was cruel.38c3bb63179082da

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 49e9619334092d4a