Laurent quickly shared his idea with Jacques and the other adults. Initially, these grown-ups were skeptical, but once Laurent insisted on demonstrating by preparing a pot of sweet porridge for everyone to taste, some villagers began to see the wisdom in his plan.
More and more people sipped the warm porridge, letting it chase away the cold.
Even Jeanne looked at Laurent with mild astonishment, puzzled about how he'd suddenly known all these things.
Laurent couldn't be bothered to explain.
Soon, the adults were absorbed in learning how to cook these dishes. Laurent freed up time to teach them, hoping this method would work. After all, porridge wasn't his only culinary skill—he also knew how to make various small breads and tasty snacks.
...
Time passed steadily, and soon it was the night of January 5th.
Once the clock passed midnight tonight, it would officially be Jeanne's birthday.
Every afternoon, Laurent had been at the blacksmith's shop, working on odd jobs. Now, the cross necklace he'd requested from the blacksmith was finally ready.
Laurent held it tightly in his hand.
Though he wasn't particularly supportive of Jeanne's Catholic faith these days, he still wouldn't disappoint the girl's wishes.
His dislike was one thing, Jeanne's birthday another. Laurent drew a very clear line between the two.
But tonight, he was already somewhat restless with anticipation, unable to sleep. He wondered what Jeanne's reaction would be when she received the gift.
The room was silent at night.
Yet…both of them were merely pretending to sleep.
Around midnight, under the dim glow of moonlight, Jeanne carefully rose from her haystack.
She first glanced at the seemingly sleeping Laurent, then tiptoed toward the door, afraid of disturbing his sleep—completely unaware that Laurent was fully awake and knew exactly what she was doing.
Click.
At the faint sound of the door closing, Laurent opened his eyes. He sat up slowly, staring at the door and listening as Jeanne's footsteps faded away.
Strange… What's she doing outside so late?
Puzzled, he quietly got up and stepped outside.
Compared to daytime, the temperature had dropped considerably. Laurent shivered slightly, rubbing his arms to stay warm.
Luckily, there was no wind tonight—otherwise, it wouldn't be a good time for a stroll.
Just as Laurent was still confused about Jeanne's intentions, a faint golden glow flickered in the forest nearby.
Laurent stared in surprise at that direction.
Could this be…the revelation from the Archangel...?
Speaking of which, Jeanne was turning thirteen today.
Realizing this, Laurent felt a complicated mix of emotions he couldn't quite describe.
With a faint laugh, he clapped his hands softly, took out the carefully hidden cross necklace from his pocket, and sat heavily on the cold ground, gazing toward the distant forest.
The golden radiance continued shimmering, strangely captivating amidst the silent night.
His body slowly chilled, but he remained still.
After a few minutes, the golden light faded away, and Jeanne emerged from the woods.
"Laurent…?"
Upon seeing him, Jeanne's expression momentarily froze, as if caught doing something secret.
"Jeanne."
Laurent smiled, patting the spot next to him, inviting her to sit down.
She hesitated briefly, then approached him.
"Did I…wake you earlier?"
"Maybe someone isn't aware of how loud they are."
At this, Jeanne's face turned apologetic.
"I didn't mean to…"
"It's fine. Actually, there's something I wanted to talk to you about anyway."
He exhaled softly.
"I wonder if it's past midnight yet."
"It should be by now," Jeanne answered softly, sitting quietly next to him.
Her eyes secretly glanced toward Laurent. After a moment, she shifted slightly, moving closer, though whether it was due to the cold or just a simple desire to be near him, Laurent couldn't tell.
Noticing these subtle movements, Laurent was about to say something, but Jeanne spoke first.
"Laurent… Will you always support me?"
"Hm?"
Hearing her question, Laurent briefly hesitated.
If he hadn't known history's truth, he likely wouldn't understand the deeper meaning behind her words now.
"Maybe," he finally answered, not giving her a definite promise.
"Are you just humoring me?"
"There's something more important I want to say first."
"Huh?"
Jeanne tilted her head curiously, looking at him—a gesture Laurent found incredibly endearing.
"You suddenly asking such a serious question is what's actually weird here."
He shrugged lightly.
"What exactly am I supposed to be supporting you with?"
Even Jeanne realized how sudden her question was.
"I just…"
"Forget all that for now. Don't you think tonight's perfect? No wind, and the cold isn't nearly as unpleasant as usual."
Jeanne didn't understand why he'd suddenly changed the subject.
Laurent's lips, however, curved into a genuine smile he rarely displayed openly. He opened his hand, revealing the small cross necklace lying on his palm.
"Happy birthday, Jeanne."
Jeanne stared in shock at the small cross, momentarily unable to believe her eyes.
"It was made quickly, so the workmanship's a bit rough. But the blacksmith assured me it's sturdy enough to last at least ten or more years."
Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached out, accepting the necklace carefully, speechless with joy.
"Try it on. After all, as a devoted believer, it'd be a shame if you didn't even have your own cross."
"The Lord doesn't care about external things like this…"
Jeanne protested weakly, yet she quickly leaned closer to Laurent, silently signaling for him to help her put it on.
Laurent immediately understood. With gentle fingers, he carefully clasped the necklace around her neck.
"I think even your Lord would approve of having something symbolic. Maybe you should ask Him sometime to make our village prosperous."
"I pray for that every day."
"How strange, then, that none of your prayers have been answered yet."
"Laurent, the Lord isn't some wishing machine."
Finished with the clasp, Laurent didn't reply further, merely nodding with satisfaction at the necklace.
"It suits you."
"Thank you…I'll cherish it dearly."
Jeanne's hands rested protectively over the cross.
"No need to go that far. The smith said it'll last at least ten years or more. If it wears out by then, I'll simply give you a new one."
His words carried a deeper meaning.
Jeanne, of course, remained unaware.
"And regarding your question earlier—"
Today was Jeanne's birthday; Laurent had no intention of ruining it with harsh truths. Perhaps tonight was the first time in all these years that he deliberately lied to her.
"Don't worry. As long as it's nothing evil or immoral, I'll always support you."
Hearing his reply, Jeanne's smile became even sweeter than when she'd received the gift.
In the faint moonlight that spilled over them, tonight carried the subtle taste of lies.
---
A/N: Every sentence I write now will deeply affect their future—I wonder if my writing has captured this feeling clearly enough…
T/N: LIESSSSSSS?????????? SUBTLE TASTE OF LIES???????? i know i wrote that but AUTHOR??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THIS???