(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 12

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 12

Jingle jingle, hearing the sound of money brought peace to my mind and body.

Without even trying, my thought process turned positive.

A pleased smile unconsciously spread across my lips.

“Is this today’s earnings?”

“Yeah!”

Since he sold all that purification water, it shouldn’t be pocket change. When selling purification water in bulk, we do give big discounts, but still…

‘If we add just a little more, we might be able to buy a small house on the outskirts of the town.’

Our siblings’ house isn’t really a proper house, strictly speaking.

It’s a cottage that herb gatherers made to store herbs and avoid the night dew. It was a cozy nest for homeless young siblings, but honestly, I’d like to try living in a decent house with a separate kitchen and room.

But…

“Hmm.”

The volume of the money pouch Felix is shaking seems quite meager. Selling enough purification water to fill two wagons and earning just those silver coins doesn’t add up financially.

This is ominous. I have a very bad feeling about this.

But I didn’t give up my last hope and asked, grasping at straws.

“Felix, what’s in the money pouch—gold coins?”

Please.

If those aren’t gold coins, it doesn’t make sense.

But Felix was Felix. He didn’t stray from my expectations.

He answered confidently.

“No, they’re silver coins.”

“What?!”

My heart dropped. My slightly elated mood plummeted to the floor.

Just a handful of silver coins. Felix would earn more than that even if he gathered herbs for a week.

Felix saw my disappointed face and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. He seemed to know his guilt well.

I stared blankly at my brother who can’t even do math, then moved my deflated lips.

“Felix, are you a pushover? Don’t you know the market price of purification water?”

“I do.”

“No, you don’t. If you knew, you wouldn’t have done something like this.”

As I muttered in a dazed voice, Felix glanced at me and spoke as if making excuses.

“People who fled from the capital don’t have money. We have to save people first.”

“Save people first… Right… Life is most important…”

It’s true, but it’s not something scoundrel Felix should be saying.

And people who fled from the capital may not have money, but they have precious items. If they’re nobles, they should have plenty of mana chargers.

When I pointed this out, he slyly added:

“Actually, I gained something more precious than money.”

“What’s that?”

“Trust.”

“…?”

“It might seem like a loss right now, but I’ll be repaid several times over soon, so just wait a little!”

“Ha.”

This fool is just babbling with his mouth.

If only he couldn’t speak.

Suddenly, heat flared up. My insides were boiling and my head was hot.

I let out a long “Phew” sigh and shouted loud enough to burst Felix’s eardrums.

“What trust do nobles have!!”

Do they even see poor commoners like us as human beings?

I swallowed the rest of my words and stood up abruptly.

I couldn’t stand how frustrating my brother was, not knowing how the world works.

“H-Hazel, calm down first…”

Felix caught me as I was leaving the shop, fuming.

I shook off his hand with a “smack” and snapped sharply.

“How can I calm down? Don’t you know that the purification water you got from entering the Monster’s Domain includes the value of your life? You say it’s not dangerous, but originally it’s dangerous enough that a whole battalion should go in. That noble might threaten you to keep selling at cheap prices, knowing what he might make you do in the future. What if he blackmails you to keep selling at cheap prices!”

“Hazel, he’s not that kind of person. Don’t worry unnecessarily.”

“How do you know that?”

“Ha, how do I explain this… Hazel, don’t be so angry. Nothing you’re worried about will happen.”

My forehead was hot. My eye pressure was rising and I felt like I might cry. My insides were burning black.

I glared at him with reddened eyes and spoke each word deliberately, as if chewing them.

“You fool, value your own life before saving others.”

“…Hazel.”

“From tomorrow, it would be better if you just drank alcohol instead. I’m serious.”

***

‘I’m going to go astray too. Does he think only he can act like a scoundrel?’

My angry footsteps headed to none other than the village’s only tavern.

Fortunately, the tavern was open. There were no customers, probably because it was early.

Rupert, the tavern owner, greeted me with wide eyes.

“Hazel, what brings you here? Felix isn’t here. Hasn’t he come to his senses lately?”

“Today I’m the customer.”

“What? You? It’s still broad daylight?”

I nodded resolutely and sat at the bar. Rupert put down the beer mug he was wiping and approached me.

“Are you going to be a scoundrel instead of Felix?”

“It’s just one drink.”

“That guy started the same way.”

“…Ah.”

I didn’t know that.

Rupert’s thick eyebrows slightly furrowed. He asked in a voice dripping with worry.

“What’s wrong? Wasn’t Felix not causing you trouble lately?”

“Hah… As if.”

“Besides, Felix made a lot of money today. The whole village was buzzing about Hazel finally buying a house.”

“I thought so too. I didn’t know my brother was such a pushover.”

“…Oh my.”

The man shook his head and quickly changed his attitude to serve me in owner mode.

“What should I give you? I have a lot of good stuff.”

I put my deathly pale face on the table and muttered weakly.

“Whatever Felix always drinks.”

“No way. That strong, tasteless, cheap stuff will ruin you.”

“Then give me something expensive.”

“I’ll give you something you’ll like. Wait a moment.”

Shortly after, a drink topped with whipped cream and chocolate cookies was served to me. It doesn’t seem to be alcoholic, but it does look delicious.

The man handed me a waffle topped with plenty of whipped cream and smiled broadly.

“This is service for our regular customer’s sister.”

“Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”

I barely managed to lift the corners of my mouth to greet him and lightly tilted the glass. A thick, sweet liquid coated my tongue.

The bitter aroma felt at the end of the coffee flavor was harmonious.

“How is it, my confident new menu item?”

“It’s sweet and delicious. It goes down smoothly.”

If this were alcohol, I’d be perfect prey to get wasted if I let my guard down.

“Is that so? That’s good. Still, drink it slowly.”

“Yes.”

I let Rupert’s words go in one ear and out the other.

Just as I was about to take a bite of waffle with a generous dollop of whipped cream, an unexpected person entered the shop.

It was Baron, a man who didn’t fit in this shabby countryside tavern with its worn hinges that couldn’t even close the door properly.

“Uncle Rupert, I’m here.”

He called out to Rupert familiarly with his city gentleman-like manner of speaking. That strange sense of incongruity was amusing.

Though Baron had been in the village for quite some time, I still found him awkward.

No matter how I looked at it, he was an outsider. He wasn’t someone who belonged in a countryside village like this.

‘Still, calling him an assassin was too much.’

I chuckled softly, recalling Felix’s ridiculous warning. Baron turned his head as if reacting to my laughter.

His red eyes that spotted me curved into a gentle smile. Felix had told me not to even make eye contact with him, but that was really nonsensical bullshit.

“Miss Hazel, I see you here today.”

A pleasant greeting filled with delight was followed by an awkward smile. Since I’d been caught at Rupert’s House in broad daylight, I felt uncomfortable for no reason.

I pointed at my glass and rambled out an explanation.

“This is just like a delicious beverage. Anyway, nice to see you, Baron.”

“Nice to see you too. I’m lucky today.”

“What do you… mean?”

Baron’s characteristic languid smile deepened. He silently shrugged his shoulders and approached me.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————