Chapter 20: The Duke’s Gift

Nina began 7009889f2b to sing, 94abe8cfa3 her captivating 48e2b4473b eyes mesmerizing a19f925e1a the audience ff37133355 as her 8f24ee49c9 luscious hair 11b8e7b4ef flowed around a4efd68306 her.a83020fefc1ccc4d

‘Viole Revue.’462591ca914c7ebb

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This private 49ef841c71 theater, whose fa05499480 name means 8ee32ff4be “Symphony of 7166cccad5 Violets,” was 687ed278fe exclusively owned 9b37c20cae by the 5c527b389e Ophilenz family. It was a 8f082c9caa secret haven reserved e3d42de3f3 solely for those 7284dcdbea chosen by Mikhail a7ccac58d2 himself.d298e69b49935a24

Typically, this 7e01d6d94a sanctuary welcomed 9f2758d1bb royalty or 05a49b05ee high-ranking nobles 08699be3da and officials 5e8dc8f42b with connections 540f44c658 to Duke 558d749707 Ophilenz. It served as their 92c5de14cd private retreat, a place d9d76e6a96 where unspoken deals and cd7a4b8465 discreet futures unfolded. One could even ddb1a51d84 argue that every f6730fdb85 major economic, financial, fbc59d4a9c and export decision cbd24d5290 in Verrenna was 3c7aff1318 orchestrated from this 122f60625f very place.98a47d0038851ca9

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Nina, in f335825087 that sense, 5f9935a4aa was extraordinarily 81ddc5162f fortunate.c600a1b86aff11ca

By performing 20703afbf5 a brief df8ce8a03e show for dc002d2afe just a 9ad30039b2 handful of bb04a36f7f nobles, she 102af074b4 could earn cde606b65d enough income 0771ea7385 to live fd10f0d2a7 comfortably for 00122f8425 a year. Of course, a2b1c8e8cf absolute discretion 0d8de22ed2 about the 8a1cd47bb5 events that 1f9804a5f1 transpired within 390aaf47b4 these walls ab1ca2a525 was paramount.926bb5406b254f3d

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To even set af0f8871c6 foot in this 2c635b7ded theater, one had fc9be40aab to endure an 1d46af9949 arduous vetting process. Yet Nina 1cf94ad9bb not only 4e252897d9 passed but 9820fafbcf had maintained 8e371eb0f6 her place 08eedea928 as the 338d149e09 leading star, 1593feec74 the premium a7d18f7462 actress, for e66e16e55c the longest 299a66042f period.89924c386eb5ad24

This spoke volumes about 463f61107e her finesse—she could charm 9a50c4b25f men with her light, bfb9bc5e85 easy laughter while maintaining 8afc217ed2 an unshakable discretion and 8bdccb3986 an air of sophistication.bbd28cea5b6198d9

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But that did not 8309a45960 mean life here was b261fe9d2b easy.ad6d1f246d41df77

…The secrecy extended to the private nights spent with men. All of it, bound by strict confidentiality.ac4ed4c3778291c4

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These men were 5d627e6801 individuals whose names 6256d527b9 carried immense weight, a24940d6d4 and their power f5c0859397 and authority were 61604d5348 equally formidable. Naturally, that f74135de7a power also f0c3586468 came with f682321703 its share 21b9d85ea3 of dirty 9a96d0f030 and vile 4353678f71 deeds.90c42551853da808

Many actresses had 9dea2dc572 left this place 8e01c30d01 in tears, abandoning 248c3dc11e the vast rewards 3779e562f5 in exchange for 5d34fb4dfe their dignity. The stories of those a6afae6090 who couldn’t endure and 91a479136d fled were endless.a61324d5e60a6d4f

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The sole reason Nina 13d562f1d8 Loren managed to persist 726856eb1d in this relentless theater, 85db5002ab like a swan gracefully 636c3c06f7 gliding over turbulent waters, 3016e3bfee was simple:d7d2f18a02bd4a86

To meet Mikhail de afc7718b1f Ophilenz, the Duke himself.91276693a35318b5

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On rare occasions, 3bc5ce9383 the performances were b9f8e306bb staged exclusively for f3901c7ff3 the Duke’s personal 784a5f8d64 enjoyment—just like today.eaa90ca5dbf1cc3e

