(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 17

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

Chapter 17

“Hazel, I’m heading to work. I made you a cheese omelet with lots of cheese, so eat up.”

“Mmm. See you later.”

“You don’t need to come to the shop, so you can rest.”

It’s been three weeks since Felix quit drinking.

He wakes up at dawn, draws purification water from the Monster’s Domain, cleans the shop, and portions out the purification water. When the sun sets, he returns home to do housework and sleep. He’s so excessively diligent that there’s nothing to investigate.

However, bad inventory is piling up at the shop again. It’s no use trying to stop him.

‘Felix, customers who buy purification water in bulk like last time won’t appear again, you know? Please stop. Even if we sell this for a whole year, we won’t sell it all.’

‘Hazel, just trust me. It’ll sell soon.’

‘At this rate, we won’t even have enough money to buy glass bottles. How are we going to pay the taxes due in a week?’

‘Don’t worry about taxes and such. I’ll take care of it.’

As expected, peaceful days don’t last long, and life always brings new worries.

My current worry is the diligent but reckless Felix. He seems better than the good-for-nothing Felix, but this is equally troublesome. He keeps doing meaningless digging instead of actual work.

“I can’t just trust Felix alone.”

I took out my money pouch from my skirt and poured silver coins onto the blanket.

Exactly thirty silver coins.

After paying taxes, we’ll have to starve for a week.

Felix has been buying groceries lately, but as far as I know, his money pouch was completely emptied yesterday.

“I need to earn money.”

At least ten silver coins or so.

But as long as Felix is stationed at the general store, I can’t earn money from the general store. Whatever money I earn, Felix will use to buy glass bottles for purification water.

Thanks to us, only Martin’s pockets are getting fat from running the glass workshop.

“Sigh…”

I put on an old dress instead of the sky-blue dress I usually wore and left the house.

Today I planned to go around the village looking for work that pays. Dishwashing, laundry, sewing, anything would do. Working all day would earn me about one silver coin, but at least that would put food on the table.

As I left the house, the ripe spring atmosphere spread across our front yard too. I came down the slope where wildflowers bloomed beautifully and entered the Village Center.

Under the white-flowered fringe tree in full bloom, villagers were gathered together chatting, reading books, playing chess, and… gambling.

‘Do I perhaps… have talent for it?’

I squeezed my eyes shut at the sudden thought.

I must be crazy. Why am I suddenly thinking about gambling?

Since ancient times, adults have said there’s a law of total scoundrel quantity in one household.

If the eldest is a diligent worker, the second becomes a scoundrel, or vice versa.

So it’s not strange that I’m becoming lazy after Felix became diligent… But that shouldn’t happen. My pride as someone who lived as a diligent worker all my life won’t allow it.

“Hello, Anna. Good morning.”

I first greeted Maribel’s mother, who was closest to me. If I’m lucky, I might get sewing work from her.

“Oh my, Hazel. It’s been a while. Why aren’t you wearing new clothes but old ones?”

“I’m trying to do some odd jobs today. Do you happen to have any work for me?”

“Oh dear… there’s no work today, what should I do.”

Anna’s eyebrows drooped pitifully. She must have heard about diligent Felix’s recent antics too.

I asked other aunties and uncles if they had any odd jobs, but the answers were the same.

Everyone seemed to find one silver coin precious since it was a week before paying taxes.

“Sorry Hazel. Would you ask other people?”

“Oh my, there’s some misshapen bread, would you like to take some?”

“Herb gatherers are busy these days, but herb picking work would be too much for you…”

“It can’t be helped. Thank you for your concern.”

I had no choice but to turn away with a forced smile and disappointed steps.

That’s when it happened.

“Oh my, Baron!”

Startled by Anna calling Baron’s name, I hurriedly left the spot.

That name who became not just a diligent worker but a capable worker in less than a month of settling in the village.

Franz’s cousin’s nephew, Baron.

I’ve been avoiding him for two weeks now.

At first I avoided him because I was embarrassed about the disgraceful behavior I showed that day, but avoiding him has become a habit. I don’t even know why I’m doing this.

Even though I know we’ll inevitably run into each other since we live together in this small village, whenever I hear his name, smell his scent, or see his shadow, I find myself hiding without realizing it.

Even now.

I swear I’m not doing this on purpose. It’s more like the instinct of a herbivore avoiding a predator.

When I came to my senses, I was hiding behind Maria’s Bakery, calming my panting breath.

From beyond the bakery, I could hear the villagers’ friendly voices toward Baron.

“Thank you, Baron. Thanks to you, the roof doesn’t leak.”

“My husband says when he goes hunting with Baron, he catches twice as much game. Could you go hunting together tomorrow too?”

“Oh please, Baron’s busy. These days the herb gatherer uncles have him completely booked. His speed at processing herbs is no joke.”

“Is that all he’s good at? He straightened out our sons’ minds too. I was worried they’d become scoundrels like Felix… oh my, Hazel was here. Look at my mouth.”

“It’s okay. Hazel left.”

“…”

I left but I’m still listening.

I let out a bitter sigh filled with envy.

‘How nice. Baron must have earned a lot of money lately.’

No matter how bad the market is, capable people’s pockets are always full. Baron is exactly that type of case.

Baron, who said he’d become a diligent worker and do one person’s worth of work, was now doing ten people’s worth.

Now the villagers would miss Baron if he weren’t there.

‘My ability is just being diligent.’

Of course I’m also friendly, meticulous, and a bit quick with calculations, but these are basic qualities of countryside villagers. Nothing special.

I was feeling a bit dejected when the villagers started mentioning my name.

“From what I can see, he could easily support a wife and children, but isn’t there any woman he likes?”

“How about our Hazel? The girl is really nice. Pretty face, even kinder heart, though she comes with the burden of Felix, but Baron would be fine with it. I have a feeling.”

“Everyone calm down. If you push like that, even things that would work won’t work. From what I heard from Maribel, they’re already in that kind of relationship.”

“Oh my, I had no idea.”

“…”

I quietly clutched my head. I had no idea such rumors were already circulating. I’d never resented my cheeky friend’s loose tongue as much as today.

What’s worse, only the uncles and aunties were being noisy, while Baron gave no response at all. That made it even more embarrassing.

‘How uncomfortable Baron must be too.’

People from the city usually take a long time to adapt to the countryside’s meddlesome culture, and since Baron (probably) came from the capital, it would be even more so for him.

I kept my head down and tiptoed away from the Village Center. Even if I had to starve today, I didn’t want to hear any more embarrassing talk.

But then-.

“So you were here.”

Along with a low voice, a black shadow fell over my head.

My whole body went cold as if I’d seen a ghost on a moonlit night. I was so startled my heart felt like it would jump out of my mouth.

‘Why is the man who was at the Village Center just moments ago in front of me?’

I tried to compose my expression, pretending not to be surprised. I slowly raised my stiffly frozen head.

The red eyes that met mine curved beautifully.

“It’s been a while, Miss Hazel.”

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