(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 56

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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 56

 

The Cromwell official quietly stroked his chin as he observed the young man’s behavior.

 

His eyes gleamed with interest, but that was all. He didn’t seem to take the situation seriously.

 

Soon, he calmly opened his mouth.

 

“It is suspicious, but didn’t you say the person who dug this cave was Felix?”

 

“Y-yes, that’s right. Felix from Golden Goods.”

 

“If it’s that guy, it’s possible. He wasn’t normal even before.”

 

The middle-aged man shook his head back and forth. He seemed to properly remember Felix from his troublemaker days.

 

However, the young man who only knew the recent Felix had a dumbfounded expression.

 

“What? Still… wouldn’t it be good to investigate?”

 

The official answered curtly.

 

“I’ll stop by while patrolling the village, but it doesn’t seem like a serious matter. Well, I’ll report it to the Lord.”

 

“Ah, understood.”

 

“I’ll be going now. There’s nothing good about being seen together, so leave after some time has passed.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

A dejected voice echoed low. Baron and I crouched behind the rock to avoid the middle-aged man’s eyes.

 

His chin touched the top of my head, and my back pressed against his chest.

 

I knew we had no choice but to stick close together because the space was narrow, but…

 

‘You’re too close. I can’t move.’

 

Like a small animal paralyzed with fear, I could barely move a finger. Even breathing wasn’t comfortable.

 

Every time I took a shallow breath, his scent washed over me intensely. The smell was pleasant without any unpleasant lingering notes. The fact that I found it pleasant made me even more troubled.

 

Unaware of my distress, he wrapped one arm around my shoulders protectively.

 

Then, as if belatedly asking for permission, he whispered in my ear.

 

“Just for a moment.”

 

“…”

 

“Someone is approaching.”

 

The sensation of his breath touching my earlobe was so vivid that I could barely hear his words.

 

I clenched my teeth tightly and barely managed to nod.

 

I was trying to separate my mind and body to avoid being conscious of the situation where our bodies were touching, when an irritated voice came from beyond the rock.

 

It was Gwen’s nephew.

 

“Damn it. I need to produce results, but it’s not easy.”

 

Another man who appeared from somewhere echoed his words.

 

“Tell me about it. At this rate, it’ll be hard to get Cromwell Castle residency for life. The people in this village are too kind.”

 

“Exactly. This was all I could find that might catch the Lord’s eye.”

 

My eyebrows furrowed at the malicious conversation. As anger surged, my tension naturally eased.

 

Judging from what happened earlier, Gwen’s nephew and the unnamed man seemed to be Cromwell Castle spies.

 

It appeared that as outsiders increased in the village recently, spies had mixed in among them.

 

‘What ungrateful people. After how well the villagers treated them, they’re acting as the Lord’s spies?’

 

Even this was enough to make my neck stiffen with heat, but the conversation that followed was a spectacle.

 

“But weren’t you pursuing Miss Hazel? And yet you’re reporting on Felix in the middle of that?”

 

“If her brother gets caught, Miss Hazel will need someone to lean on. That’s when I’ll appear with a flourish.”

 

“You crazy bastard. You said Lord Axel seems interested in Miss Hazel too. Even if things go well, won’t you get on his bad side? Lord Axel is getting married next month.”

 

“Hey, you really don’t know anything. For nobles, marriage and womanizing are separate things. A noble’s mistress should be a married woman…”

 

Thud.

 

As if blocking the filthy words from flowing into my ears, Baron covered my ears with his palms.

 

His hands were so thick that I couldn’t hear the vile words, but…

 

Thump thump thump thump.

 

The sound of my agitated heartbeat filled my entire body. My vision blurred dizzily. I felt nauseous with disgust.

 

I wanted to see Felix.

 

But I was glad Felix wasn’t here.

 

Because at this moment, he would have been more heartbroken and angry than me.

 

Baron turned his head to the side and faced me.

 

He looked at me with eyes full of worry, then carefully moved his lips.

 

‘Close your eyes and cover your ears.’

 

As if entranced, I followed his words and closed my eyes and covered my ears. My body shrank accordingly. I felt Baron moving away.

