1 JIN(Catty) = 600 gram(1.32277 pound)
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In the 13th century, Christmas was still purely a religious holiday, celebrated to honor the birth of Jesus. There was no such thing as Santa Claus yet; people didn't prepare lavish feasts at home, and it certainly wasn't among the most anticipated holidays for children.
At that time, most people celebrated primarily on Christmas Eve. They would attend midnight mass at the church, and for those of devout faith, the mass was a solemn and significant occasion. However, for the common folk of Pradi, their main motivation to stay up and head to church at midnight was the food distributed afterward.
Within the whole of Sardinson, including the one on the manor grounds, there were only four churches. Their small size couldn't accommodate everyone, and in the past, peasants were willing to wait outside just to receive some bread and wine. But this year, those living farther away preferred to stay warm and sleep at home; the church's offerings were no longer enough to lure them out from their cozy beds.
Still, even in a place where religion was not particularly fervent, there were pious believers, and so the churches remained lively tonight, albeit without the usual crowds waiting outside.
Of course, while commoners might skip the mass, the Earl's family was obligated to attend.
Just like the previous year when they attended midnight mass in the capital, the three elders of the Felix family went to bed early and were awakened before midnight, dressing neatly to head to the church. There, Father Matthew had everything prepared for the service.
This chapel was a small one attached to the manor, and Father Matthew was its sole resident clergyman. Age had slowed him down, and he relied on hired help for the church's upkeep. Even the choir was composed of children from the manor whom he had handpicked for their pleasant voices. Except during mass, the chapel was mostly quiet, and Father Matthew himself often preferred staying at the bustling castle rather than spending the night here.
However, after two hundred young serfs moved into the area earlier this year, Father Matthew grew fond of staying at the chapel. Aside from a period when he was ill, he lived there with the children most of the time.
This arrangement lasted until November when the communal dormitory for the young serfs was finally completed, and they moved out.
Once again, Father Matthew was left alone in the chapel, but he didn't feel lonely. The children still came daily for lessons, and they took turns staying behind to help him with chores, cooking, and laundry—treating him sincerely like a beloved elder.
Weiwei was aware of this but chose not to interfere. She had initially worried that Father Matthew might indoctrinate the children into becoming devout church followers. And while it turned out that many children did indeed embrace the faith, it was not their only or primary allegiance. They revered the Williams family more, and when asked about their future dreams, none spoke of joining the church. Instead, they dreamed of becoming knights, officials, or maids for the Williams household, their eyes sparkling brighter than when they looked at holy icons.
There was no fear of the church luring away their people.
That said, Father Matthew had indeed selected a few promising children to nurture as his potential successors—a plan approved by both Felix and Weiwei.
As the midnight mass commenced, Weiwei's thoughts drifted to the following day.
After all, Christmas had eventually become a globally celebrated event. It would feel incomplete not to mark it somehow. So she had earlier ordered a suitable pine tree to be cut and placed in the castle's main hall. The tree was decorated with various ornaments crafted by the maids: lace snowflakes woven from thread, colorful ribbons tied into bows, little red felt stockings, wooden baubles painted in gold and red, and a brass star atop the tree. Even without electric lights, the tree, illuminated by candles, became the focal point of the evening.
Although Christmas trees had existed as a tradition for a long time, they were not widely popular, and most religious countries—including Pradi—did not adopt the custom.
Thus, from the moment the tree was set up, it captured everyone's attention at the castle, especially Dolores and Caroline, who eagerly joined the decorating efforts. When Caroline saw the maids hanging a tiny felt Santa Claus on the tree, she eagerly fetched her dolls, asking Weiwei to hang them up too.
Among the dolls were human figures like Amy—Dolores' handmade creation—and adorable stuffed animals. These toys, made by Dolores for Caroline, were her treasured possessions. Normally, Caroline would never part with her favorite doll, which she carried everywhere. But today, she was willing to offer them all for the tree. Her adorable, eager little face melted Weiwei's heart, which was overwhelmed with maternal affection. She gave Caroline several kisses and carefully selected the smallest doll to hang, fulfilling her little wish.
Caroline, now two years old, was growing well. Though still somewhat frailer than an average child, the signs of her premature birth were almost invisible now. Her chubby cheeks and plump little arms made her an ideal model for Dolores' designs. Often, before making clothes for Caroline, Dolores would first test the outfits on her doll Amy, and only after perfecting the style would she create a real version.
Caroline could now say many words and had the boundless curiosity typical of her age. When she pointed to the red-suited, white-bearded figure on the Christmas tree and asked, "What's that?" Weiwei happily told her the story of Santa Claus.
Whether Caroline fully understood was unclear, but she did catch one word clearly: "Gift!"
