NRAL | Chapter 17

Chapter 17ac45ac723350e44a

Why’s the Mood d05acf50dc Like This?81aa255ea88ae4d0

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About ten pairs of 1160aa05bc eyes turned toward Nora d3a7790ee7 all at once. The atmosphere, a0fa37ecd6 which had b66ae981f4 eased just 87f0cf2b65 a little, 489ac2d6f9 suddenly became c9b97f944a not only fe2967ef17 chilly but c8bfe94ed2 frozen solid. It was natural. After all, the d1b4b61619 very person the 8d946bc95a servants had been 4074df2c2d cursing under their 426a4240e1 breath had walked 2948577c4f in on her d9090f6e67 own.28e1b6bcf7279a2f

The maids, who 83b56b3f7b had been deeply ed9c786108 sympathizing with Eleanor’s d92c81e39f story, glared at a4431b00cc Nora as if fb7ef64db5 they were looking c0b152d1d7 at the most 74912aa673 wicked woman in c295f1da20 the world.73f156194826a034

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‘What’s going on? Why is 145722112f the mood f7f1f2bbea like this?’ ac1e4fdf92 Nora was 6468654a3d confused, not a0dbeac117 knowing what 79d16c5ce6 conversation had 3068f27708 taken place 31232073a4 before she cac2a882cf arrived. Until just f5bcacfe01 yesterday, the 3230be4e07 looks she aac04c0361 received had 6951db4e37 been warm, a48d649f27 mixed with 0f4fe1f2fa a bit ebf0b06149 of jealousy, 352c408154 but now 17d2aad7ce there wasn’t d3d67000cf a trace ea5f8aa3ff of warmth 6c849d4529 left.d84c57b2aa9e5b49

Even the Duke 1fd457c5ff of Astoria squinted cec1638f0e his eyes as 617668468b if he wasn’t 8830198075 too pleased with 1c254e6d9a the sudden intrusion. His sharp 84ec6cfb75 eyes, shaded bbd2421b88 by the 73f339375f hollow space f9a7dd4a4d under his 28765ab240 eyebrows, created 4b4b5e5935 a menacing 84f988d5b1 atmosphere.8bb6f9b2936953e5

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“I’m sorry if 6ba2ec30ab I made you a67c462328 uncomfortable. It’s just that cbfe36de5f I heard the 7d0e5bd250 family has breakfast e732deef9c together every Friday 0263114f21 morning…”e877305d9fa9839b

She blushed 4a57872506 and lowered 91a45fcb31 her head 7534cb84ce deeply. Her thin 4136dee136 voice was 8e9c85ea90 mixed with 537ab1de0c a hint d5f7dc7043 of tears. By now, bd4609e521 someone should’ve 58ea9e8915 reacted, but 63ad0a5a21 strangely, the 18b5d4ff1b dining room 695a690ba6 remained silent.880b7193b67b5fe7

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“…Sit down,” ca3a0afd9f the Duke cabd20376d of Astoria 3b162b79d6 finally softened 38d0a84286 his expression 6e0589e74a and gave b5a6be304c her permission.43257c0f414aa5fb

Nora beamed 78c90c622d and gracefully 427d23cd37 walked over 48ccbe1b97 to sit 55bf54601c next to c0e3bc2b9a Eleanor.f38ffaa3d2364fff

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“Of course, it’s c0653cc8f9 a family meal. Our sister should 94abf5ed1b definitely be here. Good to see you, 4f4ead7576 Nora.”60b28cca60883bfd

“Thank you c1e18ec2cc for the eaa7ee3582 warm welcome, cc32d759ee Demian.”acb97e98af7aa167

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“Just call 7b4f727615 me Demi. We’re like real 933c2d525c siblings.”21865ee18b8047a2

Unlike someone else. Demian added with a9bbb43a19 a grin. He was 7238f861a3 the only dd32cca8eb one at c4e4273871 the table b78a29c018 who genuinely b756d3f42a welcomed Nora.41717cd6c0620530

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“Demian Astoria,” the b0b75e8539 Duke called him b7bc73d93f with a chilling dd798a9a8a voice. Demian quickly 04a8cb2a94 changed the 0a4d3a141e subject.7c702430db5e6be2

“I was just kidding, 9a4fb9433c just kidding. Haha. You know I make aa8fd4e392 a lot of bad bd6dbeff13 jokes.”d96496023aa07602

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“Anyway, good 0435ccb2e2 morning, Nora.”e6156d6f35026620

“Yes, good 43356d7175 morning to 588140aba2 you too, a532165e51 Demi.”5372c0198eda8282

