Laurent clearly noticed that Jeanne had changed considerably after that night. She wasn't like before anymore—or perhaps more accurately, she'd grown a lot more mature.
He never mentioned the golden glow he'd seen in the woods that night, and Jeanne didn't bring it up either.
Their relationship remained much as before. Yet occasionally, Laurent caught Jeanne gazing at him with a hint of hesitation in her eyes, and he couldn't understand why.
Under Laurent's guidance, the villagers gradually learned to make new dishes, and soon their food tasted much better than before.
...
"This should finally satisfy those bastards!"
Today, Jacques stood proudly looking over his latest cooking results. With grain shortages, they could only make the most of what little ingredients remained for their daily meals.
"By the way, Laurent, those 'potatoes,' 'sweet potatoes,' and 'corn' things you mentioned earlier—what exactly are they?"
Thanks to Laurent's new recipes, Jacques clearly had more trust in him now.
"Just some foods Europe discovered," Laurent replied casually, waving it off.
It wasn't like such things were easy to find right now.
Though they weren't particularly hard to grow, finding seeds in this era was another matter altogether.
Three years left, huh? In three years, Jeanne would leave here to seek help from her relatives.
Three years was enough time to do many things.
He needed to start taking action soon.
In a few days, those men demanding grain would arrive again.
Once that was settled, what would he do?
Join the army, leave to build a future elsewhere, or… run away with Jeanne?
Too many possibilities filled Laurent's mind, leaving him unsure what to choose.
...
A few days later, the Burgundians arrived.
They were eager and expecting food to be handed to them easily. Jacques and the others, however, were on edge, anxious about whether their tasty food could truly make up for the shortfall.
And so, guided by soldiers, Jacques and the villagers presented the freshly baked bread and warm porridge to the Burgundians.
Initially, the soldiers were furious—extremely dissatisfied, even. Yet once they tasted the food, their expressions softened visibly.
Though still irritated, after Jacques and the villagers repeatedly explained they simply didn't have enough grain, coupled with their humble and pleading attitudes, the soldiers begrudgingly beat them up a little, venting their frustration, before eventually leaving.
At least the outcome wasn't bad.
Now, they just had to plan for the future.
Delicious food would eventually become popular throughout Europe. Right now, their village could even send people out to develop trade.
Laurent didn't know business, but at least he knew craftsmanship.
"Uncle Jacques, is there anyone here who knows how to negotiate? Like, do business?"
Thirteen years old now, Laurent had grown fairly tall, perhaps thanks to European genetics.
"Do business?" Jacques looked at him strangely. "What would we need that for?"
"To go out and trade, obviously! You don't plan on staying self-sufficient forever, do you? Those soldiers came once, they'll definitely come again. We must develop our economy. Now that everyone can cook, we can leverage these skills for trading—exchange craftsmanship for money, showcase our special breads, and sell them easily."
Jacques rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You've got a sharp head on your shoulders, brat. But would anyone actually buy it?"
"That's why I need someone who knows how to negotiate—makes things simpler—"
Midway through, Laurent suddenly lost patience.
"Forget it, forget it! Just tell me who's good at talking and business. That person will understand my meaning."
Smack!
Before he'd even finished speaking, Jacques smacked him lightly on the head.
"You brat, talking down to adults like you're the grown-up here—I'm really not used to it, especially your condesecnding tone."
Laurent rubbed his head awkwardly. "I'm just offering ideas! You guys still have to do the actual work!"
But seeing Laurent had a plan, the villagers visibly relaxed a little.
"I recall Féros has always been good at smooth-talking. I'll ask him about it later."
Only Jeanne's hand quietly tightened.
Exactly as the prophecy foretold…
...
Night fell.
For now, the village's crisis had been temporarily resolved. At least things were peaceful for the time being.
In truth, Laurent thought that as long as their economic development went smoothly, the village could grow wealthy by trading culinary skills and craftsmanship—perhaps even becoming known as a "gourmet village."
If that happened, Jeanne wouldn't even need to go to war, would she? Wouldn't staying peacefully here, enjoying this life, be better?
Speaking of Jeanne, her figure had recently grown shockingly fast. Not long ago, she'd been nothing but a completely flat-chested little girl; now Laurent could clearly make out her developing figure. He had a feeling she'd soon have an undeniably attractive shape.
As Laurent was lost in thought, a pair of small hands suddenly covered his eyes.
"Guess who~?"
"Jeanne, this trick isn't funny at all," Laurent answered immediately.
Never mind the voice—even Jeanne's unique scent gave her away instantly, not to mention those hands he'd touched countless times.
Unlike Laurent, Jeanne occasionally joined the village children when they played together.
Laurent was mentally more mature and wasn't comfortable dealing with kids, so he usually avoided joining their games.
But recently, he saw Jeanne playing ball. Tennis in its modern form hadn't even emerged yet, had it? Perhaps tomorrow he'd teach them something new?
Better than letting her continue with childish games for three-year-olds.
Seeing Laurent had no intention of engaging in this childish game, Jeanne lightly patted her dress and sat down beside him.
"You've been spending so much time lately with Papa and the others, Laurent. You hardly play with me anymore."
"I have important matters, you know. Besides, they don't really understand these procedures. I have to teach them carefully. I may not be an expert, but I'm still better at it than farmers."
"You're a farmer just like us," Jeanne grumbled unhappily.
Laurent nodded. "Fair enough, same as everyone else. But I'm still worried. If this works out, at least people in the village won't have to stress about food shortages anymore."
At this point, he raised an eyebrow teasingly, looking at Jeanne with a mischievous grin.
"What, you're feeling lonely since I haven't played with you recently?"
"I–I'm not lonely at all! Stupid Laurent—I don't need you to play with me anyway!"
Jeanne pushed him away with a pout. Laurent merely chuckled softly, ignoring her feigned annoyance, and didn't mind her gentle shove at all.