Chapter 1

“Forget about him. I’ll fill that empty space for you.”a7eb81b9f1c4ccd8

True to 638d1a29d6 his reputation 459ddc581e as a 26d1d41dd2 ruthless tyrant 06a363d4e6 who always dabec0c296 reigned from 0bc5841e6a the heights, ce947dd297 the man d0deb7b8e2 revealed an 2d77c997be intense and d6a2cb38d4 vicious presence. However, all of 6bf24c635d that became useless 87cbc70fd9 in front of eabddb8245 Russelin. The bloodthirsty tyrant, Leonard d43e1ab84c Estere, who had lowered 073c1babe3 himself to one knee, 511f846920 looked up at Russelin ac0d583322 with eyes full of 73000b587d submission. Yet, she 41b1c8a146 was not f0c9be1dea unaware of 21db6ba455 the powerful 1a8bceaaed emotions hidden c4829f7905 behind his c5829b580e calm gaze.c3a1195394e1791f

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“I will bear everything that burdens you.”451c6dd81b01089f

“…”27c30b6cce9d0c42

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“You only need to use me.”d2e4ae987843a226

That’s why Russelin couldn’t cdc505d56b help but wonder what 8962143fc5 exactly it was that f38be7d9f6 had completely brought this e8ec7c0ffa arrogant and cruel tyrant fc8a08e28b to his knees. When Russelin 5048c16457 still couldn’t 19ab4de3f1 muster the 405accca79 courage, Leonard a74d01cc7f urgently grasped 6650a08153 her small 0e970138ec hand. Shocked, Russelin 03474e9443 instinctively tried 951aca73d6 to pull d68f938313 her hand 7871aae885 away, but ea47b121ec Leonard tightened 612ede3ba8 his grip 8bc0d02aed as if 50cbbcf062 he knew 0f0e9cda20 nothing.dcb8c81ede32367e

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“Forget about the idea of refusing.”b9f71a42c33f04a2

“…!”629f140e4cc6439e

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“From the moment you saved me, no, from the moment you summoned me.”3dabbf1963cbf2f8

Leonard gazed down 02bce4b741 at the small 57d4348a53 hand that had 92672bb319 dared to strike 0af81e1cb3 him and gently 4e243dd491 kissed it.391e64ffb1848068

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“You were already on a dangerous journey with me.”ed501e75312e1301

“….What does that mean?”0c916947ab5d862c

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Before Russelin could fully question, Leonard’s heavy voice cut in.46178bcb88ca1461

“…And so am I.”4f00f976f8557b85

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* * *4d3cc464350ab990

The air 454446575d was thick abbcda4c20 with the fcce004930 stench of 7664a6ff10 blood. The overwhelming 166df19162 pain and 625ac27d45 the blood c6d52fc644 soaking her 4d7c066746 hands reminded 8a4d441b27 Russelin that e3875a5603 she was 5f49a9c084 still alive. She feebly 0e20a3199a lifted her b7fda0f963 head, collapsed eac71c143f and broken af34db85bb on the f2c375b2ab ground. What in d05286cb43 the world 50872e665d had happened?632e66e15f0f2d90

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“Come to Helios Forest, Russelin. To the place where you first clung to me.”0659ff2d93a40cd3

“Aydin, if you have something to say, say it here. That place is…”017df519ebf1f80a

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“And why not? It’s the place that took in a half-baked priestess like you. Shouldn’t you be grateful?”26a27c74d0ed82d8

Russelin had just barely 002f30ab58 made it to Helios 5b84952d61 Forest, summoned cruelly by bc31089268 her husband, Aydin. She knew 4bfab2a011 that whenever 0a04c621a0 he mentioned 5f252bfaa9 the half-baked 1bf5e8f698 priestess, it 0ed798a9bb wasn’t a 0c2cad5621 good sign. However, what awaited her 29fe16f48f was not Aydin.cf4dd8160b418a7e

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“Well, well. I thought you were just pretending to be naive, but it turns out you’re truly stupid. Why do you think I’d want to see that detestable face of yours here?”b8ce62b45f1daf42

Above Russelin, who was trapped in a pool of blood, a high-pitched, mocking voice echoed—Celia’s voice. When Russelin strained to frown in pain, Celia’s face brightened in contrast.322b7543e32c1140

