(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 10
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 10
Fortunately, Felix wasn’t at the shop. He must have gone to the Monster’s Domain to fetch purification water again.
I carefully passed through the row of bottles filled with purification water and reached the inner display shelf.
The magic tool set was at the very bottom of the display, in a spot where people wouldn’t easily notice it.
“Here it is. It’s a twelve-piece set from hammers to drills. Feel free to take them out and check them comfortably.”
Even though I opened the tool set and handed it to him, Baron answered immediately without even taking out the tools to examine them.
“The condition of the items is good. I’ll buy them.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to test their performance?”
Baron readily raised his eyebrows.
“The villagers told me that Miss Hazel never lies, so I can trust and rely on you for anything.”
“Ah… I’m not that honest. Everyone’s praising me too much.”
My cheeks flushed at the sudden compliment.
I knew I had a good reputation in the village, but I didn’t expect them to introduce me so favorably to outsiders.
I wonder what they said about Felix.
I became worried about Felix again and casually asked Baron.
“By any chance, what did the villagers say about my brother?”
“May I speak honestly?”
“Yes. Completely honestly.”
“They said to stay away and avoid him because you might get bitten if you get too close.”
I found myself nodding at this deeply understandable assessment.
Usually Felix is just noisy and harmless like a Chihuahua, but when it comes to men of marriageable age, he’s no different from a rabid mastiff.
Whether it’s a man who has absolutely no interest in me, or a man who already has a partner, there are no exceptions.
He even acts that way toward Axel, who has a proper fiancée and high status, so it’s obvious how he’d treat Baron.
Well, this one seems like at least a Doberman, so he probably won’t lose easily.
Still, since I hate the idea of bloodshed, I quietly warned Baron.
“The villagers are right. If you see my brother, it would be best to avoid him from a distance. He has the same ash-colored hair and yellow eyes as me, so it should be easy to distinguish him. You’ll probably encounter him at least once, so I apologize in advance.”
However, Baron didn’t seem intimidated at all.
He even smiled leisurely and answered calmly.
“I would like to become friends with Miss Hazel’s brother.”
“That’s impossible.”
Even though I answered curtly, Baron didn’t seem ready to give up. This person isn’t normal either.
His gaze, which had been staring intently at me, turned toward the broken window. Felix had roughly blocked the hole with a wooden board, but that made it even more noticeable.
I was about to tell Baron he didn’t need to worry about it when I heard footsteps of someone walking down the alley.
“…Oh no, it might be Felix. Just give me five silver coins for the items and leave quickly.”
Baron seemed to ignore my words telling him to leave quickly and slowly counted out the silver coins.
Soon, ten silver coins dropped into the cash register drawer. It was exactly double what I had asked for.
Before I could say anything, he spoke first.
“My parents taught me to pay fair prices for goods.”
“…”
“Five silver coins is too cheap.”
Normally I wouldn’t have accepted all that money, but I didn’t have time to argue now. Besides, when he mentions his parents, what could I say?
I could only quietly take the money and offer a formal compliment.
“You certainly have wonderful parents.”
Baron smiled silently. I’m sure I told him to leave quickly, but he stood there like a faithful wife waiting for her husband’s return, showing no intention of leaving.
Finally-.
“Hazel, I’m back… huh?”
The bell rang, and a man as large as Baron entered the shop.
Sure enough, Felix’s eyes flipped the moment he spotted Baron.
I urgently reached out toward Felix and shouted.
“Felix, he’s a customer. He just bought some inventory!”
However, even the magic word “customer” didn’t work on the mad dog.
He set down the buckets of purification water in both hands and walked steadily toward the back of the shop. The shop was so narrow that three steps brought him right in front of Baron.
The moment the two men’s gazes collided in mid-air, a sharp current spread and the flow of air changed.
Without realizing it, I swallowed and stiffened my shoulders.
Silence continued in the tense atmosphere.
“…”
“…”
“…”
This is strange. Normally Felix would have launched a preemptive attack by now, but today his reconnaissance is taking longer.
I quietly approached Felix from behind and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“Baron, please leave now!”
Baron finally moved his heavy steps and offered a polite greeting.
“It was nice meeting you, Felix. I’ll see you again next time, Miss Hazel.”
Even in this tense moment, his attention to courtesy was truly befitting a city person.
Felix stared blankly at Baron’s disappearing figure, then moved his stunned lips.
“Baron? His name is Baron?”
“Yeah. He’s supposedly the nephew of Blacksmith Franz’s cousin.”
“Nephew of a cousin my ass. No, that’s not it. Why is that guy here?”
“…Do you know him?”
Felix released my hands and smoothly turned around. His frightened dog-like eyes trembled.
“Hazel, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Don’t even make eye contact with that black-haired guy from now on. Don’t exchange a single word with him.”
Felix’s tone as he warned me was different from usual. Much more desperate and earnest.
“…Why?”
“You know about the assassin Nocturne, right? The most famous assassin in the Empire whose identity no one knows.”
“I’ve read about him in the newspaper. The assassin who leaves black feathers at assassination scenes, right?”
“That assassin is that guy.”
“…?”
What? Did I mishear again?
Excuse me, Felix. How do you know the identity of an unidentified assassin?
I gently raised my hand and touched Felix’s forehead. The mushroom effects should have worn off completely, and he doesn’t have a fever, so why is he talking such nonsense?
“Felix. You can’t say things like that anywhere else.”
“You don’t believe me at all.”
“Of course not. Why would the Empire’s most famous assassin be in our village?”
“I don’t understand it either.”
“You don’t understand because it’s nonsense! How can you accuse an innocent person of being an assassin? Baron is (probably) a normal person.”
“Hazel, does that face look normal to you?”
I let out a deep sigh. This brother of mine must have seen Baron’s extraordinary appearance and decided to frame him with false accusations.
“Felix, we were also pointed at and called devil’s children, so you shouldn’t do that. No matter how menacing his red eyes are…! No matter how scary his appearance that would force him into the underworld…! You shouldn’t judge people by their looks.”
“Good, Hazel. Don’t ever change that way of thinking.”
“…?”
“Remember what I said about not even making eye contact with that bastard.”
“…Sigh.”
How is that possible in this small village?
But I was so tired of Felix’s restrictions that I could only obediently nod my head.
After Baron’s visit, Felix never went to the Monster’s Domain again.
He stuck close to my side all day, only dividing purification water into bottles. And it was all undiluted, not even diluted solution.
“Felix, when exactly are you planning to sell all of that?”
When I couldn’t stand it anymore and asked, Felix answered confidently.
“Tomorrow.”
“….”
My eyes squeezed shut.
It seems like it might be better for Felix to just drink instead.
***
But the next day.
All the Purification Water that Felix had been fetching for a whole week was sold out.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————