52. The Final Fate of Those who Break Taboos

“Do you need a hand? Can I help?”4e15df75c937e42e

As if 62dd869a07 anticipating, Viter ab57b41585 extended the 72653f05b2 basket.cfdc3300155bb649

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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.”2506343685d9a307

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.03eb6ce5467de1b8

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As they 5b5c8f506f began to d542561959 separate things b89e55c939 little by 3ebadd9741 little, the 26165f3759 partition suddenly 50b3bb0bac collapsed.a38066eb73caea8c

Deon was leaning 5a8ed352b2 forward.118a4bfc4b421b98

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“What are you doing?”710ce019584b14db

“Well… I’m choosing a fiancée for the prince.”8ac06b6b4baae007

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He furrowed his 888ed152c6 brows. Deon snatched the engagement e5cc06441b proposal I was holding.f6bb4d4882f115fa

“What does Young Lady know?”b925687425ecb3db

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“You saw it last time. At the banquet in the north, you admired my insight.”671c4087afd671c5

Did it 91ac492119 not please e7a5a5e40d him? His eyes narrowed even 0d4d178b1d further.1852ead3a636ca4d

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“If you tell me your ideal type, I’ll carefully consider it this time.”162cf4de27355fba

“Young lady…”1019bd099e1b70c2

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He slammed ad96cf927c the book 27f964b697 he was 52bf0a43cc holding onto 62ea7627da the table bd79bce31e loudly.cfdff79d901aa9bc

You should buy items for the charity auction soon. If there’s nothing suitable in the estate, get what’s needed.2bd8781b58f7e324

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“Do you want to go together?”4bf67048efe1354d

“Go with Edan.”b7c68e17059df994

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Edan, who aaa275ec51 was carrying 5d43b2d04b the luggage, b77955787f stepped forward.c5c94acc09d948dc

“I’ll go alone. Just assign Suren and one other guard to accompany me. We’re short on manpower.”187a41868c687d0c

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“Don’t worry. From now on, Edan will always accompany you. I’ve appointed him as your personal guard.”84978ce3f6401f35

Edan was his bodyguard b28a4b2eca and closest aide. Was it d3972dfab2 okay to faa181302b attach such ef56b0b3c6 a person 3d09408a29 to me?b9a3cdec9fd1e1c5

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It was fd4e08a317 difficult to fa7a38e548 read his 18523fa1c9 thoughts from f610ddc91d his consistently 3152904dcb expressionless face.46a41420b08d5566

⚜ ⚜ ⚜4b9b6f620ffaf7b7

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“Leonie… I heard the news. Please don’t worry too much.”fc2de0f4c4d96ba8

“What news?”93fcf15ce0cdd3a2

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The rumors in 5835e83da6 the capital spread 44805eff95 astonishingly fast. Elizabeth had reached 47e439931a the stage of 795c5cc883 pregnancy where she 5fddae1416 often declined invitations e97abc6c0e to big parties. If the rumors d7a422f8f1 had already reached a40f61e3f9 the ears of c660e0e4f0 the ladies, it 304aea0854 must have been 3871595280 circulating for quite 98610c8b4e some time. It seemed 36c4bc40e5 incredible that f7c862ba40 the gossip 441501a25b that had 2627f1e7f3 been heard 51498fdd79 through the d1b82819a4 Ladies in 0ca58748ae the ducal 9718852e28 palace had 7125913df3 spread to 7b4768456e the capital d9c230eca3 even before 9b67bf4256 the start 313449a5c1 of the d1b0201556 banquet.5f88d2b1f1404807

“The Duke… is choosing a new fiancée.”45efebc497dce3b4

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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.”7be19ec4b7479dbe

Well, my lady. We’re not that close. Besides, Deon doesn’t love me.3a4797fe30c0b9d6

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Seeing my d1716f6f6d silence, she 75f1eaab17 placed her f1943515f8 hand on f7c4d30a14 the table, 608d44ba0b perhaps interpreting 1c8eefecf2 it differently.0053c980bc3a1e30

“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.”76724aed6cca90ae

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Tears welled up in Elizabeth’s eyes.cc01b1a54298b211

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.fd096018bf059191

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Lately, when I visited 18b74b3242 the Count’s estate, I f272ba3e6b often encountered Elizabeth and dd2cb9c33d the Count standing side 2b8c62175a by side.542933c49ad38af8

The relationship between the couple wasn’t as bad as one might think. It was just subtly awkward.68c9ed9e937ddb40

