Cinderella and Four Knights Episode 16 Recap (Final)

Will Cinderella and the Knights find happily ever after?

Cinderella and Four Knights Episode 16 Recap (Final)

The results of the vote to keep or dismiss Grandfather as chairman are revealed. Votes to keep – 52% and votes to dismiss – 46%. Kang Hyun Min (Ahn Jae Hyeon) is thrilled at the victory. Grandfather’s wife is not happy. She berates her son, Assistant Lee, for turning against her. He tells her this was the only way he could think of to stop her. She’s livid that Assistant Lee betrayed his mother for the people that he works for.

The doctor tells Hyun Min and Eun Ha Won (Park So Dam) that the liver transplant went well. Grandfather is in the recovery room, and should wake soon. But Kang Ji Woon (Jung Il Woo) went into shock and is now unconscious. Hyun Min can’t believe it is his cousin that had issues during the surgery. He presses the doctor for answers. The doctor tells him that Ji Woon knew that he was allergic to anesthesia and might go into shock during the surgery. However Ji Woon elected to go forward with the surgery. Ha Won sinks back into Hyun Min’s arms, both of them are in shock.

Grandfather is examined by the doctor who pronounces him doing quite well. Hyun Min and Seo Woo are relieved. The doctor says that Grandfather is alive because Ji Woon was a match and agreed to the surgery. Grandfather asks how Ji Woon is doing. Hyun Min gives the doctor a shake of his head so the doctor omits the details and says that Ji Woon is recovering from the surgery.

But Ji Woon is still unconscious. Ha Won sits by his bed and holds his hand. Kang Seo Woo (Lee Jung Shin) enters the room and urges her to take a break from waiting for Ji Woon to wake. Ha Won bemoans the fact that she was willing to leave him, but she never thought that he might leave her. She wishes they had had more time together, there’s so much that their young love has not explored. She’s sorry that she didn’t tell him how she really felt. Didn’t she say I love you just yesterday? Seo Woo assures her that Ji Woon knew how she felt.

Grandfather tells Assistant Lee that he’ll expect his resignation. He tells Assistant Lee to divest himself of any stocks that he owns before he leaves the company. He points to an envelope and says to give this to his wife. He tells Assistant Lee that the papers are divorce papers. Assistant Lee admits that Grandfather’s wife is his mother. That surprises Grandfather. Assistant Lee claims that his mother did nothing wrong. He claims he was the instigator. He apologizes and leaves.

In the hallway Assistant Lee runs into Hyun Min. Not happy to see him, Hyun Min reminds Assistant Lee that he was never to see Grandfather again. Assistant Lee says he was saying goodbye to Grandfather. Hyun Min tells him he never wants to see him again.

Ha Won faithfully waits for Ji Woon to wake. She tells him that originally she thought he was him a jerk. But then Ji Woon was there whenever she was facing a problem. Then she expected his help when she was facing a problem. Then she only cared about him. She’s grateful for the moments they had the previous day before the surgery, she fell in love with him. Ha Won says even though he’s right in front of her, she misses him. She cries.

Hyun Min pushes Grandfather down the hall in a wheelchair. Grandfather thinks about the risk that Ji Woon took to save him. Hyun Min pushes open the door to Ji Woon’s room. Ha Won is surprised when Grandfather is wheeled into the room. Grandfather stares at Ji Woon. The enormity of his sacrifice apparent. Later Grandfather asks Ha Won to take him back to his room. Grandfather asks why she is still involved with his family. She admits she feels guilty for his collapse and apologizes. She tells him that she was going to leave after the surgery but then Ji Woon fell into unconsciousness. Grandfather assures her that she’s not the reason that he collapsed. Grandfather asks if Ha Won has chosen Ji Woon. Ha Won admits that she wants to stay with Ji Woon. Grandfather tells her that she needs to be sure and committed to Ji Woon, or her words are meaningless. She cries.

She faithfully tends Ji Woon. Grandfather observes her devotion. When she needs to she goes to the bathroom for a crying jag. But she always returns to his room positive and constant. Grandfather observes this.

