Chapter 48

“Wh-what…?”ee5f6e00bd3fa908

For a moment, my mind 614f4d3051 went blank.de775e6cd20ca61e

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Seeing my hardened expression, 5b47fbbc87 Diana finally showed a b8e4dfb9c1 faint smile that had c3131f1e0f disappeared from her lips.d68c740a3b039bf5

“Why… would I be…?”2286e2b9bdb15714

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I asked in a dbefd03dee trembling voice, and Diana 744095cc97 replied nonchalantly.2d418d80ae05d18d

“Didn’t you disappear last year during the goddess’s birthday because you couldn’t do it well?”f02c80cba951f954

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“That’s…”b1494639221dd865

I barely closed my mouth.7ea0e878b8c98278

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I didn’t want to tell her that I ran away because I didn’t want to be compared to her.bc0f16f655245d6d

Diana’s words were not true.bf47f419c13d6246

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With the healing a342f6b448 potion, I had 6d9fb5d38f become quite adept 87fbb8f34d at using my 279e27dfbb healing abilities freely.7284654e08501578

And last year, I was 787776fb63 able to heal minor wounds 41458e0d6a well.b399b72dee6bba4f

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Joshua’s illness is also improving smoothly.447b424aa82b1773

‘But, who are you… who are you to say such things to me.’e491a2d4cc5af36e

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It shouldn’t be like that, though.08309a1c5fde2b56

Diana seemed to know better 9ae98de216 than anyone how to corner 4fd65b582d me at times.1efe935a1e4af9d0

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“I’m really sorry, Belze. Actually, I came to apologize to you too.”b29314ef12dd9c4f

“……”fa95c1f86e277386

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“If I had done better, you wouldn’t have had such a hard time healing Young Master Joshua.”cb4e9844bd66fb7b

She seemed to b4caf626b1 firmly believe that cd80965bca I was struggling 34693c6281 with healing Joshua.b70fc4dd214ba058

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‘Ah.’bc26c0dad68be87f

At that moment, I realized.4c1c9e240177ca27

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That I would never become f63b3ed2bb friends with the heroine.1040bd07b33f6b81

I clenched my small hands 7b42856df4 tightly as if they would 9730dbf5f4 break.cbb52158e0de18ee

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‘Did you think I would just obediently play the villain?’e3b3211d4e125a8e

Maybe because I’ve lived twice.5cf6ca875547e473

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Smiling through gritted teeth was 66eb6b9e5b not as difficult as I 2525fa005c thought.dd703e851d1ee0a3

“It’s okay, Diana. Josh has gotten a lot better with my healing!”7ad845571fc78391

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“……Josh?”205ef6424ac7bbf2

“Yes! Jo-o-sh.”8af1857b24c4e7ea

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For Diana, who 9efa117ed7 reacted sensitively to 4717271a04 the friendly nickname, a15a9373ba I kindly repeated d7ee090e7e it syllable by c9557dcd45 syllable.3d5ace57e5e65482

“Joshua prefers being called by his nickname!”de99434557089393

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“I see…”ddbf2aff91ebd63e

The smile painted on Diana’s face cracked.7f466029a3d25fe3

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She looked at me quietly 6dc72db7e7 with a gaze not fitting 2766e2d6d9 a child, then abruptly spoke.cd2605d384db38fa

“Don’t overdo it, Belze.”a1a5673f7870c826

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“Overdo it?”9c6e8414d9ebb391

“Yes. Since I’m here today, shall I help you a bit?”eb6cabb624f1e647

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“What do you mean?”5eee615c2a87d4ac

“Healing. You can’t do it well…”c9e44531165afb83

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It was the second time she said it, so it didn’t hurt much.e8955111ec5dcc5c

I just smiled brightly.bae037afc3003059

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“Earlier, you said because you couldn’t do it well, it was assigned to me, Diana.”0348e12364224180

“Yeah, that’s right…”2324ff663aff972b

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“So, how can you help?”d3b727317617e50f

“Gasp.”9bc8141c6a1f7c8f

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Diana took a deep b4f16ff265 breath at my words.46ece337cbed8f47

After a while, 24ddbb1059 she looked at 1cb22a66a3 me with tearful 52e0c2b19d eyes.acaa8fde1050884a

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“Aren’t your words too harsh? I was just… worried that you might be having a hard time, Belze…”34977c14b0944965

There it was, Diana’s specialty.546d4a7f89f80976

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When she was in a 7988f8ada5 difficult situation, she would make 046bfb191d the other person flustered by 43771378f0 tearfully pleading.e5826f89468ea2ba

I don’t know anymore.754cd80bf942faf6

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What’s the truth, and how much is an act.2c065307f8399ae5

