If Bernard were to be adopted and become the duke's heir, the conditions would mirror those of her past life.
Just as before, the royal family, seeking the backing of a powerful noble house, privately appointed Gloria as the crown prince's fiancée.
The crown prince, who had assumed he could choose his partner freely at a tea party, did not bother to hide his displeasure over this arrangement being decided without his knowledge.
His sulky attitude toward Gloria mirrored that of the previous life, and Kate, who accompanied him to the tea party, was furious at his disrespect.
However, unlike before, Gloria paid no attention to his behavior.
The tea party's purpose wasn't to foster a closer relationship with the crown prince but to market the newly crafted liquor to Cedric, the Earl of the Church's son.
In her previous life, no matter how much effort she made to please the crown prince, his attention never turned to Gloria. Therefore, making the same efforts in this life would be the height of futility.
"In the future, I'll ascend to the royal castle as the crown princess—and eventually as queen. At that time, I insisted to Uncle that I wanted Kate, whom I trust most, to accompany me as my personal maid. That's how Kate was adopted into the Viscount Morgan family."
Thus, Kate von Morgan, daughter of the Viscount, came into being.
The adopting family was a distant relative of Gloria's aunt, the Viscount Morgan family. While Kate wouldn't inherit any estate, she had acquired the status necessary to enroll in the academy—referred to as the "main storyline" of A-ko's otome game.
Kyla wept with joy, and Kate deeply bowed to Gloria, reaffirming her unwavering loyalty.
"The maid my father assigned to me can't hold a candle to Kate. Now that she's gained noble status, she'll serve me even more devotedly."
It was Gloria's father who had employed a noblewoman, one who hadn't even shown her face after Gloria's horseback accident, as her maid. For her father, commoners were not to touch nobles under any circumstances.
Cindy, as a mistress, had been an exception. Mistresses were seen as outlets for lust, not as objects of affection.
As proof, Alan, who shared only a fraction of noble blood, was recognized as a noble by her father. Meanwhile, Cindy had married into the family and even managed the duchess's household, yet her status remained that of a commoner.
For her father, Cindy had likely been no more than a common housekeeper who also happened to meet his physical needs.
In her previous life, Gloria, too, had maintained a clear distinction regarding social ranks.
To be honest, she still disliked commoners. But recalling how both nobles and commoners alike had directed malice at her in her past life, she now found it terrifying to let anyone near her, regardless of their status.
If all were equally threatening, it made more sense to surround herself with people aligned with her objectives.
For example, understanding her father's belief that commoners should die as commoners, she deliberately elevated Kate, a commoner, to the status of a noble daughter.
"From now on, we will employ even more commoner servants. After all… Father will soon need caretakers as well."
Given her father's condition, the master bedroom on the second floor was inconvenient. Moving him to a room closer to the servants' quarters would be more practical. It was unbecoming for servants carrying waste to wander through the mansion, and proximity to the back entrance would reduce unnecessary work.
Her father let out a choked noise.
Hearing no objections, Gloria finalized her decisions to employ commoners and move her father's quarters.
"For the time being, I'll handle matters as the acting head of the family. However, once my education as the crown princess begins, I may not be able to oversee everything. That's why Uncle and Bernard will live here starting today. Uncle will assist me, while Bernard will begin his training as the heir."
With a serene smile, Gloria clasped her hands together and leaned forward to peer into her bedridden father's eyes.
His dark purple eyes burned with rage, glaring fiercely at Gloria.
Why hand over the ducal legacy to the child of his brother? His fiery gaze all but screamed for an immediate reversal of the decision and for his siblings to be expelled.
While Gloria wasn't the ideal child in his eyes, she was still better than Bernard taking over as the family head.
"I understand what you're trying to say, Father."
Yet, tragically, no matter what commands his dark purple eyes might convey, they now held no power.
"You must be pleased, aren't you? After all, you've always said it—how you wanted Gloria to become the crown prince's fiancée."
The smile on Gloria's lips, reflected in her father's eyes, appeared to radiate warmth.
Anyone who saw it would think it was a smile meant for a beloved family member. It seemed full of affection and tenderness toward her father.
"Thanks to Uncle's efforts, we've successfully fulfilled your long-standing wish."
Her father's eyelids trembled weakly, fluttering several times at her words.
"Please, don't concern yourself with trivial matters anymore. Focus solely on taking care of your health. Everything here runs perfectly fine, even without your involvement."
At that, tears welled up in her father's eyes, brimming over in an instant.
"Indeed, indeed… That must be so. My gratitude for Uncle and the others knows no bounds. The kindness overwhelms even me to the point of tears."
Gloria knew the tears streaming down his paralyzed face were tears of humiliation.
As the head of the family, he'd kept the title but lost the authority. He had sacrificed even his children to protect what he held dear, only to realize too late that it had all slipped through his grasp.
Though she understood his regret, Gloria nodded gently, her voice soft with agreement.
"I'm happy too, Father."