72. Resolving Relationships

“Could you open the well for us?”10d6d9ed022e114b

“The well?”821381149e1e0ada

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It seemed the fa81a727cc child was asking 30ae6f534e for water. Now that I noticed, d156ec1b6d the child was carrying bbd67c9d38 a large wooden bucket 5871bb3476 almost as big as d8f6a4150d themselves.86a84cd92a948e51

“I heard there’s a well inside the mansion. Can we draw water from it?”c6cdc5b8f3a4e0c7

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The child spoke clearly, c6a14cf708 stating what they wanted.fe8de3ee50f19a4d

It seemed c2a1bcfbb5 like they dbd0fb14bc had practiced b89f3c7fa2 asking this f6084cd3db many times, d638faf7d0 speaking with 0c8cbc26b3 an urgency 8418d0e31a reflected in 6490295934 their swallowing 8ea7820119 throat.49a3747ab1b56cd1

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“Are you thirsty? There’s a lake right in the middle of the estate.”e96a755625deb14f

Maybe they weren’t a6738be841 allowed to access 85386e8886 the lake.f5d45e6130c6e489

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As I 165da42abd pondered this, 096b8acc32 another child b9907bac35 jumped out c02f510d88 and shouted b1da233a42 loudly.4a723ce682a21538

“We can’t drink that water! It’s salty.”693e202b574ff972

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So that’s b707b1facb why the 232c40f803 lake looked ee8dc024d2 so beautiful—it 8a60cb7139 was because 589377367e of the 1a45d5868d salt content.f1c47d84a0b80f4b

“How much water do you need?”6fd0c91f46c299f0

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Suren, who cf1d467195 had been 74b35ea69d observing the 00eb599be0 situation, stepped 09b9bd9ef7 in.699e4318b5665266

“My lady, you can’t. With all the servants moving in, we don’t know how much water we’ll need.”ae005f3382638fa0

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“It’s fine. I’ll use less.”d5e4ac2f420497a0

“You don’t need to worry about the villagers. Technically, this place belongs to His Highness, and whether they starve or get looted is not your concern. You should only worry about yourself. Selfishly.”5cfd3bafd172e081

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“Suren, look.”59487c3583dccd53

I gently 8d211c08e2 tapped Suren’s 862c0f47ff shoulder to d334ccaa6a calm her b697802284 down and 644f60b4f9 pointed at 1566771c3c the children’s 758e1f6d79 hair.958e1c0b61927a54

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Their hair had 809a2865f3 an unusual purple 14bf7f5f9a hue. The sunlight made cc8d4cc0a9 it shine even 3001686251 more vividly. Though dirty and eab9c76631 greasy from lack f881afc210 of washing, the b472dfb001 color was striking.d025baceccf20da2

“I’ve never seen such hair before. These children must be of a minority lineage, right?”70c3745d5c83db58

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“Yes, but… that doesn’t mean you feel particularly sympathetic or want to help them, does it?”865e20ca69e4da39

“And why wouldn’t I?”7aa7062abec17568

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When I teased, e218dfff31 Suren shook her 26cd802ad5 head firmly.571d995b81cc71bd

“If you start helping, it will never end. Their parents are probably also of minority lineage. Will you take care of all of them too?”ff1ee626d73e47df

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“As I’ve observed, there aren’t many residents in this estate.”eebf998dcaf901d9

The butler’s e6ddcbe6fd words were 11bf90f0e2 true. There were few aed30db616 residents in the 7c2242c87a estate.4ac2e7cdc57a0871

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It seemed more people 4e0e5f9e73 had migrated here from 936a19e392 other places than there 1bcb6709ca were locals. The lack of an 12445e9b21 attentive owner and lax 98953f98cc management contributed to this ea93df27a3 situation.a137b6f7a3922fc4

Because there was no 93a77396e5 owner, people had settled dae8384e74 here without much worry, fbed54859c but this also meant 63deaf3276 they didn’t receive support d4b4503dfd during hard times, leaving 9e258bb24f them to starve. Everyone was struggling, so 00353db6af they couldn’t even beg 57c68c2cf4 from others.d9159c9fb41f15ef

