(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 25

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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 25

I am Hazel.

A diligent worker who wakes up at 6 AM even after earning half a year’s worth of taxes in a single day.

It’s absolutely not because I’m reluctantly getting up for work due to my promise with Baron, but because I’ve taken to heart the adults’ saying that consistent people don’t let fortune turn its back on them.

‘Honestly, I do want to rest though…’

I shook my head as soon as the thought occurred to me.

I can’t have such complacent thoughts. The tide has just come in, so what good would it do to become lazy now? Even if it means breaking my arms, I must row the oars. I’m still far from being able to buy a house in the village center.

Unlike me, who was energetic from the morning, Felix was sleeping deeply for the first time in a while, perhaps because the tension had lifted after selling all those purification water portions. He didn’t even wake up to the rooster’s crow, which says it all.

‘He’s thrown off his blanket again while sleeping.’

As I picked up the blanket that had slipped to the floor and covered him again, I noticed his feet sticking out beyond the sofa.

Felix always sleeps uncomfortably on the narrow sofa covered with an old blanket, yet even when money comes in, he never thinks to spend it on himself first.

‘Hazel, tomorrow don’t do any work and buy everything you want! Spend all those silver coins! We can just earn more!’

Surprisingly, this was a statement from Felix when he wasn’t drunk.

I learned for the first time yesterday that you can get intoxicated just from eating food. Salmon belly and beef tenderloin are very dangerous things.

‘So from tomorrow, don’t wear that yellow dress! Buy green dresses, pink dresses, everything, and don’t think about saving that sky-blue dress – just wear it freely! Wear it and roll around in the fields!’

Since I was going to the cottage to do odd jobs, I was about to habitually put on the yellow dress but picked up the sky-blue dress instead.

I’m a good little sister who listens well to her brother. Since Felix was a good brother yesterday, I’ll be a good sister today too.

After changing clothes, I made tomato stew for breakfast. Since Felix has been doing all the work, cooking, and housework lately, I wanted to do something too.

“Hmm…”

Of course, the taste was just so-so. It was edible, but honestly it was a bit bland, probably because I’ve gotten used to Felix’s cooking.

Still, Felix eats whatever food I make without complaint. Though his expression isn’t exactly bright when he eats it.

I was about to leave after putting the whole stew pot on the table when I noticed a wreath made of loosely woven yellow spring flowers.

‘Did he secretly drink alcohol? What kind of drinking habit is this?’

Felix really seems to have a talent for getting intoxicated without drinking alcohol. I’ll have to watch him more carefully from now on.

I placed the wreath on my head and braided my hair so the flowers and hair would naturally intertwine.

Though unintentional, today’s me seems a little prettier than usual.

“Felix, I’ll be back.”

***

“Baron, good morning!”

“Good morning. Miss Hazel is always punctual.”

“It’s the basic quality of a diligent worker.”

For some reason, Baron was wearing a neat linen shirt that came down to his wrists. It was the kind commonly worn by villagers, with no buttons and just strings tying the chest area.

It was definitely a common design, but…

‘Maybe they only had small sizes for shirts.’

The shirt clung tightly to his thick chest, which was honestly a bit embarrassing.

Through the tautly stretched strings, his deeply carved chest muscles were slightly visible. It made things even more awkward since my line of sight was directly level with his chest, leaving me nowhere to look.

I fanned my slightly flushed cheeks and entered the cottage first. Fortunately, smelling the fragrant medicinal herbs cleared away the strange thoughts and made me feel much more refreshed.

“What medicinal herbs are we processing today?”

“…”

“Baron… sir?”

I looked up at Baron, who hadn’t answered for a while.

His inscrutable red eyes were fixed intently on my hair.

‘Is wearing flowers in my hair that strange? It’s a common style in the countryside.’

I had once seen a catalog of fashionable city clothing at Anna’s clothing store.

Everyone was wearing fancy hats that matched their elegant dresses. I vaguely remember a phrase saying hats were basic accessories for women who knew fashion.

But for country women like us, hats other than straw hats are useless and expensive luxuries.

So when we want to decorate our hair, we have no choice but to use flowers.

I had never thought this country woman’s styling was embarrassing, but meeting Baron’s gaze – someone who seemed like a city person by birth – made me shrink back for some reason.

I touched the flowers in the wreath and asked casually.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Is it strange?”

Baron flinched and quickly turned his head to the side. He looked clearly flustered, unlike his usual composed self.

“No. It suits you well.”

“Really?”

“It’s pretty.”

Simple me immediately felt better. Indeed, the eye for recognizing beauty is the same whether you’re from the city or countryside.

“Felix made it for me. He’s good at making things like this.”

“Miss Hazel is also good at making bouquets, so manual dexterity must run in the family.”

“…Huh? Is that so?”

Learning about a commonality with my blood relative that I hadn’t noticed before made me feel strangely mixed. Somehow I wanted to deny it.

“Still, I’m much better at drawing and writing. Well, Felix is better at cooking though.”

“Miss Hazel doesn’t seem confident about cooking.”

“I use healthy cooking methods that bring out the natural flavors of the ingredients.”

Though I can’t guarantee the taste.

Baron seemed to easily understand my roundabout excuse and chuckled, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

“It’s fine. I’m good at cooking.”

“…Pardon?”

What does Baron being good at cooking have to do with me being bad at it?

The question rose to my throat, but I didn’t get a chance to ask. Baron brought over today’s work and handed it to me.

“Today, you just need to carefully apply purification water dilution to these.”

“Isn’t this the bouquet I made? Aren’t we processing medicinal herbs today?”

When I asked back in confusion, Baron’s red eyes curved mischievously.

“This is all Miss Hazel needs to do.”

***

This is strange.

Baron is really a strange person.

3 PM. I came down to the village with a dazed expression, holding twenty lantern flower bouquets and four silver coins.

I ended up like this after being swayed by Baron’s enchanting way with words, but no matter how I think about it, the profit and loss don’t add up.

So what happened was…

‘Miss Hazel’s sense in making bouquets is so good it’s troublesome. This should be sold in the city rather than at Cromwell Castle.’

‘Really…? Would city people buy this?’

‘Of course. City people have never seen lantern flowers. If we just prevent the petals from wilting quickly with purification water, it should have sufficient commercial value.’

‘If I apply purification water thoroughly, it should glow for about a month…’

‘That’s sufficient. It seems like it would sell for a very high price.’

Hearing that, I excitedly applied purification water to the lantern flowers. I was so focused I almost forgot to eat lunch. Of course, Baron didn’t let me go hungry.

The sandwich served for lunch was delicious, though I’m not sure what was put inside.

I think it tasted like salmon… No way. Even Baron wouldn’t have prepared that expensive salmon for a lunch box.

Anyway, after eating a proper lunch and finishing the work, I found myself holding silver coins and lantern flower bouquets.

‘Is this… right?’

Why did I make the products to sell and receive the money?

So I ended up gaining money, ideas, materials, and finished products, while Baron gained absolutely nothing.

‘Baron, it seems like you really got the short end of the stick this time.’

Calling Baron a pushover seemed like an impossible statement even if the sun rose in the west, but it was clear that these two days had been an unfair deal disadvantageous to Baron.

However, by the time I realized this fact, Baron was no longer beside me.

“Oh, what should I do…”

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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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