Ha Won meets with stepmother and stepdaughter. Stepmother tells her that her father is at the police station. Her father fell asleep at the wheel and got into an accident. Ha Won’s father is fine; however, the other driver was badly injured. Stepmother says unless they can come up with the settlement money, the other driver’s family will press charges against her father. Ha Won is shocked to hear that the settlement figure is 6M won. Stepmother admits to Ha Won that they have no money. She asks Ha Won to go to Grandfather and ask for money.

As Ha Won ponders the request her stepmother made, she gets a phone call about Ji Woon. As she rushes back to his room, she sees Hyun Min wheeling Grandfather in. She remembers Grandfather’s question of whether or not she’d be able to give up everything for Ji Woon.

Grandfather apologizes to Ji Woon for his actions. Ji Woon tells him it’s okay. Ji Woon asks Hyun Min and Seo Woo where Ha Won is. She looks in though door, and decides not to enter. She’s thankful that Ji Woon woke and is fine. She goes back to original plan of leaving him.

As Ha Won walks the streets, she doesn’t answer a phone call from Ji Woon.

Grandfather is surprised when his wife shows up. She received the divorce papers. She says she disgraced herself with her actions. She puts the signed papers and her wedding ring on the coffee table. Grandfather asks if she ever loved him. She said she loved him. But her desire to improve Assistant Lee’s lot in life became more important. She tells Grandfather that even though it destroyed their marriage, she has no regrets. She feels badly how she treated him. Grandfather tells her to live with the guilt for the rest of her life. He declares he’ll never forgive her. She tells him she doesn’t want his forgiveness. She wants him to only hate her, not Assistant Lee. She says that Assistant Lee decided that his loyalty was with Grandfather and his grandsons. She tells him that Assistant Lee helped organize the vote against Grandfather being dismissed. She says her sons only crime is having her as his mother. Grandfather stares at the wedding ring on the coffee table and mutters that she’s a wretched woman. Hyun Min watches her leave Grandfather’s room.

At the police station Ha Won calls her stepmother and tells her that she sent the settlement money and her father should be released shortly. Just like that, her father is released. Her father says that he understands that she was the one that got the settlement money together. He asks how she was able to get that much money. She tells him that by working at the mansion she was able to secure the money. He takes her hand and says it’s time for them to go home.

Ji Woon goes to Ha Won’s room and sees that it’s empty. The housekeeper shows glad that he’s home. He wants to know where Ha Won is. The housekeeper doesn’t know.

When Ha Won gets off the bus with her father, she surprised to see Ji Woon. Her father buys a clue and says that he needs to buy something at the convenience store. Ji Woon says to Ha Won they need to talk.

Ha Won tells him that they need to make their talk brief, she’s got to go home. Ji Woon says that he waited for her. But she left him. He admits that he misses her. She tells him that her final mission for Grandfather was to get him to the hospital to have the surgery. Ji Woon asks if that’s all it was to her. Ha Won lies and said that staying with him through the surgery, was her way to ensure that he went through with it. Ji Woon doesn’t believe her lies. He knows that she felt warmth for him, showed warmth to him. Ha Won lies that she only stayed with him for the money. Ji Woon snaps that he doesn’t care about her reasons. He asks her to stay by his side. Ha Won says that she took Grandfather’s offer to pay her for the missions, pay her college, and send her abroad if she gave up Ji Woon. Ha Won says she realized that she didn’t fit into Ji Woon’s world, so she took the money. She turns to leave but he stops her. He pleads with her promising to give up the rich life. She tells him that he just reconciled with Grandfather, that needs to be his priority. She mocks him for throwing away a world that can give him everything he needs. She tells him he’s not all that. She never wants to see him again. He tells her that he can’t live without her. He tells her that losing her means he’s losing everything. Tears in her eyes, Ha Won walks away from the love of her life. Ji Woon stands there staggered that he bared his soul, but to no avail. Nice scene on both of their parts. This was a crucial scene if we are to believe their separation, and both actors delivered. I loved Ji Woon’s willingness to lay it on the line.

When Ha Won gets home, she breaks down and cries. She remembers the lovely moments they shared together. She cries more.

Ji Woon walks the streets alone and devastated.

Seo Woo tells his manager he’s come to a decision. He’s going to take a break from singing and hitchhike around the country. That surprises manager.

Hyun Min meets Park Hye Ji (Son Na Eun) at a coffee shop. He declares that if he wants to kiss her, he’ll kiss her, if he wants to hug her, he’ll hug her, he vows to never let her go. Hye Ji promises that she’s never leave him. They kiss.

