(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 21

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

Chapter 21

The foundation of selling new products is market research.

Since I can’t go down to Cromwell Castle or other cities myself, I have no choice but to ask someone who used to live in the city.

I took out one small bottle of purification water from the basket. Inside the transparent water was a plant stem about the size of a finger joint.

Baron’s pupils visibly dilated. He asked in a deliberately surprised voice.

“Miss Hazel, did you put white claw grass stems in purification water?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Baron’s usually relaxed expression became quite serious.

He stared silently at the purification water preservation solution containing white claw grass. He gulped audibly.

‘What’s this? His reaction seems lukewarm. Are these kinds of products already common in the city?’

I thought it was a pretty good idea.

Purification water is literally water, so it’s safe to drink and apply to skin.

But if you’re not contaminated by dark magic, it’s no different from ordinary water. Honestly, the water from Ongdal Spring where rabbits often gather tastes better.

That’s why villagers don’t use purification water in their daily lives. Except when they have ingredients that need long-term storage.

Ingredients washed with purification water do stay fresh longer…, but honestly, salting or drying them is more effective.

However, medicinal herbs lose their efficacy when salted or dried, so storing them in purification water is the best option.

It’s not like nobody knew this…

‘But nobody thought to sell it as health drinks or cosmetics.’

People in Ruden Village are so healthy they don’t pay much attention to health, but I heard city people are extremely interested in health.

So the combination of mysterious purification water + healthy premium medicinal herbs might have quite a demand if packaged well.

Of course, it wouldn’t be as effective as the potions or ointments Monica carefully makes, but real medicine takes too long to make and is expensive above all.

I heard that to make money in the city, you need to mass-produce the same items, which is impossible.

So I thought this would make a pretty decent product, even if you can’t expect amazing effects…

‘Did I get it wrong? I guess the intuition of a rural general store owner isn’t worth much.’

Now that I confirmed a city person’s reaction, I became rapidly discouraged.

“Miss Hazel.”

“Yes?”

“So what’s the name of this product?”

“A fatigue recovery remedy made with purification water and white claw grass.”

“…”

“If it’s not good, could you just tell me honestly?”

“No. The idea is excellent. It has good commercial potential too.”

“Really?!”

My eyes widened at the unexpectedly positive evaluation.

“But the name and description are too honest. To catch city people’s attention, you need a name that’s immediately understandable and a description that sparks interest.”

“Oh… Thank you for the advice. But how?”

I’m glad I asked Baron. City people really are different.

When I looked at him with expectant eyes, Baron confidently curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Golden Sundries Shop’s special fatigue recovery drink that makes even 3 days of overtime fatigue disappear like it was washed away. Made with high-purity natural purification water and the legendary herb white claw grass, boasting powerful effects.”

He rattled off scammer-like lines without changing his expression. It didn’t match his overly handsome features at all, but the sentences themselves were catchy.

I should remember this well and use it exactly as is. Baron is a high-quality talent in many ways.

I sincerely praised Baron.

“Wow, you really sound like a medicine peddler. I almost bought that medicine just now.”

“You flatter me.”

“No, I don’t. Baron, you really seem like there’s nothing you can’t do. You’re strong, good with your hands, good at talking…”

And you have a good body.

“You’re good at processing herbs, and I heard you’re good at straightening out scoundrels too. I’ve never met someone so versatile.”

Baron quietly listened to the endless praise, then gracefully lowered his hand as if tipping a bowler hat in greeting.

From the angle of rolling back his arm to the line of bowing his head, it was a perfect movement worthy of an etiquette textbook. Or I might believe he was a dancer. Though it doesn’t suit him at all.

‘Come to think of it, what kind of work did Baron do in the city?’

People who fled all the way to Ruden Village each have deep stories, so we don’t ask about the past until we become close.

Still, we usually know roughly what kind of work they did, but nothing is known about Baron.

I hesitated for a moment, then asked carefully.

“Baron, may I ask what kind of work you did before?”

I was worried he might be uncomfortable, but Baron’s expression showed no particular disturbance.

He asked back in a cheerful voice.

“Are you curious?”

“Yes. I can’t guess at all.”

It’s definitely not an ordinary job…

He’s too eloquent to be a soldier, too smart to be a simple laborer. But if it was a job requiring specialized knowledge, he would have settled in Cromwell Castle, not Ruden Village.

He watched me trying to gauge his profession with interest, then leisurely opened his mouth.

“Since you seem quite curious, I can’t tell you.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’d like Miss Hazel to be more curious about me.”

“…?”

“…”

Baron smiled sweetly, crinkling his eyes at my dumbfounded face.

It’s not new, but he really is a strange person.

Sometimes I wondered if he might be a decent person, but I just became certain.

Baron is the most peculiar person I’ve met in my life. I wonder if the villagers know this side of him.

“Baron.”

“Yes, Miss Hazel.”

“You know your personality is strange, right?”

“I hear that often.”

At least it’s good that he knows.

No matter how strange someone’s personality is, people who are good at self-objectification don’t cause big accidents. The opposite example is Felix.

Well, it’s originally difficult to cultivate both personality and ability simultaneously. Baron is fortunate to at least have good abilities.

As if reading my thoughts, he dipped a lamp flower calyx into the small bottle of purification water.

Then he rattled off medicine peddler-like lines in a soul-stealing voice.

“The best choice for you who haven’t slept for three days. Golden Sundries Shop’s ambitious work made with the legendary herb lamp flower that makes even chronic insomnia patients sleep like newborn babies…”

Listening to Baron’s explanation, a new product name flashed through my mind like a revelation.

“I just thought of a name for the drink!”

Baron smiled gently after hearing the newly coined name.

Somehow I have a good feeling about this.

***

“I’ll head down first.”

“Yes. Thank you for everything.”

“Could you bring three bottles of 30% diluted purification water tomorrow?”

“Are we meeting again tomorrow?”

“Would four silver coins be insufficient to buy Miss Hazel’s time?”

“More than enough.”

I saw Baron off and sat at the cottage entrance, waiting for the herb gatherers to come down from the mountain.

Bill, who spotted me from afar, ran down the mountain. His ponytail bounced cheerfully.

“Hazel, what brings you all the way here?”

From his reaction, it seems he doesn’t know that I processed herbs with Baron yesterday and today.

Then there’s no need to tell him. Village men sometimes have looser lips than the women.

“I want to buy some processed herbs.”

“You? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

“It’s not that. I was thinking of creating some new products for the General Store. Since Felix has been getting his act together lately(?), I’m relatively free. I should do something rather than just loafing around.”

“Our Hazel is so admirable. Take as much as you want.”

I selected five stems of white claw grass that Baron had processed and twenty lamp flower calyxes. It was enough quantity to make prototype products that might or might not sell.

“This should be enough. How much is it?”

“Just give me one silver coin.”

My brow furrowed at the ridiculously low price. I knew he’d give me some discount, but one coin? What’s that about?

Do these guys really dig up the ground to do business?

…

Well, they actually do.

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