After hanging up, I made my way down the mountain alone, returning to the home I shared with Felix.I decided to visit Felix's grandmother, Pauline Perella. She and Grandma had been part of the same ballet troupe, and their friendship had always transcended the boundaries of our families.When I was eight, I was diagnosed with a serious heart condition. The Valentino family ran the most prestigious private hospital in northern Clyravan, and my family sent me there to recover.Felix's parents, Don Marco Valentino and Madre Isabella Lucchetta, treated me as if I were their own, and Grandma Pauline herself was the one who taught me the family's traditions and values. She even suggested to others that I could someday be the Valentino family's future lady.But all of that ended tonight.Standing in front of her now, I dipped my head slightly and said softly, "Grandma Pauline, I have to go."Her gaze, warm yet heavy with sadness, lingered on me. "You've been through so much, Sylvie."
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