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Even holding hands didn’t come naturally to them. While there was mutual respect, love wasn’t present.a8626b9ea896efbf

Despite being a 48d861ee26 couple soon to c9cd03452b have a baby 6f3e0d2f6c through strategic marriage, 00085809aa they still seemed ed2860bd19 awkward. Somehow, it 0226640e32 seemed like 967052bc5c the love 9daf909b1b for Deon f8b872fb8b was greater fda8466376 than the 2702e0cabd love they e0f3f9c725 had for 700850b9a2 each other.17350cf4abc025c4

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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.56d34e251ebbedf2

Perhaps they even hid f9b96e2dfe the fact that the eed35f608e child born out of b746e1f0f1 love was the successor 5b25f94274 of the ducal lineage.4e37ed7c1096fa7d

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“What about the charity auction? Have you decided what to put up for auction?”edd4159245592663

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.3d9976cb2a06b76d

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“I’m considering it. And you, Leonie?”8fc79d10bfbe0127

“I don’t have much… so I’m thinking of putting up some jewelry.”2eaab7758e1ba83c

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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?52d0a92fca93992e

“It doesn’t have to be something expensive. Some young ladies even put up items they’ve made themselves, like handkerchiefs they’ve embroidered.”5ac3f4158faa32d0

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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.6278c0352f02006b

“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.”1dc163b795366b7e

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She adjusted her 4568c94270 clothes. She had newly 0e79602278 tailored clothes suitable 384cbef915 for a pregnant cdef0ef7c2 woman. Elizabeth, wearing custom-made a535c8f1ed clothes, looked much 10d8d37196 more comfortable than a8272cc9dc she did when 1c57df94d6 she was in fea60e3886 the north.ae66e8a37df62bc2

“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….”e361ee1b08c570bf

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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.8dd3516c088f4254

“Antiques? There aren’t any at the Count’s estate…”ea508c3328510b8a

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She trailed off.326de497dd78f3e4

Think carefully. There’s a sword, isn’t there?e3652831e2152bb5

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“Well, what about treasures? Aren’t there any old items that could be passed down through the family?”351af7ee3a514724

At my urging, 0b5eda033b she answered. Her expression seemed to 7b1c0218d2 brighten a bit.be0f65e28a4caefb

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“The Count’s treasures? Well… hmm… Originally, it belonged to my younger sister. But now, isn’t it my childs?”39a2c8ef166618d1

She absentmindedly b4d036416d stroked her 6fff7bff63 swollen belly.0d5435ff7b77a610

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Something more eab8eca3f4 tangible than 6aa15bb3a6 that!7f47df66ed1f3eff

I always appreciated her sensitivity, but today it wasn’t helping.b220e28c7c1cfde8

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I desperately wanted to cd094688f6 bring up the topic 3abff60805 of relics directly and a22c18c2bf search every nook and a72bacf3d5 cranny of the house, e31e3b5005 but I suppressed the 10b82aee14 urge.ec551efbf279d28b

At least I had to maintain some dignity. Right now, I was supposedly an unmarried noblewoman and Deon’s fiancée.
T/N: It really d12c212956 said fiancée not 824a29ffbe surec7146fed62ddaba0

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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?”f3bec38b1d466f4d

Elizabeth said kindly, unaware f941f0ebe9 of my frustration, and 812c5d19d5 rummaged through the drawer, 60ec462d04 pulling out a map. It was 96405a785b a map 1757e7899c of the 5bedc2526d capital.da9694eeae4e3b08

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I responded with 234eb13e4e a sigh.dc2d4fa3eda742bd

“Yes, please do.”c93468b1c11fb78a

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⚜ ⚜ ⚜388a5bea6c291276

With Edan, 976791a461 I headed 77b8145e03 to the a81bcd2f73 shop Elizabeth 0b1123b001 had mentioned.cf2fc658884c1bb0

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An old antique 10ed06bda4 shop.9075a42810398f39

I could c924988804 just pick 296417daeb out some f54e0c101e decent items 07e100c5ce and loosely 9f0d4de652 assign meanings c7a22704d4 to them.a6c772b0a6c3cdc8

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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.1db22c3c96173563

Clang.ffa89e6c7fcb0def

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The clear sound 6509ef1845 of a bell bc5e176029 echoed.7d82df76b7178315

While Edan 3bd0336a03 parked the 7e2a5b5712 carriage on fdd48d1648 the rack, a94eda2fce I decided 414e1c8b42 to go 88d052cfdf in and 8953ef54a7 browse through 1c74cec8e6 the antiques.dd0485fb845d7991