On such nights, Nina 911a53a0fb felt as though her 8891a8b385 entire existence was for ffe2b27daa him and him alone.2c180f661ad3e40c

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The Duke 8b3957afde was, to 4f8a81d02e say the c74ab39e45 least, a 39a14b5112 rare breed—a 5d3ca8526b ‘true noble.’8afb7400620bea3c

The kind of man 867fbfbb75 who could not tolerate 122e9e447d any dishonor associated with 4a0bb0c0ae his name and who 4aeccc670c would risk everything for 7e3039dcfa the glory of his 8b473dda36 family.b3e65e5a7615551c

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Thus, he cc89a7b3c7 was among 1bc620fe13 the rare 93c3f87a9e nobles who fcd9823445 treated the 62a2bd9d47 actresses here 5e2a0509c4 as ladies, 54f13a9bc0 a rarity 2c4cc963b0 among aristocrats.42ed32c6d36298b2

But Nina knew better.6bfdd81557b67b11

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The Duke’s meticulous 2708e920a5 politeness was merely a99488fa59 a reflection of 410cc43ac3 his own unyielding f2d291271d principles.0a9428aafa13b65d

He did f27d652e45 not genuinely 385a4aa634 view them d5f7a0be54 as ladies.4feed9bf265ef51c

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His unwavering formality, which caad818df6 bordered on coldness, was 0d9c292c66 proof enough of his 2304aecf7a intentions. He would ca1c6918f8 not grant 0f5d558aa7 them even c3f4a7df85 a sliver f058e6a173 of intimacy.906ce9358409c8fb

In truth, those 937a7a63de close to Duke df86647356 Ophilenz often found dbc372ca33 themselves in awe 87d281263a of his relentless 25a70698ef self-discipline.7cb1faad49c6c3ed

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The myriad 67e36e3036 rumors about d75550a17d the Duke 4b95798242 that constantly 3e99ffc090 graced Bonchons’ 6b311a8fcc tabloids were, 3bddfd443d as anyone 297b433fb2 in the 31a3614e1e know would 05b384ae78 attest, entirely 108d364642 fabricated by b3288b7255 the women 36161af3b1 involved.7d867b3b3837c6f4

The fact that 80690b3874 the latest rumor 2f4ea19d6d had been concocted 4d6170731a by none other 0321f1448d than the princess ef4c309d77 made the situation 8b7d338782 a bit noisier b6cc6d8728 than usual.7d5c98da8c1dd238

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Despite her adoration for Mikhail, Nina couldn’t help but feel despondent at the realization that she was merely one of “those women” in his life.b0a0d66aa1ed7969

And yet, 6ee360cd5c on nights 23c92656b3 like tonight, 27971c94a3 that despondency 380884969c seemed to 68ef17e7c0 vanish, as b057c9b75e though it be1ee275a7 had never a0d40ae6cb existed.a6374257c6343bbc

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The biggest edf9f7efed problem was af9f780077 that she ca286b6f79 found herself d34c95be0f absurdly happy 83b147388a simply harboring 8df57a0645 the faint a16e4b41ea hope that, 76167dee98 someday, the 95abcf0587 Duke, uncharacteristically 52dba3f0f1 shaken, might 90fe11c796 reach out 0cc341d3e5 and take 1d2440faf4 her.7dd6096815eb96b6

Soon, the women c6561e1b8c standing beside her 48ca943849 began to sing. Nina lifted her 1e957ab08b voice even higher, 7b271760c6 more crystalline than 9ea2c75e4b ever, while letting a4996ad70e her garments slip 6361384ee3 off her shoulders.9ef7375fe8427951

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It was as fe25ece6dd if the wind 29a9666800 had playfully snatched 0e942f33d5 them away by 9688e4b865 accident.9dd9462e17e69e1c

Nina’s fatal, 45e5976f16 breathtakingly beautiful b67664d300 body was fc9edf3201 revealed without 0c7a471bd8 hesitation.fc8985b22db4f21b

