---
Blackthorn Estate – Morning Mist
Dawn broke quietly over Vexin's eastern ridges, brushing pale gold over rooftops, forests, and the crumbling edges of the Blackthorn estate. Moss clung to the stone gates. Wind whistled through cracked shutters.
Aeron stood outside the iron archway of his home. The cold air kissed his face, and yet he stood without flinching, arms folded, cloak hanging loosely over his shoulders.
The gates creaked open.
Hoofbeats echoed.
A white and gold carriage, bearing the crest of the Rindell Empire, rolled across the overgrown path. Two knights flanked it on horseback, spears upright, armor polished like mirrors. An old envoy stepped out—tall, clean-cut, with silver-streaked hair and a deep blue formal coat.
He unrolled a parchment with practiced dignity.
"Aeron Blackthorn," the envoy said, his voice clipped. "By order of Her Majesty Empress Irelia Rindell, you are summoned to the Imperial Palace for formal proceedings regarding your noble status and the annulment of your engagement to Princess Selene Rindell."
Aeron's violet eyes rested on the man for a moment. Then he gave a small nod.
"I'll come."
The envoy blinked, slightly taken aback by the absence of hesitation. He had expected protest. Perhaps fear. Not this… stillness.
"You are to arrive unarmed," the envoy added.
"I carry no weapons," Aeron replied. "Nor do I need any."
He stepped forward, passing the knights who glanced at him with vague scorn. He didn't acknowledge them. Nor the subtle pity in their eyes.
To them, he was still the failed heir of a ruined house.
They didn't know what he carried now.
He climbed into the carriage without another word.
---
Road to the Capital – Carriage Interior
The wheels turned.
Fields, trees, and farmland blurred past the windows. Villagers stopped to watch the carriage, many whispering as it passed. Few recognized Aeron's face. Fewer remembered what the Blackthorn crest even looked like.
Inside, Aeron sat with one leg crossed over the other, hands folded in his lap. His expression was unreadable—calm, but not lifeless.
Then came a soft tone.
[Ding]
A translucent blue screen shimmered before him.
---
[System Notification]
Passive Reward: Dignity Retained
You accepted a royal summons with composure and grace.
+25 EXP
+0.2% Void Affinity
Reputation (Vexin) shifted to: Quiet Curiosity
---
Aeron studied the screen for a moment, then dismissed it with a blink.
So the system values presence… not just strength.
He let his thoughts drift. To Selene. The letter. Her silence.
You could've spoken to me. Asked. Apologized. But you chose to sign a scroll and end it.
But anger didn't rise in his chest. Not anymore.
That part of him was already dead. That boy... was no more.
Now, there was only acceptance—and the quiet momentum of someone who had nothing left to lose.
---
Imperial Capital – Rindell Palace
The capital city sprawled outward like veins of stone and gold. Floating bridges crossed glowing canals, while towers of white stone loomed over the central plaza like watching giants.
The Imperial Palace, shaped like a blooming star, stood at the city's heart.
Its gates opened before the royal envoy's carriage without question. Guards saluted. Nobles watched from balconies.
Aeron stepped down into the sunlit courtyard, cloak brushing stone.
No one recognized him at first.
But then the whispers began.
"That's the Blackthorn boy, isn't it?"
"He still dares to show his face?"
"Why does he walk like that…?"
They couldn't put their finger on it.
He wasn't smiling.
He wasn't proud.
But there was something in the way he moved—shoulders even, gaze forward.
Like a man who already knew his worth.
---
Throne Hall – Midday
The throne hall gleamed under sunlight and mana-chandeliers. Golden pillars lined both sides of the crimson carpet. Courtiers, nobles, advisors—all had gathered for the formal declaration.
At the far end stood Empress Irelia Rindell on a dais of white marble. Tall and regal, with silver hair pinned into a coiled crown, she sat beneath a tapestry of the sun and sword.
And to her left stood Princess Selene.
She wore robes of light blue and silver. Her expression was perfectly composed.
Until her eyes met his.
A flicker passed through them. Surprise. Confusion. A faint, fleeting regret?
He doesn't look broken.
He doesn't look like the boy... I left behind.
Aeron's boots touched the crimson carpet.
He walked the length of the hall in silence. Nobles whispered behind fans and sleeves. Some snorted. Others watched with wary eyes.
When he reached the base of the dais, Aeron gave a small bow. Not dramatic. Not defiant.
Just… precise.
"Your Majesty," he said to the Empress. "And Your Highness."
Irelia's gaze was sharp.
"You do not kneel."
"I greet you as a noble," Aeron replied. "And as the last of my house."
A pause.
It wasn't defiance.
It was etiquette—executed without submission.
Selene inhaled softly. She didn't speak.
The Empress eventually gave a slow nod.
"Then let the record reflect," she announced, her voice echoing off marble. "That Aeron Blackthorn has formally acknowledged the annulment. The engagement between House Blackthorn and the Royal Family is hereby dissolved."
Aeron remained silent. Still bowed.
He did not look at Selene. Not once.
Because if he did, he might see the guilt forming behind her eyes.
And she might see that he had moved on long before this ceremony.
He straightened, nodded again, and turned to leave.
---
Capital Streets – Afternoon Light
As he exited the palace gates, nobles still whispered behind him.
"That's not how a fallen noble carries himself…"
"He didn't speak a word of protest…"
"Huh, he is only acting tough. Isn't he?"
Selene stood near the balcony above, watching him from behind a veil of silk.
You didn't cry. You didn't beg. You didn't even look back at me…
And somehow, that hurt more than anything he could've said.
---
System Notification
[Ding]
---
[Quest Complete: "Face the Crown"]
Reward Claimed:
+100 EXP
Void Affinity +1%
Reputation (Capital): Mysterious Grace
Title Acquired: [Composed Witness]
---
Aeron exhaled.
His fingers flexed at his side.
No pride. No shame. Just forward.
"Your lover abandoned you boy." He looked towards the sky. " Rest in Peace now."
.
.