On Christmas Eve, just like last year in the capital when they attended the midnight mass, Simon's family went to bed early. They were awakened before midnight and dressed warmly to head to the church, where Father Matthew was already preparing to start the mass.

The church was a small one attached to the manor, and originally, there was only Father Matthew as the resident clergy. As he was elderly, the daily maintenance of the church was handled by hired help, and even the choir was made up of children selected from the manor. Except during mass, the church was usually quiet, and Father Matthew seldom stayed overnight; he preferred...