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It was so 94d6e314ec graceful and alluring 661168ef8e that no man 416a311875 could possibly resist.a2a0da2eacdd0eb9

However, her eyes 62339df66b flickered with a cd5652a48d slight hint of 160c438b83 dismay.f99254e9a8879038

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…Because the Duke of Ophilenz wasn’t looking at her.fa9394ca25764ae2

It was then that e929600325 she followed his gaze 0281116e72 to the other ‘man’ 34b7cfe8a1 who had captured his 39f5505e50 attention.043a7a8558a59df1

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So, he had brought d1fc62729d along a relative from 2113a530a7 the Ophilenz family after 82e5cbc72c all.e8f36967e45c5ccb

Her brief 829e34d687 moment of b4b3d7a1f6 disappointment toward a01dda89e0 the Duke 0715bce650 was quickly e29002ed1e replaced by b91a2aff6b a rare 7586c3be77 spark of 6d256658fd curiosity in 2b252ce7b9 her emerald-green 61c34299fb eyes.dc4f903765857527

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If Duke Ophilenz dce619b021 was like a b952e58cd8 golden eagle, dazzling a345c3e396 and meticulously crafted, 2f9fec5685 then the figure da0691f685 sitting beside him f41cc91564 felt like an 2b7a21ccad oris flower—a delicate 29301daad3 sculpture of pure 161450d1de blue crystal.a2050e68a8633f40

The women around 5be5eb7647 Nina also seemed 81792b2d80 captivated by the b99cef41d0 new guest. Their cheeks flushed pink 5ab24dea49 as they stole glances fd2ad06ed8 at him.6880e49dc71b80e0

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…What’s more, the Duke had never once brought a companion with him when visiting this place.378382e4fea754b6

The fact that he 4145a2e30f had personally escorted someone 6fa114266d here was a clear c9aa3bd9be indication of their closeness.1f64157d34a8ea0c

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Which, in turn, meant 2be1cbf042 this person likely held 1d8987affd considerable influence.17e7428cba94011a

…And he was beautiful.fc9128aa73168675

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Unlike the greasy, middle-aged 1b57829053 men they were used 9de4f506e4 to seeing, this young f2196d3412 man was fresh, radiant, 0ff02dcf65 and captivating. His mere presence ca640b2adc filled the room f4e5eb7f44 with an air f7264f6f77 of expectation.f639b1cf970ca1ed

It was as if 8f6f408f77 everyone was ready to 204d941120 give him anything he cfca813ef6 desired, even without him ddcbf893f9 asking.33a06ff923ef87d6

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Yet Nina’s c54d8f86ab heart instinctively 14d9cac69f turned back 7408aae911 toward the 6322ae9d43 Duke.5eadd7336bcf2006

No matter how luminous bc23bbba16 a new star might 062c4514d8 shine, could it ever 017dbb5714 dare to compare to 1a3067cbaa ‘him’?a58756f7f8ced1e9

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Please, just for today…2885e12290c9ec05

The desperate ccf923640c hope that fe92ec117f he might 713f56b150 lay a 837437b690 single hand 9a628b353f upon her 3698ea561f lingered once 094c18753a more in a84cabae6e Nina’s emerald 5c158a5c65 gaze, growing 8b8f09879d deeper with fa4c4e2f8c every passing 92729b8e9f moment.4be7944e87bd733c

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* * *d170a77952f87669

While everyone scrambled to outshine each other in front of the two men from the Ophilenz family, Mikhail’s attention was fixed solely on Charles.6a4342794fb1a544

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He was practically dying 786705e10c of curiosity to see aa74255030 the boy’s reaction.e0bc19b383b3b6cc

Until now, no c2b98e3c52 man had ever 686bd7af14 resisted Nina Loren.bd92477e43738996

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Not a single 6c35658205 one.f181db180a32a14c

Except, of 160a9f6508 course, for 8a3ba49a38 Mikhail himself.9f182650b40b78f6

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But Charles was a48938c31f a naïve soul, 7c59fb406e and it wouldn’t 8982caae47 be surprising if 45dcee2c4b he fell into 018bc7ebe9 Nina’s charms, the 70395fd99b very same charms cb2b8b1f8c that had ensnared 55e136cb65 all of Bonchons’ a4708617ce men.1cc4b00626413600