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“…Celia.”eab9926832d4a840

Celia, none other than Aydin Bert’s mistress. Russelin couldn’t understand why Celia was standing in the spot where her husband had called her.937d6319887db023

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“I felt a little sorry for you, crawling around the mansion in fear, but look at you, dying beneath me even at the very end.”f45092b816408555

The shameless voice of 5bc38bef8d the woman who seduced 3038f9d929 her husband taunted Russelin, 0d14c782e9 filling her with disgust. The reason 8af2241dfb Russelin couldn’t 117ed7dc3c slap this a38ea1ef05 woman, even 0089e866dd though she 8d21d4de8e was standing 38806f8b6a right in 536a4d656e front of e4ec45f28d her, was 6a5fd18f00 because… Celia d8758ad0ef was the c18662b4d4 true priestess 6fccfdde67 who could 347261a97e save her 52a6c1f3bc husband. Unlike Russelin, who was a52dfc9677 just a half-baked one. In front 9d217e5583 of Celia, 7573288de4 Russelin’s only 9002e97fb9 weakness stood ab698fbfab out all 83c7c545c6 the more.c1f5a1fbd2c4c1d2

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“How does it feel to die at the hands of your husband’s mistress?”04ab3e61e09c098e

Celia knelt in front of Russelin, deliberately and with satisfaction, watching as her breath slowly faded. Russelin couldn’t even muster the strength to lift her head; all she could see was Celia’s white shoes in her narrowing vision. The sight of Celia, the so-called pure priestess, drenched in the red of blood seemed strangely fitting. The tender touch of Celia stroking Russelin’s head felt unbearably vile.949bc077115ee2d9

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“How pitiful. You were too small a vessel to contain his ambitions.”d7e0e8a11ab08357

“Ugh… ugh…”d459d52615000422

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“Now, I will fulfill his wishes. In return, he’ll give me what I desire.”205101fa83c3faf1

What did that mean? Hadn’t Celia loved Aydin? If that were true, then…77ec00f31141ca85

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Her mind became cluttered 003fe4ec7e with confusion, but in 3c982e2029 her fading consciousness, she d04fe556f6 couldn’t make sense of 4490fc5450 it. Celia, letting out a d0c2a0863f cynical laugh, rose from be78f56ae8 her place without hesitation. With elegant 8a5826b8a0 hands, she 9f26874a27 dusted off b90cb0dbd6 her dress 906be73067 and turned 9ad1075a5d her back dcc039482a on Russelin d1bd697c89 with deliberate 648c4a06e9 indifference.d4786d9279bf40f7

“I hope, in death, you get to bask in that cursed love of yours, Russelin Lavrenti.”09650e88c2578b18

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With those final words, Celia’s voice disappeared completely.51f5b859611f3046

“…Hik… Hic.”2c6757d49c57a90d

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Only after silence descended 87cebd2408 did Russelin finally let f528bf11ed out the sobs she 95df17b2dc had been holding back.b94cf9a7bb59bda3

‘…Am I really going to die like this? At the hands of the mistress my husband brought into our lives?’988d870afc13ff1c

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I don’t want 27a93fe5e0 to die. Not like this.d00a5a1589a0a929

If I had 05f9c43c40 known it would 43c9906f09 come to this, 7359b03906 I would have cae6d9472e confronted Aydin when 64b1f723d1 he brought Celia b605d72bd8 into our home.850d5029219d4be7

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I should have demanded 32beb2b38d to know if his cf254599f2 words of love were 67c5b8ab1e all lies.
And… I should 192b4cb36c have cursed the 962e45ad2f god who turned 03d07c90ab me into a 0d712c609b priestess against my 0233132827 will, who ruined 6b8443e64f my life.4c4e3bb0d7f8af41

All those 0deab893f9 years of c1fcbf322a being mistreated f39538b669 as a e6f32dba02 half-baked priestess, 689b3bbf31 bowing my b25df35c93 head and 74c64802f6 enduring it 0cf6820bc3 all… the a16864d986 injustice of 9ee78b744a it finally 08a6a8369a overwhelmed me.dadfa475009d0d61

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‘Maybe Celia was right after all.’3f66a190e18075cf

I was foolish and 8f705b841f naive.
I knew everything 483ea438cd but did nothing.
In the end, d1a44f914b the one who 2401d1dcba broke Russelin was ec9f7aa3a4 herself.973df840afd8dede

