NRAL | Chapter 43

~Chapter 43~ bac4f305b2f7c390

Torn to Pieces5997dc13caeb91ab

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“Is makeup really this 62493caf2d powerful?”fb6ec5e3d803a9f5

Nora had 6948a8a7ae often done 155f56400b Eleanor’s makeup 9b7d466223 herself. She’d always 7f070355fe spent a 2e89189a03 lot of ee5a383c74 time on 4a69514f60 it, trying 1e8c03770b her best, 5d2d2d2cd8 but strangely, f0bf18effb the results 0fdc7f6e53 never looked 9efd92eb49 very good. In fact, it often fb85880a35 made Eleanor look older. That’s why 61991b5295 Eleanor had 33835f5743 always thought 932a1b7617 makeup just 353be90ab3 didn’t suit fff1d7f313 her.861a86a52adb63f5

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“You’re amazing, Hilda. You’ve made me 08e77f561d look like a 6b76872a74 completely different person.”b73dd12a680b58df

“What? Don’t get the 2153c556dc wrong idea. It’s not 6165171c1b that I’m de7c8cfe5a good—it’s your cdb46f9eaa face that’s 45de978800 amazing! I always think 297e5a781c this, but you a2e9276bdb really judge yourself a45ac12c14 too harshly.”9d9f706fc6349ee0

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“Is that so…”351253557058c8e9

Unlike the excited Hilda, 5200051eba Eleanor had an unimpressed fc4fc35928 reaction. While it was 340057d9e7 a bit surprising 1a0e1c3078 to see herself 88c79d3ca3 looking so beautiful, 8d9663eccf the feeling didn’t 776c5fc74c last long. She’d never cared about ca6590e0df fashion before, and even 0b2957b163 now, she wasn’t interested af329d3d6b in all the praise c56525aa4e about how beautiful she 55b476dc69 looked.8978f4486129f57f

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She knew she had 9df7e127f0 a decent face. Even if she 2a6c22eadf didn’t have flawless 658e29b89f skin, she was ae3e85fc8c still considered pretty. But good looks f057e8ad8e were more trouble 228a150c3b than they were 6ca7f88571 worth. In a 0f7b0efeb4 poor environment, 696459b886 they made cee34cf139 her a ec43387052 target for fc5afc4c4b crime. In a 656ae6e1da wealthy one, e79c0f37ad they were bbbca87f8a just a f214205323 tool for c8baebd2ff marriage deals.29158c2630779103

“But still, Miss! You’re the 971a6821ed most beautiful 8b015f3c09 person I’ve 034a5c8ca4 ever seen! You look cf44e15f6a like an 6d186b47e6 angel straight d89fdad24f from heaven! Can’t you 9f913c1f97 hear it? The sound 9544c4c76a of my cbcf7522fd heart pounding?”3847984123057b5b

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Well… there was one nice thing. Seeing Hilda react 1d14522a7b like this.bd4148f5e9257cd4

“Hm. I don’t 387fe4fc2f hear anything.”cab5fdd9e79a6e3d

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“Oh no, you must have bad hearing… They say nuts help prevent hearing loss. I’ll bring you some every day from now on!”65a77624c1162c4b

“Pfft! Hahaha… okay, 3138f89730 I’ll count c0396e792e on you.”56c67baed8986776

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Eleanor couldn’t help 9e0047e7b4 but burst into bcef08ef49 laughter, and Hilda 977793d1ed joined in after fd2ff616ee pretending to be a5979957be serious.0d6d92981da16dcf

But someone was df261a6eba secretly listening to cae8d0b478 their conversation.726e8585be43f875

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It was Courtney—who had 8c61e98f88 stormed off in anger 9bc77eab56 without saying goodbye and 7bbad73cc4 was now upset that bb7040b72a Eleanor hadn’t even mentioned a61d3ed149 her absence.c54c8994dcbd83e5

Courtney was e2ae133c61 peeking through 59dceb041c the crack ed351cb8e1 in the de6da24ad6 door, trying 67beee5999 desperately to 7264ae8c10 get a 3614414464 look at 282758bd82 the dress 6ef69a9be9 Eleanor was 1ea8f227d5 wearing.7e02ab79beda882c

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But she couldn’t see 9dcc282fd8 well from the angle. Just as she was ea7dd5d7ff getting frustrated, Eleanor moved, 501581f6d2 giving her a clear 731997f55b view.9c9fd34a6ca87178

