(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 27

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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 27

The next day.

I woke up exactly 5 minutes later than Felix. To climb the mountain with the herb gatherers, we needed to leave by 6 o’clock.

Today was the day to make labels for ‘Sleep Tight’ and ‘Sleep Sound’. After spending all of yesterday evening thinking about how to design the labels, I finally decided to draw white claw grass and lampflowers.

I wanted to capture them in their natural state, full of life.

“Felix, I’m heading out!”

“Hazel, you need to eat breakfast first!”

“I packed some biscuits. It’s fine.”

“You can’t substitute a meal with snacks.”

Felix made a fuss, bringing over the whole pot of tomato stew I made yesterday and insisting I eat just one bite before leaving.

He said if I skipped breakfast, I’d have no energy all day.

He even dipped brown bread into the stew and shoved it toward my mouth.

‘I don’t really want to eat it since my cooking doesn’t taste good.’

But ignoring such consideration wouldn’t be polite, so I reluctantly took a bite—

“What? Why does this taste good?”

Did I really make this yesterday?

The stew’s taste had changed as if someone had sprinkled magical flavor powder on it.

When I widened my eyes in surprise, Felix proudly shrugged his shoulders.

“Your brother knows a thing or two about cooking.”

“I’ll give you that.”

I ended up finishing the entire bowl of stew while standing at the door and even cleaned the plate with bread. A satisfied smile formed on Felix’s lips.

“Have a safe trip. The mountain is still dark, so be careful. Make sure to follow the herb gatherers closely. If you get lost, don’t wander around—just stay where you are.”

“Am I a child? Going into the mountains isn’t something new for me. You know there’s nothing much to worry about.”

In my childhood, I often climbed the mountain following Felix and the gentlemen. I hated waiting around for Felix when he went to gather herbs.

Though I did get lost for a very brief moment once…, ever since that day, Felix worries excessively whenever he hears I’m going to the mountain.

It’s not like I’m still that ten-year-old who cried her heart out when left alone.

“But you’re wearing a pink dress to go into the mountains?”

“Anna told me to. She said to wear it when sleeping and when going to the mountains too.”

Actually, there were reasons why I wore the pink dress today.

First, I wouldn’t be meeting Baron today.

Second, the more I saved this dress for special occasions, the more unnecessary fuss the villagers would make.

I could already hear the future comments about who I was trying to impress by wearing a pink dress, or whether today was a date.

So my plan was to wear the pink dress until it wore out, cutting off the fuss at its source.

But Felix, who was indifferent to people’s gazes, couldn’t understand my deeper intentions.

“Right, don’t hold back and wear whatever you want. If it wears out, we can just buy another one!”

“Yeah, I will.”

If taxes don’t go up, that is.

Putting aside worries that had no immediate solutions, I opened the door in a refreshed mood.

Sheep-like clouds drifted leisurely across the clear sky.

Something good was going to happen today, I could feel it.

***

“Hazel really draws well.”

“It’s not just drawing. Her handwriting is as good as any noble’s.”

“Don’t praise me too much. Matilda is the one who really draws well. I’m just ordinary.”

I smiled sheepishly while looking at the half-finished lampflower sketch. Maybe because I hadn’t held a pencil in a while, I wasn’t quite satisfied with the drawing.

For reference, my drawing skills lie somewhere between ordinary and excellent. It’s such an ambiguous talent that even in this small village, there were people who drew better than me.

The best artist in the village is Matilda, a lady two years younger than me.

When she was fifteen, she went to Cromwell Castle to paint portraits, and at eighteen, she entered Benu’s Art School with sponsorship from a noble.

I was envious of Matilda, who confidently displayed her talents with natural ability, but I didn’t feel jealous. Compared to her, anyone could see my drawing skills were ordinary.

I was satisfied with my modest and cute talent. At least it was enough to design labels for general store products.

But now…

‘Will such rough drawings work in the city?’

