"A commoner has no need for alcohol!"
When Gloria entered her father's study and handed him the report, her father's face twisted in anger.
"We could risk the church turning against us!"
The report her father crumpled in anger was from Paul, who had been tasked with overseeing the development of new alcohol.
In the three months since, they had built the necessary facilities and begun their research. However, the answers were already largely determined by the knowledge Gloria had brought from A-ko, so there was little struggle.
She had informed her uncle and sent useful personnel to assist the project, even starting research on rice cultivation at the same time.
According to A-ko's knowledge, sake could be made in about two months, although it wouldn't be the perfect "delicious sake"—it would still be ready in time for the Crown Prince's tea party.
The new sake for commoners was progressing smoothly so far.
Yet her father was not pleased.
Had he been the one to suggest the sake project, he would have eagerly welcomed the report.
If it had been just Gloria and Paul managing the project, perhaps he would have been more receptive.
But the plan had been devised without his knowledge, and worse, his detested brother was involved at the heart of it, achieving results that he found irksome.
He threw the crumpled paper at Gloria, then stood up in a fury, taking a few deep breaths before sitting down in his chair.
As the paper flew past, Kate, who had been standing behind Gloria, stiffened more visibly than her father.
"As the report mentioned, the local church is welcoming the new alcohol. Uncle has also met with the Church's Count several times and said that the response has been good," Gloria said, knowing full well why her father was upset but tilting her head in an almost teasing manner.
A faint flush spread across her father's face.
"Though we can't be sure how far things will go, I plan to speak to the Count's second son, Cedric, at the upcoming tea party. Unless something drastic happens, I don't foresee any conflict with the church."
Her father's deep purple eyes glinted dangerously as they fixed on her, seething with barely contained rage.
"Don't speak of making money at the Crown Prince's engagement tea party! Lord Hatterstone would find it troublesome!"
"It's not about making money, it's about faith. Also, I heard that the Count has asked Uncle to 'take care of my second son' that day."
Technically, Gloria's father, as the head of the Caldwell family, should have received the Count's greetings, but instead, her brother had taken that honor. And on top of that, her father was not even consulted about her plans for the royal tea party.
The humiliation was clear on her father's face as he ground his teeth, forcing a strained voice through clenched jaws.
"Are you... willing to let the Crown Prince's fiancée position slip to a lesser daughter of some other family?"
"Are you telling me to pursue the Crown Prince's fiancée position, father? That's impossible."
Gloria couldn't help but laugh lightly at the absurdity.
"There's only me to inherit this house, after all."
She continued with a smile.
"I heard that your mistress was arrested for injuring a nobleman. Surely you know that we can't accept the son of a criminal as the next head of the Caldwell family, right?"
Uncle mentioned it was out of the question as well.
She added that final comment just to provoke him, and the sound of her father's teeth grinding could be heard.