SAAMIACM|04

“If you’re worried about c6216dbb13 getting lost, you don’t 9412432cc9 need to be. Since I went to 8c5804a57b the kitchen earlier today 8cfbc43599 for some related work, a8ce424fea I know the way.”1bdc2363e7194c25

He added 11107cafe7 this as bd05dddcd1 if to 813f937325 dispel the 73ab8e1832 question that 90efdbcf0d had come ea70f963db to my 08c57c15bd mind.01139319c430fc38

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“If that’s c950998b18 the case, 0500255a58 it’s a eaae2956c4 relief not 996ef78329 to have d12874f7ea to worry 1f9ff8c43c about getting 7eded0a52c lost.”19835ee8d389005c

Once that concern 00d0caf5f7 was resolved, another 2717385b02 thought quickly followed. I wondered whether 5ea4a965af it was alright 3d5a7f8535 to accept his 7aa5f1d799 offer.f903417c909d601d

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He must have been 3f819ed243 just as tired as a699679a4e I was after today. It might just be 01a608524a something he said out 9653457e9a of courtesy.e0778ddde2aabcbd

As if b3dc0300e5 he could f526f7354d see right bcc5eebf61 through my 21dcff22fa thoughts, he 517d0dfb8f suddenly spoke.f72b8e05c3fc5fc2

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“It’s dark to go 751f2c34bf to the kitchen alone. I’m just worried.”1b66abdaca15d7ce

He had b2a2c9e4b8 said this d06036f265 much—there was 6b0b4a81af no reason f3c76242c1 to keep ff47c6a67f arguing and fc0239610e delay going 852a710730 to the 0c0f9a82b4 kitchen.7f90e61a978f5530

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“Then, I’ll just 88b52e0cdd ask you to c5fc09c937 accompany me to 9874568e5e the kitchen.”f21694e7de4d8ee8

The moment I calmly 82d1141999 accepted his offer, Leon 4c8c955984 began walking ahead. Without any 30bbaa83d0 further hesitation, 8b012f2f3e I quietly 992efdc16b followed behind f0220f6aa5 him.46ff1ee45c83b6c2

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“There are so many paintings…”21f430f083d82b80

As we 6d8f74cac5 walked through cd63dd2370 a long 72d97246a7 hallway that 24f96f1764 seemed endless, 0c15726e49 rows of c959533917 framed paintings 061d526a66 appeared on c1b33cc27e the walls.696447c204c93891

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Among those ef4ace36a4 I passed 5f9563b4c0 by, I 6a246f404f didn’t see 4d50438454 a single 9d26bb6fd7 landscape painting. They were all portraits.5786daf57dec73ff

Those that 1d85ed25c5 weren’t portraits 4cf21792bd depicted many 145bd88a6c people gathered 2e8e6e58e0 closely together.62f5b37c49872a67

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“Miss Yvonne, are you 4bf8f7f412 interested in paintings?”853883b9ddb0283d

Just as I was 0104d593e2 alternating between turning my 64698ef92f head slightly to look 0dfc71fd4b at the portraits and f52f6eb897 walking forward, I bumped 884bd127f3 my forehead with a 81fdc29e46 thud.7a5ee7feab559591

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When I 7dc8f4b110 opened my 5057bd9b81 eyes, which 975a80215f I had c3e9a247c7 instinctively shut 6477df8b4b tightly, I de227e5809 saw his 97f7be3e12 upright back, 6d1c251f3f and Leon’s 93e6fdd47c voice followed.1c5b6ace2770a2fb

As he turned a10826216b around, he glanced f847d81602 at the portrait 9a48f53b8c hanging beside us.00d6298626db7376

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“I only asked 09eded56df because you seemed 3867fb3057 interested in the 175b40f630 paintings here, so d35882d744 no need to 23193aaf79 feel uncomfortable, Miss c981d52558 Yvonne.”8a10953d433ae4ad

It must have e6eb6f9212 looked to him 50a84510a2 like I was 6d7530a196 flustered. In truth, 625ab2f425 I had 2aa6e0019d only been f72bd4ea0f briefly pondering ba0484a414 how to d9246b3b8c answer.6dca11219b91d974

