That night, after Alan and Cindy's severed heads were delivered to the Caldwell household, A-ko's incessant sobbing echoed in Gloria's mind, grating her nerves.
Even as Kate retreated to bed, the wailing persisted. Gloria, having changed into her nightwear, begrudgingly sat before the dresser. It was impossible to sleep like this.
With a face full of exhaustion, she addressed her reflection in the mirror. "Stop crying."
To an outsider, this would seem like meaningless behavior, but in her mind, A-ko's presence stirred. Sniffling, A-ko timidly raised her face.
*(I just... I didn't think they'd die so easily...)*
The sound of a sniff reverberated through her consciousness.
The unpleasantness of hearing another's crude, unseemly noise in her head deepened Gloria's frown as she stared at her reflection.
*(You've never done anything so bloody before! So why did you suddenly have to kill Alan and Cindy?)*
"Killed them? Me?"
There was no such fact.
The executioner of the gendarmes had carried out the beheading, and the root cause was Alan himself.
No matter how infuriated he may have been, a commoner throwing something at a noble—let alone a duke—could never go unpunished.
*(No, no! That's not what I meant! Alan was still so young! If you'd properly guided him, taught him not to betray people—especially you—this wouldn't have happened! You didn't *have* to kill him!)*
If A-ko had a physical form, she would have been shaking her head furiously. Her vehement denial and intent were somewhat understandable.
But, Gloria shrugged slightly.
"Was that really my responsibility?"
Teaching and disciplining children were the duties of their parents. It was not the role of a half-sister, one who had never even met them until such a tragedy occurred.
A father who had an affair despite being married and Cindy, who chose to become his mistress despite knowing he was taken—if they strayed from morality, they had even more of an obligation to instill ethics and principles in their child. Parental education is both a responsibility and a duty.
Besides, was it so wrong to protect herself from a half-brother, spoiled by indulgent parents, who stormed into the ducal estate as if the family's power existed solely for him?
In her previous life, she had only defended herself within the limits of her own capabilities—and even then, she failed.
As a result, Cindy claimed her mother's room, Alan stole her position as the next head of the family, and the Saintess took her place as the future queen.
She had learned from her rigidity and vowed to be different in this life. This time, she used whatever means available, fully safeguarding herself. It wasn't revenge—it was self-defense.
Could she truly be blamed for that?
To clarify for A-ko, Gloria invoked an example drawn from her world. She imagined a figure walking down a road.
If someone tries to snatch their bag, is it unreasonable to resist and try to keep it?
If the thief, riding a bicycle, crashes and gets injured during the attempt, is the victim at fault?
Even if the thief were to die after hitting their head in the fall, wouldn't it still be their own doing?
*(But, but, Gloria! It's like stomping on the thief's head after they've fallen! I never thought you'd go so far as to truly corner someone...!)*
What exactly had this lingering spirit been observing until now?
A-ko's nonsensical comments only deepened Gloria's frown.
When you loathe someone so deeply that you'd step on their face, *that* is revenge.
*(But Gloria, you've made kind choices before. You saved Kyla's life, grew closer to Kate, reconciled with your uncle, and even decided to brew sake for the commoners. Even with Cindy—)*
A-ko inhaled sharply, her words catching in her throat.
*(Sure, you set her up with the needle incident, but it was only because the idea of your father's mistress becoming your new mother was so appalling and disgraceful! For the family's dignity, it had to be done. But afterward, you still made efforts to help her reintegrate into society... So I thought, deep down, your 'revenge' was just tsundere kindness—that you'd chosen a 'gentler way of life' in this lifetime!)*
The concept of "tsundere" eluded Gloria, prompting her to sift through A-ko's knowledge. Upon understanding the misunderstanding, a cold smile spread across her lips.
In the mirror, her violet eyes rolled upwards dramatically as a sharp exhale escaped her lips, releasing the pent-up heat of A-ko's emotional tirade.
"A 'gentle way of life,' huh?"
The reflection of Gloria laughed, her golden lashes trembling.
Certainly, from A-ko's perspective, Gloria might have seemed like someone living harmoniously.
Even when Cindy was disgraced, Gloria ensured her actions wouldn't tarnish her future.
She even offered Cindy and her son employment within the ducal household, a generous condition for someone branded as a former criminal.
By that measure, one could argue her decisions were indeed kind.
But, Gloria posed the question to A-ko:
What comes to mind when you think of the word 'revenge'?
What kind of emotions would her targets have to feel for Gloria to consider her revenge a success?