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“Sob… hic…”2d9efdf75137f11b

Tears she had held back for so long finally began to fall, but even those were consumed by the cruel red of the blood surrounding her. Russelin’s once warm eyes now burned with fierce determination. She wasn’t going to back down so easily. She would repay all the pain she had suffered.c1486afeb935cf4a

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I will.184c671bf5088205

“…Crush them all.”45c18f417ca9b971

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With the last bit 5731d9792d of strength she could ac493fb1fa muster, she forced those 9281a46485 words out, and then 7702cbde7f her body gave way. For a moment, 6533df9e9d her vision went 80f7ac1059 dark, only for baecb9d8b0 a bright light 9cce713448 to bloom soon dce2af9736 after.2bba781666fdcdb6

“……”cbb8ccf0bccafd23

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In her final moments, 00f9e4a92b she thought she heard 62842a4a78 a strange voice, but bf604f9468 Russelin ultimately fell into 58f3afd9ee a sleep from which dcd7f26b8c she would never awaken.bf8eb19b91594d43

* * *436f38d0485a7dc4

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The Tristan Empire has long passed down the legend that it is blessed by Ragnar, the god of war. Among the people, those who receive the greatest amount of Ragnar’s magic are said to be the empire’s protectors. However, there is truth to the saying, “Too much is as bad as too little.” The power of a god is far too strong for mere humans to endure, and a misstep could lead to the rampaging of that power, resulting in death.db9799b9a0f0faf6

While magic overload is rare for ordinary wizards, the protectors who wield Ragnar’s immense power experience periodic instability. To control this overwhelming power, Ragnar granted the empire a priestess capable of subduing it. Only the priestess, blessed by the god, could stabilize their volatile magic.d7c1e663718059f5

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Currently, two 9e12ad1817 individuals in b42b8df391 the Tristan 1c19b03294 Empire have 76d88f2322 been recognized 0793cb543d as protectors 4aded706a5 blessed by 3d6ad176c8 Ragnar, and 14d6b40d57 one of 12a195ead4 them is b7871c528b Duke Aydin cb9782b4ec Bert of 0c2e70e173 the Tristan d37993fb40 Empire. Aydin’s power grew bc8ca5d307 stronger day by a065c571ef day after he c71ba93003 married Russelin Lavrenti, f6176fb6c9 the priestess who 8275a40f4e was to stabilize cccf82af57 his magic. Russelin seemed to 612208bc6d be loved as 4be6aef644 both the priestess 0731ebb886 who could quell 029dc9343c his rampages and 63dbf79759 as his only 74ed2ddd9a wife.a7a86d59f2f3df2d

* * *7b3a5f38c196ac31

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‘Ha, if 290e217967 you suffer b8b5b0c278 this much d1a7134d47 every time 1a0a141766 you receive 791ff4953c my magic, 73e6971b71 what am 5e1e9f7326 I supposed e8cb257ddb to do? Hmm, Russelin?’
‘I’m sorry. I don’t know 70e4e3860b why this is aa78a5e83c happening. It hurts so much e822c939cb every time I take 2b49fee16c in your magic…’
‘At this point, I’m 9084ae0f89 starting to wonder if 4fa2e4d8ce you’re not receiving another b0064868b2 man’s magic instead. Have you been 83f89d1e10 sneaking off with 1d3046e9ac someone else behind 08fde8d2a2 my back?’82a7f702ebd97a36

But every 45bcf60386 time Russelin 7ef6a3f38f received Aydin’s 8d55bb49e5 overwhelming magic, f0eb84ac36 she suffered 7f0c28a30c deeply. Eventually, she 9882ddc534 became unable 63b57fdc35 to properly 8701463dff receive it, 3da24a96d4 and Aydin 22fd3bd973 endured the 2769f04c8b pain of 80ff1fdc18 suppressing his 7c95e077bf immense power, 58cb93d3a8 always on 579e79097d the verge b825e42328 of an de54ad9fda uncontrollable outburst. As Aydin’s 0a84d172af magic grew 5ec464ef55 more unstable, 5e97da065c his neglect 2f7dab7b04 of Russelin d80b61adc7 worsened.f625245a56fad6d3