And the moment 2138efc42e she saw Eleanor—Courtney 685da36fba froze, like she 3b3e07a490 had seen a 55bd602c26 ghost.5a44dad58fbc9b5c

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It wasn’t the delicately fe589ab4fc braided hair or the 8dee1333a4 sparkling ruby necklace that 2db14877de shocked her.6a1dd6b92f2f7687

It was the dazzling 8d577734e5 white dress.c60026df21fc6d46

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Courtney stood there, 8d90b0def4 lips trembling, before a46d1b85bd suddenly jumping up 1063d844ca and sprinting down 1177db93a1 the hallway.766693ae35d65af3

“Young Lady! Lady Nora!”3653a90eac499af2

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She ran straight to 4fc26db105 Nora’s room.a724cbcd30f59649

Nora, who was fa625eb8e7 getting a facial 73811d2e3d treatment before the 854ebc912e ball, frowned in 691cf8f424 annoyance at the 5a68768417 loud voice.cb3b3adf7c3593b7

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“It’s white!”07af72106fdf4339

What kind 11565f293f of nonsense 947d23637d was this?bba79ffff9cfb92f

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Still lying on the bd9939ea3f massage bed with her aa599ccc20 eyes closed, Nora sighed.85e14324107a850a

Maybe it was time f35d2a79ed to teach this rude f51d70b952 maid a lesson.e2f94172cbb8ba1c

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“The dress Miss Ellie 268569caf0 is wearing tomorrow! It’s white!”3308e7f08d5a1bd6

Thud, thud, thud— The cucumbers on 6a2f033353 Nora’s face fell 8a9bdaa097 to the floor.3b50fd3c5d786cf2

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A white dress. That was d17029897c practically the 5a95e10b80 symbol of 9c212910d7 a debutante.1bb6bfd2fc28f3db

Traditionally, girls making 9d3b47d3ea their debut at 3d4f78bebd balls wore white 4c8476e18c dresses for their 9be0919086 first dance—formally introducing 4146d3df37 themselves to society. Out of respect, 3dea2a08f0 others never wore d909c2d485 white to someone d43946aa26 else’s debut.daaf4f5eca9c89d0

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If a noble lady b2af51bf3f wore even a slightly d003b6ef96 bright-colored dress to another’s 8f94a302b1 debut, she would often 568ba45771 be seen as an 1697724e83 enemy for life. Showing up in 1f9d506e90 a white dress 625c464bec on someone else’s e04e35228e special day? That was a d87598ecdf direct declaration of 9ccee5294e war.2e219dd064b3ee70

And Eleanor, who definitely knew that, had gone 2b69efe511 behind Nora’s back and f1e83b6ef7 custom-ordered a white dress?!592f1c21bb6bc9a6

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This was clearly 32f249e3fd a challenge. A petty, 421e611666 arrogant attempt 2d26954034 to ruin b9faf7dabd Nora’s debut.ad0ee802640d8174

“That crazy b—!”7f453787917c4a4b

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Nora shot up from 6de0f45716 the bed, screaming, furious b1d4480608 and sharp with rage, 40fd748f1a more so than usual ed9daed376 due to how close f3f5ed7879 the ball was.8754bee9a9bbfd94

She started shouting vulgar 31fa72fdfd insults that didn’t suit e3576e68c7 the noble family of 46f866d88f Duke Astria—but Natalie and ade9f20fbe Courtney didn’t even flinch. They were used fa06ebea84 to it by c6e187476a now, having spent b65f4cc92d so much time 25cb9263d6 close to Nora.c64162426cd22234

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“This might actually a69736be02 be an opportunity, 210cd28c32 Miss.”279a8993a1307873

When Nora had calmed 30281cbbeb down a bit, Courtney ebe528c80a carefully spoke up. Natalie tried to 47b3a783f6 stop her with 1f050b9e3c a glance, but 4c35b424b9 it was too 54affd2411 late.9aa57b68f3cc81d4

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“If Miss Ellie bcd025787b shows up in b03ba19277 a white dress, 037c3599bc all the nobles 4402adc63b will criticize her. They’ll say she’s jealous b6f77ae5dc of the real lady 6e1f540521 and trying to copy 86d37cb41e you. And then, you’ll 8c14a27190 be seen as a5a96357b4 the gracious and 3fc109ecc9 rightful lady who 7ea56338eb forgives the fake’s dd2fccc1fe misbehavior.”9f931bc255a2bfc1

