(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 31
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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 31
The next afternoon, two of Kaiden’s employees visited the general store.
They happened to be unmarried men around my age. I could tell from the absence of rings on their left ring fingers.
True to their reputation as employees of the Bashar Merchant Guild, known for their good manners in the Merchant’s Union, they treated me with warmth and kindness.
“I’m Luke. Please take good care of us going forward.”
“I’m Elvin. I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re as beautiful as they said.”
That was the problem.
Unmarried men, kindness, a bit of flirting.
These were sufficient conditions for Felix to turn into a dog.
Felix bared his teeth without hesitation and threatened Luke and Elvin.
“Grrrrr.”
“Felix, please.”
Whether it was unfortunate or fortunate, he seemed to remember they were business partners. At least he didn’t bite them.
I pushed away Felix, whose eyes were flashing as if he might pounce at any moment, and barely managed to deal with the Bashar Merchant Guild employees.
“Ha, haha. Felix is a bit (mentally) sick. Don’t mind him. He won’t bite.”
Probably.
Fortunately, Luke and Elvin had personalities as good as Kaiden’s. They burst into hearty laughter and spoke as if defending Felix.
“I have a younger sister too, so I understand.”
“Right. If I had a sister like Miss Hazel, I’d be anxious too.”
However, Felix’s wariness didn’t soften in the slightest. Though it wasn’t surprising, he was truly an embarrassing brother to show off.
I gripped Felix’s arm tightly and pointed with my finger at the three boxes stacked by the entrance.
“You can take those three boxes by the entrance. What’s in the bottom box are bouquets I made as extras.”
Please take them and go quickly.
When I sent a silent signal with my eyes, the quick-witted merchants’ feet moved swiftly.
“Let’s check the goods first.”
“By all means. Take your time… no, could you check them quickly?”
“Yes!”
Luke and Elvin’s hands moved faster, recognizing the seriousness of the situation.
Even while they crouched down to examine the prototypes, Felix’s gaze remained sharp.
“Felix, don’t do this. These are people we’ll have to keep dealing with, so how can you be so hostile? They didn’t do anything to me.”
When I gently scolded Felix, his mouth jutted out like an ugly bird.
“They both look like potatoes.”
“They are potatoes, but… they’re not dirt potatoes.”
“Is there a difference?”
“Yes.”
Completely different. Long potatoes are for french fries and hard potatoes are for throwing. Totally different.
While we engaged in meaningless chatter, Luke and Elvin were examining the prototypes with serious faces.
They exchanged seemingly grave looks, then simultaneously let out meaningful exclamations.
“Oh…”
“Ooh…”
“We should reflect on this.”
My heart skipped a beat at the sentence without a subject. Were they telling me to reflect? Why?
Fortunately, my confusion was brief.
“Why can’t the designers in Benu come up with designs like this?”
“Even their label printer was completely outdated. I bet it can’t even do full color.”
“A craftsman doesn’t choose their tools, something like that?”
“The bouquets are too well-made to be called extras. Everything from the shape to the ribbon selection is perfect.”
“But if Miss Hazel did everything from product planning to label design…”
“She’s a genius. Kaiden’s words are never wrong.”
“????”
What? I’m a genius?
I blinked my round eyes with a bewildered expression.
Of course, these were products that reflected many of my ideas, but the words that without Felix and Baron I couldn’t have completed them rose to my throat.
Somehow I felt like I’d become a genius by stealing others’ credit.
However, Felix muttered with satisfaction, as if he didn’t care at all that his credit had been stolen.
“Our Hazel is indeed a genius.”
He nodded contentedly, then suddenly changed his attitude and warned me.
“Hazel, don’t fall for their compliments. When men want to win a woman’s heart, there’s nothing they won’t say…”
“Ah, I got it. Please be quiet.”
Felix’s voice is so loud.
***
Tax check complete.
Living expenses check complete.
I gently placed both hands into the money pouch and curled up the corners of my mouth.
Tomorrow, thirty silver coins would disappear as taxes, so I had to savor this heavy happiness now.
Despite unexpectedly earning a large sum, our household’s living conditions hadn’t particularly improved.
All that had changed was that I got two dresses and our meals became more abundant.
Since we didn’t know what might happen in the future, we couldn’t waste a single penny carelessly.
‘Still, I did splurge on one thing properly.’
Felix’s blanket.
More precisely, a fluffy new blanket with cotton that hadn’t lost any of its bounce.
Looking at the blanket placed neatly on the old sofa, my chest filled with pride.
Though I had the fundamental question of why Felix, who didn’t even cover himself with a tattered blanket, would need a blanket, since I couldn’t buy a bed, I bought a blanket instead. Anyway, that’s how I felt.
“Hazel, what’s this?”
When Felix returned home, he immediately spotted the new blanket and tilted his head.
I answered with sparkling eyes.
“A new blanket.”
“I can see that.”
“It’s a gift.”
Felix’s brow furrowed slightly. Felix really hates it when I spend money on him.
I quickly added words to cut off his complaints at the source.
“No complaints, just accept it. You told me to buy whatever I wanted.”
“But why buy a winter blanket when summer’s coming?”
“Sleep on top of it then. And winter items are supposed to be bought in summer when they’re cheap.”
“You’re always good with words.”
Felix let out a deflated sigh. It was evidence of surrender.
I cheered “Yes!” internally and said half-jokingly, half-seriously.
“Still, sleep under it tonight. You’ll get in trouble if you kick it off.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Cover yourself even if you get heat rash.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Felix’s answer was halfhearted, but his actions were diligent. He covered himself thoroughly with the blanket from his neck to his toes and whispered softly.
“Thank you, Hazel.”
“Do you like the blanket?”
“Of course.”
“Hehe. Your sister’s the best, right?”
“Yes, our sister is the best.”
Felix’s voice, cutting gently through the quiet night, pleasantly tickled my chest.
‘Ah, I feel so proud.’
I felt like I would have really good dreams today.
I closed my eyes happily while listening to the rustling sound of the blankets…
“Sob, sniff.”
When I opened my eyes again, I was crying.
Wet droplets flowed down my cheeks. I shed tears endlessly without even knowing why I was crying.
Through my blurry vision, a luxurious room came faintly into view.
Crystal lighting that sparkled as if starlight had been gathered, soft cream-colored wallpaper, ornate golden molding with elaborate engravings, and luxurious furniture wrapped in velvet.
I was inside a high-ranking noble’s room that I had only seen in paintings.
Soon the door opened and a man with reddish-brown hair entered the room.
He was startled to see me crying and approached my side.
His hand gently caressed my cheek.
“Hazel, why are you crying?”
“Axel…”
“Don’t worry. You know how much I love you.”
Axel gently embraced my shoulders. I fell into his arms and wept bitterly.
Soon the crying grew distant, and the moment pure white light swallowed me—
“Ahhh!”
I screamed and jolted out of the dream.
I blinked my dazed eyes while looking at the familiar wooden ceiling.
The absurd scenes from the dream vividly floated above in the air.
I shook my head repeatedly in horror.
‘No, am I crazy? Even if it’s just a dream, still.’
What? What? Me? Love?
With Axel?
No matter how few people there were, even if just the two of us were stranded on a deserted island, even if there were only two people left in the world, there would never be a chance for the Lord’s Son and me to fall in love.
‘Ugh, I hate this so much.’
Perhaps because it’s tax day, today’s nightmare is excessively harsh.
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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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