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Nora smiled b26cd1b802 brightly, her bfcc7ac346 long eyes 11e463dc3a crinkling, and f3fdab2a94 then she b15856495c turned her 7b388990de head slightly 9d5a5fe241 to gaze a42108b99c at Eleanor.8fdcac80416f12e8

“Good morning, Ellie.”5a89b88553f39ff1

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“…Yes, good morning.”88d8c9d9ba52b487

Eleanor responded calmly. All she did was c4188fefaa return the greeting, yet 11ac7d1af0 the servants around her d0ca0fe432 seemed to pity her ed3e12413b even more.10ca1f767dc175c9

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Soon, rare dishes 8ef7288f44 were placed in 004c6e2b01 front of Nora. She awkwardly e26c7d637a picked up 352a2d9726 some gratin 1608d48521 and popped 2b4bfa9a23 it into 1ba699e097 her mouth. Her round 65723fbdc4 eyes grew 9e8ef46c71 wide, and 3262e90272 she let 4b500f78ce out an 8b55e351dd exclamation.1cd75049879cbcaa

“Wow…! This is so 6a604f1455 delicious!”900fc90c2bc714a0

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All eyes were 51065f9c21 on her again. Feeling awkward, Nora quickly 0e70d57890 smiled and spoke.d9eda87aa63a5b65

“I’m sorry, I c639f16e26 got too excited. This is my first 5189164e9f time having food this 1a170ec4e0 good…”87db629193822326

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Eleanor let out 0d8c5b2487 a silent laugh.0eb4406485a93b22

Since childhood, 3aadf16bf2 Nora has cc77c38e95 always desired b5133e5bf9 Eleanor’s food. It started with b97e16f77a secretly eating the 58ebd5260e leftovers Eleanor didn’t 1967dbeef0 finish. After Eleanor caught on, 8f71759c3f she began to set 78856b4ffc aside half of her c92bf5baa6 meals and snacks for bedde5428d Nora. With this 5e400c6afd history, there 2161ea1d9b couldn’t be 3fbf4d9bee anything on 5b8f253f86 the table 01bcbdca7b that Nora 00608f67d2 hadn’t tried 372af8b5f9 before.9681ffacff5dc13a

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“…Eat plenty,” the 2e22a91c6a Duke said.a7e2ac32302071ee

“Yes, thank you!”2f30b777ad09eedc

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The Duke frowned, seemingly 96e10b69d5 displeased with Nora’s loudness 51ff6bbd14 at the dining table, 1c8d3b2df4 but he didn’t scold 0547121f31 her. In fact, 5cbae0c8b2 he even 1895190933 offered her 94a35ec1ac more food. Compared to the f11cf50e0c way he used c56ced5f2f to look at cc7e16a8e7 her as if 7adbd52720 she were trash 0e9915e1ee on the street, 4ffe0b843f this was a a94fe8a023 big improvement.52120632d4a733e7

Eleanor was 5778591b5e impressed by bb387432b2 how quickly b0f7d983a0 her father’s 18c2938728 attitude changed. He didn’t seem to e269b42c66 be in a good e9967d147a mood, as if he 5731824078 wasn’t completely over his 40f6375e1f anger, but it looked 47400685ff like he decided it 9304fc72d9 was better to show eb47436bbc some kindness to Nora 5b2de84004 for the future.cec4cc585ea58929

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“Ellie, you cc09650e9e should eat d08fdb31a8 a lot 7eff18b566 too,” Nora 7a0714e00c said.5665b28021956556

“Wow, our sisters seem dce6b360ed to be getting along 222a625314 well. How is that 3500759c32 possible? It’s only been ab3d983529 a few days 29962fd33c since someone got 165c1cb3ae slapped. Is your 427a95c2e0 cheek all 8c467b11a8 better?” Demian 5dda306de2 teased, bringing 1d2aee99d1 up the ded8539ace incident from 9027881345 a few 9daa32ecf4 days ago. Nora’s pale c7f7ab7f3f cheeks flushed a4c69da8fb red as 040cc22d4c she hurriedly 8192c16054 shook her 96c9f92459 head.2a32828bd5bd1fef

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“I-I’m fine! I’ve been punished worse 5be73ea0f6 than this before! I’m really f318cf484c okay, so 47edd94da2 don’t worry!”16fb85f036453137