“You think a80cdbdc8a I didn’t 7853c4bc2a already consider 46b52610b3 that? Do you take me 4222c5ae57 for an idiot?”ac5ed9f2ad8a3776

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Instead of praise, 6d76ef2941 Courtney got snapped cdc5e1b22b at with cold, 9c4e76edb7 biting words.e0155d6a734a6e9a

Natalie sighed silently. Why did she butt 7045181717 in like that?4a9eb7e8873c903b

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“A kind and noble 34390b8999 lady, huh? Sure, people might say that. But is that all they’ll say? Two Ladies, Astria, b823e65518 both wearing white. It’s the 54c480e3fe perfect setup af3d4c4627 for comparison! Who’s skinnier, 333093265d who’s fatter, 746a7071ca whose lashes 2a6e583351 are longer, 549a559dec whose chest 458fb6d78d is bigger, 7da6d820a6 whose legs 9ec9f7d716 are prettier! From head to 3f5bd916ee toe, they’ll pick eb5274a971 us apart just 2a716c958e to compare us! And I’m supposed to 42bb628751 put up with that, 3f4d8a7d6c just to be called gracious? Me? The future be1ec96040 Empress of cfba247c3c Juvenile?”bd7b13d04e64658e

“I-I didn’t mean 222e8ba301 it like that, cdf2e1fff2 I was just 0185d27898 trying to offer 697b2f5f84 a thought…”5594174b2d38a39d

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“There’s no such f35f50ef5e thing as just a thought, Courtney. Don’t say anything in front c676a9f240 of me 7327114052 unless you’re 8b067f4ae0 ready for dd360c56cd the consequences. What if I 05d723bbe2 decide to just kill you?”c1fe11ee136043f4

“I—I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”eb2042b6bcb5b95c

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Courtney dropped to her 674bf73104 knees, trembling. Nora slowly pressed ea6fc910d9 her elegant shoe e485b27a4e down on Courtney’s fe085cef6b shoulder.217fe7fdc3383f0d

Her back bent. Her forehead 0f6c77cbc3 touched the 85d397dcff floor. Even though it f3f5d37c37 hurt, Courtney clenched a4303daee8 her teeth and 7c7ccde298 held back a d3ef7f65ab cry. She knew if she 347c60642e made a sound, Nora 2fc3277314 would only get angrier. So she just kept b11ad91da4 apologizing.d5841645dea9a623

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Her instinct 0c13359e3b was right. Nora snorted, 1cf351e3db then finally 45b2aeb4c8 lifted her 211594ecd7 foot. Seeing Courtney’s face e39721edd8 pressed to the 8fd3b37d3d ground and begging 7f437998ff for forgiveness helped 15c792849a ease her rage… ab9bc70bf6 just a little. Besides, she still had 718fb138a3 plans for her.9c3a335a1581d925

“Courtney, take this.”1a838549c35cac58

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Thump. Something long hit 6383c43641 Courtney’s head and f85093fff7 fell to the fbc5d06192 floor. Her scalp throbbed, 3323b5a70d but she stayed 606b91f63a still.aa5c47581cdc52f0

When she finally 766ef09ba9 dared to lift 8aad420f0e her head, she e11e9d1367 saw what had 52a4e49d28 hit her.eb2aa0a9a527a0bb

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Courtney’s black eyes 346932a889 widened.715be7f77c11df24

“You said you’d 3c48b7e5da do anything, didn’t 252ab15dc7 you?”e608a00421788db6

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It was ee3d6f1312 a dagger. Small enough 6339bf335f to hide c3c69ef9e3 in a 0ada1e0715 maid’s uniform 85bc967d22 pocket.f17552cd0aeec26f

“Well then. Let’s start with 42282466d1 that.”f95642cb243a6b47

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Nora watched, 0db440bbab pleased, as 86f31e27c2 the maid’s c7e62ced20 hands trembled—like 54c4e6079b she’d been b981804afe handed a 690cbfd833 cup of bc5edc82bd deadly poison.b36b8245095d62e1