Seo Woo finds Ji Woon moping outside. He asks if he was able to get in touch with Ha Won. Ji Woon tells Seo Woo that Ha Won told him she never wants to see him again. That surprises Seo Woo. He can’t believe that she stuck by his side the entire time he was unconscious in the hospital only to leave him and reject him now. Ji Woon says he doesn’t understand how she feels. In fact, he’s not sure of anything anymore. He decides that if she doesn’t want him, the kindest thing he can do is let her go. Seo Woo doesn’t believe that she doesn’t like Ji Woon. Seo Woo shares that Ha Won told him in the hospital that she thought she could stay away from Ji Woon. That’s why she left the mansion. Seo Woo says that Ha Won acts like she had to leave, because it was the best thing for Ji Woon. Seo Woo is positive that Ha Won likes him, he’s the only man for her. Seo Woo tells us cousin not to let her slip through his fingers. Ji Woon thanks him for the pep talk. Nice!

Seo Woo says to himself that Ji Woon took his first love, so he can never mistreat Ha Won.

Ji Woon burst into his Grandfather study and demands to know if he’s the one that sent Ha Won away. Grandfather says Ha Won leaving was the best decision for Ji Woon’s future. Ji Woon accuses him of doing the same thing to Ha Won that he did to his mother. Grandfather asks if Ha Won and Ji Woon are the perfect couple. Ji Woon counters he doesn’t care about perfection, he only wants time with the woman he loves and that woman is Ha Won. Ji Woon tells his Grandfather that if he lets her go, he’ll regret it for the rest of his life. He reminds his Grandfather that he regrets sending his father away. He asks if he wants another round of regret with the next generation. He begs his Grandfather to accept Ha Won. He even gets on his knees and makes the request. Nice!

Later Grandfather considers what Ji Woon asked. He remembers how diligently Ha Won cared for his grandson. He remembers Ha Won telling her that she wanted to be by Ji Woon’s side.

Stepmother and stepdaughter and Ha Won and her father go out to dinner. Stepmother honestly tells her Ha Won’s father that she loves him. Stepmother offers an olive branch to Ha Won and gives her fruit. Ha Won offers her stepsister and olive branch and puts some food on her rice. Everyone smiles and they enjoy their meal together. Ha Won receives a call from Grandfather asking her to see him.

She goes to Grandfather’s office as requested. Ha Won is happy to see him healthy. He tells her everybody at the house is worried about her because she left without a word. He asks if she liked living at the mansion. He asks how Hyun Min seemed when she lived at the mansion. She describes Hyun Min as someone that pretends not to care, but he is a thoughtful and sweet guy. She assures Grandfather that Hyun Min is only pretending to be a playboy. Grandfather asks her opinion about Seo Woo. Ha Won declares that Seo Woo is a genuinely warm person. She says that Seo Woo may seem aimless, but he’s got his own philosophy about life. Grandfather asks her impressions about Ji Woon. He tells her that what happens next with Ji Woon, is her choice. He’s giving the two of them his blessing. He tells her that Ji Woon misses her. Ha Won tells Grandfather that he was right, she couldn’t choose Ji Woon over the money. She ran away from him. She’s the one that made the choice the landed them in this unhappy state. She jokes with Grandfather that even though she doesn’t live at the mansion anymore, and she doesn’t have to do missions anymore, she thinks that his grandchildren are better people now. Grandfather reminds her of the promised him three months living at the mansion, and she hasn’t fulfilled that promise. He tells her to come back whenever she wants.

As Seo Woo leaves to go hitchhiking around the country, his manager tells him that he’s going too. And as an added bonus, Ha Won’s friend shows up. His manager tells her that she’s a manager in training and must listen diligently to everything that he tells her. They both take a piece of Seo Woo’s luggage and head off. Seo Woo smiles and laughs.

Grandfather gives Ji Woon the wedding ring his father wore. He tells Ji Woon to give that ring to the woman he loves. Grandfather says that he doesn’t have his mother’s ring, because he’s the one that broke up his parents. He tells Ji Woon that his mother should’ve had an identical ring. He asked Ji Woon if he’s ever seen it. Ji Woon tells his Grandfather that his mother never wore ring. But when he opens up the ring box he stares at his father’s ring, he remembers Ha Won having an identical ring around her neck. He remembers Ha Won believing that was her mother’s ring. He remembers Ha Won saying her father doesn’t have a ring like this. He remembers her saying that her mother died with the ring clutched in her hand. He remembers that their mother shared the same death anniversary. The pieces of the puzzle click together for Ji Woon.

