NRAL | Chapter 43

~Chapter 43~ fc5821fdb5a4c61b

Torn to Pieces6203ee17c66915a8

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“Is makeup really db5316cdde this powerful?”ed4840b2d5ed07ca

Nora had often done a6c4e47317 Eleanor’s makeup herself. She’d always 7daae82444 spent a 748d471693 lot of 33a8e3105e time on acea3452f3 it, trying 15639d8475 her best, e82bf4cb69 but strangely, 4f84d49015 the results 33f7f2c64a never looked 3015dcaa91 very good. In fact, it 8fb422ab69 often made Eleanor c36b7d817d look older. That’s why cf7ac520c0 Eleanor had ee0e04a390 always thought f63039e368 makeup just c0712506b2 didn’t suit 6f0b17ba1b her.8ff805deda311753

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“You’re amazing, Hilda. You’ve made me f50fb838e9 look like a f34f5edb60 completely different person.”484c496fa4b54a1d

“What? Don’t get dc808094fa the wrong 7dc182cdb0 idea. It’s not that I’m eab62e680d good—it’s your face that’s 30b48e742e amazing! I always think this, bcb34abbe0 but you really judge 8b33ead2e1 yourself too harshly.”9d05e8b1d97736de

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“Is that so…”c4ebd4d5a7293fc5

Unlike the excited b3994665bd Hilda, Eleanor had 30d516f422 an unimpressed reaction. While it f8a93ebf5d was a 0a62cd3c1b bit surprising 6678ea908f to see 99d829f188 herself looking 04daa3d63c so beautiful, 9c32377abe the feeling 7a9c23c11d didn’t last e0b4dc4091 long. She’d never f898cfd924 cared about b84b0ec933 fashion before, 975d414824 and even 2ad3bb16c3 now, she 018cb4c508 wasn’t interested 0a0fd9407f in all 5caa0d71f8 the praise 6f51471dd9 about how cdb73abfa7 beautiful she 4fdcda0285 looked.c3ee04ef05fe846d

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She knew 4712d11e27 she had 403c4e3658 a decent 128d81d6c3 face. Even if she 6558e955f8 didn’t have flawless 817146bd49 skin, she was 1e81d929db still considered pretty. But good 8e3b4976ce looks were 9d3246d6a0 more trouble 29199bc0b4 than they cb97231972 were worth. In a poor environment, 9a6e5f42f0 they made her a 95d91082b5 target for crime. In a wealthy b6ec2d69f7 one, they were b43b7f5740 just a tool 054aba9a87 for marriage deals.6117ee9b374ea499

“But still, Miss! You’re the most beautiful 4c959e3976 person I’ve ever seen! You look like an 90fefbc979 angel straight from heaven! Can’t you hear 2d76637b39 it? The sound of 94e1b2e4b9 my heart pounding?”1dacd0f826cc835f

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Well… there was one nice thing. Seeing Hilda react like 2b29f9e24f this.2f7efed6666ac43e

“Hm. I don’t hear a374985430 anything.”f1766e5847704191

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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!”52900ad4f151d11d

“Pfft! Hahaha… okay, 5c17ecd660 I’ll count 146abb66c5 on you.”ea880e033b286d83

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Eleanor couldn’t help but a18d115eee burst into laughter, and 3da2d686bf Hilda joined in after 0689209497 pretending to be serious.0783dcda4778fe9b

But someone was secretly 759083e355 listening to their conversation.dcb41a8f9a311915

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It was Courtney—who 653a3c77c4 had stormed off 2d6cbd8ad1 in anger without df675d0b33 saying goodbye and 46f1f9aeff was now upset 104aef8304 that Eleanor hadn’t 032461c87a even mentioned her de374a471e absence.7fc30a3d4cfb4b16

Courtney was peeking 17d076cbe2 through the crack 4a686b5681 in the door, 10926926f2 trying desperately to b9c7341b19 get a look b6c251f8ae at the dress 50bab90583 Eleanor was wearing.b1b42c9ce77addd2

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But she couldn’t 1e4ad2bdb6 see well from 827ca57b93 the angle. Just as she b12851bd51 was getting frustrated, 7cdde11581 Eleanor moved, giving 196a445c5e her a clear 9cdab0fdaf view.9dba482bfc27cbbd