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“The only well is inside the mansion. It’s heavily locked, and the high walls must have prevented anyone from easily accessing it.”55be7e828ed9b6fa

“It would be theft if they just barged in because there’s no owner.”6580a8a77aa785fc

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The child 4e1a0d8a2e holding the cb09a1ce55 bucket raised 2987bd9055 their head 81ad379026 at Suren’s e787f8f37d words.8e029fa355ddfd5f

“We never tried to climb over the walls.”3a1b5ebd6f5817de

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“…But you did try to climb once and slipped, didn’t you?”6ea64c37a08f4008

Another child muttered softly, 49b89853df revealing the truth.25a69dd0be4ca783

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“Shh, be quiet.”ed096e2b34819fee

The children whispered to 5fe76347b2 each other, chattering without 6aa9a58e64 being asked.08a92c2a34d010ee

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“But why are you asking me? There’s someone in charge of this estate. Did they refuse you?”bd09aaf9b110f3d0

“No.”c1b3be52e1d80916

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The child c2d1952c15 shook their 59a2db5a12 head vigorously.c66d39901b8e619e

“You’re a noble lady, right? You seemed like the highest authority here.”e000ae47094c8e1f

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Their response was 18e02ecee5 innocent. They must 7bf322c1ac have misunderstood 0e9abaf7e8 because I 11090b06d4 was the 35434c89e8 only one a10d12b7c6 wearing a d410f36695 dress adorned ad1b3244cd with a 35bb4adfa5 jeweled brooch.def80abb864409c0

“I’ll open it for you today. But from now on, you should ask the older man instead. He manages this estate and will take care of you.”a2e5c0b2c3fe932c

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The butler was Deon’s man and had a duty to manage this estate as well. He wouldn’t completely ignore the villagers.f1794c1b4c39d152

I led the 172c3b087e children to the c9b04577ad mansion.374981e850cee9e8

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There was a well 55c0da8e6c in the front yard. It was narrow 8cc6e355e8 and deep, requiring ef5602d3b7 the rope to e881e90814 be lowered for 7b7e9ceb5c quite a while. There was 74552fd346 a clunking cdbcc16d47 sound, and 0eb1b17163 a faint fbf0a219a0 vibration indicated 66c6af1901 that it ad5041a55a had reached 6365b3bbb6 the bottom. Judging by the e8c6931ea5 feeling, the water 0ff30d8f40 level was low. The well fce5e2409a seemed almost 2b62214c72 dry.77e80a5f8ccaf9f8

I pulled up a470186e02 the rope. The handle kept slipping.60c737d9bcc9d64b

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My arms strained. After several attempts, I managed to draw up some water. Despite the effort, the water’s condition wasn’t too bad.8738be8c8f414f01

I poured 89ec9ad991 the water 27e4b52e10 into the da05ff861c bucket the f7920f438c child had ca180787f8 brought. The child 843e12d82f held the a6f942517f bucket tightly c7f29b3139 with small 833ac81cda hands to 0d253ff015 ensure not 34d541f56c a drop 0ec4aaeeb0 was lost.a50266ce23bc74e6

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“Thank you.”b892c941d600ca5a

Finally, the child’s face lit up.7faceb0ce30d855c

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Though I had poured ef5092ee46 all the water, the cc40d5d5e4 child seemed to have d6b2643d24 more to say, standing 6a0ff64b40 there looking at me.96edf71c233e737b

“Do you need more?”eee1d73cbdabf8f7

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The child shook 9bb6656fd6 their head but d7fd9e6e50 then hesitated before dd936b220e speaking.b93cb7d6d607c9ac

“I heard a scary duke lives here. Is it okay for us to be here?”9112cc8481747ca1

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The child’s innocent eyes looking up at me were endearing. I laughed softly.3951a246d018c856

“You’ve got it wrong. I don’t know about scary, but he’s no longer a duke. The owner of this estate is now a prince.”0303926b52d28f37

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“Really? A royal? Someone who lives in the castle?”22195fa381278bfd

