(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 18

“Hic.”

I wanted to respond, even if falsely, that it had been a long time for me too and that I was glad to see him. However, all that came out of my mouth was hiccups.

Heat rushed to my face in embarrassment, and my eyes widened. I opened my mouth to greet him again, but—

“Hic, hic.”

Only more hiccups kept coming out. This was maddening.

However, Baron showed no sign of trouble despite what could have been an awkward situation.

Rather, his mischievous eye-smile deepened as if he was enjoying the current situation. What a peculiar person.

I barely managed to calm my breathing and offered a composed greeting.

“It’s been a long time for me too, Baron.”

Baron slightly bent his waist to match my eye level. His excessively perfect sculptural face came within a hand’s span of mine.

His pupils rolled up and down my face. How embarrassing.

While it’s not polite to avoid eye contact during conversation, staring so intently is even less polite.

Are things different in the city?

He gazed at me silently, then curved his lips into a languid arc.

“It’s good to see your face like this.”

“…”

“It would be nice if you showed it more often.”

His tone, carrying ten drops of joy mixed with one drop of disappointment, made my heart sting. It stung because I had been avoiding him.

‘Let’s not do that anymore. It’s actually good that we ran into each other like this.’

Being friendly and kind is my greatest strength. My self-esteem has already plummeted because I lack abilities, so I can’t afford to lose one of my few good points.

As I subtly straightened my back, he lifted his upper body in sync. I looked up at him like a guilty puppy and honestly admitted my wrongdoing.

Acknowledgment and apologies are always better when they come quickly.

“I’m sorry. You’re right that I was avoiding you because I felt I made such a fool of myself that day. I won’t do it anymore.”

His angular eyebrows lifted, making the eyebrow peaks a bit rounder. It seemed he hadn’t expected me to apologize.

He moved his lips as if choosing his words, then said something unexpected.

“Miss Hazel, do you have time today?”

“I… do?”

“I have work that needs to be finished by today, but I’m short-handed. I’ll pay you generously, so could you help me out?”

“…!”

My eyes immediately brightened upon hearing he was offering work.

Baron has a heart as broad as his wide chest. He seems like such a decent person that my avoidance of him seems pointless.

I accepted his request without hesitation. I wouldn’t have minded even if the pay wasn’t generous.

“Sure. What kind of work is it?”

***

The place Baron led me to was the herb gatherers’ cottage.

Since the weather had warmed up and all kinds of wild vegetables, mushrooms, and herbs were in season, the cottage was filled with the rich scent of spring.

There were plenty of precious medicinal materials that couldn’t be easily found outside the mountain area, such as Shadow Cap mushrooms, White Claw grass, and Lantern flowers.

Ruden Village is close to the Monster’s Domain, so many unusual plants that can’t be found elsewhere in the empire grow here.

That’s why the village’s greatest specialty is rare medicinal materials. However, even if we strip the mountain bare to sell herbs, the villagers can’t make money.

Because of the Lord of Cromwell Castle.

There’s no way to get down to the cities below the mountain from Ruden Village without going through Cromwell Castle, so we can’t trade directly with trading caravans.

In the end, we have no choice but to sell our medicinal materials at dirt-cheap prices to trading caravans connected to Lord Cromwell.

The villagers do the work, but the lord takes the money.

It’s bitter, but it’s a reality we can’t do anything about.

“Baron, these medicinal materials sell for high prices in the city, don’t they?”

“They can name their price. Cromwell Castle’s medicinal materials are especially famous. Though I didn’t know they were actually Ruden Village specialties.”

“This kind of exploitation is common in countryside villages. It might be difficult for you to adapt, coming from the city, Baron.”

“Adaptation…”

Baron trailed off with an enigmatic smile.

He soon rummaged through the inside of the cottage and came out carrying a basket larger than his torso.

The basket was full of white bamboo shoot-like herbs.

“It’s White Claw grass.”

“You recognize it.”

“Of course.”

White Claw grass looks like bamboo shoots at first glance, but it’s snow-white and curved like a beast’s claws.

When you chew the stem inside the hard shell, sap flows out, which is perfect not only for hydration but also for recovering energy.

That’s why it’s an essential medicinal material for merchants and soldiers who travel long distances. The same goes for war refugees who need to flee far.

But the problem is—

“Do we have to process these ourselves?”

Baron nodded with a nonchalant expression. I smiled awkwardly and tapped the White Claw grass with my fist.

Thud thud— it made the sound of knocking on firewood. In reality, it’s harder than firewood.

“What should we do? I can’t process these. It’s impossible for a woman to peel White Claw grass shells with her strength.”

Except for Sara. That girl has lumberjack blood, so her structure from latissimus dorsi to forearm muscles is different from ordinary women.

If she can split firewood better than her husband, that says it all. Thanks to that, there’s a rumor that Sara’s husband is the best dishwasher in the village.

Baron, who had been listening to my words with a somewhat puzzled expression, answered as if it were obvious.

“I know. Miss Hazel, there’s something else for you to help with.”

If you have strength and stamina comparable to a merchant’s, processing White Claw grass is simple.

First, cut off the hard base with a chopper.

Second, insert your fingers into the cracks of the split shell and split it in half like splitting an apple.

Third, pull out the stem that peeks out between the broken shells.

All I had to do was the third step.

Pop—

Poooop—

The stem, glossy with sap, was smoothly pulled out from between the hard shells.

There was no strenuous work at all.

‘Is it okay for me to earn money this easily?’

That’s how effortless it felt.

Unlike my leisurely pace, Baron had rolled up his sleeves to his forearms and was working diligently.

The sound of cutting the base, followed by the sound of splitting shells, echoed in my ears.

Veins stood out prominently on his large hands and forearms. His well-defined arm muscles, like tree roots, rippled.

Even so, his breathing remained comfortable. There wasn’t even a sign of his breath becoming rough.

Even Uncle Franz, who has the strongest strength in the village, shows clear signs of fatigue after processing about ten White Claw grass.

Baron must be related to Uncle Franz’s family and young too, because he’s still energetic after processing twenty.

‘How interesting.’

I heard city people are generally more frail than country people on average, but Baron is a monster even by country standards.

And it’s not just his strength that’s good. All the cut bases are the same size, and even the angles of the split shells are consistent.

‘No wonder the herb gatherers are head over heels for him.’

I’m certain that Baron would never run out of work even without a magic tool set.

Baron, who noticed my obvious stare, looked up from his chopping. A transparent bead of sweat rolled down his high nose bridge.

“Do you have something to say?”

“No, I just feel a bit guilty. It doesn’t seem like I’m really necessary…”

“You are necessary.”

“Why?”

“When sap gets on my hands, it’s troublesome for other tasks.”

“Ah…”

I pretended to understand but couldn’t agree.

The sap could just be wiped off, and the stem removal work could be done all at once later. A smart city person wouldn’t be unaware of that.

‘Could he have helped me on purpose?’

Since this is such a small village, he might have seen me going around looking for odd jobs.

Thinking about it that way, I felt grateful yet somewhat embarrassed that he had given me work that wasn’t really necessary.

‘I feel like I keep owing Baron favors.’

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