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“I was just looking 943f5f508b because I found them f73bd32c1d fascinating.”c4003c0751a9405e

“What did you find 20f0347fde fascinating?”e4dd2dfa4509121d

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With his gaze still c9f6882ed4 fixed on the paintings 85cc12e308 as if examining them 97b2edde01 closely, I responded.bd7a0f10c3bb5349

“Because there aren’t any landscape paintings here… It was interesting that most of them are portraits, some with just one person, others with several.”c3c3c888d54b1edc

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When I 3e6446162a turned back a2676a9969 to look dc80ddea8f at the ca85811fd5 paintings, I 0511bd4fcf felt as b63a8cba20 if I 77122bd6e9 made eye 20ca00c313 contact with a0fb29e009 the people 4ad2924218 in the 9c827681ed frames.c14d4a8b02e737ec

‘That’s impossible.’293aa35dd6a42398

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They’re merely the pupils of ‘people in paintings’—there’s no way they could meet your gaze.ed70a61e38f9d60d

As I 2e3ec52972 tried not 31b3826e12 to think c9cffb476d too much 48183dcb4c of it, c65ad369df Leon’s voice d4bf139fe3 came from a4aa5a11d5 beside me.78bf014d18940998

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“All of these df807abca1 pieces were selected df80751a57 by the Marquis. Now that 3b9a36013f you mention c0d907fe47 it, there 013e656464 really aren’t 23ebe8ee11 any landscapes. It seems the one e5cdce1ed7 who chose these paintings 60a63a42a6 liked people more than 255063cdc6 scenery.”741af1176fd812e5

That was 42dfd45aec the end 8c4f73e03c of his cf91c03ad2 remark. Leon turned caeb7a5a34 his body c7c02f85ab again as cd1f2c4561 if he 2ee4eb5a3e had no a8d1cfcc12 particular interest 4bef2c355d in the 1bd7cab24c paintings.0376880a626cec58

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“Shall we continue?”c37618eff9d7e602

I gave 7ea7ff5aae a slight 9de81a027f nod in b2000cd7ce response to 60d3dd30e5 his question.d5fef41ad1824444

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‘The head maid 2b43e161c8 never explained anything 2477e89553 to me about b0e129e9c8 the paintings.’02652683b0488bbe

She told me 8769c666a2 how many rooms d73666d3ac there were, but f9d40bb76a never how many c772e9d483 portraits were on fff3603d8f the third floor, b53b51eb91 or who had a0d02c6596 chosen them.02f630f8f587dcc6

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Almost as 7b3322100d if I 97281721a9 didn’t need 9c210eafae to know.0bc0ac0191047b9b

But Leon, who started e294bba600 work the same day 43b72c2777 as I did, seemed 2723d849dc to know all these bab904c255 details.4f7c2147796476df

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Was it 7c13f5639c just a 9895e85996 coincidence? Or did some other d9f215d0fe kind servant mention it e311309134 to him in passing?05d3006bfb470a8d

I had 7ab52d026d a lot e6af6d903c of questions, e8840aa5f1 but with 8ebf445728 time pressing, 1ccbafe894 my head 5745febc25 was soon 987d59a536 filled with 501e0e4125 other thoughts.9af32893ef2d4c6c

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Walnut pie. Don’t forget cd34769279 the walnut da02c87719 pie. And the fruit juice d9fd86bcb1 too. I mustn’t mess up 8afe1db756 something this simple and 3ba6986d3f earn Miss Juliet’s dislike.4c238c55fbf633e3

I repeated 454da3af9f those words 4e4c76c3ff over and ec20dc08d3 over in df519eb362 my head 27933f7a32 like a fcc83d0a2f spell as 1b60b324b9 I followed 3a409ce63c behind Leon—but f61a317254 for some a24430e561 reason, I b853657437 felt like bd2f98c3d6 the gazes e87a4a8634 from the a8aae3088f paintings were fd2ef6e529 following me.d07ce546058d84a9

