(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 5
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 5
First, I tried to calm down our family troublemaker and send him outside, but today Axel was the first to excuse himself.
“Miss Hazel, I’ll be going now. I have an appointment.”
Felix replied sarcastically.
“Yes~ Please go ahead~ Far away~”
Axel’s eyebrows twisted menacingly.
“You should be grateful you’re Hazel’s brother.”
“….”
“You know how many times I’ve let things slide, don’t you? Be thankful for my generosity.”
“What kind of bullsh… mmph!”
I quickly covered Felix’s mouth and hurriedly greeted Axel.
“Yes, Lord Axel. Have a safe trip!”
My voice came out bright without me realizing it.
I was happy to hear that the troublemakers were leaving.
I swear there was no other meaning to it.
But Felix seemed to have interpreted my cheerful voice in his own way.
Otherwise—
“What’s your relationship with Axel?”
He wouldn’t be spouting such nonsense as soon as they left.
“What relationship? We’re in a taxpaying relationship.”
“Tax day is tomorrow though.”
Exactly my point.
I sighed first, then explained the whole story about Axel and me.
Felix’s expression grew increasingly serious as he listened.
Even though it wasn’t different from the usual story, today his eyes were filled with worry and concern.
Maybe it’s because he’s not drinking.
He hesitated for a while, moving his lips, then finally uttered something absurd.
“Hazel, you can’t marry Axel.”
“…?”
What? Axel and I what?
I tapped my ears, thinking I’d misheard.
Either my ears or Felix’s mouth was definitely broken.
It seemed to be Felix’s mouth.
“Don’t fall for it even if Axel tries to seduce you by being nice.”
“….”
“That guy will cheat at least three times.”
No, is that really the problem here?
Besides, how does Felix know he’s the type to cheat?
Though he certainly looks the part…
When I gave him a suspicious look, Felix added as if to clarify.
“It’s his face, his face.”
“I do agree with that, but don’t say such things elsewhere. You’ll really get arrested.”
“I do consider time and place when I run my mouth, you know?”
“…I had no idea.”
First time hearing that.
“Anyway, Axel is off-limits. Remember that.”
His voice, more sober than usual, fell with finality.
His expression and voice seemed sane, but the content was the opposite.
That made me even more worried.
I grabbed both of Felix’s arms and scolded him like training an animal.
“Felix, think carefully. Why would the Lord’s Son marry me? Besides, Axel has a fiancée.”
“Hmm….”
“A very pretty fiancée at that.”
Was her name Elizabeth or Elizabeta?
Anyway, Axel’s fiancée is the greatest beauty in Cromwell Castle with brilliant blonde hair and green eyes.
What nobleman would marry a countryside village commoner when he has a perfect lady with good family and wealth?
Maybe as a mistress.
But Felix seemed to have a slightly different view from common sense.
“Hazel, you’re prettier than that woman. That’s the problem.”
I burst into laughter at the absurdity.
What a doting brother.
“Only in your eyes, Felix.”
“Sigh….”
Felix let out a deep sigh and pulled out a money pouch from his waist.
The jingling silver coins felt quite heavy.
“What’s this?”
“Tomorrow’s tax money.”
“Where did this money come from?”
Felix grinned wickedly.
I got goosebumps from the ominous feeling.
“Did you gamble?”
“Hey, I may play games but I don’t gamble.”
“What’s the difference?”
“The size of the stakes?”
“….”
This troublemaker is driving me crazy.
What kind of trouble did he cause?
The shining silver coins looked dark today.
Should I accept this money?
Though the source was suspicious, honestly, my mouth watered.
With that money, I could buy white bread from Maria’s Bakery, red meat from Carson’s Butchery, and also…
I could buy fabric to make a new dress. With good bargaining, I could even afford expensive green or pink fabric.
As if reading my thoughts, Felix grinned and pressed the money pouch into my hand.
It was an expression like the Felix from long ago.
The late Unicorn Felix, that is.
“Don’t worry and take it. It’s money earned through honest labor and sweat.”
“…Really?”
The silver coins in my palm sparkled as if blessed with holy water.
I thought it was dirty money, but it was as white as Monica’s chickens. I wanted to believe that.
I gripped the money pouch tightly so it wouldn’t slip from my hand again.
“If you don’t trust me, I’ll take it and spend it all.”
“On drinking, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then I have no choice. Since this is our family’s public funds, I’ll have to confiscate it. At least we can eat well and sleep warmly for a while.”