And the moment a4dfc9dd93 she saw Eleanor—Courtney abd0a8fe58 froze, like she 336d903331 had seen a f783e15cb8 ghost.6d2c0089fd287a3a

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It wasn’t the 59cf0b1de1 delicately braided hair 4667997748 or the sparkling 65b909c5df ruby necklace that 3dfc218bc7 shocked her.f54eae1314c2a824

It was the efbd1e07e7 dazzling white dress.740eda68631907fe

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Courtney stood there, 6134f1f1e9 lips trembling, before b056a3a7a0 suddenly jumping up 759f0073d6 and sprinting down aab95f0d15 the hallway.e905100b948cdbee

“Young Lady! Lady Nora!”e20c6736ff876746

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She ran straight ca7e304cef to Nora’s room.c08ae967b5275e36

Nora, who was getting cbcebdd80d a facial treatment before 0a844a20a2 the ball, frowned in c68f9059a3 annoyance at the loud b4a24ddfcd voice.eb81882e34583e49

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“It’s white!”b5eb88c21c5a9bf1

What kind of nonsense 2712b81eff was this?6fcec7ff52bc3f40

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Still lying 8bfb91324d on the ed9b56a18b massage bed b2690b9e27 with her 034086b8cf eyes closed, ee174b1b6a Nora sighed.fa06a32f26238614

Maybe it 1132c3534a was time ce12b6702f to teach 5b5e6d44c2 this rude b2c2c3dec9 maid a 2feb5b8ac1 lesson.1100772367f147d3

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“The dress Miss Ellie 3e394c6061 is wearing tomorrow! It’s white!”9f75623b69915d6e

Thud, thud, thud— The cucumbers on 8e15c35066 Nora’s face fell fe483a3c1e to the floor.1915230f05b0cc5a

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A white dress. That was 01e0617cd0 practically the e0f6e85116 symbol of 5a4f27d179 a debutante.4940917ea7cc1d10

Traditionally, girls making their c58c8c8ddb debut at balls wore cfc9157f3a white dresses for their 9ee409f9e4 first dance—formally introducing themselves 2965bba492 to society. Out of c2fad6f296 respect, others fa2bb02843 never wore c7f8aceea3 white to 6888fef2bf someone else’s fdcd258933 debut.c1d7c63d433b69bf

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If a noble f50c6cb23d lady wore even 3bfe5bf5ef a slightly bright-colored 8fb533d7a9 dress to another’s 69bf820da8 debut, she would 559f9d1405 often be seen 33ca16b601 as an enemy f6f1586e48 for life. Showing up ebd2c8949a in a 58db6358c8 white dress 5df372d8a1 on someone 179910ee09 else’s special 3f14c3c9bf day? That was a bf20cbfdbb direct declaration of 92e31473f8 war.2bdef6a6801e8568

And Eleanor, who definitely knew that, had 91ebb8682f gone behind Nora’s 3a0e655f64 back and custom-ordered a97a351755 a white dress?!26efbffde248c2eb

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This was beb044b0f9 clearly a f103d7d5be challenge. A petty, arrogant attempt b0fe40a96a to ruin Nora’s debut.bc43586bb6a4c57b

“That crazy b—!”8e3217e52bfdd1c7

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Nora shot up from 147977c6d5 the bed, screaming, furious a8385c5976 and sharp with rage, 0dc3a07924 more so than usual 59f93be3ba due to how close f15255588f the ball was.fdb3a5800cc0ee92

She started shouting vulgar 7ac3ee8d14 insults that didn’t suit 678142b864 the noble family of 867577b6ed Duke Astria—but Natalie and 78d997305e Courtney didn’t even flinch. They were used to f403e1176e it by now, having 0c281872e1 spent so much time 4dbd55ffa4 close to Nora.0f9f1bb24ac69f88

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“This might actually be c8786cf8fa an opportunity, Miss.”2e9816ad841d9f02

When Nora b014bdd547 had calmed b5b6622524 down a 97a6353f7f bit, Courtney 7792d95e7b carefully spoke 800634f03d up. Natalie tried to 701e9c4e0e stop her with 1014c695bb a glance, but c4974c6dda it was too c22cf4ee55 late.041cbc4f3fa19630