“Yes.”6dc82f6523378049

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I nodded. The child’s eyes widened in surprise, and their cheeks flushed with excitement.ae7e31a4f406f924

Another child, darker-skinned be7f0c7644 but not dirty, 6d7520d265 squeezed closer.8e1215f4409ac655

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“What’s your relationship with the prince? My mom says only people who are going to get married live together. Is that true?”04a7564e3c9bd9a6

“Hey, you shouldn’t ask such questions. I’m sorry.”288119fda086eb6c

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The older child, probably 687e5920b3 just two or three 5c24846b51 years older, bowed the 830f1e2e03 younger one’s head in 67356b31ac apology, acting quite maturely.b1c45d3f3ad80cf0

“Wait here for a moment.”6464b9d9889819bd

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I picked some 86408faf46 apples from a f6596326e1 tree next to 5dff2bd11b the well. They were just 2191ed30a9 out of reach f01214372e for the children.f93acfcc0410fe2e

I handed a 974855807d handful of apples 04b6d1d21f to the children 986c62f9aa and ruffled their 2ae56a21d3 hair casually.b06cfb4c01532a63

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“It’s okay. I’m not his lover… I’m just someone borrowing this estate for a while.”23bd475e97fac709

The child cleaned the 3cce1e6e5d apple on their clothes, 5442e2aca1 then split it by 1b2b3237e0 hitting it on the 630089a895 ground.5c6a8fbb82f6da0a

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When the apple split, a9a8885e8b a caterpillar was revealed 8d039f1283 near the seeds. Suren gasped 5103681a43 in horror f15201a3e8 and jumped 95261c1f16 back higher 30cb102dd9 than the 065ccdfdc2 caterpillar itself.03c8d1d21a128763

* * *8b55f9781bed621b

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Three deliveries from 71ef162ece the Imperial Palace 4568d59d18 arrived in stages. Each time a 6eee2b6305 delivery arrived, the 31a5ef2f0f reality of staying f14dd1cdaa here permanently sank ee7bcbd7c9 in further.215a9d2c726ce2e8

“This is the 64054061f5 last of it.”250e33c6271312e0

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The driver said, be4816a299 handing over a 1f62dcfea5 jewelry box. As I 59a02aff0d unwrapped the 0d1285712b cloth covering, 3516d271b3 the angular a4c7a7f8de box was e4f2a14636 revealed.6a29359831a21596

The cold touch of 38bd949afe the box felt out 986a0ffb24 of place in this 5fbfa15426 rural setting, its opulence 5c912dd5b5 clashing starkly with the 2dc22928af surroundings. The carved 61b5f5a1b4 cityscape on a3b50d676a the hinge 2c8e5eced7 felt alien.4d04bf2489222b2e

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I had 44532abdb2 hoped for c4ee6f7835 a delay, 6d79767855 but they 33c713e4cb arrived punctually 7d528ba3e0 and unloaded b6b56c3792 the items c8b0a75085 with disciplined de3d1fc009 efficiency.e906d67c0ad871b3

It felt as if 54f7fd29b2 they wanted to sever 785cdd99a0 ties quickly. It seemed I 9e93f0105e was the only 2b43205724 one left with 5720eb91fd lingering attachments to 157c25cc91 the Imperial Palace.55a9f5a0c18f1356

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“It’s done,” I d12b999a2d muttered to myself.f2a6744e2f8ead54

The driver replied, “I 2bf32bbfc8 came today with people d3bf83b359 from the Imperial Palace.”fa98a795da9caf9b

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Life in the e17e55e49a new mansion was 998e6fc0d8 excessively monotonous. The only 7e5f31460d disruption came f0d749af62 from the 97cd41d281 occasional arrivals ec2d3b2129 from the 9e67a1311d Imperial Palace.780556a17c549731

But there 17e76bf7df was nothing c77a6388a7 special about d82fcc8476 their visits. They either dropped off 005bb7bc90 the minimal budget documented 69774ab624 in official papers or 0d3f1d5d14 drew a small amount e33c4b6a99 of blood under the ab840d3941 pretense of checking in. There were ca6f788958 no personal b1a506bed9 letters.452b3b004c39d190