I spoke with an expression that didn’t show any remorse.245666ae95566f52

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“I’m sorry if you felt that way… I was just worried you might get upset later…”cf88e83b50faca90

“…What?”4e68cba39624732e

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“Healing Josh requires the Duke’s permission.”962795f0b06d2a80

I grinned, and Diana’s expression twisted.c5ac530eed7a10ad

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‘She must think I don’t know.’70978fe8396c0ad7

Diana will never be allowed fc932a3d91 to heal Josh.651be4b07ff4aa18

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Because she failed, and I 3d105d73d1 succeeded.720292ff3a697c3a

In a voice filled with 98b943039e disbelief, she stammered.a2c060dbae2eff76

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“Then… you really healed Young Master Joshua and got to live at the Duke’s estate?”84f881ccba8d446b

“Yes!”75fe5607cfba297c

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“It wasn’t that the Duke, who was passing by, saved you when you were being hit by the High Priest?”f2165523414769eb

“That too!”b684294ff233b8f7

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“Yes?”06cffedef2b53306

Color returned to Diana’s face.4ea373b44d6d64e5

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She seemed to think there was no way I could have succeeded in healing where she had failed and gained the Duke’s support.a6d69f2703078c8a

I shattered that 2b09cd1703 thought with an c375d66ca7 innocent face.9aba7614045b2c76

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“But the support was decided before that.”3741940313aab88f

“…What?”758d4695de96270f

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“The very first day I healed Josh, he got better right away! So the Duke came to the temple to get me, and it just so happened that he saw it. That nasty dog was about to hit me…”7fb7263883a434fb

“Is that… so?”2ce0b1c6d4a6c34b

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“Yes! So, what I’m saying is, I succeeded in healing Josh and got the Duke’s support! So you don’t have to feel sorry for me, Diana.”8f6a6200c2f8f046

“……”cc6855017afb2618

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Diana’s face darkened abruptly at my words.b93b48a588b4848b

I looked at 480a13e35e her with cold d0b9fbeb7a eyes.767b486991f7172f

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‘She must have something to say to me now.’dff7d0eb96cfd9e9

I waited, but no 7dd3473762 apology came from Diana.d05aca455e5bd651

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She was the kind of 2562205f27 person who would apologize for afb965dd9d trivial things but pretend not ab514d0d21 to know when she said 9f50dc321d something that genuinely hurt me.1bacfe183d3b7b1b

‘Maybe it’s because we don’t match in any way, from one to ten, that she’s the heroine and I’m the villain.’c07fdb1645f42f02

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But it didn’t matter anymore whether Diana apologized or not.ab16a10485425622

Because I was no 87290ec5dc longer hurt.a0b83026c666d04e

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“……But. How did you know about that?”51f95c3a1a1684d8

Instead, I changed 8acddfdb60 the subject casually.6dd207a698e996cb

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“Huh? About what?”0a9366c4c599a3c1

“That I almost got hit by that nasty dog.”aea4eba8ea75340f

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“Oh~ A knight from the imperial palace came looking for me.”77fc6d722fedb66e

“A knight?”c30c14dc5b3bf743

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“Yes! He asked if I had ever been hit or severely punished at the temple!”66e8698a9a052587

‘It seems the Duke’s report yielded results.’91d3287aee78e2b9

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It was somewhat 73a6fd02ff reassuring to know 09dd4bece0 that the investigation 8d11e7de0f was making progress.aab9059fed5c40c5

Of course, Diana c737277225 would have answered 24d0b478ad that she had 060291c637 never experienced such 47ebe5a90e a thing.6914dd6b56de6e6a

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“I didn’t know the High Priest was such a bad person…”a36cf3cafb2678cf

As expected, Diana mumbled b92ae3425d with a dejected face.5f64a23952a44ade

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“It must have hurt a lot, Belze. You were punished often.”394d1f8e408c7ddb

“It’s okay.”67fc0ee83eb0a491

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“I heard the Room of Repentance is gone too? That’s really a relief! The goddess will surely punish such a bad person!”d9800891486db4a1

Diana looked at me a86731d0bb with tear-filled eyes.7ab0eb6c9cec55da

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While I was half-listening fbdb7c4418 to her words of 4da89643fb comfort, I hesitated and e96c3f0071 looked back at her.b13d366e7f102bfc

“…But, Diana.”118cb3666b431ea2

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“Huh?”0af51dbe8e111aac

She said she didn’t know the High Priest was such a person.0a7d5709a87734c9

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‘But how do you know about the Room of Repentance?’a798a04dbddfe409

I was about a6c2b9803c to ask that a0a74d36a8 when there was f9d3680e19 a knock.f00f33e3c07f3cd1

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“Miss! It’s me, Tara.”28780a8be9301e4b