Hyun Min meets Ha Won with the remainder of her things. He chides her saying that she’s not a criminal, and she could get the things from the house if she wanted. She chides him that he should be happy to do her a favor. She comments that she’s happy that he’s dating Hye Ji. Hyun Min wonders if she regrets letting him slip through her fingers. She declares that Hyun Min and Hye Ji are perfect for each other. Hyun Min asks why after diligent nursing and obvious adoration of Ji Woon, she left him. Ha Won doesn’t answer. Hyun Min puts a box on her lap and tells her that she left this behind when she fled Grandfather’s wedding. Hyun Min chides her that she’s not Cinderella and she didn’t need to leave her shoes behind in such a dramatic fashion. She gives the shoes back to Hyun Min and says agrees she’s not Cinderella. She declares that the shoes don’t suit her. Hyun Min disagrees and puts the shoes back on her lap. Hyun Min tells her to wear the shoes and go find the man she loves. Hyun Min advises her to not run away from her feelings, instead embrace them and live life to its fullest. He encourages her to tell Ji Woon how she feels about him. I like the tie in with the shoes from the first episodes. Reminded us a bit of the magic these 2 characters had initially.

Ji Woon stares at his father’s wedding ring. Ji Woon calls someone to look at the registry of the dead. Ji Woon is surprised to learn that someone was looking for him. Hmm, that’s interesting.

Ji Woon is surprised when Ha Won’s father meets him. Ha Won’s father is equally surprised to find that Ji Woon is the man he sought. He tells Ji Woon that Ha Won’s mother died in the same accident as Ji Woon’s mother. He gives Ji Woon the locket and asks him to confirm it is his mother’s. Ji Woon recognizes it as the necklace that Ha Won always wears. Her father says that Ha Won mistakenly thought the necklace was her mother’s, and wore it. He says only later did he find out that his wife tried to save Ji Woon’s mother in the fire and ended up dying. He says that his mother made the request that her ring go to her son. He said because the ring was in Ha Won’s mother’s hand when she died, they mistakenly thought it was hers. He says he wishes that his wife could’ve saved his mother. He’s philosophical and says it was time for both women to leave this earth. He admits he never understood the significance of the ring, and why his mother’s final request was that it be returned to him. Ji Woon shares that the ring was the one that his mother and his father exchanged. Ji Woon believes that his mother was trying to help him find his real family. Ha Won’s father says that it appears that his wife did one final good deed before she died. Her father says that he wanted to return the ring to its rightful owner. Ji Woon thanks him. He marvels that both Ha Won and Ji Woon lost their mothers at the same time. He comments that fate runs deep between the two of them. Her father reminds Ji Woon that the funeral for both women was at the same hospital. Ji Woon is blown away.

As Ji Woon drives along the road he remembers his first meeting with Ha Won, the flowers for her mother that she carried, and retrieving those flowers and her gratitude. He remembers as a young child giving Ha Won a white rose on the day of the funerals for their mothers. He remembers wiping her tears. He remembers showing her how to look into the heaven to spot their mothers. He remembers giving her the funeral band that he wore. He remembers her giving him a hair ribbon from her hair. He remembers her making him promise to give that back to her one day. Present day Ji Woon smiles now knowing that his fate is clear and its Ha Won.

Ha Won looks at the shoes that Hyun Min gave her. She recalls Hyun Min encouraging her to wear the shoes and admit her feelings to Ji Woon. Her father calls her and tells her that he found the owner of the wedding ring and returned it to him. Her father asks if she wants to know who it was. He surprises her with the news that the rightful owner of the ring was Ji Woon. Her father asks if she cares for Ji Woon.