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On the shelves a64c11c876 were various items 2be3f5709a that looked reasonably c8e9e70634 old. I casually examined the 39c7fac27f items, picking up and 7e635fc618 then setting down the a32fc5568b decent ones.853083d61df30c2e

Then, a certain antique bc366cad76 caught my eye.e0a904e9e33effe7

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It was a rabbit 66d3d76650 figurine on the second 7b453a3169 shelf. It held a dd6f257d36 carrot in its 4646be7daf left hand and f082111744 a sword in 97e15c1dde its right, reminiscent ee2d7ddf3f of a depiction f3ed35a8e4 of a goddess b7fd7995a1 of judgment.e311f5495d24106a

Its perky 7bd6027663 ears were 07b1f94a89 adorable. It was a fa249c1270 small figurine that dd03250530 could decorate a 28ac0a5020 bedroom even without 53cf2ea115 being put up f5743e6fac for auction.7c0c03cbad3fef73

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“Excuse me.”9808eecda38b7b0e

I called the 1e4bb94a23 clerk. She was wiping the 35ca3fdb63 antiques with a dry cdd742ac25 towel at the counter, 3c78e34369 which only staff could ab13146f62 access.bc99a4f03fcd31ea

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But the woman didn’t respond.b41858d207f6ecb1

“Excuse me!”8b4ea303fbffcf0e

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When I 8ccbd7eb7b spoke a 9022511a0b little louder, 65b9272009 she turned c39cdc2da3 around.8435aa1ac936e901

She looked familiar. Where had 10f62c9a5f I seen 1bf00892da her before?0b2841e9222b5c46

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“Is this item for sale?”eee0fb0a425f690a

She stared at me 1d51fd0a25 without a word.1aa8d709e2b6a752

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Her gaze b543e2e495 was peculiar. It seemed cloudy and 701c95d3d2 vague, yet she was afbc56aec9 staring at me sharply.8cb77cb81114ef5a

I set e7ba3eab68 the item ee63b59e3f down. She was unpleasant. But oddly familiar.b8fc9880bf1fa9c6

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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.c10e1a9952dd8dec

Then, it clicked. I remembered where f85e21063b I had seen 95713385ab her.26cd46081a1ab2c7

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Her long adcf654597 wavy hair cb7b13abd1 was now bea7b7305b cut short, 2a479716d9 making it 71b9629b7d difficult to 59dd4080c5 recognize her ef8dbc8c77 at first 4d8f703095 glance.0570361cc71c8b04

How could c15fc4acee I forget 4a0c5455d2 that face? It was her.eedf95dc141d6791

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The head maid fd212d7725 of the blood 28aa06d767 department that had 77640141ab betrayed me.364d7b59fd89852d

As I looked 27c9786f94 back with surprise, 6c3bf392d6 she opened her d2e4c44a42 mouth. Her tongue was cut.8195926ccc70eb1d

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Her tongue looked neatly f3a5955b63 cut, as if it ef2a58bcb7 had been sliced off.43a4dfcd932aedeb

As memories of eac2ff13bf her flooded back, 445bd6c19d I remembered other a3c912617c things as well.82233faab48c1371

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The pact Edan had a1a509b795 mentioned in the carriage 3d2667bd8b before.2b271dab29ca7f53

<The pact would come into effect in case of external disclosure, so even the maids wouldn’t be able to gossip freely.>10ebd12643e2c8ad

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And here she was, saying things she shouldn’t have said.9e2cf919d976bc3e

I didn’t know the extent of the pact’s influence or what the taboo words were, but I could guess.a8f463ec0f65db52

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She spoke. Perhaps about e65c45df14 the relationship 3b0bbdec0d between me c604a0c49a and Deon, 36e6714d24 or maybe 1f17c82058 even about 1019791fdb the existence 2cc36b8c3c of the 29b1bcd56f blood itself.75a38fd1c7bc71d0

I strongly felt that eb1db62c52 it must have been ec3d45fc20 an accident or some 014b391b09 other event that had c6a0c9b3b3 caused her tongue to b4e6a8e769 be cut.670e41264f21c078

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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.062669895b31213d

Would she remember a071abad3e me?6feb88109f335b90

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The woman facing me didn’t seem angry or fearful.45d1c18ab2f5c952