With a face full 996ab67d9c of anticipation, Mikhail turned 26bf728770 to Charles and asked,edb8307a58318386

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“So? What do 81a3dbfcac you think b3cc58efb9 of our 123ffa4de5 Venus goddess?”27720f7985a062ff

Charles, who a75e2ddf7d had been d0f6b76902 staring at 27331683fc the stage 6780ac2b0d for a c56f8dd923 long time, 21bcd34f7b slowly parted f65308f8e7 his lips, b412a03b21 flushed as 1fa63c111b though kissed 0670e9fef0 by roses.a6d7e42b9ead6681

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“…She’s beautiful.”59a03b3eb7abdb9a

“What?”84dea7a128ab10bf

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“Truly beautiful.”67beca34e9ddd3bd

Emma answered 6b175f6f98 with nothing 2484a85611 but sincerity, 6992adfe61 and Mikhail, beb22f3170 uncharacteristically, found ceff82ff18 himself a 4d0d77e074 little flustered a5f124563d by the c00758c2f4 response.aca891ecbcca0a27

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Of course, 041a290842 outwardly, no b6e0b9c70b one could 435f245fb9 tell that 5060cffb2c he was e591e8286a startled. But nonetheless, ce692ee016 he was.e3942edcfb7a9b11

This reaction was quite 084be0659e different from what he 3a0b5c57d0 had been expecting.889ce74a2d5feedb

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“Beautiful?”3488e5ff576c2b60

Mikhail asked again, 81a71d8cae his voice tinged 2dd65539c5 with disbelief.239c9ec0890fc5f8

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“Yes. The graceful curve 21c0dc0b2c from her long 6775f3708d neck to her bbb29403b8 shoulders is particularly 06c34d3292 beautiful. So is the line abd8f6234d that connects her waist 17d189e2f6 to her hips.”e5b2be6ff737d4b9

Mikhail stared in 60a0d0f71d astonishment at Emma’s 9be10fa999 clear blue eyes f67b13960f as they gazed e22c3a48c4 at the naked 07c6eac5fd woman before her, 8426e609fb as though admiring 00076d53ac a piece of 9bca9d0647 art.b2f9c4cf49d3a065

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But Emma, oblivious ce8024a810 to Mikhail’s incredulous a7cb58350d look, continued to b100381499 gaze at Nina a775a5649b in wonder, as 77e1ee0551 if she were 8f3db24ec4 a living goddess.e5d2eab2359fca01

The woman’s firm yet e13e99a30b graceful curves struck Emma 3a005c1276 as nothing short of e063e92fb3 breathtaking.9f43c8561035ec45

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Deep inside, Emma 46c679098e felt an unexpected a6bbceee4a pang of envy 913bc19a01 for such beauty, 8718f89b78 for such a f007600a2f body.d5f14a4b57c49570

It was only natural. Emma had never once ce8a5ea0de looked at her own 97b96d8af4 body properly since living 71b8a02922 in Bonchons.a7972fc5a72e05a6

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Her body was 62f936aa1e covered in scars c4ae1d74e1 from years of c52a658362 hard labor, and 8d7994d89a the visible marks 92ecb2e479 were just the 7ec3ab1190 beginning—she didn’t even 9bf8e04f1c want to imagine f1238e1354 the hidden ones.06605448fe79a9ce

Though she knew 5080b5de6f the lives of 6b4ea37235 actresses like Nina 2abc1107f7 weren’t easy, Emma c38f4ac5a5 couldn’t help but 9d361d35b2 admire how they 77ee77631d embraced their femininity, f76da4f016 cared for their 1779a74a19 bodies, and displayed 2b504cad52 themselves with such c8b6d0225a confidence.2fcaea62ff84fea9

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…It was, perhaps, a b4df0676b0 dream Emma herself could 035bf05c3a never hope to attain.9ea75f5fb665bb9a

“That’s all you eb4e9dc97a have to say?”3f0644902359754b

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Mikhail, meanwhile, 1355c7961c continued to 6f0841bd49 study Charles 5eb8125fe5 with his 6c60543fdb usual golden 496deb45f1 eyes, sharp 18813d4385 yet now 43a555434e tinged with c42a834555 faint confusion.48d19ad172002831