Ji Woon gets out of his car with shoes that say “yeah baby”. Ha Won is wearing the red shoes. They meet and smile at each other. They must be impressed by each other’s choice in footwear. As they climb the steps to each other, Ha Won’s father voiceover states that Ha Won’s mother had the ring in her hand when she died and Ha Won wore that same ring for 10 years. Ha Won and Ji Woon had the funerals of their mothers in the same location. When Ha Won and Ji Woon meet the halfway point and stand on the landing and stare at each other. Ji Woon opens his hand and reveals the hair ribbon. Ha Won offers the armband. Ji Woon says better late than never. Ha Won thanks him for returning it. Their smiles are a mile wide. Ji Woon slips his mother’s wedding ring on her finger. He tells her in the future not to think about her mother, but think about him instead. She slips his father’s ring on his finger. She tells him ditto. He grabs her and kisses her. She leans into the kiss. Participation!

We see Seo Woo (and Ha Won’s friend) doing a street performance.

Hyun Min observes Assistant Lee teaching students at his dojo. Hyun Min asks Assistant Lee if he’s ever going to return. Assistant Lee says that he doesn’t have the right to return. Hyun Min apologizes for not being able to trust him. Hyun Min says that he wishes he could have protected him as much as the company. He urges Assistant Lee to return, he says Grandfather is waiting for him. Assistant Lee smiles.

We see that Assistant Lee’s mother selling life insurance. Grandfather approaches, gets down on one knee and presents her roses. Okay this is surprising me. Grandfather tells her he doesn’t want to have any regrets. He offers the flowers. He smiles. She stares at him in disbelief. He admits that he made a mistake with his son because he thought he knew what was best for him. He admits he almost made the same mistake with his grandson. She begins to cry. He says Ji Woon asked him if he was going to have regrets for the rest of his life. Grandfather says that Ha Won encouraged him to return to her and reignite their relationship. She cries. Grandfather asked why she’s crying. She tells him because she sorry and thankful. They smile at each other.

Hyun Min and Hye Ji visit the tree with the plaque to Hye Ji’s brother. The plaque reads “we will never forget you”. Hyun Min places flowers at the base of the tree. Hye Ji asked her brother if he’s doing well. Hyun Min tells her brother that he’s been thinking about him for the last 10 years. He tells her brother he’ll only think about his sister from now on. He asks his forgiveness for that. He promises to love Hye Ji in his stead. Hyun Min hugs Hye Ji. That was a sweet and touching moment. They marvel how lucky they are that where they were able to find each other again. They kiss. Hey, there’s some participation in that kiss.

At the mansion Ji Woon takes a picture of Ha Won. He tells Ha Won that she’s looking pretty. She grabs the camera and takes a picture of Ji Woon. But then she doesn’t. Ji Woon notices she’s not wearing her ring. He shows the ring he’s wearing and asked where her ring is. Ha Won says she just took it off her while she was helping the housekeeper. She whips the ring out of her pocket. Ji Woon chides her for taking the ring off. He tells her he never takes it off. She puts the ring on her finger and promises to never take it off again. Smiling at his insistence. He tells her that she can do whatever she likes. He threatens her with no physical contact for an entire month. She chides him for getting to be Mr. Grumpy again. She says it’s like dating a child. That’s a good line! She steps closer to him and says and you really think they’ll be no touching? She says I wonder who will suffer more from that silly rule. She starts to way walk away and he runs after her hugging her. She reminds him that there’s to be no touching. Ji Woon tells her that he’s sensitive about the ring because it will link them for the rest of their lives. He asked for her ring. He slides it on her finger. He tells her that he loves her. She smiles and says she loves him too. He says then she knows that she likes dating him. She still calls him Mr. Grumpy. He follows her. They hold hands as they walk away.

We end the series with a family picnic. Seo Woo plays the guitar, Hyun Min and Hye Ji laugh together and Assistant Lee’s there as well. Ji Woon and Ha Won join them. Everyone has fun. Smiles and laughs abound. Even Assistant Lee smiles, that’s a rare sighting. The show ends with still shots of each character. Ji Woon and Ha Won show the rings on their fingers. And they lived happily ever after.

My Thoughts

This was a pleasant final episode. We had the requisite estrangement between our primary couple. They found their way back to each other, linked by the magical ring that their mothers shared. In the end everyone found a resolution and happiness. That’s a nice way to end a series. This series that was marred by a slow pace, shallow plot points and superficial characters. But after you watch a series for 16 episodes, you’ve invested. In the end I’m pleased that everyone found happiness.