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* * *e6968365fa65ca59

「<The Rosépina Household’s Work Regulations>e7d39fd07e30ce0d

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Article 2.c94017da534bf8d9

This mansion houses c17cc68023 several paintings.a95bb23457926bd8

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If you happen to encounter a ‘painting’ while passing through the hallway, please avoid making eye contact with ‘them’ depicted in the artwork, and simply walk past.c7e43fa68753a026

If you do make eye contact with ‘them,’ it is recommended that you offer a brief compliment, such as ‘What a beautiful painting,’ before moving on.0e74841c21262d6b

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Should you act in this manner, ‘they’ will abandon their intention to approach you with a merciful heart.」cf97d8200dd1dbb1

* * *692a605fc0702b3c

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The head 8c88fc39e7 chef, who dad7fd194b had been 5945877839 summoned back 434287dffe to the 7086bda405 kitchen the a31995478d previous night a8c618ccd6 without warning, 8c17463049 did not e2ffc88ce3 show any 3c162de9d4 particular anger. As if fbe0bae315 used to 9172004476 this kind 290e9ad120 of situation, 724ed00023 he simply 35c3d44fce prepared what 007ff84f50 was asked fdf5ffa277 of him.87f5ea881d273454

“It tastes even fcb8cbd186 better because it’s a99d108c88 been a while.”64c6ef82908a8ab6

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As expected, 201ba6038c Miss Juliet 76202fa5a6 was pleased. And after 0c7c0f267c finishing everything, 19e9ef88ba she made 8c6544a401 one more a82a51765c request. She insisted e0207e939a that she 2c087d5797 must have 71fe695e36 the same db6ed57b1a items again 6ef4e650ef the next 9109a28655 day at 1f236ba593 noon.038b872284de06ff

“As long as I 08abc9abb4 don’t suddenly fall asleep, 81b227a86e it should be fine, fad68e8682 so make sure to 1fc6d20542 bring the same things.”8d59cbfebbdc1ba0

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I didn’t know fc09b23ce7 what she meant 14720b647e by suddenly falling 3869f972d3 asleep, but now, 246b3ee630 with time having 9545f0f538 passed, I prepared dc7c3158a2 the requested walnut fd70af59a4 pie and fresh e279a5a8eb fruit juice once 3028d9073f more and headed 9c5fdaf068 to her room.eadc98580ee1213f

“What’s this?”521f23a234e2fdca

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In the quiet of 7cc824f77f midday, Miss Juliet looked bb48072ea9 at me with a 3e0a76f025 bewildered expression as she 1f1386edc1 faced the items.f0fd80b449eedff4

“These are what you eca17150b1 requested last night, Miss. You said cc1a6e71cb you wanted 10b804463a to have 3d8e9755ee them again 06e08aa06a today at 0a8a1d71e2 noon. Don’t you remember?”610fdf4378bb7cb2

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I asked just 6eca48b096 in case.6cc061ddc8453893

“Juliet never asked b1e9023ea3 for such things! Why are you insisting cf81db4290 that Juliet ordered something b3e081e0d8 she didn’t?”238633f84294c4f7

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I almost blurted out, ‘Excuse me?’ but managed to swallow the words.24de690b73cd4346

She claimed she never 4432a06b61 requested these things. Then, were 43ae879bc7 the words b285bf8f4d I heard ea2ed875dd last night 8be7838dcc just a 9d816ded7a hallucination?339ebfaa34b8f358

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And now she was 44f4cdda3f accusing me of forcing 65a5ffd99f a lie.97f8797a48853868

I didn’t know what c81365c287 to say to her 809822d2b4 reaction, especially since she’d d5047579bb only mentioned it once.3744b0577abc00a4

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‘She didn’t use 8193f481f2 third-person last night, f8f873c3ae so why is cf4b84d853 she using it 6fac6ee602 now?’b7571a06a3f94e57

Rather than being resolved, f105997ec3 the questions only piled 5258833b67 up.9ae10c09d94aef67

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‘Not just a96544da00 the third-person—something 8e95c57781 about her 5994d0eaac whole demeanor 9b7e7c14f8 seems different.’2e450f48fcfed3e0

