(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 4

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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 4

Axel’s reddish-brown hair swayed in a crimson hue as it caught the sunset light.

Ominous.

Somehow, I felt like he wouldn’t let me off easy today.

‘Why did that bastard come to the village today? Tax collection day should be tomorrow.’

I bowed my head deeply in greeting first. It was to hide my rotting expression.

“I greet Lord Axel. What brings you to the sundries shop?”

A mocking voice fell down onto the top of my head.

“I came to buy things at the sundries shop, obviously. What else would I be here for?”

My brow furrowed without me realizing it.

Axel Cromwell is always like this.

He always says he came to buy things, but he’s never actually bought anything even once.

He just enjoys tormenting someone he sees as easy prey.

Axel is famous within Cromwell Castle as a scoundrel, and while my brother is (probably) a scoundrel with potential for rehabilitation, this one is definitely trash-tier.

Since he’s the lord’s only legitimate son, there’s no one to control him, which is how he became like this.

‘It’s exhausting enough dealing with the scoundrel in my own family, and now I have to deal with an outside scoundrel too.’

Oh, my poor fate.

Knowing it was futile, I politely tried to turn away the lord’s son.

“I’m sorry, but our sundries shop doesn’t have any products that would satisfy Lord Axel. We haven’t received any new items either.”

“That’s for me to judge.”

“…”

“Go inside and bring me some tea. If you want to sell anything, you should smile brightly and try to please me.”

“…Sigh.”

This won’t be easy.

I sighed openly and opened the door.

Axel walked confidently into the sundries shop with his hands clasped behind his back.

His friends chattered excitedly behind my head.

“The devil’s child has made it big. Even serving the lord’s son now.”

“Right? Axel is so generous. Look how he treats even the kid who used to steal rotten apples from the streets without discrimination.”

“…”

Rowdy voices, sharp tones.

My hand naturally tightened as I closed the door. My teeth clenched hard.

The natives of Cromwell Castle still call me the devil’s child.

It was because they remembered my unusual hair and eye color.

Fifteen years ago, even though they knew no problems had occurred in Ruden Village that took me in, they never stopped their mockery, let alone repented for wrongly accusing me of being a dark mage.

Each time, my brother and the villagers protected me, but the damn lord’s son used rudeness as an excuse to raise taxes.

Anyway, despite being nobility, his behavior is worse than street thugs.

However, to prevent taxes from rising further, I have no choice but to meekly endure Axel’s treatment.

‘I hope my brother doesn’t come to the sundries shop today.’

My brother has anger management issues because his brain has been dissolved by alcohol.

That man’s fists don’t discriminate based on social status.

Fortunately, he’s never actually hit Axel, but there’s no telling what Felix might do when drunk.

The heir to Cromwell Castle, holding his head high arrogantly, rummaged through the store displays as he pleased.

He was even humming, seemingly having a great time.

“It’s true. There are no new products at all. Your brother isn’t doing any work these days, is he?”

“…Sometimes he does.”

“Tsk tsk, our Miss Hazel is having such a hard time.”

“…”

Has this bastard lost his mind?

Who gave him permission to say ‘our’?

Axel shook his head and casually sat on the counter.

His arrogant gaze pierced straight down. The look of someone who naturally looks down from above.

People praised Axel’s appearance, saying at least his shell was decent, but I couldn’t agree.

Axel is disgusting from head to toe.

My ‘handsome man phobia’ might have originated from Axel rather than my brother.

Whatever the case, my theory is that looks and personality cannot both peak in the same direction.

I avoided his annoying gaze and brewed tea, adding whatever herbs I could grab.

He watched me quietly, then suddenly called my name.

“Miss Hazel.”

“Yes, Lord Axel.”

“Have you thought about that proposal?”

“What proposal?”

“Look at you pretending not to remember again. I’ve told you five times.”

“…”

“You know my patience isn’t long, so why do you keep doing this? Do you want to test how long I’ll be generous with you?”

“I’m sorry. I’m not very smart.”

“You know you gave me the exact same excuse last month?”

“…”

At my silence, Axel chuckled, his throat vibrating with laughter.

I don’t know why, but he seems to find this situation quite amusing.

“Generous me will tell you once more. No matter how much you pretend not to remember, it’s useless. I’ll keep coming until you accept the proposal.”

“…”

Damn it. Why is this bastard doing this to me?

Axel cleared his throat as if making a major announcement, then spoke with emphasis on each syllable.

“Miss Hazel, won’t you move Golden Sundries Shop inside Cromwell Castle? I’ll have your back.”

It’s an absurd proposal no matter how many times I hear it.

The lord’s son truly has no conscience.

Not content with tormenting me once a month, he wants to keep me nearby to torment me constantly.

I was about to give my usual response of ‘I’ll think about it,’ but I changed my mind.

For someone who doesn’t understand indirect refusals, only direct words will work.

Just as I steeled myself and was about to speak, the perceptive Axel spoke first.

“Ah, I won’t hear your answer today. Think it over thoroughly, and I hope to hear a positive response next month.”

Says who?

I answered ‘yes’ in a crawling voice and handed him the finished tea.

However, he didn’t even pretend to drink the tea and continued picking fights.

“By the way, that flower in your hair, who gave it to you?”

“…Why are you curious about that?”

Displeased with my answer, one of Axel’s eyebrows shot up.

Reading his mood, his friends began their sarcastic remarks as if they’d been waiting.

“Don’t tell me the devil’s child is dating someone?”

“Ha, as if she could?”

“Hehe. Then who would have given it to her?”

While they laughed and chattered among themselves, the bell rang and the shop door burst open.

“I gave it to her.”

It was my brother.

“…”

Oh no, of all times for my brother to appear.

My brother approached Axel with his yellow flame-like eyes flashing.

Although my brother didn’t smell of alcohol today for once, I still couldn’t let my guard down.

“Axel, did you bother our Hazel?”

Though Felix maintained politeness in his tone, he didn’t seem to have any intention of hiding his blazing hostility.

Axel curled up one corner of his mouth in a smirk.

It was the face of someone contemplating how to make Felix even more furious.

I pushed firmly against Felix’s chest and spoke like a warning.

“Felix, nothing happened, so calm down.”

“Hazel.”

“No. Don’t do anything.”

On the left, our family’s troublemaker.

On the right, someone else’s family troublemaker.

Trying to protect my small and precious general store from these two gave me a throbbing headache.

I positioned myself between them to maintain a safe distance, then watched the troublemakers’ expressions.

The troublemakers glared at each other without a word, as if timing when to tear each other’s throats out.

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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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