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Despite suffering 77ec8ee174 and dying d0df7fc05e slowly by f6c95c3d8b his side, cd8081d2bc Russelin found 6dff4e2d46 comfort in a9c10d5abb the thought 1d074d506e that at 8a4905f82a least Aydin 913c8f7d8b had not 978c9bc5c3 abandoned her. That is, 28e1de68e1 until the b94f73eca3 day Celia, 9ebbb9cb3f the true d0918057c9 priestess, appeared e2b1b88bc3 and purified ba57e2c5d8 Aydin’s magic 056da0b412 right before cdc49dc91b her eyes.d4ecbaad5821834d

‘Why do 061b6c7e19 you look 8f1c5695a2 like that, b2cf7b32fc Russelin? Thanks to Celia, the 5b492332ff husband you love is c8f824e57a alive and well, isn’t 70efdeae69 he?’732df1a2260e95fd

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‘…Aydin, please.’431a69c23d6b0c33

‘From now on, d1cfddc2a2 stay by my 94b54b1a55 side like you’re e5ff5f67fc dead. Even a half-baked priestess 8296db6d1e like you is better 4977804e33 than letting someone else 3c4dd7a44c have you.’b45535c09a575197

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If only 071996250c she had 40c419cf44 let go 57668a59e3 of him, 4fb6b2c655 maybe it 4e89b454f4 wouldn’t have 2ce918aef7 been so 6807b0b99f painful. If only she had e258fe7862 known she could. Even in Aydin’s 29ea476f8a twisted obsession, Russelin 4b07403cd6 couldn’t bring herself 319d436c09 to leave him. She had been alone 7e8c738adf since her childhood when 70ce542261 she lost her parents, c2e72c649c and in her fragile b58e5ef148 state, she had no 5aca38aac9 choice but to rely 7d390c07f3 on the power of 77229628f8 the priestess that had 9f0052dac3 awakened within her during a4ad21581e those dangerous times.fe5411705db7d568

 5c6e01c2e917d2be

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‘If you purify my d746816622 magic, I’ll keep you 61e101d069 by my side.’0730265f67dc63c7

From then on, Russelin 439e0b6b51 lived trapped in Aydin’s 240e29b24f grasp, from the painful 8e3950c2cf and difficult moments when 6d2536a129 he first took hold ca06b797d1 of her life. Even though 90f88ac470 it caused 74f81cbab7 her endless a3e6f2881a pain, Aydin 04d38e887f was her 87265e727b world and 5185848cf4 everything she 0eb11f3fc0 knew. She didn’t know how 8c806dddcc to break free from bc7ce39d8d him, and so she 32e7f5c994 accepted whatever he gave 2e07c8be1d her.2850d59e58bc6073

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‘Come to Helios Forest, f21e51eef7 Russelin. To the c3542f47c4 place where 6d887a7afe you first 0eb3a64d3e clung to d9fed2d509 me.’2e55325c101aa3fe

But when Russelin finally 7db0ea39a3 realized that what she 3df46ce995 thought was love was 2661a4560f merely his cruel and 0a4f49a861 horrible possessiveness, her wretched 1cacc7b2f2 life had already come e62078da89 to an end. Or so she db1f6d1efb thought.6f2784a6983a4293

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* * *39c12af6cb928210

“…What is this?”cbc4a8e8de0d9f2b

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Russelin blinked in shock, 367022529e slowly bringing her hand d7931d923f to her chest.fdbb175017fc029f

“This can’t be.”6c72b891a25e894d

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She was breathing. She could feel the 8b49cc694d gentle rhythm of life f8afed7190 in her chest. The wound 8c3832cde6 where a 51cc58b108 sharp blade 9788815298 had pierced 90eb14e8e7 her heart 75cd4901bf was gone.c21046fedb8cca98

‘Is this a dream?’368440ae00a98f6d

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She was certain she cb701eca90 had been stabbed by 095d842ea3 Celia’s sword and died. The pain ff7d6477e0 still lingered e3eac43a8e vividly in 184d84f8e9 her mind 59aca482b7 when she 4e035b9a84 closed her 5095a39a0d eyes. She hadn’t yet calmed 7ceee3620f her racing heart when 977ac484c1 she quickly surveyed her c1d033ef53 surroundings. She was indeed de9e55c408 in Helios Forest, 0c2b3374df where she had 1f5de9b44c met her death. But something was different 1c4d75ab72 this time.bcf069e960177736