She knew exactly what gifts were. Her little aunt often gave her dolls and dresses; her ladyship aunt always brought her fun toys—all wrapped and presented as gifts.
To her, gifts were beautiful, fun treasures she adored!
"Santa Claus! Gift!" Little Caroline twisted in Dolores' arms, reaching out to Weiwei for a hug. But since Weiwei was not in a condition to lift her, she instead extended her hand, letting the tiny, chubby hand clutch hers.
Smiling, Weiwei asked, "Does Caroline want a gift from Santa?"
"Yes! Gift!" Caroline's bright eyes sparkled as she nodded enthusiastically, happy just to hold hands.
"Only good children can get gifts."
Weiwei ruffled her curly little head. If there was one thing she was slightly dissatisfied with about Caroline, it was her hair—darker than the Williams family's traditional golden blond, more of a dark gold. Although Weiwei thought the color was beautiful, Caroline's hair volume was quite thin, only appearing full because of the curls. Hopefully, it would thicken as she grew.
"Caroline is good!" the little girl nestled against Dolores' shoulder, her big, round, family-inherited blue eyes gleaming with innocence and joy.
"Good?" Weiwei teased, lightly poking her soft cheek.
Though everyone knew that increasingly lively Caroline wasn't exactly a perfectly behaved child, she seriously nodded, asserting, "Good!"
She was adorable.
"Alright, good children will receive Santa's gifts. But you'll have to wait until Christmas."
Caroline tilted her head, understanding she would get a gift but not quite grasping what Christmas was.
Weiwei explained she would have to wait for two nights, and at the time, it was the night before Christmas Eve.
Children this young had little sense of time, but Caroline grasped that two nights didn't seem too far away. The next morning, upon waking, she eagerly asked Weiwei if the gifts had arrived yet.
Weiwei took her by the hand and said, "Our Caroline has waited one day already. After one more night, Santa's gifts will arrive."
That night, before heading out to attend the midnight mass, Weiwei had the maids place all the wrapped gifts under the Christmas tree in the main hall. Neither Felix nor Dolores, who accompanied her, noticed.
After completing the midnight mass and partaking in the Eucharist, they returned to the castle. Although they had rested earlier, fatigue still crept in—especially for Weiwei. Even though her health was good and she wasn't suffering from morning sickness, pregnancy still left her more easily tired. Staying up late now was a real struggle, and she had already fallen asleep in the carriage on the way back.
When they arrived, Felix, seeing that she was sound asleep, couldn't bear to wake her. He carried her directly off the carriage, following the servants' light back into the castle, and carefully settled her into bed.
The next day, Weiwei naturally woke later than usual—under Felix's watchful gaze.
She vaguely remembered being carried to bed. Opening her eyes, she smiled sleepily at Felix, who was lying beside her. "Good morning."
"Not so good. You're two hours later than usual," Felix said, worry lining his face. "You've been sleeping more and more lately. Are you sure you're alright?"
Expectant fathers were often overly anxious, and Felix was no exception. Every slight change in Weiwei's routine made him fret, wishing he could bear the pregnancy for her instead.
"I'm fine. It's completely normal," Weiwei reassured him, pushing herself up only for Felix to quickly assist her. "It'll get better after a while."
Felix was only half-convinced, but seeing Weiwei's rosy complexion and bright, clear eyes, he finally relaxed a little.
To Weiwei, it was Felix who looked like he needed rest more. His stubble had started to show, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked utterly worn out, likely from constantly worrying about her.
Not that it mattered much anymore—after living together, they had grown so close that they no longer cared about such small details. In the past, Felix would only show Weiwei his best side; now he didn't mind if she saw him at his laziest. And similarly, Weiwei no longer felt the need to act perfectly ladylike around him.
Far from damaging their relationship, this relaxed intimacy only deepened their bond—they were truly starting to resemble a married couple.
Who knew how long he had been watching her sleep before she woke?
Weiwei was tempted to drag him back into bed for another nap, but one glance at the newly made clock showed that it was almost ten o'clock.
Time to get up and have breakfast.
The winters in Sardinson were finally less hectic now, and Felix had some free time again. He resumed his previous two-hour daily training sessions, but out of worry for Weiwei, he refused to leave for training until she woke up. Since Weiwei woke late today, Felix skipped his practice altogether.
"No problem—today's a holiday. I'm doing nothing but relaxing!" Felix announced.
After all, if he had given everyone else a holiday, it wouldn't make sense for the lord himself to keep working. He fully intended to celebrate too!
Few things made a busy man happier than a day off—well, maybe a promotion and a pay raise, but as the top figure in Sardinson, Felix had no one to promote him. A holiday was his greatest pleasure.
He even forbade Weiwei from touching any work today. They were both to simply enjoy the rare day off.
Naturally, Weiwei happily agreed. She hadn't planned to deal with any official matters today anyway.
