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Richard’s voice wasn’t loud, but it travelled quite far in the quiet corridor. Several disappointed gasps slipped through the throats of the young ladies peering out their rooms, and a huge thud resounded from the staircase as if something heavy had fallen to the ground. Coco’s face remained pale, her little mouth opening and closing but with no words coming out. She stood rooted to the ground for a while, but neither Richard nor the housekeeper hurried her, as if they hadn’t noticed her abnormal behaviour. She finally lowered her head and returned to her room, waiting for Richard to enter.

Before the door closed, the housekeeper reminded Richard to rest and not exert himself too much.

Coco’s room was quite small, a mere ten square metres in size....