Tara announced her presence.7b664d680a450170

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I had no choice 5b27855b70 but to put aside 2ba18dc20d the uneasiness that had 915b3742fb risen to my throat.20212c3a59c09f5c

“Yes, Tara! Come in!”777e32a9898c6875

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“Were you having a good conversation? Were you playing with dolls or something!”2b5ed38178295a58

“We’re too old for that now…”6f06c551ff76db41

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“Yes, yes. Is that so? Sorry for being a bit late. I was preparing a few more snacks.”684613be241461b9

Ignoring my words, Tara pushed 80bc031c9d in a trolley.59d0a491a47505ea

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My eyes widened at 653938cd0b the sight of a b94db6a538 large, ornate three-tier tray 6244b8a888 decorated with flowers.c1387dff1fa40d5b

‘Just a few snacks? This looks like… did she raid a bakery?’5a7c665f3f6fa345

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The plates were filled with c276f0d0a3 various desserts, from cookies to 46d99e87d6 macarons, cakes, and sandwiches.a9b7427109b1db98

“Wh-why did you bring so much?”4ced492bdc12ab32

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“It’s the first time you’ve had a friend over, miss! The head chef put in some extra effort!”86da8d6d356554be

“Is the chef a wizard or something…?”76f957c082968068

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“If the head chef heard that, he’d be flying around on a ladle.”3fdc12d18031eaae

Tara grinned as 29b48cd422 she finished setting e2ed654d40 up.596dfa07b880142f

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Everything was very small and 0949fab02b cute, as if specially made fda080acbb for children: tiny cups, teapots, 9a0474fbfa and teaspoons were lined up 799d3346e5 in succession.35e6f4ec8fa453d4

‘Playing tea party at this age.’5ac967316337a9e8

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Unlike my somewhat skeptical attitude, Diana’s eyes sparkled.26dfda75355d79b0

“Wow! So pretty!”97a7e556fffa87b3

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“Isn’t it? The Duke had these custom-made for when our young miss would host tea parties, and now we finally get to use them!”95326e967af229ab

“The Duke…?”a3f448ae148e2166

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“Yes!”0e6d4d2cca8ef2c5

Tara’s words touched a part of my heart.b773bdd4006aa5ee

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‘Come to think of it, he bought something like this in my previous life too…’3718a2fbb914c11e

The tea set 2d447274e0 the Duke sent 5199e36bf8 as a gift 5649ae01a6 was very luxurious 6adb716aae and beautiful.9a3b07052c9297da

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It was clearly d170972254 meant to encourage 0c133004c4 me to invite 10f80bf9d1 friends over for d664dd6535 a tea party.3c8af099f0687ec1

But those pretty 08a59f5418 teacups never got c1951e19cd used.3f0822ad8dcf225a

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After hosting a tea 4bbcca6c68 party that no one 7c6fa3f4c4 attended, I put them fb41a98669 away in the cabinet 325ade5958 and never used them 2582d0ddb1 again.3058eef229e762bd

‘I should have just invited the Duke to drink tea with me. Or Edwin, or even Tara…’ed1eb9abb9a38913

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That kindness. That warm-hearted gesture.e9ab0cc95bf6ef4d

I shouldn’t have let it go to waste in the cabinet.3fc43ac706ffe68c

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‘It’s okay. This time, I’ll make sure to have a tea party with the Duke!’6f7c81096d9175ee

And I’ll invite Joshua, and Edwin too!e9b1ff52769ada1e

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‘I’ll make lots of money and buy all the famous desserts from the capital!’6cb9aafe92a33db6

Just as I 86783303cc was clenching my f33f2c57bb fist and making cfa8b0fe75 my resolution, a 0a06ffd432 refreshing sound of 11c07d7fb7 water pouring into b68a9fda8a the teacup brought 7ea6f234e7 me back to bbaba6e81d reality.b0ecfcdfb603c733

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“Princesses, what would you like to have first? Just let me know, and I’ll serve it right away.”7dcc8b08e5ed2dc5

Tara, who had poured tea into Diana’s and my cups, started the princess roleplay again.b7ff3232be76377d

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“Princess…?”f33c62e5b04f7f15

Diana mumbled, looking puzzled.1e6eca2b9f85ce89

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Used to this, I 4232e6fafd replied without hesitation.ba0ea03cc5397daf

“How about we start with the pecan pie Diana brought?”c352b68862288944

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“Okay, sounds good!”18a7a6141ddfde3f

The palm-sized pies 57ad27336a she brought were f895a32ff5 neatly cut into e35231a6ae bite-sized pieces.b7e64bf7eb486004

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Tara used tongs to 217811c661 place a piece on 8d780848e6 each of our plates.351b514c40387fc8