Now that I was in a situation where I’d be supplying goods to the city, I couldn’t help thinking this way.

Kaiden said it was fine if the label design wasn’t sophisticated, but I couldn’t help being ambitious.

‘Could I draw a prettier picture if I found a more beautiful lampflower?’

I checked the herb gatherers’ location and went deeper into the mountains.

“Hmm, this flower is ambiguous too.”

“No, not this flower either.”

“Isn’t there one that’s bloomed more fully?”

How long had I been searching the mountain?

“Ah, this is it!”

Finally finding a lampflower I liked, I sat down right there without caring about dirtying my pink skirt and started sketching.

A lampflower that had captured an armful of last night’s moonlight and shyly bowed its head. It was exactly the shape I’d been looking for.

“Phew, I’m done.”

After satisfactorily sketching the nearby white claw grass as well, I finally caught my breath, but…

“Where am I?”

Just as Felix had predicted, I was lost.

***

One should always listen to adults.

Though I didn’t expect Felix to be included in that category.

‘If you get lost, don’t wander around—just stay where you are.’

I am Hazel, a well-behaved twenty-two-year-old adult.

Having gotten lost, I sat quietly for about an hour somewhere in the forest where sunlight gently filtered through. Unfortunately, the herb gatherers were nowhere to be seen.

All I could do while unable to move was pet the rabbit that had settled down and was lying in the folds of my skirt.

Out of boredom, I even gave it a name—Toto.

“Toto, do you know which way leads out of the forest?”

I didn’t ask because I thought Toto would understand me, but because the forest was so quiet I just said anything that came to mind.

Still, seeing the rabbit sleeping so peacefully, there probably weren’t any dangerous beasts around. Probably.

Well, even if wild animals appeared, I wasn’t particularly worried. Since long ago, furry beasts—whether wild boars or wolves—had all liked me. Oh, scaly beasts too.

As if to prove this, more and more mountain animals gathered as time passed. The people who should come weren’t coming, but this was quite something.

I was peacefully petting rabbits, deer, and birds in turn when—

Swoosh!

All the animals simultaneously perked up their ears, stood up, and ran deep into the forest at the same time.

They had instinctively sensed a presence that I, as a human, couldn’t detect yet.

‘What is it?’

Left alone in an instant, I held my breath and looked around. But then—

Slither—

“Eek!”

Something black that emerged from the ground poked its head into the folds of my skirt.

Smooth black scales sparkled like jewels in the sunlight. It was a creature I’d never seen before in my life.

‘What is it? A Black-Scaled King Lizard?’

For reference, there’s no animal with that name. I just made it up. I don’t think I’ve seen an animal that looks like this even in encyclopedias full of illustrations…

Then there’s only one possibility.

‘Could it be a monster?’

Even though Ruden Village was close to the Monster’s Domain, monsters were territorial creatures that didn’t leave their habitats.

Because of this, there were quite a few villagers who had never seen a monster in their entire lives.

I was one of them. I only roughly knew what monsters looked like from what Felix had told me. I had never actually seen one myself.

I held my breath and quietly watched the creature that might be a monster. Since it had already climbed onto my skirt, running away was impossible.

If it had intended to attack me, it wouldn’t have been strange for it to have torn my head off already…

‘Why is it just staying still?’

Soon, with a popping sound like a water droplet bursting, the monster’s eyes opened as if a membrane had been peeled away.

Yellow pupils positioned on either side of its smooth forehead blinked prettily. Even though the red pupils were vertically slit like a snake’s, it wasn’t scary at all.

It’s true. This little one has kind eyes.

I’m quite good with animals, and these were eyes with absolutely no intention to attack. Rather, they were closer to eyes asking to be loved.

“Kuuuu-.”

The monster that had been quietly looking at me made a cute crying sound and tapped my hand.

That behavior somehow seemed like a puppy begging to be petted.

“You… are you asking me to touch you?”

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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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