To Alina, it no longer mattered whether Adlet was alive or dead—he had ceased to exist in her eyes the moment he declared self-exile from the Cindergarde family.
That single act had brought irredeemable disgrace upon a house that had stood proudly for centuries, its name etched deep into the foundation of the Empire's nobility.
In the rigid hierarchy of noble bloodlines, for a noble to abandon their title was akin to a knight casting aside his sacred oath—a betrayal not just of duty, but of identity.
Even among the lesser aristocracy, such as barons or viscounts, the idea of renouncing one's station was nearly unthinkable.
Yet Adlet had done so within a ducal house—one of the Empire's esteemed Four Pillars, whose influence and prestige were rivaled by few.
His self-imposed exile had not merely wounded the family's honor; it had seared a black mark into its legacy, one that would endure through generations.
