It would be more accurate to say that there were points of reflection rather than dissatisfaction.
Never did I imagine that Alan would lack so much self-restraint.
The plan was to employ the mother and son as servants in my household—of course, ensuring that father not grant noble rights as his child.
Then, Bernard, my uncle's son, would be adopted by Father as his heir and the next duke, with Alan positioned beneath him.
Originally, everything Bernard possesses should have been his. But because of his mother's mistake, he's left with nothing, reduced to a servant's life, while Bernard reaps the benefits.
Bow down to an adopted Bernard. Him, the one who bears the blood of the head of the house.
Until he grew old and dies.
Would that be more agonizing than a swift beheading?
Gloria, now living her second life, knows that death can bring salvation.
Still, some things were gained.
Neither Father nor Alan had changed from the traits I saw in them in my previous life.
In that life, as soon as Father's position as Duke was threatened, he discarded me without hesitation.
Learning that the crown prince and his allies planned to investigate the Caldwell Duchy to ensure my execution, Father placed all his sins upon me and handed me over to them.
If Father had considered the honor of the Caldwell house, he should have fought to save me.
Even if I had harmed the Saint, her supposed belief in "equality" would have made her punishment hypocritical. A rightful counterattack, accusing their infidelity, could have been made.
A house that meekly accepts guilt and punishment earns no respect among nobles, nor does a head who refuses to fight command fear.
This time, though on a smaller scale, Father did the same thing.
When his mistress became a criminal for injuring a noble, and the legitimacy of his chosen heir—her son Alan—came into question, he immediately discarded them both.
Alan, myself, and even Cindy—Father had always been the type to abandon anyone the moment his position was endangered.
Alan in my past life was much the same. Despite knowing that his half-sister would be beheaded as Father's scapegoat, he turned a blind eye.
Father, assured that Alan would not demand having his legitimate daughter as his heir, would certainly hand over the Duke's title to him. In the meantime, he would fulfill Alan's every whim.
The crown prince and his allies wouldn't harm Father or Alan, who cooperated so smoothly.
In this life, Alan acted no differently.
When he entered Father's study and saw me, he ignored me entirely, flaunting his reliance on Father to secure his desires.
His miscalculation lay in failing to recognize Father's cold, self-serving nature, which drove him to escape any inconvenience.
Humiliation and regret—the root cause should not be Gloria but their unchanging nature. I've been planning to ensure it's seen that way.
Though it was disappointing that Alan died so quickly, confirming his unchanged nature in this life was still a meaningful outcome.
Between his humiliation and regret—throwing a paperweight at Father and facing execution—Alan surely experienced his share of shame.
As is customary, executions are conducted side by side, beginning with the one apprehended first.
When the military police sought Gloria's approval to behead Alan first, she remained silent.
Thus, Cindy was executed in front of Alan's eyes.
Her death was a direct result of Alan's short-sightedness. Watching his mother's execution, knowing it was his fault, was his final moment before facing his own beheading.
The expression frozen on his decapitated face—
Remembering it, Gloria smiled softly at her reflection in the mirror.
She noticed A-ko trembling silently in her mind.