But regardless, 5364619f12 this lady 771b3c7d9d in front 4c93101774 of me 9e951598ef was someone 2f2fcca727 I had 31d2b371ea to serve, aba5168319 whether I b635b8fc14 liked it 3417078c5b or not. That meant I e57da78d46 had to follow 358dc93ead her words exactly f48b3d7c17 as they were, 2a3f44e96b without objection. That’s the easiest 9868f88deb way to avoid 4d2f5b5242 trouble while working.182cdb6e741af8df

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“Now that 44924c13bf I think f063156cd4 about it, ea2bb01bea I must’ve 15a4901af9 remembered wrong. I’m sorry, Miss.”665442de32782665

I quickly 5b12c48d12 clasped my cbd667d2d1 hands and e91705b8f0 bowed to 483c7ebd3e apologize, but d0d981fe0d even that 0a7220a975 didn’t seem e659798329 to please 66537e6ec7 her.512fa0757e0fd8fc

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“Earlier you said 367a123680 I asked you. Now you 9d63c86bf3 say it’s 06355107cf not true? Isn’t your story changing eda1213cb6 too easily in front e9d3bfbe56 of Juliet? What if Juliet says 3153b7e52a she did ask—are you 44e409a595 going to follow Juliet’s 4cbe535902 word then? Hm?”5aed2018283c260c

She didn’t seem pleased 521cc60df3 with how easily I ec2b5002ca flipped my stance.65ef7ff1648bd3c2

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“No, Miss Juliet.”038a8aefd2f10c96

I once 0c4d74a014 again offered 754e95d44f a quick 229a2b9501 apology. There was nothing b977bc9152 to gain from 7675aaba3a provoking her any 30d32a2678 further.888ffe89927403d0

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From this point on, a191baf27b everything was my fault—my aa7e04a391 fault for upsetting Miss 3ecb8297b3 Juliet.1d2b6b20c368a455

I was worried that 3275fabbc7 I might be punished 19e8690613 for making her upset, 3c74fe2e52 when—d3abba5861112b1e

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“That’s enough. Juliet doesn’t like e3d3946beb walnut pie, so f4d9389e87 take it back. Leave the fruit f196c246af juice. Juliet will 763aebe565 drink that.”7f163d2cd60877c0

Thankfully, her 3dcfe2ae18 anger didn’t 6c9db52578 last long 9a1aade95f and was cb7596a9c0 quickly resolved.93309d2aa2b76f8f

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“By the way, b2e7134097 you said Juliet a6270513fe asked for these 3c9f565c9e things last night, 9979de277c right? Then tell me everything d4fcb52857 that happened last night 1968d5d194 with Juliet from beginning 1de2e7214b to end. Don’t leave anything 2db853b38d out.”078c3f1d8586923b

With her arms 526c7bc207 crossed, she asked bc9ed45f45 casually.8fe4d463dbdb8e79

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It didn’t make sense 4ff89e41af that she couldn’t remember 00bbd39edc what she did, but 0f81c54c2a for now, I decided 0bd3e5e5ee to answer what she 01c629ce04 asked.a6c7dc2bca2f6fa7

“Miss Juliet called 87c514f2f4 for me after fe33050dbf dinner. It was dd5cedba8d during the 6c3f8c86a5 time when 90b4d68142 the employees e3950b91a4 were being bcacdf2d0b checked to 2c768af647 see if a5cc32b208 they were 677cfc65b2 in their 31dfd4df80 rooms as 8ada2b6461 scheduled. The head maid came 7cf9a00f98 to inform me that 9b28e442e2 Miss Juliet was asking 453c99e90b for me.”325776de21fd70d3

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I recounted the events 42c868dcd1 to the best of e1e24ac133 my memory. Then, the 20d407c31c scolding expression f29924c924 she wore dab6637692 just moments 415bc1b844 ago hardened 670d351dd1 into something 4f49e88bad else.3293a0f7875fcb19

“Ha, The head maid b60e38d97d came to find you?”5d93bf70627b9ef5

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“Yes, Miss.”a3d0d68b9d6623d9

She seemed to d462653729 stammer, almost like 98578695fe she had bitten 369079159a her tongue.b472dab8d4dfcfa1