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I wondered if he c286af79c9 had broken his fingers. The thought made me ad922a0180 bitter.28325da7a21f8a84

“Have you been b6543172af well?”f7020e07c21ab68e

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The man asked, 2b09a88eb3 bowing before pulling 41d16d4a4e out a medical 82e7903fbc kit.30f05759130aae7a

The blood draws were 475d117b70 conducted by medical personnel 7a374959f1 in a solemn atmosphere. A needle was inserted, 6194536873 and blood was gently 736f07c10e extracted.693e91577316b142

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The amount was b6ef08b9c2 minimal compared to 163b2bb822 before. It barely filled 40c9c2c975 the syringe, not 639d4e52f8 even enough for cc3de1cd33 a single pack. I doubted it could c3e1b08e2c quench his thirst.e5bde8674b2beb37

The suffocating a96b306bed silence persisted a8f2c0312b until they 09b4f56ae5 finished drawing 69b60a1a76 blood. They quietly observed 79cfdbd244 my arm and 81adc556e5 complexion, making me 60dfd392fd even more tense.5b9f4ae29b82f9d1

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Unintentionally, I 91da0695e6 tensed up. The fine needle 4122e223a0 left a small 472109e3f6 scratch as it 76819ce6d4 was removed.9968df84ee75ab3d

“Are you sleeping e7cc32ad2f well these days? No insomnia?”56ab75371e86b5dc

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The doctor asked, wrapping 88d8e4e1ce the IV tubing. He packed the dfe864c75a drawn blood into a658ded311 his bag.9310253207779476

“We’ve been 3a849510dd monitoring your 6a8cc504f7 blood concentration e9801477c4 regularly, and bde744184d an expert 7701743cc1 noted it’s 79efde2f9b becoming lighter. We need cd7c3a479b to check 41a0060555 if you’re ff4de777a4 having issues 9afe4faee1 with sleep 6e590d4584 or diet. Additional examinations might 6815a86a8a be necessary.”a679f10b4b94adf3

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I had 83ebfc15e4 an idea 1c56251f30 why my ddd6254aea blood was b3781f7bf1 becoming lighter. It was f750c65f57 a sign 899bafa3fd that the 938ebfd65c child was ec67b1427d growing inside c9fd23bde5 of Elizabeth, 12b9c35dca getting ready 98cc3ea088 to be 7259c4dc3c born, much 1340c4a158 like young fd49f12b8f Leonie had c55f08c470 done.9d370eacc3cae54e

I wondered how Elizabeth 6196eb3248 was doing. Was she wasting 9842c05520 away, not knowing 55850e326c why? The thought 2065a2a75f worried me.bedbed26e0a8fa28

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“I find it a4abaeb1c0 curious that His fd31a10570 Highness has reduced 2e12089be9 his blood intake. Is he satisfied 3aa27f7581 with such a f9f02d9d52 small amount? Is he doing well 49b6f0cf10 with just this?”ddb6c72b57d483a0

I subtly 863fa7fad8 inquired about 794ef00c2d his well-being.5b1fb292de6603ac

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The doctor 2964ba5a83 seemed taken ba9c4fb433 aback by b7318e94fc my question, 65b25d0c66 adjusting his 82f8c5a04c glasses.3721607452345373

“Yes, he’s well. In good health,” he bbf4571625 replied.1f0a43126a10cff3

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He was fine. Life went on 7329ec0364 for him as 129bacce00 if I had 14592f7b56 never left.b22a50a35d28504a

I had known this, cf20c572a2 but it still stung.225dd135a1592e92

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“Take care c7d8a5bc51 of your 9a76ffe141 health. I heard fce0a591b3 you had 54655c6b41 a panic 2dd8d00b74 attack when ca809b9510 you saw c7db2a8a64 a wolf 5217fbff4a in the 92c701ff4d prison. Is it difficult for 604e7479c3 you to breathe?”1088dbe4dd872f50