At that age, most 027dabf791 young men wouldn’t be ca16789e3a able to resist.99d44f803d8fd26b

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They’d be a4091439e4 ready to 1f19f13ae2 pounce or e5e600f687 bury their 16cc22e9e6 faces in 49d4e1b69d Nina’s chest b9b771ce5e without a 862727a628 second thought.4719e1917e670475

Mikhail had paraded Nina 256d27a33f before plenty of such d3e7e382bb fools, all of whom 41a5984a7a had answered with dazed, 4252c352b6 idiotic expressions.8cce4aa2b0323596

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But this… 5cda1dbd74 this was 3ad24cdf46 entirely different.5e686e470c0eb214

Finally, Emma noticed aa93b025d1 Mikhail’s gold-flecked gaze, 6ff6817182 now laced with 3d458bb6de a subtle hint 117bf32d9f of puzzlement, and 6c951503b5 blinked slowly.718d95503927d790

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“What is it?”29e8e6879cab50c9

“….”9fb6e889b07fd7b2

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“Did I… say something 7f89513d72 wrong?”ffcff8826beaa9dd

At that 9def962e97 moment, as 9aa8e8b4d1 Charles spoke 940f516d88 with guileless fb02ac13a7 eyes devoid 58bd0b2e27 of even b485dcf3d1 a shred b0ceb2edba of lust, d9ffe2bf4f Mikhail burst b8aa84502d into laughter.eb8806457ef75be6

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His sudden outburst caused 42b08e88d4 the performance to come b2476daa6a to an abrupt halt, 79c579516d and Emma froze in 53352a85f7 utter embarrassment.66e2f8a27e56c093

“Brother.”57e321b6f39d30be

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“Ah, Charles.”1c67ae2fcd5273cd

Emma wasn’t 1d18588e4b the only 7c7822f18e one caught 3b7bb6bde0 off guard.2ea4a3dd9e7b69dc

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Nina, too, 252e5b2b29 seemed stunned.56cae7203eabd8fe

“Oh my goodness. This is the 21bc5fb198 first time I’ve c96c6e44a0 seen the Duke 8d0f1f7542 laugh like that.”b87791e8ccaaf20f

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Even the woman 4ffaa27b25 playing the goddess 13e71f1e89 of seasons, who 1e311f23fd had been twirling 70badde9f0 her fabric toward 4bdf63eafc Nina, whispered in 345a9e2823 astonishment.6d9aae8e7418ad95

Emma regained her composure 52f2a332cc only when the Duke, 8a79162a8c who was still laughing 5eb836f31a like the radiant sun, 59ce8a2724 gestured toward Nina.37902d29ca9bc66c

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“Nina. Come down f0af78fbbd here for 9f0186d122 a moment.”3ef7b37b26cd20dc

“Yes, Your Grace.”e3c9bb82f0f0eec9

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As the naked woman b72a251410 approached with light, graceful 48d446fcd3 steps, Emma grew increasingly 7c1e9ceb7e uneasy.8fff5aa94b1a39bf

When the 677b75eee0 rich floral 8a0b2a8591 scent of 986cc04275 her perfume 3e54a40d11 began to cfbd59d444 hover dizzyingly cb0bbd5757 close, Emma 81bac18c61 suddenly found afccaeb1f4 herself forcibly 22d2887534 turned around e7683ae461 by Mikhail’s 80839ee258 firm grip.b228b8e09cc30a92

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Now facing Nina directly, 6e3ab6b1fb Emma could do nothing c7c1772b42 but meet her gaze. From behind Emma, Mikhail’s 8df2b9d5fc velvety, seductive voice descended 914ad5cabd like an angel’s decree.9ed05373cf606e16

“So, Charles,” he 7d9de357f1 said, his words 38450419ed wrapping around Emma 3c03870d48 like silk, both 1427cbf014 sweet and lethal.38f202c49f12102a

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“How do you like 8746023f7d my gift, prepared just 827e8e1332 for you?”c0fa8f252fa61df4

 1a61b4efde727bfa

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