“Enjoy your meal!”229849a0bcfde9dc

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It felt like I 1067c259d7 was finally having the cd57c0bfda tea party I never 304dfc1733 got to have in b6a96853ca my previous life, and 0bc0f8f27f I was a little b0b1045148 excited.4b92703d8bc77f05

I eagerly stabbed the pie daca92e6e4 with my fork and took be7c2c1214 a big bite.705aa936fb843c9a

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Crunch!319b99d4acb2a69a

The crispy, savory tart a16ea6fd07 crust crumbled in my 24b100e2ef mouth, and the finely 41e517f218 chopped pecans and sweet bde34567a7 jam filled it.c9001be016be7080

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“Wow… it’s delicious!”87b2d079d4b6f4f0

An exclamation escaped my lips.677057f92f42b1f9

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‘They said it was the most famous in the capital…!’9b28542d08f6355d

Even a child (like me) who didn’t particularly like nuts found it delicious!e3ab1c2c0704b1fb

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“I’m glad you like it.”705d3f6ae1cb818b

Diana smiled broadly at 462c56910f my reaction.71a5ccf0f954042d

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Unlike me, she 0ee6601e6b was elegantly cutting 649e462724 the edges with 7c0c859f52 her fork and 5828f5af0c eating small bites.2fbee898f10d3f8a

Having quickly devoured a piece a1e4cade77 in a few big bites, b06415be9f I felt a bit embarrassed e49c13680f and quietly put my fork bc092a5456 down.33206fca3da4a40f

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“Don’t you like it? Why are you eating so little?”559b3d961439b204

“No, it’s not that…”69267777412cffeb

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Diana’s smile deepened at the corners of her mouth.030138d415e27eb9

“Actually, it’s my first time eating so much like this too.”8862a79b675378d2

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“…Huh?”40e116fa13a97cb7

“Thanks to you, I get to try all these things, Belze.”61df7e6a80756004

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I didn’t understand what she meant.b8266db1aa880b3e

‘Didn’t she say earlier that the Marquis bought it for her?’03dbfce3c3442e97

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It was then.2ef11a4e3e6022cb

Suddenly, I saw a small yellowish glow bloom near Diana’s neck.3b95300e9e586693

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“…Wait.”a6fd1736e6ed9069

I instinctively called out to f7633e940a Diana.3cea888654069747

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But it was already c92fc85f17 too late.774ddae8b6ae6680

“Hoo, ha…”33ef956b22869442

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Suddenly, Diana took 14e6efa8cb a deep breath 23d02f3f10 and plunged a 9bf26ab543 forkful of pie ecc95c8d06 into her mouth.cdac85fecc802f7d

Before I could stop 3e13d5d3ba her, she had already 567d72d67a shoved the large piece 9d5f57503f into her mouth.88feb1bc23666df8

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Crunch, crunch. Gulp!c73fb13b82e6dc9d

It seemed a 3d23579119 bit too big a8c59b760b for a child, e70d54c44f so Diana quickly c8ced33bea chewed and swallowed b0fa418f23 it with the 10645e43fe tea that Tara b04708b97e had poured.6a1425932bead8c3

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And at that moment.55be0048cbb0ab83

Whoosh―!7967fcd129bdb8ed

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The small yellow glow 93dac352e4 at her neck instantly f3e4f8de62 swelled up.195fa1e42fbe9ca5

I jumped up from 44e18006d5 my seat.5334a563cd179fe6

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“Spit it out immediately!”3969f5e8e3b6c7d5

“Ugh…”3dfab71c8bb1b104

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Diana grimaced and clutched her 6f35f84e9d neck.fcfbc767f2662d5a

“Miss Belze. What’s wrong?”a056d7595502203d

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Tara, looking flustered, turned to a421e5f0a6 me.9df8ed1418baeee7

And then.71bcf9d2a9fc2772

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“Gack!”ed3c959a169ea82e

Diana’s face suddenly turned red, and she started gagging.8a84b94ad6e90cda

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“My, my body feels strange… I can’t… breathe…!”a82997b4775b4981

“Ah! Miss! What’s happening!”4f531eb8da3c761f

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At that moment.40c37d2c5d8ca57a

Bang!6720b647773dfc9a

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The door flew open.90ce2ef36ed6f172

“Lady Diana!”cb773b239b398d84

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Diana’s maid rushed in through the open door.09b43da7cdc2e01e

“…What’s going on?”184e4143eb40f01c

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Another person followed her in.cd4bb8ccc24fb4d8

It was Edwin, 110047eff4 his face filled 25af07c402 with shock.7a9dbc21eb08d4ed

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Everything felt like it was 2e020b90f7 moving in slow motion, like 493bd7f9da a scene from a movie.bdb85eb8f44e74f4