Late at night, inside Uncle Jacques's room.
Two men sat face-to-face, staring at each other in silence.
Jacques fixed Laurent with a sharp glare, trying to figure out why this brat had come sneaking into his room instead of sleeping.
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night when you should be sleeping?" Jacques asked suspiciously, subtly edging backward.
Laurent met his gaze seriously, then suddenly bent forward into a perfect ninety-degree bow.
"Uncle Jacques, please give me your daughter!"
"..."
The air fell dead silent for several seconds. Completely blindsided by Laurent's words, Jacques sat dumbstruck, staring oddly at the young man in front of him. Only after a few moments did he realize exactly what Laurent had just asked.
He didn't hesitate because he intended to refuse gently—on the contrary, he had something else entirely in mind.
Because—in fact, he'd long been considering matchmaking Laurent and Jeanne himself.
Unlike modern times, in fifteenth-century Europe, parents were eager for their daughters to marry into noble or promising families.
Though Laurent wasn't a noble, his recent performance and broad knowledge had made Jacques confident he could entrust his daughter to him, especially since they'd grown up together as childhood sweethearts.
Yet now, before Jacques had even gotten the chance to suggest it himself, Laurent had taken the initiative.
It was a completely unexpected surprise. Still, Jacques wouldn't refuse. But even so, he'd first have to seek Jeanne's opinion—he wasn't the kind of parent who'd force his daughter into something without consideration.
"Hmph, brat, what exactly do you mean by this?"
Though Jacques originally planned to bring this up himself, now that the tables had turned, he was determined to use the situation to help Jeanne secure a higher status with Laurent.
He certainly didn't want to see Laurent succeed someday, only to abandon Jeanne and become like those corrupt nobles.
"Exactly what it sounds like, hehe," Laurent laughed awkwardly, straightening up. He moved beside Jacques and started pounding his shoulders enthusiastically—after all, one should always take good care of a future father-in-law.
"Think about it, Uncle Jacques. You've looked after Jeanne for fourteen years—isn't it about time you let me handle it? You're getting older now, so let me take care of things from here."
"Heh." Jacques gave a cold chuckle, seeing right through Laurent's ploy. "Honestly, when your parents entrusted you to me, I thought you'd follow their path, fighting for some grand cause. But seeing you living peacefully instead makes me quite relieved."
"Who wouldn't prefer living peacefully?" Laurent asked, a bit subdued.
Jacques frowned unhappily. "Sounds like you're implying your parents' sacrifice for the country wasn't worth it."
At this, Laurent's movements slowed. "I only wished they'd survived. That's what mattered to me. Whether they fought for the country or something else entirely, they always came first."
"Child, some things can't always be decided by feelings alone."
"I know that. Anyway, you're changing the subject, Uncle Jacques."
"Heh. If you want Jeanne, you'll have to rely on your own effort. At most, I can speak favorably on your behalf—everything else is up to you."
Jacques waved his hand impatiently, pushing away Laurent's massage attempts in feigned disgust.
"I knew you wouldn't come knocking at midnight without reason, brat. You're really here asking for my daughter, huh?"
Laurent chuckled sheepishly again.
"Though I suppose Jeanne is indeed reaching marriageable age." Jacques's gaze fixed thoughtfully on Laurent. "What can you offer her?"
"Everything I have."
This time, Laurent dropped all pretense of joking and replied earnestly. He raised his right hand solemnly.
"I swear, I will give everything I can for her—no matter what it takes. I'll do whatever is in my power to make her happy."
Jacques nodded approvingly. "You're determined, I'll give you that. But men's promises aren't something that can be fulfilled merely by words."
"I understand. I've already thought it through. If this trading expedition fails, then I'll personally lead another group to find substitute food or anything else that can bring prosperity to our village. I'll put my entire self into it."
His tone was sincere, promising with the weight of a man's conviction.
He meant every word. He would definitely strive for this goal because that's exactly the kind of person Laurent was.
"You really are a strange brat," Jacques sighed thoughtfully, clearly understanding that Laurent had put genuine thought into this matter. His words weren't rash promises or mere adolescent whims; Laurent was truly considering his future with Jeanne seriously.
Jacques didn't actually need Laurent to go this far. After all, in this century, women's status wasn't high enough to warrant such an extreme pledge from any man.
But if this was the promise Laurent wanted to make, Jacques felt reassured.
If nothing else, he'd known this brat for over a decade, and Jacques could trust Laurent's words.
"Where's Aunt Isabelle?" Laurent asked, glancing curiously behind Jacques, hoping to see Jeanne's mother. Ideally, he'd like to have both parents' approval in one go, leaving only Jeanne herself to persuade.
But before Laurent even finished speaking, Jacques smacked him on the head.
"She's asleep! You think everyone's like you, staying awake till midnight?"
Laurent stared meaningfully at Jacques. But aren't you up too?
"Alright, alright. I'll talk to her tomorrow. I won't interfere with you two any further, so the rest is up to your own efforts. I'll just help out a little bit. By the way, when do you plan on proposing?"
"Next year, maybe? At least I'll need some time to prepare clothes and everything else."
"Fine, fine, got it." Jacques impatiently waved his hand, clearly signaling Laurent to leave. Laurent didn't linger, quickly sneaking back to his own little hut.
Inside, Jeanne still lay quietly, sleeping peacefully.
Watching her gentle sleeping form, Laurent felt his heart unconsciously calm down.
She really is a saintess. Just being near her brings inexplicable peace.
"Laurent…"
Suddenly, Jeanne murmured in her sleep, softly calling out his name.
Hearing this, Laurent perked up, eagerly waiting to see what kind of dream she might be having about him.
"Stupid Laurent… stealing my chicken leg… hehehe… well, I guess it was always meant for you anyway."
Laurent: "…"
I really shouldn't have expected anything special from this silly village girl after all.
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T/N: Oh! They're 14 already huh, anywa uhhh hmmm waht was i gonna say siihihmmmmm its so HARD when typming to remember what i was supposed to say as a TN sometimes i just do the TN mid chapter LMAOOOOOO iiasidjasjdiasjdiasjioak nfilsNfil;asdioASJ