The couple lingered together for quite some time before finally getting dressed and heading downstairs for lunch.
The castle had long adapted to a three-meal system. Since everyone's waking times varied, breakfast was flexible—served either in their rooms, the dining hall, or even out in the gardens. Only lunch and dinner were family meals where everyone gathered.
When Weiwei and Felix arrived, Dolores was already waiting in the dining hall—with Caroline by her side.
Normally, little Caroline didn't eat meals with the adults. Since she couldn't yet feed herself properly, Lady Nancy usually cared for her separately. But today was different.
Lady Nancy had been instructed by Weiwei the previous day to bring Caroline to join the family for both lunch and dinner today.
Dolores and Caroline were both dressed festively in red dresses, red boots, matching capes, and red Christmas hats trimmed with white—standard Christmas attire.
The outfits had been arranged by Weiwei, and she was also wearing a matching outfit, though without the hat. Felix, too, wasn't spared from dressing up. As the head of the family, he wore a red outfit. Had he been a little rounder and added a fake beard, he would have looked just like Santa Claus.
However, Felix was tall, broad-shouldered, and solidly muscular. Wearing the festive outfit with a leather belt cinched at the waist, he didn't look silly at all—he looked dashing and rugged.
He was rather taken with the comfortable, flexible two-piece outfit. It was much more practical for horseback riding and hunting than a stiff suit.
"This is way more comfortable than a suit—and much easier to move in," Felix commented. As a knight who often needed physical freedom, he had never liked the restrictive suits that were becoming trendy at masquerade balls among capital nobility.
Unlike formal wear, this Christmas outfit was loose and allowed easy movement, even better than the robes they usually wore outside of armor.
"The color's a bit flashy though," he mused. "If we made it in a more muted tone, it'd be perfect for hunting."
Back then, noblemen had no aversion to bright colors, especially red, a color symbolizing high status, thanks to the Red Cardinals.
"Alright, I'll have a hunting outfit made for you," Weiwei chuckled, mentally picturing a classic English-style hunting suit—smart, practical, and stylish.
Maybe she'd have matching riding outfits made for herself and Dolores as well. Little Dolores had begun horseback riding lessons, and side-saddle was far less practical than astride riding. Riding trousers would be a huge help.
As for the social taboo against women wearing trousers? In her view, it was already breaking down. Even in Pradi, noble ladies wore woolen leggings under their gowns in winter to stay warm.
Once people got used to leggings, it would only be a matter of time before they accepted women wearing pants outright.
Change was inevitable.
Felix helped Weiwei to her seat. Since the Christmas feast was set for dinner, lunch was kept simple. Everyone ate quietly—except for little Caroline, whose playful antics during mealtime brought bursts of laughter.
Caroline hadn't forgotten about the gifts. During lunch, she kept asking about them, so much so that she refused to eat properly, trying to climb out of her chair to find Weiwei.
Weiwei coaxed her gently, "Santa has already delivered the gifts. But our little Caroline must finish her meal first because Santa only rewards good children. Naughty children get no gifts. So, Caroline, are you a good child or a naughty one?"
"I'm good!" Caroline declared with utmost conviction, confident in her goodness.
"And good children eat all their food. Will Caroline finish her meal?"
Caroline glanced at her colorful, carefully prepared toddler-friendly meal. It looked very appealing.
She turned to Lady Nancy and pointed at her plate. "Lady, eat this."
Unlike most children, Caroline's first words weren't "Mama" or "Papa" but "Lady"—referring to Lady Nancy, her beloved nanny.
In her little heart, Lady Nancy was her true mother figure—irreplaceable even by her real family. And childless Nancy had indeed raised her like her own daughter.
Everyone knew, though, that doing too much risked spoiling her. Lady Nancy tended to indulge Caroline's every whim. Yet thanks to the firm guidance of Felix, Weiwei, and Dolores, Caroline was growing up mischievous yet discerning—knowing when to behave and when she could get away with mischief.
Lady Nancy eagerly fed her a spoonful when Caroline asked, delighted to see her eat obediently.
After lunch, Caroline immediately scrambled off her chair and ran to Weiwei, hugging her leg and gazing up with shining eyes. "Weiwei, gift?"
Westerners were less formal about names; it was natural for children to call adults by their first names. Following Dolores' lead, Caroline called Weiwei by name too, and Weiwei happily answered.
"The gifts are under the Christmas tree—the one we decorated with so many ornaments, including Caroline's dolls. Do you remember where it is?"
"Remember!" Caroline chirped.
Letting go of Weiwei's leg, she grabbed her hand and pulled eagerly toward the hall.
Weiwei laughed, letting herself be dragged along while calling Felix and Dolores to join them.
After all—it was Christmas. How could there be just one gift?