Felix’s eyebrows curved displeasedly.
He fiddled with my sleeve, then forcefully pulled at a slightly frayed part.
The old fabric tore helplessly.
“…?”
“Your clothes are torn. You’ll need to buy new clothes first.”
“Felix just tore it.”
“I’m sorry, so buy one with this money.”
“Is this what they call giving someone a disease then the cure?”
“Think of it that way. And I bought croissants and ham for the house. Have something delicious for dinner instead of oat porridge.”
“What about you, Felix? Aren’t you eating with me?”
“I have something urgent tonight. I’ll watch the store, so go home first.”
“…This is strange.”
It really was strange.
Every word coming out of Felix’s mouth was normal.
I think this is the first time this guy has been this decent in 7 years.
Why is he acting like this? Is the sun going to rise from the west tomorrow?
Or maybe—.
“Felix, are you sick somewhere?”
It was a reasonable suspicion.
People usually change when their time to die draws near.
Hans’ Brother, who was the second biggest scoundrel after Felix, was like that too. He came to his senses exactly 3 days before he passed away, acting like a proper human being for once before ending his life.
Just like our Felix right now.
However, Felix laughed off my valid suspicion.
He repeatedly insisted that both his body and mind were fine, then gently patted my head.
As if telling me to cast away such needless worries.
“Hazel, I’m really going to get my act together now.”
“Do you know how many times you’ve lied about that?”
“About two thousand eight hundred and forty times?”
“That sounds about right.”
“I was wrong.”
His smile with crinkled eyes overlapped with Felix from 7 years ago. I almost fell for it completely.
I put strength into my brain and glared at Felix, but he stretched out my soft cheeks.
He made his excessively sparkling golden eyes shine as he shouted confidently.
“Hazel, you can really trust me this time! I’ll make sure our little sister only walks on a path of flowers.”
“Felix, if you caused some trouble, tell me now. The sooner we handle it, the better.”
“She doesn’t trust me.”
“Of course not.”
You call that talking.
***
Originally, storms that seem calm suddenly blow away roofs without warning.
I couldn’t trust Felix who was pretending to be fine at all.
After years of trust and betrayal, I learned only one lesson.
In any situation, I must never let my guard down.
Therefore, I’m currently hiding in Albert’s Bookshop, monitoring and observing the troublemaker Mr. Felix. Of course, I got the old man’s cooperative consent.
Current time: 7 PM.
The time when darkness had just fallen.
The lights in the general store went out, and Felix locked the store door.
He looked around and came out of the alley, walking in the opposite direction from our house.
“Where is he going?”
I stealthily moved my feet and followed behind Felix.
For reference, my tailing skills are quite useful. This is all thanks to the scoundrel Mr. Felix.
‘As expected, it seems like he’s going to the gambling den at Hans’ House. What labor—it was money earned from gambling.’
If that were the case, it would rather be fortunate. Gambling was a hundred times better than getting involved in suspicious crimes or fraud.
I think this is the first time I’m tailing Felix when he’s not drunk. But Mr. Felix is so careless that there’s no way he’d notice my tailing.
However, he was particularly vigilant today.
Not only did he stop every few steps to look around, but he even went back the way he came or took detours.
As if shaking off someone’s tail.
However, I’m Felix’s one and only little sister who can tell how drunk he is by the sound of his footsteps. So I won’t be fooled by clumsy fake movements.
After following him around the village for about an hour—.
Whoosh!
Mr. Felix, who had passed Hans’ House, instantly disappeared in the direction of the Monster’s Domain.
“Huh…?”
I was dumbfounded.
“Don’t tell me Felix went to the Monster’s Domain without even drinking?”
At this time too?
Monsters are active from early evening until deep into the night. That’s why not only Felix but even the Imperial Army doesn’t go near the Monster’s Domain in the evening.
Especially on days like today when there’s a full moon, monsters are known to become violent…
“No way, he couldn’t have gone to the Monster’s Domain.”
Our Felix is a coward.
It seems like Mr. Felix noticed I was tailing him since he’s sane for once in a while.
“This is bad. Where did he go?”
Should I search taverns or gambling dens?
Just as I turned my steps.
Thud—!
My face collided hard with a black wall. Who would have thought a wall would suddenly appear in mid-air.
I rubbed my throbbing forehead and lifted my dumbfounded face.
“I apologize, Miss Hazel.”
A dark voice that didn’t suit Ruden Village.
It was the voice of the handsome man who had turned the village upside down today.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————