Here’s the thing to think about. what Hardy did at the end there? Is a worse punishment for gray then beating him or killing him.
Hardy LEGIT just drew a line between them. He forgives him as his old friend BUT that is where his leniency ends.
His statement about being Hardy Hysterion? That is him drawing a line, it means he no longer sees Gray as someone close. He is the Hysterion Madam and the head of the families wife. In a noble family like theirs that is torture.
It means he no longer will blindly trust Gray’s words or motives, they are no longer close, he no longer has a say in his choices, ect. They are now just strangers in the same family and THAT is the WORSE thing Hardy could have done to gray because it will for Gray to FOREVER see him by his brothers side as his wife. It means he will be forced to watch as their relationship grows, as their family grows, reputation grows, ect. He is nothing more than a background character in the life of someone he felt so deeply and desperately for that he ruined their connections to others JUST to have him for himself. It will be torture.
Um yeah but i kinda see op's point tho. Like he literally listed out all the things grey did growing up with him (years, mind you) so just forgiving and drawing a line may not be enough. Grey does not deserve forgiveness at all
"I'm going to forgive you bcz you were my dearest friend"
Is this supposed to be a joke? That's why I hate weak minded, overkind characters. Just kill or beat him until he's crippled. Forgive him my ass. Bfr rn