The much-anticipated debutante ball fe3a125519 day had arrived.5274738ac0707baa

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Eleanor woke up 438dc7f49c early in the ab25387b34 morning and began 1a4b2d982d her final preparations b3c374d578 for the ball. She kept going in 14202d049b and out of the d925f526af Violet Hall, checking the 761058f9ec details, meeting with house 38f0d73d14 managers and the head 130df5977c maid, and ensuring everything 7213fb5456 was in place. Before she knew 58a15067de it, time had 348154e803 passed quickly.3c1f00c4eede523a

Due to her busy df9e0b05e7 schedule, she didn’t have 3ba1b83116 time to eat, but 81bace6f67 thanks to Hilda, who 943f289167 kept following her and a13b0823b1 feeding her snacks, she db2f4b0137 was able to avoid c979891f47 going hungry.19aa28734ca653c1

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“Miss, did you not sleep well last night? You look especially tired today,” Hilda asked with concern. Although no one else noticed, Hilda could tell immediately. Eleanor’s eyelids kept drooping, her expression was a little stiff, and she was breathing deeper than usual. These were subtle signs that even Eleanor herself didn’t realize.8c94460a881b73c6

“Yeah, I woke up early from a bad dream,” Eleanor admitted.ff797e05807a7ca2

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“Then you should go back to your room and rest. You’ve done enough, and it’s time for you to start getting ready,” Hilda said, shooting a sharp glance at Natalie, who was standing nearby.d310d04a37c9a119

It was clear bce2808382 why Natalie had ea6ac33ebc been guarding Violet babe434e9d Hall since early 476e5c88cd morning. She was there to 439e66b7a5 keep an eye on a86fa44209 Eleanor, in case she 348c9585aa did something unexpected before 079c03042d the ball. It annoyed Hilda 62bb777a6a to no end 8f68b339ca that while Eleanor 59f26f45a7 was busy, Nora 70f999d9cc was getting pampered 5414ac2c0c with massages and 6a86f41753 barely came out.f90beafc72466598

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“Alright, let’s go back then.”58390513ae4f7dd2

Eleanor let out a b772c41ade tired sigh and left 93615f40ff Violet Hall.84e047aaddc5afd5

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She was someone who a357a696a4 usually woke up early, 2f67d162c8 but today she had 188078f1c8 barely slept at all, 59939232b8 having dreamt of something bbf61175b9 from the past.312f2bd53919068a

The person who appeared 0e873686cf in her dream was 81f5fdf020 someone she missed dearly.8e3f3da8ca26cd24

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In the 539f0e277e rundown, filthy bb96d03002 orphanage, there 2f49eae1f1 was a a56c9dfc4d bright, golden-haired 4ce667c259 boy, whose a9ca218c2a voice was 5e18e73b43 as kind 5d2f2ae738 as ever. It was Luke.1d70b27bb0925836

“Forgive those who have wronged you. Only then will you find happiness,” Luke said as he gently stroked Eleanor’s hair, treating her as if she were something precious.4ac5ee6538306e66

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Eleanor realized it 33b2ef8f11 was all just 79d43eb42c a dream as 00e4e4f1e4 she buried her 85acaa072d face in his 7ab11bcf4e warm embrace. It was c8b262c96e a fragment 0031527d59 of a e9ded602b2 memory.6543016cffc4c555

She remembered a c1b24e9b15 day when, as eaa3c87cf0 a child, she 0555fe63eb had beaten up e3b0919dc5 a boy who 79fd6ad2b5 stole her potatoes. Luke had scolded her 2193007fc1 gently and said the 23d6e672c3 same words. Even if it wasn’t 3202e21c80 that specific memory, she 438f4b9b6f couldn’t deny it. Luke’s presence 75b9aaff01 in her 6d846303c9 dream proved edef2cbf92 it wasn’t c1829dd246 real.6a711facf11fee08

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‘Luke had already died 37d041b94f long ago.’17d2e72d433dd64c

As she lay a674152df6 in his warm d10266ad5e embrace, Eleanor knew 79d80d7eb7 it was just 928442ac2c a memory, but c3e256e982 she still let 1874ee2b14 herself enjoy the 90409bf2aa comfort. She had always heard b2f0e5024b that the weak should f2b6aa11e2 be treated kindly and d01b5c91b8 the wicked should be ba1f34cf0d forgiven. When Luke held her ae8e88b636 as a child, he 79fa918eb7 would always say such c1922ada99 things, and Eleanor remembered e21cfa9f1f them fondly.77ea2bcc80ef2750