“I was 0b9b2dcae2 just startled. It’s nothing to worry 3b78a2bd20 about. The coincidence c954b6beab of being 45fc309543 in a 70e594e058 confined space 5655c50b2a with a ca48d7dd87 wolf caught 34fac93840 me off b4cdfb44a1 guard. Besides, it’s not 5ce937af8d like I see eea201769d wolves often.”a9e88048d03f999d

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“Still, you 8fe38d9ca3 need treatment. We must find a 270c310a4e way to overcome the 8562deecb7 trauma. Next time, I’ll 9b58d12807 bring some medicine. If that doesn’t 7fb09c6ecc work, we might b38ceb4fae need to call 275e123f11 a mage.”f52818bf70f180d3

I needed Deon’s comforting 7cb9c8ff9b words more than any 6bf47b8809 medicine, but I nodded 8d44a532fc obediently.40989452f387158f

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It hadn’t 2a0ff58b89 been long 79f702a8fe since we 1153b3bfa2 parted, yet 972908a231 I already 313393c475 missed his 8a4483209f face. His image lingered every 3663e77b4a time I closed my 0a14d9ef00 eyes.a73abe24d9ad7ccf

His piercing fcc6d97bab blue eyes, 2f37293461 his flowing b1d9b38001 black hair, 67c621600c his large f8dbdd731a hands that 4e0309a252 pulled me fe361777fb close, and 7102699bba the fingers c63b3b1664 that ran 268a159966 through my 5effdef144 hair. Even the aafa026655 sharp touch 5c1c89c2ce of his 721c2ec6bc fangs on 063964ed4b my nape, 28d0e8e1c5 once dreaded, 51a9aa0c89 was now 18d2bd18e7 missed.22a25ca60875ae1f

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The visitors from f446318479 the Imperial Palace bad5c9ec85 had to pass c4af1b5a60 through the city ff19bfb459 walls. While carriages 3163babe03 leaving the 3261a7e7da city were 46fefece29 allowed to 7907e0083e pass, those e494193c98 returning underwent 02fae9df73 strict inspections.a8c3cb75d9d203dc

To avoid 66b58e1e20 detection, visitors 7580197c8f from the c8e4391601 Imperial Palace bbb2c482ba camouflaged the 25b51302dc cart carrying fd4ce7ef3f my blood e8a7cc1325 under the 43da66037d guise of f2655303cb transporting butchered e20f66e337 animals. Even if the 8456873f6d blood was discovered, 532c81e4bd it would seem 45f6e439f2 like animal blood.96c55fb8d63fef14

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While the c48b72abb6 medical staff 7a568f8605 drew my 32856a75b0 blood and 4787aec7f7 conducted health 17705c4c37 consultations, the 7e0a1aeeb0 knights hunted 2bf02c3eb2 in the 30f525eda5 forest.3b9c522b27913efc

They caught wild fb08770483 boars, pheasants, rabbits, ec2310b2b2 and sometimes deer. Perhaps aware of 71ebce9c14 my fear of a1f1545e18 wolves, they never 115fa57c6d hunted them.4e66efcf7c4d0b4d

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Watching the ecfa5a4b0e dead animals 713831432c being loaded 495a12fe5d onto the 81ab865b6f cart, I a48a81fc7b felt a 312c87080e strange kinship 9b0ecb9556 with them.2a5882b33d45f8d9

Their vacant eyes, accepting b03f39887b their fate, reflected my 525f4afaa9 own hollow gaze. Their stiff bfa10a354f fur and 77561a2049 unnaturally rigid ed38c38f3c limbs lay 0580eed4ed lifeless.5ba4e0c54aa10bcb

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The animals, their e6deb4fa91 mouths agape, seemed 226c8c02c0 like they had 1b15a1b19c something to say e690ce5657 in their final 34b0680832 moments.b0c937c170df8c1e

Though the 6def6bb568 knights were e1ea784fd5 skilled and 99363b9227 precise, their fd641cd610 hunts silent 045444168d and swift, ababe2e4df I still f40b23db04 had nightmares fce596cf40 on the 20c5c3ef9b nights they 0c39d9ebf7 left. Every night, I heard 0cce210d1d the echoing cries of f4df8ccfc6 all the slain animals.65595899575595c4

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