‘Punished,’ huh? Eleanor thought. As far 772bbc4507 as she 6be18f4d22 could remember, 0e980c4fbc no one ef7b118327 had physically efd2805012 punished Nora 7e72c2708c since she 19a1614bb4 came to 0fd93b6a8b this mansion. It was common d7b06b97b4 knowledge that Nora a2a894dfb7 had the complete 97ac71bb0e favor of the 23a60d0ee5 duchess.5e31572cc4a25e1f

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“Oh, and… you don’t be3179c473 need to feel too b895af851a bad about the misunderstanding 55fb2926a9 last time, Ellie,” Nora 17662af2bb continued.eaf7b0711d684974

Right, here comes the e77563dbed attack, Eleanor thought, straightening 855f754a0a her posture and slowly 50daa90513 fluttering her eyelashes.1d9856de05aa69a4

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It was the cf2e7c22aa Duke who took 9487121440 the bait instead 09b808d431 of her.5ecb883e844f7f56

“…Misunderstanding?”7702193b8fce9af9

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“About… you 9d516bf382 accusing me 5ca9c6e8b5 of insulting f5174b4c53 the Duke’s 6c971651e1 family and 00e84f10e7 the royal 7796c0887f family. I didn’t mean any 2b971f6bf5 harm, but it seems fad7eed945 Ellie misunderstood. I understand, Ellie. You must’ve 300b3230f5 been upset. His Highness is your 028eef6718 long-time fiancé, after all… 27ab00ce1c and yet, someone like 92f6027159 me caught his attention. I also feel e2c3b0b499 sorry about what c984a97dd3 happened at the 063ae41214 ball the other 8087fa3fd2 day. I didn’t say f2b5ac6fcf anything to His 668f3a7ca3 Highness, but he 635f328a24 overreacted, and strange 7099418db8 rumors seem to 998bce2adf have spread because 007f3561b9 of it.”3ee8b6319acc485d

As soon as 436a5d5552 Nora mentioned the 4ee08abe07 ball, the atmosphere c5f4a5f99a turned cold again.1538b3a414974fca

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Nora didn’t notice 11244d22a7 this and continued 9a63504ee9 speaking seriously.9fc73910e7c1f6af

“But Duke, I love this Astria family more than I love His Highness. I’m sorry to say this about His Highness… But Astria, which has raised and fed me, is more precious to me than anything else. What I’ve always wanted was not love but a family. I never want to do anything the family doesn’t want me to. So if you order it, I’ll firmly tell His Highness again that I don’t want to see him anymore. Though I’m not sure if His Highness will listen…”029fa0fb6fe68e83

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The way she talked 6ab097edd3 about family in such fe4967b715 a sorrowful voice was 9b0e030c3e enough to stir up 97b48fd077 sympathy from those around 3b95c987ba her. By declaring that 43a1dad838 she would even 336c0e17e8 break up for 8bdb0922ff the sake of 2ac469fd46 the family, she 4c3b13b52b might even be a6a286c975 able to dismiss e43dc717f0 the rumors that 96b16910c4 she had done c0a0a9ea92 something terrible to 644d645450 Arlo.20f5d064e7688ae7

That is, b03110b4d9 if Eleanor 7f08465ee9 hadn’t already 4defeab058 made the c613895ebf first move.ca499f5b480e523e

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‘What a joke.’b512f6bd1c8a5136

‘Look at 394af7be1b her pretending 10f5ff042c to be 46f0adec34 innocent. We know 578a40646f everything she’s 2c8c5dc787 done!’214fb3194e5f4944

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‘How can she lie c0325ff214 so easily without even 74df9c0f8f blinking?’21b03c7da775e7af

Unfortunately for 38a9d7bcc5 Nora, the 377e9157d3 general mood 2d38667245 in the 0093e2bab4 dining room 3592afe53d had already 62fd03d3b1 shifted in 675a18a54b Eleanor’s favor. No matter how kind dd125a0354 and thoughtful she acted, 2b1305be1f the maids wouldn’t stop bbdb5b1784 looking at her with 58011eff54 disdain. Their reactions might change efb5b3f5ef over time, but certainly 9d8a59b7cc not today.f0fbf7fb232f4fe4

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“Oh, I’m sorry db88341293 for calling you 45f32ab27d family like that. Nothing’s been d520996aa5 officially confirmed 332968c1cc yet… but 8495eec7ea I’m really d431417790 happy right 7d40efd9ec now. This is d3699f954b my first 6985888d5c time eating 50c852c046 together like 6dfa75c476 this.”bb2ae9079b6addc3