 

A moment later.

 

Baron tapped my shoulder as if waking me up.

 

I gasped for the breath I had been holding and removed my hands from my ears. Everything around was quiet. Only then did I lift my head and look beyond the rock.

 

“…!”

 

Two young men were collapsed in the middle of the mountain path.

 

“I didn’t kill them.”

 

A voice as cold as a blade came from behind me.

 

It sounded regretful that he couldn’t kill them.

 

“Baron, thank you.”

 

“Don’t mention it.”

 

I clenched my teeth tightly and grabbed the rock to stand up. My legs were weak and my knees kept buckling.

 

Watching this, Baron lifted me up in his arms.

 

“Do you want to go closer and look?”

 

“That’s not it…”

 

“…?”

 

“I want to hit them too.”

 

Baron’s eyes curved gently.

 

“That’s a good idea.”

 

“They won’t wake up if I hit them, right?”

 

“I’m not that sloppy in handling things.”

 

“How reliable.”

 

“It’s an honor.”

 

Baron set me down between the collapsed men, then kindly handed me a tree branch.

 

It was called a tree branch, but it was almost club-sized.

 

But I am Hazel, a strong country woman.

 

I don’t need tools to deal with traitors with rags in their mouths.

 

I steadily lowered my upper body and lifted my right leg. Then—

 

Crack!

 

I stomped down between Gwen’s nephew’s legs.

 

Baron burst into hearty laughter and clapped his hands.

 

Encouraged by the support, I lifted my leg once more.

 

***

 

“Hazel, wake up. Let’s have breakfast.”

 

7 AM.

 

Felix, who shook me awake, smiles brightly with a face that knows nothing.

 

Last evening, when I returned home, I couldn’t fall asleep until late into the night.

 

I had hoped Felix would come home early, but he didn’t get off work until after 2 AM.

 

And yet his face looks more refreshed than mine. Felix’s stamina is truly exceptional.

 

“What’s for breakfast today?”

 

“Sweet pumpkin soup and egg omelet.”

 

“Did you put cheese in the omelet?”

 

“I put ham in too.”

 

I got up pretending nothing was wrong and shuffled over to the dining table.

 

Even though delicious food smells were wafting around, my mood didn’t improve.

 

My mouth felt rough and dry as if I’d been chewing sand. My appetite had completely disappeared due to my gloomy sentiments.

 

Felix tilted his head as if examining my complexion and poked my cheek with his index finger.

 

“What’s wrong? Did something upset you?”

 

“Felix…”

 

I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

 

I was at a loss for where to even begin explaining.

 

But even if just as a warning, I couldn’t keep quiet about this matter. Baron agreed with this as well.

 

As I kept my gaze lowered on the butternut squash soup and only moved my lips slightly, Felix tried to ease the tension with a playful tone.

 

“Does the soup smell like onions by any chance? They said if you sauté and grind them well, it wouldn’t be noticeable…”

 

I let out a small laugh at his nonsensical comment that was completely off-topic.

 

“What are you even talking about? Why would there be onions in butternut squash soup?”

 

“It was a joke.”

 

Felix grinned and pulled his chair over next to mine. Though his face was all smiles, only his eyes were serious.

 

“Hazel, whatever it is, if you have something you want to say, go ahead. I’ll listen to everything.”

 

“Well…”

 

In the end, I left out all the talk about the government and such, and only briefly told him that Cromwell Castle spies were watching him.

 

But it was fine. Those guys would be clutching their aching groins and trapped in the hunters’ snares by now. That was Baron’s idea, by the way.

 

“…Anyway, I think it would be good to be careful.”

 

Felix showed no sign of surprise even after hearing what I said. He simply nodded calmly as if he had already suspected as much.

 

“I didn’t know the Lord was involved too, so I’ll have to be more careful.”

 

“That’s a good idea.”

 

Still, after confiding in Felix, my appetite returned a little.

 

Just as we were about to wrap up our conversation and start eating, Felix’s expression hardened completely as he asked.

 

“Hazel, that bastard bothered you, didn’t he.”

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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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