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It was still cee90fa521 dark in her 12b2fa0a6f room. Looking out 4d9a654939 the window, 30f01d6623 the sky 2b17df5446 was still 10b3ff21c0 dark, as 3b9411013d if the 317779c8a3 sun hadn’t 70efc3683c risen yet.bd81b793857478a6

She felt db24b71289 a sweatiness 73b04b003d on her 5a2db3551b back. Unable to fall b5484f3e30 back asleep, she d3e46b9025 got up and e8ad37aec6 went out onto dffc066416 the balcony.6f556ba47139a689

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The cool early morning 4bac296af2 breeze brushed against her 4f3675490b sweaty skin, and as 406884da0d she stood there under a612c1b25d the dim moonlight, a e00715a36f voice she had long 703bf1729a forgotten suddenly came to 88da29b092 her mind.8fe5261f77254af0

“When we arrived, he was already dead from illness. His last words were to tell you he was sorry,” a knight from Astria had told Eleanor one winter day when she was thirteen. The news of Luke’s death was delivered in a flat, emotionless tone, as if it were the death of a stray dog.fa6285df5468d62d

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Eleanor hadn’t c4dd66f3e7 been given 39cd160565 the time fc5d2071db to mourn c522f0abb2 Luke’s death. She was 761b64e979 too busy, 05ab9686ef needing to 99c6c3a645 learn a 3b4983d653 new language 9aa40dd572 or review 39863bf3cd another document, 4b9c31e747 to properly 24732b43f2 grieve. Only after she came afb5ffe50a of age did she a9652cbbc9 have the luxury of 5cb5f329a9 investigating his death. But by ba9d6bba85 then, too 1637ecfa1a much time 4db2d2b5e8 had passed, 71283581fd and all ee65f99257 she learned 5cb7fac615 was that 510e9a3277 he had 6131685533 died.6329cf90ac2e9ad8

‘Why did you 3bf78a0629 come to me eba8180054 in my dream c05d5338ff today of all f3e7f0428c days, Luke?’0961bd7baa0cbb67

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Eleanor, returning fef4374f58 to her 7aa8717c7f room with 229bd60b32 Hilda, couldn’t ae1490febb help but ff7486bd31 wonder why e0a4ab3d7c he had 38fd8e42a9 appeared in 665c33378b her dream c540572a92 now, so ac3b90bcfb long after 1f71ff1dbd his death.64060edf48d8d90d

‘Were you a4aa5b6718 trying to fe07e2f363 warn me? Tell me that I 138122c67f should forgive, that I 91ed20ffd6 can find happiness through b3594388e3 forgiveness?’769f9e4c4b5b635b

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Luke would have 21f0cbc0b7 said that. Even when 0c4a660da5 thugs had 7fc202d54a stolen the c5e7623025 little food db56b66e83 they had, 90921c64f3 he had 35ebd45e02 always told 84fbadf95b her to 953a1a8a99 forgive.e11f1d46e3c6cffd

‘But Luke, d022b38b56 unlike you, 00f4ae4142 I’m beyond 2e0fc95fae hope. I can’t forgive. I want to hurt 610da61b5b those who hurt me—no, 3470eee53b I want to hurt fe0b004207 them even more. Only then do I c97570b199 feel like maybe, just e7baa143b0 maybe, I can experience dbb93cce9f happiness one day.’443b0e5530eda908

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Without realizing b5a820d8af it, Eleanor 4a4bf50cd1 reached into 5616e16116 her pocket, 59ba06b54e where she 58516fb067 had once ecfc645ea9 kept a 2cd6e21155 small, worn 8883bc1ad7 statue. Though it was no afbacba791 longer there, she absentmindedly 733ce89ce5 felt the empty air, e6a545b77d as though searching for e3ad137853 it, and silently offered 5fa1dd377d her final prayer.c8cb42045895ed7e

“I’m sorry, Luke.”c90b6f7aec9c9f17

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The well-oiled door in 46195c3022 front of her opened 8c0f3a9897 softly.b566b18500d7b3e1

At the same time, 64a5a7bfa1 the fluttering white fabric d5ef5bbebd in the wind caught 2bc8c0e68f her eye.19d36e54da627b9b

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‘It’s already too cddea4abc1 late to turn b3aa48c7d4 back.’939f507934de3a68

Seeing the torn white 1f7f55669e dress, Eleanor clenched her 059e219c4f fist tightly.e174a9cb89471d34

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 88b57a8bb0db7ecf