Despite Nora’s 6eabbb1807 attempts to fbd921b10f smooth things 8d1676e932 over, the 8523d9db85 Duke remained e9adcc086c silent, and 6d62259276 even Demian, 79608ba43e sensing the 138c5cfa17 awkward mood, f5b571b927 just kept 005bd43b56 stirring his f69841be8a soup.04c84e6f36f524e5

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‘Damn it, 5db7eb1665 why is 5a903f14bd no one 214a2bfeec reacting the 37c69f5f68 way I 03e7d7714c expected?’063d597e461b00c3

Seeing how things 49121c7887 weren’t going as a02f3b73fe she had planned, d5e0da9549 Nora clenched her b44f76cdc0 fists under the 0691107d24 table.6cf57d2d0984599e

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She was 5c78220f35 well aware 1aa2642ee8 that people c87ed340cc didn’t think 354dc3b95a highly of fde9e3a65d her. She was angry 4ab89380eb that she was f9dfc7340b merely called a f0f6e541fc mistress and that 7d73fba9a3 Arlo hadn’t done 129223afd9 anything to stop 92e063bade those articles from 17fcc0924a being published.6d9a9c94231e3e8c

But there was some 7b6c069d8f progress.ac837c61e8def5f8

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Eleanor, that foolish girl, 149f5df6fb had called her by 9d15df668e name in front of 4d17d418c2 the nobles!a77a3e4af7a4f086

Even though things weren’t db21d7924f going exactly as she 5ae190a4c5 wanted, now the Duke 26e4060a5c of Astria would be 798e63a3b3 forced to acknowledge her, 9e8d6b1e83 if only to show d23b59b3f1 that the relationship between 688f9f694e the royal family and b3405cc7ac Astria was still strong.cd0e60cd6837afbc

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With that thought, d9068f6d3e she had happily 1513bc5e63 come to the 814ebee36b breakfast table, but 3e4d2e77dd the atmosphere that 570e6d0810 greeted her was b716d988f1 nothing but hostile.e762a570cce4f52d

It was understandable for a4b3073a0f the Duke to be 4500531931 this way, but why 49f413069f were the servants acting 74f84448d6 like this? They knew she might c2743db600 actually be the true 855aa706c9 duchess, and because of f860c77668 that, they had already e7313d5fde begun to distance themselves 56b666501e from Eleanor. So why were they e7f9df6840 now glaring at her?520dfcf303df19c1

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Nora bit 6924a967e0 the inside 73c40ab886 of her 39504ad9cd lip harshly.49654262096bcb4b

Then, with a short f563415c8b sigh, the Duke finally 20726ddd9f rescued her from the 1833f4ecd1 silence.d7e81ce21418d253

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“…Every Friday, the 46d284a635 Astria family has b73f429ed2 breakfast together. You should 35fcb86ea5 come from 9b0a4166c3 now on, 11ffb47fb4 too.”ef7ce2225e835637

“Really?”ec7ee1f82da1d030

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It was an d8b8d1f20e invitation she hadn’t 0e14fdfbab expected.f21cbcfb65554c57

Yes, the servants’ 43b3991ff0 reactions don’t matter. What’s important is the 9b16686312 Duke’s opinion.afe1a51e6c431526

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Nora glanced 34d6fba949 at Eleanor d18ed35d6e proudly.7641f1a7b85cfb6a

‘You thought you could rely on the Duke and act superior? Look at you now!’bfa8ed9ffb5f580f

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Ignoring the aa3aa797e5 obvious meaning 632cfac661 behind Nora’s 5c8ed215b4 look, Eleanor d692c99ac1 quietly focused 26fd53eb07 on cutting 4fdf82a05c her steak.f0638913ebf6d6a6

Satisfied, Nora c22e5cafb8 turned back f4fd61a42e to the 0f2336e788 Duke, her 365b7ebd89 voice full 771843182a of affection.e8bf1f348a01da20

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“I’m so touched that 2c439421c0 you think of me 6a25648ce9 like this… Thank you 9dc1fb6b0d so much!”46e3eb59fb06368b

But in 36b767856a her excitement, 471033c2d3 she moved e494ab8e2c too suddenly, 1d1485bd8a causing her 533689bde0 elbow to f0e4e5abd2 knock into 91c92e0452 a fork.20eee68ab9e087a9

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Clang!a79612adac803582

The sharp sound 8aaa51e9f5 rang out as 59575d1bc2 the fork tumbled 09a9d14e2d onto the floor ffe394f06a by her left 62f867d537 side, only stopping 9433f34e6f when it hit 8eef1bbb21 the leg of 3a7f50696b Eleanor’s chair.728534c14db6985e