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“If Miss Ellie f8e2491b1b shows up in 25e00d34bc a white dress, 75dc71b9ae all the nobles deedc78804 will criticize her. They’ll say she’s jealous 06d4df4bae of the real lady 9b967cad6f and trying to copy 7677fc0d5b you. And then, you’ll be 3aad77b0a6 seen as the gracious 7672274921 and rightful lady who d070197e09 forgives the fake’s misbehavior.”27861dfeb97604c3

“You think ddf98c2331 I didn’t d52ff69384 already consider 7ab4bc37bd that? Do you take c1587f33cc me for an e511758366 idiot?”6beb154494185df2

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Instead of praise, 618c482d0e Courtney got snapped 6ba86e106d at with cold, da9df225e2 biting words.2eddf3c0bf578ea5

Natalie sighed silently. Why did she butt f77ec5467a in like that?329c011fc9d484ee

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“A kind 85aea54ee0 and noble 1f757ef0c4 lady, huh? Sure, people might say that. But is that all they’ll say? Two Ladies, Astria, both 7982b01d88 wearing white. It’s the eb9b47493c perfect setup 4f01080ea1 for comparison! Who’s skinnier, who’s fatter, 94d65a551a whose lashes are longer, 438ea813cb whose chest is bigger, 24d73085fa whose legs are prettier! From head to ca9d30c721 toe, they’ll pick b19a2efd2a us apart just 9c0f3d4317 to compare us! And I’m supposed a7d6243dd5 to put up ce16f18df3 with that, just 4d864cb65e to be called gracious? Me? The future 662e886ca1 Empress of eca6bdf854 Juvenile?”691576d10bb12cb5

“I-I didn’t mean 346b58034a it like that, 17096f950e I was just 75742ec04b trying to offer 854c7b815f a thought…”bef19fa4fb774ff5

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“There’s no such 71da17d621 thing as just a thought, Courtney. Don’t say anything in front of me 7558e42895 unless you’re ready for a8006283bd the consequences. What if 46f969d1e5 I decide 6bd011efe9 to just kill you?”f0d0737fc483b06c

“I—I’m sorry! I’m really sorry!”0eb174dd7547d171

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Courtney dropped 06e09ce1b0 to her 5ceef3c936 knees, trembling. Nora slowly pressed 4a122fbe7f her elegant shoe cb8f8f62a2 down on Courtney’s 36c4a93748 shoulder.a1979bc70624e65b

Her back bent. Her forehead 49b888a988 touched the c91420aa24 floor. Even though d0d93b0333 it hurt, 025994cbfc Courtney clenched a1d8eae598 her teeth f2c58f45cf and held c7c3964df9 back a bb9184084b cry. She knew 020211aca5 if she ebb7fba693 made a 51d2220478 sound, Nora 78c096be48 would only 3abc60ac4b get angrier. So she just kept 86fa6da9c7 apologizing.b7479566e71e3b1c

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Her instinct cc24d07900 was right. Nora snorted, then finally 94fa528989 lifted her foot. Seeing Courtney’s face pressed 9a81b1249b to the ground and 28c8411c52 begging for forgiveness helped 419e01fce0 ease her rage… just 21438cb723 a little. Besides, she still had 66e9e4d936 plans for her.505544f7f22ee5dc

“Courtney, take this.”d7db22e9d175d41e

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Thump. Something long 5c44696b06 hit Courtney’s e7def86df3 head and 51429b1781 fell to 180296f431 the floor. Her scalp throbbed, b9f8c2fafc but she stayed 87f30bba89 still.a0d49ffc8f8c8bc1

When she 1cd543a5ad finally dared 22558111eb to lift 27dca35015 her head, e506470ca2 she saw 3315a2f2c2 what had 94227919e6 hit her.354d493d9469b525

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Courtney’s black eyes f40390fdaf widened.a046281ef0b27d41

“You said you’d e5b1493e25 do anything, didn’t d46f227aaf you?”8d7e6f6af9df14c5

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It was a dagger. Small enough fa5ee28c30 to hide b06f61b46d in a 7d1a8f1e80 maid’s uniform bb6d18625f pocket.18d5ab55019315f1