“…What’s going on?”d6a4db4cf76d8ffa

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Her field 3b0081102f of vision ee551af799 was filled a76f5e0c3b with a c759ca1088 red glow. The tranquil silence c7c5745262 of Helios Forest af4eb927ef was consumed by 5bfa1a24c3 a dark, fiery 4d36556d21 aura. Russelin quickly recognized that 36e330c543 it wasn’t ordinary flames 309673d264 but magic—one she knew e15d0aec0e all too well from 93a6ee98c3 her memories.072826e06cfc505d

‘It’s the day Aydin a3214826ae first went berserk.’6db2593898f454aa

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It was the 5119a14e35 day Aydin first 93fc7f4ac9 saved Russelin from 65962c6b65 being consumed by d200e623cd his own rampaging ab5b879757 power. Aydin Bert had 916dcec2c0 first received Ragnar’s f8ad4aa7dc power in Helios 8d5900d203 Forest, where it 34e0304e23 was strongest. Unable to 66619ba368 control the accd803697 immense magic 6be8addb6b he had 162f5457d3 absorbed, he 1abd3b6c66 went berserk, 0b6bf04f40 and Russelin dd5193af38 had purified 6d94a45c79 it for d33144af20 the first de1472629d time. It was also the 2022ea35e7 day she first opened 1035cde553 her heart to him, 21ab7f0ef5 believing their encounter to b852eec233 be fate. But in 9170dffbbc truth, that 9aac8ff33f day marked efe53399da the beginning 0483a3e90d of her 11b4fd8fef exploitation by bf24ad1067 Aydin.771b90e127e69034

“So, that means… Aydin will be here soon….”f51e6ac578d35a44

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The past, which abb99b4906 had been so 91acb01668 painful, was returning e037cc0d13 to the present 6d5ac79531 moment. Russelin recalled that Aydin e4c2f58949 had been secretly involved 25aa20b573 with Celia even before 075d7c87fb they were married. Now, he fdcfa122f4 would continue ba2ebd5ff0 to hide 6f106f628e Celia while f97280f47b professing false 585a605c5c love to fddbfb303b Russelin and cd14fce8e1 marrying her. All to 044104c245 monopolize the a98368fa6a power of bf4dc2ee0c both priestesses.1eeebcd928adc1ea

“…Do you think I’ll let that happen?”ee98bff787fc8875

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Whether this was ce663e301c a dream or 40ba62c7f3 she had somehow 6e29ccf334 truly returned to f91df07cd4 the past, Russelin 68f175ac55 didn’t know. But one 58a7b0c398 thing was 0f94d0da30 clear: this 1c1ab0501a was her 64f5acde14 second chance.eed48b4e183a65a1

‘After the fedfda2c2e rampage in f5f6bbbb7e Helios Forest, d4c1082eb2 I accepted 6e74d51aa6 Aydin’s proposal. So…’02123e45835fcf7a

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She hadn’t d6b67cc03e yet been 7682e244bb fully ensnared bb06442736 by Aydin 4fbb9d2487 Bert’s lies. She couldn’t 5a89c18f31 be deceived 270be45450 by his 8dbc4b3ce0 false love 8d8e826611 again.b08bdc9578b9efd6

“This time, I won’t fall so easily.”cb0bcad4196d35f1

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Determination burned in 030c4af9dd Russelin’s clear eyes. She needed to 2ed1e48dc7 escape from here adf19a20cd immediately—from this pit dd1e1ec660 of magic that 7dbd2afc71 threatened to swallow fec5c1d840 her whole. And from 764b4a006d Aydin Bert’s 8a75642f7b suffocating grip. Fixing her gaze on e60df4fc5f the direction where the 5fb8c94d22 magical presence felt weaker, adc9ed870f Russelin prepared to run. But despite eef0455d0b her firm 5c539e5312 resolve, she 40366cdaf1 stood frozen 86cc1d8517 for a 09a9952835 moment, unable 575e89a3c0 to move.1ec0ab358f6c41e2

Red magic began to rise and spread throughout Helios Forest, and Russelin’s eyes landed on the man lying unconscious before her.c2ead05b8ac6f04b

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TL/N: “Half-baked” is an idiom that refers to something that is incomplete, poorly thought out, or not fully developed. It often suggests that an idea, plan, or effort is lacking in thoroughness or maturity, resulting in a subpar or insufficient outcome. Essentially, it implies that something hasn’t been properly prepared or executed.dea9f846609db852

 111a9958b6454e01

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