Ha Won ended up with the right man. She stuck by Ji Woon when he was unconscious after the transplant surgery. She proved her love to anyone that notice, including grandpa. But when her family needed money to avoid putting her father in jail, she gave up Ji Woon to get money from Grandfather (or so I assume). But everybody knew that she loved him and encouraged her to go back. Even Ji Woon begged her to come back to him. But she stood firm and refused. Then fate intervened. Ji Woon was revealed to be the son of the woman that her mother died trying to save. They remembered each other helping each other through the funeral of their respective mothers. And that was all she wrote. Ji Woon presented Ha Won with his mother’s ring, and Ha Won presented him with his father’s ring. This couple was the soul of this series. Without this couple, this series would have been sadly lacking.

Ji Woon was determined to get Ha Won back in his life. He didn’t understand why she left him. Her answer that she only used him for the money, just didn’t satisfy. But her adamant refusal to get back together put him in a position to allow the breakup. Ji Woon impressed me when he went to Grandfather and begged his Grandfather not to make the same mistake he made with Ji Woon’s father. He begged his Grandfather to accept Ha Won and not reject her like he rejected his mother. That was effective and bold, especially kneeling in front of his Grandfather. Ji Woon learned that it was Ha Won’s mother that saved his own mother. Her father told the story of how Ha Won’s mother died with the ring in her hand. He also told the story Ha Won mistakenly believed the ring was her mother’s. In the end it was clear that Ji Woon and Ha Won were fated for each other. So they got back together. Finally, we got to see a happy couple with no secrets to derail them. While Ha Won was the heart of the show, Ji Woon truly was the man that made things happen. Because he was a knight in shining armor, he saved many people in distress, not just Ha Won. But in the end he was not only Cinderella’s knight in shining armor, but also her Prince charming.

Hyun Min finally came to terms with Hye Ji’s brother’s death. It was good to see him put the guilt behind him and returned to a happier version of himself. The depressed Hyun Min was difficult to watch during the series when he started out as such a fun character. I’m never going to like the choice of Hye Ji for Hyun Min, but I saw the writing on the wall and knew this was the way the story would go. At least she seems more lively when she’s with him, we know that she genuinely cared for him all those years even though he was terrible to her.

Hye Ji finally got the man she wanted. She’s not my favorite character in the world. She completely lucked out when she snagged Hyun Min. The best thing I can say about her is that she was constant in her love for him.

Seo Woo walked his own road and found his own happiness. His love for Ha Won wasn’t a black hole that he fell into, it was a bump on the road and opened his eyes to the possibility of having real love one day. This character was genuinely a nice guy, and wanted his family to be happy. His friendship with Ha Won was always fun to watch to.

Assistant Lee did the right thing and decided that Grandfather should not be removed from his position. His mother was livid at his betrayal. She couldn’t believe that he chose his employer over his mother. But that’s exactly what he did. And when Grandfather told him that he needed to resign, he understood as it was his due. When Hyun Min came to him at the end of the episode and asked him to return to Grandfather, Assistant Lee had to think about it. But in the end he returned to the family and found happiness, and a sense of belonging with the Kang cousins.

How did I do on my wishes for the final episode?

• Ha Won rids herself of the notion that she’s got to leave the Kang grandsons alone and not interface with just because of a contract that Grandfather made her sign, or guilt that Grandfather’s wife made her feel. Granted. She found happiness with Ji Woon.
• Hyun Min should become chairman while Grandfather recuperates and for the long haul. Not granted. Hyun Min committed himself to Hye Ji.
• Hye Ji won’t take the job opportunity in Paris. Granted. Hye Ji committed herself to Hyun Min.
• Seo Woo finds a relationship with Ha Won’s friend. Granted though it appeared to be more of a friendship versus love interest.
• Assistant Lee needs to take a stand, and make a decision to move away from his money grubbing mother. Granted. He came back to family in the end.

About KJT (aka kjtamuser)

Asian drama fan. I watch and blog dramas on https://kjtamusings.wordpress.com/.

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Tagged with: Ahn Jae Hyeon, Cinderella and Four Knights, Cinderellawa Ne Myungui Gisa, ep 16, episode 16, final, 신데렐라와 네 명의 기사, Jung Il Woo, Lee Jung Shin, Park So Dam, recap, Son Na Eun
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