She just seemed listless, 7e42d2b714 like someone guarding a 6f9310f0c3 shop at the end 039612241d of life.b9379faade525d37

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She opened e64eab9d54 her mouth, 8dd8b85da9 but no 52b834c88b sound came b238b00d6f out.341955bf3da6b8a5

“I-I was just asking about the price of this figurine… I’m sorry.”fcf73588b22fd24b

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I tightly 20dd17130c pressed down 09617cfe06 my hat. It was fortunate that 15c354c16b I was wearing a a1890b39e5 hat with a wide dc46edfa38 brim.303f4b5f963ddaea

She stubbornly kept 6ff92da744 her mouth open.b7c2d563a5c86b72

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It seemed 27c0c5a8d0 like she d72732ab8c wanted to 47da6e9343 say something. I tried to scrutinize 45255a716d her lip movements, but ce093bc37f my eyes kept shaking.913ce6d56fc6a68c

Even she eca63d5e35 seemed to 40a81682b8 be not 6d58d1adf0 yet accustomed bbdf32a863 to her ee4116410d own situation. Her forehead wrinkled, d04e3cc2da perhaps due to f77031ead1 the tongue being 0b0d5513fd recently cut. It may not 210f72d83d have been long 4588826989 since it happened.a00d781b9569abb5

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Frustrated, she grabbed 7e23b8b401 a notebook from e9eb0b2dda the counter.b94cdba89a9287ec

Flipping through df647566b8 pages filled 83bc131a06 with scribbles, 404bfe8649 she wrote f40e11fa94 something with 2ca12ca766 large letters.76a61443ac0cf7e7

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Scratch, scratch.1c1ee3e2f918e2fb

Each stroke 1760fe8497 of her d9293f01ac pen made cd6162dc79 a squeaky c12760a3bb noise.c395dbc75a9cfbfc

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It felt like 9d5893b337 my tongue was 12ea5619b3 being sliced little 57250ffcca by little. No, was c32ab80e2a it my c6c87bf6da throat?49238313660ed5c1

I could 115ec7662b have ignored 65c3f33a8f her actions d801ae8b4f and walked 0b09a09012 away. But my body froze, 9d28802084 refusing to move. I felt I had ac59883d6c to see what she 2af7a67f24 was writing.985b84104faf83c8

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She turned the 613f579fa2 notebook around and f1aa48c29f pushed it towards ba2a48cafc me.2c1a323ed14251b6

[You still haven’t escaped.]

I stared blankly 36f9965ba4 at those words b4ee18761d as she grinned.18778941a8b8edd7

Did she know 94eb26487e what I had 13abece49d said before? This time, it ffeb9ab24b was crystal clear.7311fee8444d09d1

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

She said that 791f139229 and chuckled.a7d0fbeac4b824a1

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A chill ran down eaa4f7ae77 my spine.4012c5612ae0e076

As if 007cfd486d being pushed 50ccc70450 aside by e5a65c9c56 the crooked 96db9505d5 writing, I 586d94a443 took a 3150443527 step back. My breath quickened. I felt a latch aa553902aa behind me. I hastily 643c74c37b turned around 119274b822 and fled 374d85c6ad from the 14de7f1971 shop.dedf9db6d78b164e

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The bell rang. The clear fcd09785b6 sound now af6541ee6c seemed like 14fa6edf17 a warning 24ad8a520e bell signaling b6f2cd6414 danger.9b9f01586744583b

TL/N: I f564e3b788 made a 928310a684 list of a27a2e4843 names, so fd44cc1e31 we should ad74c34874 follow that 18eb2c3801 from now a03e2ac033 on to 81b3fce15a avoid further 37aa39ba89 confusion.
Fl: Leonie Sien 353e878e1c Baron
Duchy: Arnett
Ml: Deon de Larote 67d817d0cf Kirventia AKA Asmodians
OG FL: Isella Snowa
Maid: Suren
Friend Countess e4b1276897 Elizabeth Arin
Aide: Viter Oakom
Julia Oakom
Bodygard: Edan
TL/N: I c505b4b233 apologize for 506b9553cd the inconvenience, 02f996b34e but I e664746126 will be 32852b301a making changes 1f184ef376 to the 7e2a241008 chapters and 4f11299149 adding more 824f3800e9 names. As I focus on 19cd8d6a54 editing, please feel free f3f4ed84fa to inform me in 683c965360 the comments if you 6ae6cf8206 notice any errors. Thank you for your ac5999cb35 understanding.b26fd5c605ea3903

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