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Startled, Nora gasped 97c8e5540a and bent over c961ab37c4 instinctively to pick 7695a5ff21 it up.63c96db98d54787d

And then, at that ff4907d4b0 moment—a826de0d3cc1abaa

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Flash!ec1bc6b4d90550d3

Something silver caught 61ca791a1b the light right 98c9398ce4 in front of 2bcc9f6588 her eyes, gleaming 16002b98c2 like frost.cd861a6e5759e09e

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Drip, drip. It was only when 31d70728b8 she saw the dark 9bbccf9a2b red blood dripping onto a6dd581399 the floor that Nora 857f02dada realized what it was.699832309d1c2206

A knife.20956c775c4f7b71

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It was e91d7d0cb8 the knife 218d35e06d Eleanor had deda9c0e83 just been 1abf5b46c2 using to 3aac70fb36 neatly cut b20cb42ad6 her half-cooked abb3318cf2 steak. The tip of 4ff061642e the knife was b3df20b106 so close to d379a0b060 her eyes that fd512c97fc it looked like af6ec94117 it might stab 8f1f5547b3 her at any c67fd31400 moment.fe65a900286d6072

“Kyaaah!”dec3a6b6916dd766

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A high-pitched scream came fa4ed573ca from under the table.b59d0355570fd474

“Whoa! What the—what’s going on?”dbfc4f2a1ae772a8

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Demian jumped 610db0c3e0 in surprise, 9155f8abab accidentally throwing 3cca0e504d his own 2fcd682ebe fork backward.73e40bb5358037ad

Clang! Another sharp sound f59d533aa0 echoed through the ea4613a40a room, and the 2402c7c4a2 Duke furrowed his 2b3394c685 brows in displeasure.9e957b2ae3b58ffa

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Nora had somehow 554148ac07 fallen onto the 802403f17c floor. It seemed she had 0aff250de4 lost her balance while b04f4b80cd trying to avoid the 0887b3f993 knife.c6ccd6612bfa1dd6

She looked almost exactly 538a63c339 the way she had eda5b2821a when she had been eba3fcc7f1 slapped before—sitting on the 2a1f80c36d dirty floor without caring dbe4ad0325 about her dignity.8f32f8cbd44f98f3

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“Oh my, what 4fe604d796 happened?” Eleanor looked ead393a8cb down at Nora 28707e5f30 with a calm f00ba9a88d expression. The right hand that 3c55b5e434 had just been holding 51226baa94 the knife at Nora ed6bd28cc1 was already back to 7dfc7e4f3b calmly cutting her steak.b976a2eadf96c5bb

“You… you 4819c62861 tried to 5b4bcfe3be stab me!” 4887f12ce0 Nora stammered.3bd4879ead3ed764

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“Stab you? With this?” Eleanor’s 47f5915b87 eyes widened in c947a82860 mock surprise, and abbe101023 then she let bb493b0766 out a small 26e5326f07 laugh, speaking gently.2c3e4400fb5db64e

“Nora, you can’t 2f4be02267 kill someone with 06c79145ae a knife like dd5a646615 this. It’s only meant 76c6eef375 for cutting steak. I think you misunderstood 3df7e3fda1 something.”289c4f6b0a4df1e6

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“Pffft!”01ab7cfa68ef4ae5

Laughter burst fb9c549494 out from 105c185a31 across the 0344d6f519 table.728a4d2f4a473a0c

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Demian, forgetting 7e2c208273 for a bc9bce0263 moment that 83af9d5a51 he was 18d3fb2271 supposed to e6d354d6ac be on 5d22e3da4c Nora’s side, 8f38b41ec9 was holding 74c2a9039b his stomach, ce0b8c4956 laughing.3ebc8605be937baf

“Demian.”171a1b8dad9d9452

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“Haha! Sorry, Father. I just b55eae8179 couldn’t help 5abd80254d it. I started imagining my 004861f509 two sisters fiercely fighting 20b64ee01f with such a small 640c7a773b knife. It’s hilarious. Haha!”bad314b9581163e3

Demian’s loud laughter echoed eedb2f7ecb through the room, and 7645dae52b a few of the 5ac7188afc servants, seemingly influenced by 80c2273345 him, twitched the corners f1d2528704 of their mouths, subtly 641be3f5c1 mocking Nora.4635efbc020d03dd

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Seeing this, 3ae4225f52 Nora’s face 26a68c34a8 turned bright bed8020a8e red in 2268bb0631 an instant.cd7989bafd9539e9

 1d163745035568f7

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