Chapter 43: Discovering the Laws of Happiness [Bonus Chapter 1]

Away from the noisy, bustling marketplace, the village of Menerbes felt much like a hidden paradise, exuding a simple, rustic, and natural beauty.

Zoe led Ronan on a stroll toward the highest point of the village, the watchtower. As it was currently the off-season for tourism, the paths were quiet and sparsely populated. Ronan noticed that the houses in Menerbes, much like those in Lourmarin, were mostly constructed of stone, though the residents here had a habit of painting the walls in shades of yellow or limestone-grey.

"It’s amazing," he remarked. "To think there are only those two colors."

In Lourmarin, the houses came in a variety of colors, though it was customary to paint the window frames blue. Zoe extended her right hand, trailing her fingers along the yellow and limestone walls as they walked.

"There is a place in Provence called Roussillon where all the houses are red—even the church and the bell tower. From a distance, it looks just like an oil painting brought to life by an artist."

"Really?" Ronan found it difficult to imagine what Roussillon might look like.

Zoe tilted her head playfully and asked with a teasing smile, "Are you questioning the reality of that place, or are you questioning the world through an artist’s eyes?"

"How could I ever dare, oh great artist Zoe!" Ronan pointed in a direction with his chin. "Where is that best viewing platform you mentioned?"

He had been looking forward to that spot for an entire week.

Zoe led Ronan through a maze of winding alleys, and after one final turn, the view suddenly opened up before them. As he walked toward the railing with great excitement, Zoe stood by his side and said with a note of regret:

"It’s quite bare down there right now; it’s not as beautiful as it could be."

"Hmm..." Ronan agreed with her assessment.

The vantage point was indeed better than the spot he had stumbled upon by chance, but the scenery below lacked luster. Perhaps one would have to wait for the season of renewal to appreciate its true beauty. However, the system provided a different answer:

【Appreciating the beauty of nature: Happiness +5】

Five points? It was actually higher than what he had received at the previous spot. The system was surprisingly generous today. Lately, Ronan felt that the system's standards for "Happiness" were becoming increasingly inconsistent. Several times, he had inexplicably received more points than usual. Of course, he encouraged such erratic behavior from the system, but the inability to find a consistent pattern was quite a headache.

The crosswinds at the summit were strong. After taking in the view for a while, the two left the platform in search of a place for lunch.

***

They had actually missed the prime lunch hour, but on market days, restaurants were always packed at noon, so they had purposely taken a detour first. They chose to dine at the "Maison de la Truffe"—the Truffle House—located on one side of the government square.

In Menerbes, there was a house centered entirely around truffles. This 17th-century mansion had originally served as an orphanage and a school for boys before being restored into one of the village's most impressive landmarks with the help of the World Heritage Foundation. Inside, there was a shop selling truffles and locally produced rosé wine. Ronan took a look; the truffles were priced at 2,700 francs per kilogram. He couldn't help but sigh at how the price of these truffles skyrocketed before they even reached Nice or Marseille.

Passing the shop and walking further inside, there was a café and a restaurant, and further back, one could see Roman-style cloisters and a small Italian garden. Ronan chose a table near the garden. Watching Zoe place their order with ease, he remarked in wonder:

"Provence seems to have a lot of Roman-style architecture."

French students generally had poor historical knowledge, and Ronan knew nothing of the history of Provence. Zoe began to speak with ease:

"Provence was ruled by the Roman Empire for 700 years, then remained independent for another 600. It only became part of France 500 years ago, and the Vaucluse department, where we are, was the last to be annexed, just 200 years ago. At one point, the Pope moved the papacy from the Vatican to Avignon—yes, don't be surprised, the very same Avignon we visited last week. Until the French Revolution, the Vaucluse region remained under the jurisdiction of the Holy See."

"Do you know why the people of Luberon look down on Parisians?" Zoe asked with a playful look. "Though, saying this place is influenced by Rome isn't quite accurate... We aren't purely French, nor are we purely European. This place is simply, quintessentially 'Provençal'."

The Pont d'Avignon last week, the history of Provence this week... the knowledge and charm Zoe displayed left Ronan deeply impressed. He often felt that the woman before him was too calm and composed to be a typical local; she carried the air of a highly educated woman from a big city—though such women rarely showed the sweet and humorous side she so often did.

Yet, in that moment, Ronan felt Zoe was exactly like a true Provençal. She wasn't overly bold or direct, nor was she coldly intellectual. She was simply herself—Zoe, a beautiful woman of immense charm and wisdom.

"To Provence," Ronan said, shaking off his thoughts and raising his water glass.

Their wine hadn't arrived yet, so they only had water. In Provence, where wine was consumed like water, no one would be bored enough to clink glasses of plain water, but Ronan had done so unintentionally, caught up in a sudden surge of complicated emotions. Only after the words left his lips did he realize how "strange" his behavior was.

But Zoe, with a look of indulgence, raised her own glass and clinked it against his in a proper fashion:

"To Provence."

Her smiling eyes were fixed on her dear "little brother," Ronan. He shyly looked away and took a tactical sip of water, and at the same time, a voice suddenly echoed in his ear.

【Sharing lunch with an attractive person of the opposite sex: Happiness +8】

***

How many? It wasn't five? Why did it go up again?

Ronan was so startled he began to cough, spilling water all over his trousers. Zoe quickly stood up to help him wipe his clothes and the table. Whether caught up in the moment or distracted by other thoughts, she used the napkin she had used on the table to give his mouth a casual wipe.

【Physical contact with an opposite sex: Happiness +5】

No... System, are you kidding me?!

"When Vieri choked on his milk as a child, I used to wipe his mouth like this. I couldn't help myself," Zoe fabricated an excuse on the spot, without a second thought as to whether it made sense.

Ronan coughed even harder.

...

After an entire meal of testing and experimentation, Ronan finally discovered the reason for the system's occasional erratic behavior. The general pattern was:

Eating a steak at home alone yielded 1-2 points of happiness.
Eating that same steak with Zoe yielded 2-3 points.
If Zoe picked up a piece of food for him, it was about 3-4 points.
And if Zoe were to feed him... Ronan shook his head vigorously.

*You really dare to imagine things!*

Ronan guessed that the weighting factor wasn't just triggered by Zoe; when Elena served him food earlier, the happiness points had also increased. By the same logic, the activation scenarios weren't limited to meals; any method that could generate happiness might trigger it.

Although he cursed the system in his heart for being inappropriate, when Zoe asked after the meal whether they should head home or keep strolling, Ronan honestly suggested they "keep strolling."

After all, who could resist doing things that brought them "happiness"?