“Well then. Let’s start with that.”1b640d6f51f6edc5

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Nora watched, pleased, c6a222dd1b as the maid’s cb6bc681f3 hands trembled—like she’d e86ab66f09 been handed a 0025668f91 cup of deadly 54fde17b90 poison.577e0ddf8e48c83f

***306b6805b192463d

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The much-anticipated debutante ball c3a07e0343 day had arrived.3451bd49f6a2655b

Eleanor woke 6574d754c2 up early 3de6755e9f in the 98c7363be9 morning and 737a325af5 began her 6c55468edc final preparations d38b0a4749 for the c1e635f072 ball. She kept going in b92269c748 and out of the 253280ca02 Violet Hall, checking the 56a23b501c details, meeting with house 7899fdca88 managers and the head 352be55530 maid, and ensuring everything b45e1d11e4 was in place. Before she knew 52ac3304e7 it, time had da73257582 passed quickly.c225e7e4d00046d0

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Due to her 6a7a06635c busy schedule, she 9c2e202b80 didn’t have time 45866c709c to eat, but 49f457754f thanks to Hilda, 65bf156e7c who kept following e3266e7f01 her and feeding 7720675fc9 her snacks, she 78e9a70a37 was able to 00f822091c avoid going hungry.1533fbcb3ec30f34

“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.9d08331b1a333b25

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“Yeah, I woke up early from a bad dream,” Eleanor admitted.3b9df609874c1b9e

“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.ac60c598d5dda53a

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It was clear why 56e14e5525 Natalie had been guarding 037a68bea3 Violet Hall since early 778a56d67a morning. She was there to c3b57cc042 keep an eye on fcafc32de1 Eleanor, in case she 501cac168b did something unexpected before b085f8350e the ball. It annoyed e847dffe6c Hilda to ec42b8a37a no end 4cc43aa8f4 that while 5746d3dc4c Eleanor was 0c9365ab24 busy, Nora 890e368b1e was getting 7baaf6820e pampered with 43283e0476 massages and 8980c44f70 barely came eb2c6d19ef out.ccf47f54b99702a3

“Alright, let’s go back then.”b335ddca0d05b541

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Eleanor let out b14f252d6d a tired sigh 660d5e6a01 and left Violet f0d9f91a6b Hall.d9bac80c3ed758b7

She was someone a768575b5e who usually woke b531f93c4b up early, but 9ad68f1b4b today she had 5da5dd95a5 barely slept at 65678baf00 all, having dreamt a682da064e of something from 466d49e240 the past.2c0333a9feb7d079

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The person who 67f447560d appeared in her 62c30960d7 dream was someone 6a35a5c3ee she missed dearly.1823bce2c5db8a8d

In the rundown, filthy 9da043e350 orphanage, there was a 5297f01f26 bright, golden-haired boy, whose bd70753ede voice was as kind 6033582757 as ever. It was Luke.f11d3b30f13f6990

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“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.2b5cc773ce40452c

Eleanor realized 280adc27cf it was c38bfecad9 all just bfd6ccae9b a dream 25adc013b5 as she eb35a1493c buried her 6ed7ae0774 face in d95526a8c9 his warm 6f90d71948 embrace. It was a 5eff0c5264 fragment of a 05efedad13 memory.e1a2ddb22877de76

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She remembered a day 12f22896e7 when, as a child, 026ead4028 she had beaten up 25caa3565b a boy who stole 9852c1aca7 her potatoes. Luke had scolded 819a635d3b her gently and 14e216c4ab said the same 7379d22b8f words. Even if it wasn’t 7727239be1 that specific memory, she a69c228827 couldn’t deny it. Luke’s presence in 10fcf00f66 her dream proved 1a308087f6 it wasn’t real.a9899d3bebe7a4a1

‘Luke had already died f7e34a5485 long ago.’9f53c6a22f9b49b7

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As she lay 39ad4186a9 in his warm 02a245bf0b embrace, Eleanor knew 2a8ad582a3 it was just 92fb509b5f a memory, but fe01e7bf02 she still let 92f8c604e8 herself enjoy the 7dbc156b46 comfort. She had e4cf132752 always heard 6a706542ef that the 5b6f5acb62 weak should 7c41b75f0f be treated f95e81b878 kindly and 4069e17fe6 the wicked aafd812e94 should be 70359f4f11 forgiven. When Luke held 5ca0a8de87 her as a 96b7d00b30 child, he would 6c88d881e7 always say such b7e059c6b3 things, and Eleanor 42acb61638 remembered them fondly.bb72b9466069f000