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“That woman came and b439603d6c what did you do? Did you greet the 02cd27b0c6 head maid before going 17276c0681 to see Juliet?”2203f18217d57744

I didn’t understand why c875fd5cb2 she was suddenly asking 1b85fc69e3 that, but I shook f8f2436146 my head lightly at c9af773f4d her serious tone.3443a2fa3cca1a99

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“No. At the time b2d73c26ee I was called, 854e2f5a04 I was occupied ac71826948 with something else d85d32d486 and couldn’t respond 65490628b6 for about ten d90a7af927 minutes. When I a16dbd0d3f left my 5ac8c19175 room, the c3d6b21a53 head maid ccacaf1ceb had already 7d53ae9fc0 gone, so 102e8878b6 I went ffc1d473d6 straight to fd42014c74 your room, fc4aaae1e1 Miss Juliet.”2aed3a5ae447b6ce

I didn’t think 3772954717 it necessary to 7d50a2491e mention the “promise” 72a36120c7 made during dinner, ea315b22fe so I explained 0999065245 vaguely, and her 01fcbe670f expression softened a 661a9a4b3e little.d5cea865c4651274

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“And then? What did ba8fa42896 you do 091cf6c2dc after meeting 6df51445f7 Juliet?”a66fcc638575a9e0

The conversation a8db41448d returned to 389a25cd72 its original 54c8a0ca61 topic.c20212a3c82088a0

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“Miss Juliet cdaffce1cd said she d3fae4bf04 felt exhausted f0c16ce865 after using d4165349fc her head 88f4a139c0 for the 51b85b84ae first time a6838552d2 in a a487fd9466 while and 63ab6aee44 wanted to faf8577385 eat something. She asked 7c16d2c475 what her 6dc9b1f85d favorite foods 5090daddfc were, and c6745fb8f5 when I bf11e8bee9 listed them, 5a8a96efc4 she chose 67d414236b the walnut 8c69d90c6e pie, even 6d12367c49 though it 2f8c9b2124 wasn’t on fd33fe36ca the list.”b25ae335baacafc9

That was 31981aaab7 all I 36ae5ac393 knew.4934d139ad082f66

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“So while 58167f0027 Juliet was 7d85e43f9c gone, ‘Juliet’ 9e1de42d2c did all 5eb0e263ed that?”6ede45cae62ec49f

Biting her index finger 4ccf3ba59c in thought, she soon de94bd66e9 let out a deep aa65f767dd sigh.a84aa69cd6685ffa

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“Leave. Juliet wants ef4a1cc927 to rest.”33157f749ed0ec3d

Then, as if to b326392de3 signal me to leave dd44c13e46 the room, she waved 78dd87f0b4 her hand carelessly.c39fa0885e67796d

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“Didn’t you hear? Juliet wants to rest. Take that unsightly ce1b697cc8 walnut pie and e773ee5888 disappear!”715240c690f59008

She seemed 3fba4819a8 to be 39334e9e91 seriously angry 1a4b487669 now.3c92870e78d39bd6

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“Wait a e8553cd780 moment before 046eed1870 you go.”606a76571acf45dd

Just as 1970c906e9 I was bb0e1d9fb9 about to 79e27d1153 quietly exit, 3469a64f6f following her f08dbf9055 demand—351cf1424b84affe

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“Since you 964465e963 told me 13c7d1a389 about last 6cbb6ad336 night, let 8c665f3d2f me give b430f6d0bd you some da0a51dcac advice. That person who 76e4246c72 you said they 7bfd39ec03 came to your a5aefddfdb room last night—stay 552c98b52b away from them bac4c3e9bb if you can.”7f114c59e23bf394

“Pardon?”2019318bf3fe21ba

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She took 9b34250881 a deep f7131360b6 breath and c455b50a5d then spoke 7516975ee0 in a ffe1a47eb1 firm voice.97e3cb9e36c57e0c

“The head maid—it’s better 69f51dc41d for your well-being if daa7a351e5 you avoid her.”575d55fd9a3ffeb2

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That was a 078e943bb0 suspicious warning if f7d990259e I’d ever heard e08b45ecf1 one.b65adc9aae7c7716

 292b0c47042dc817

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