I second this. I agree. Whenever I try to comment this novel readers will come at me saying his back story this, his backstory that. It's annoying because everything you said about heiner and Annette is completely true. She was not at fault.
idkkk i’m kind of conflicted, cuz to some degree I do think the EXTENT of her ignorance was lowkey harmful. Especially considering who her father was and where her wealth came from, and what measures her family was using to sustain their power (child soldiers, war crimes, etc.)
That’s not say that she wasn’t sheltered but to some degree her ignorance was harmful imo and I think it’s fair to judge it. Not excusing the BS the ML did tho. trifling.
The novel is nuanced, it's not as black and white as "ignorance isn't bad in itself", we're looking at a specific case where her ignorance was on display to the one who suffered the most for it, he himself being pretty much shattered through literal torture and mental anguish, and where the gravity of her ignorance is harmful in itself.
People have trouble wrapping their heads around that it's not just "her ignorance", it's towards the person who suffered. He's suffering and she's unaware, her father being the reason for it.
He fell in love with her, but then he went through what he did and her not knowing became an issue despite his feelings for her. He wanted her to understand how broken he is, but not to know what happened. She noticed something was wrong, but never asked because she was afraid of the answer. He took this as her never caring for him at all.
You’re judging her from your own POV… you as a reader have all the facts from every angle… Annette has her deliberately narrowed perspective in life… she knew nothing. .. she hardly left home. She was taught to be silent and be a “lady”.., so no, she knew nothing , might see something but had no basis for comparison hence he mind will shift away from there…
Most readers blame Annette cause as most will say “ she ought to “, “ she would have “… pls do not impose an emotion on Annette that you as a reader feels she lacks and judge her for it… especially if the author did not make it clear…
Sheltered is sheltered, being sheltered does not make you a bad or good person… just highly ignorant/ naive to current affairs…
I will die on the hill that not everyone deserves a second chance and that not every relationship should end in romance… having a trauma bonded non romantic relationship is also good for healing…
Annette did nothing wrong and was mentally brutalized because when the ML went to see her in her gilded cage she smiled at him… like damn!!! She’s in a cage… not aware of outside situation .. what do you expect..
Heiner CONVENIENTLY forgot that it was her perceived innocence that drew his scrappy ass in …then turn around and hates her for it…