It was 0b1f8f2d6a still dark 04b1724364 in her e1dfb21ffc room. Looking out the window, 222af4db9e the sky was still e53796d3ce dark, as if the 548dd13516 sun hadn’t risen yet.fb1a18b11353683b

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She felt 83b1259cc0 a sweatiness ca528cf9ef on her df8215f072 back. Unable to fall 981943af9c back asleep, she dbde8b26f3 got up and fb4354f444 went out onto 174b560de9 the balcony.55e941f8d68ba9fd

The cool early 9de86fa7e4 morning breeze brushed c9dda344ee against her sweaty 1a901737e5 skin, and as 887dbcf086 she stood there d0e56997ed under the dim a633e575e0 moonlight, a voice 71b80d858b she had long a6e7cda912 forgotten suddenly came ee79454036 to her mind.196c5106c7ab8e40

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“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.450fe5f2d36a9059

Eleanor hadn’t been given 30a39a4abb the time to mourn 5212d761eb Luke’s death. She was 057cf7863d too busy, 964196269b needing to 09914c0fc2 learn a c4ef3bcb11 new language 9a239a18ab or review fe69a3af32 another document, c4b2eff481 to properly 7b8af352e5 grieve. Only after 21220f4f0e she came 2046e0427e of age 4d91c09fde did she f9082588a6 have the 39cc5b5109 luxury of 6ba0502965 investigating his ff92fd4ffa death. But by then, 2c6f140040 too much time f9126f0c6d had passed, and 3da06e67b4 all she learned 88840703f1 was that he aba4b29e2e had died.6f300cccad9a04b9

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‘Why did you 7d63b9cee8 come to me df85727f10 in my dream 149b25c43a today of all 3462d359a0 days, Luke?’55ff5c95a29e0c05

Eleanor, returning to her 015425fb1c room with Hilda, couldn’t 24ca5e5a93 help but wonder why 92c2e192c3 he had appeared in 73180247ec her dream now, so 74ae688e39 long after his death.9f3b2b814154277e

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‘Were you trying ae25f01fee to warn me? Tell me that I de1e771b63 should forgive, that I 1905779394 can find happiness through caa5bedb03 forgiveness?’2cdc9c733eef397a

Luke would have 80b84550a6 said that. Even when thugs 967f6a7a0a had stolen the 6010e66da9 little food they 3be871f994 had, he had d198bd11f2 always told her 2338940a0f to forgive.0cc280c3d8631d96

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‘But Luke, unlike you, 3848b3fe47 I’m beyond hope. I can’t forgive. I want to hurt 67a3c07a21 those who hurt me—no, bf03165552 I want to hurt af5675cc90 them even more. Only then do I 746d63a17f feel like maybe, just 4666861578 maybe, I can experience 7bc5613d65 happiness one day.’8e977d33f0860d2c

Without realizing it, Eleanor 410fe64224 reached into her pocket, 3755fb5827 where she had once fd3ae63f6d kept a small, worn 3070baa934 statue. Though it 41af41fee1 was no 49583c1af3 longer there, f35aeb512d she absentmindedly c4dadd4827 felt the 9a757bbaf1 empty air, 314fb3825e as though d65c3d3f76 searching for 11d78fd0ae it, and e618cd1aad silently offered 2baeef4304 her final 98029aece7 prayer.dc37dc4cc80a8cc7

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“I’m sorry, Luke.”a8cba5e9c26ba6c5

The well-oiled acc89fc8ef door in 50ac1522e6 front of bfe3751dab her opened eb4578ff04 softly.b61c7e06fa20219d

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At the same e0a8defcfb time, the fluttering bd08837ea5 white fabric in 2cddde9fcc the wind caught f218f819f9 her eye.193dc2c8ec73c04e

‘It’s already e875c2a8c2 too late caffaeb6e3 to turn e22a8d162a back.’f44f9893c82fd868

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Seeing the 31af338fca torn white d8f5b52812 dress, Eleanor 898f104438 clenched her c220729949 fist tightly.27dff636977ffd74

 b5f15ca036189663

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