(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 58
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 58
The owner of Benu wears a generous and kind mask, but his nature isn’t truly gentle.
He has virtually no emotional fluctuations, so the closer you look, the less human he seems.
‘The Mayor smiled three times today for no reason at all.’
That same man was starting to look just a little more human.
It was a change that occurred after his trip to Ruden.
His aide casually asked.
“Mayor, did something good happen in Ruden by any chance?”
Lucas blinked his blue eyes clearly. Rolling the words ‘something good’ around in his mouth for a moment, he answered obediently.
“Yes.”
“I see.”
The aide smiled warmly and didn’t ask further. Lucas Aden only answers necessary questions with necessary responses, so he never speaks nonsense. The same goes for lies.
That’s why he seems even less human, but the aide trusted such a master greatly.
But then Lucas hesitated for a moment, then began rambling about personal matters completely unrelated to work. It was quite unusual.
“I met a truly fascinating person in Ruden. Interesting, clever, diligent, pure and good…, a perfect human ideal that made me think ‘if the world had only people like this, I’d never be tired’ was hidden away in Ruden. I was quite surprised.”
“…?”
The aide’s mouth slowly fell open. His speechless lips trembled weakly.
Lucas continued his praise of this ‘fascinating person’ without caring about his aide’s dumbfounded expression.
Answering questions that weren’t even asked was truly rare – something that had never happened once in the aide’s 15-year career.
“They even have great character. When most humans get their hands on a large sum of money they’ve never touched before, they squander it on gambling or luxury, but to use that money to purchase new equipment and reinvest in business – I was secretly impressed. I thought Kaiden was overestimating them, but meeting them in person, I realized I had underestimated them.”
“…”
Lucas Aden evaluating another person this positively?
The aide’s lost eyes shook frantically left and right. He was confused. He almost doubted whether the man before him was really the Lucas Aden he knew.
But regardless of personal impressions, the person Lucas met in Ruden was indeed a talent that even he found appealing.
He was about to suggest bringing them to Benu to work immediately, when a conversation the Bashar Merchant Guild employees had exchanged a few days ago flashed through his mind.
‘The Mayor was fine. Though he did disappear on his own in the middle. Fortunately Miss Hazel found him…, ah, never mind.’
‘Who is Miss Hazel?’
‘The owner of Golden Sundries Shop. The one who made Sleep Tight and Sleep Well.’
‘Plus she’s incredibly beautiful. A rare level even in Benu.’
Miss Hazel of Golden Sundries Shop.
The aide had heard stories about her and let them go in one ear and out the other.
Because his master had never shown interest in any woman before.
No matter how outstanding their beauty or how spirited they were, it wasn’t enough to catch Lucas Aden’s eye.
‘Could it be…’
The aide’s mind worked cleverly. The puzzle pieces clicked together in his head and a light bulb flashed on.
He calmed his excited heart and casually asked his master.
“Is that fascinating person Miss Hazel from Golden Sundries Shop?”
Lucas immediately nodded. A faint smile spread across his lips.
The aide didn’t miss that subtle change in expression.
‘Yes, this is it.’
Lucas Aden showing interest in a woman.
Finally…!
It was the moment the aide’s lifelong wish came true.
In fact, it wasn’t just the aide who hoped Lucas Aden would have a wife and children. It was practically the wish of all Benu citizens.
They simply hoped that children who looked just like their respected Mayor would inherit Benu and lead the city as he does now.
The aide was so overjoyed he forgot his dignity and stamped his feet.
In his excitement, he confused speculation with hope and spoke up.
“Did you perhaps go all the way to Ruden to meet her?”
Lucas tilted his head at the somewhat far-fetched question.
Going all that way just to meet one woman. It was absurd.
But when he thought about it, it wasn’t entirely wrong.
After secretly meeting with Count Heidel near Cromwell Castle, he had specifically stopped by Ruden Village to meet the owner of Golden Sundries Shop.
And that meeting had indeed exceeded expectations.
“It’s hard to answer yes to that, but this was the greater gain.”
Lucas recalled Hazel’s expression when she thrust the chicken’s beak at his face and burst into hearty laughter.
Seeing that carefree laugh, the aide clasped his hands together like a young girl.
The moment he rushed out of the office, his chest fluttered with thoughts of making a fuss to the other aides.
While the aide was distracted by other thoughts, Lucas’s eyes grew seriously calm.
He gazed at the lamp flame beaded with purification water dew and spoke quietly.
“How is the ownership investigation of the Ruvark Mountain Range proceeding?”
The aide’s shoulders twitched at the sudden change of topic.
“Ah, as you predicted, Mayor, most of it belongs to Benu or is land of the vanished Shire Family.”
“As expected.”
Lucas polished his glasses with a soft cloth, making squeaking sounds.
It was to see the lamp flame that reminded him of someone more clearly.
His blue eyes showed clearly through the transparent lenses without a single scratch.
These were the eyes of the ‘owner of Benu’ that his aide trusted without question.
“There shouldn’t be any obstacles to direct trade between Benu and Ruden.”
***
Squeak-, squeak.
On a leisurely afternoon, the sound of cleaning glass bottles repeatedly echoed under the warm sunlight.
My brother and I were cleaning bottles like machines, our heads tilted 45 degrees to the right.
Precise hand movements without an inch of error.
Empty gazes with half-lost focus.
Even the occasional sighs.
“Hah…”
“Whew…”
We were the very image of workers bored and weary from repetitive tasks.
When we were too busy to breathe, we didn’t even think about being bored, but the moment we had a little breathing room, it became tedious. People are so fickle.
It would be less boring if we changed work processes, but alternating between various processes reduces time efficiency. It’s something I learned painfully while making 384 Sleep Tights and 392 Sleep Wells over 5 days.
So today we had no choice but to clean glass bottles all day long.
I kept my gaze fixed on the wood grain pattern on the floor and habitually asked my brother.
“Felix, how many are left?”
“You know you asked that question 15 minutes ago?”
“Only that much time has passed.”
I thought at least 30 minutes had gone by.
“I’m surprised too. For reference, we need to clean 100 more before we can clock out.”
“Isn’t it 200?”
“Why ask when you already know.”
Just because. My mouth was itching to talk.
My neck, which had been bent to the right, made a creaking sound as it bent to the left. My brother must have changed the direction he was holding his head with me, as I heard a groaning sound beside me.
“Ugh, my neck is stiff.”
I burst into laughter. Still, it was good working with my brother. Thinking that I could have done all this work alone made me feel dizzy.
“Felix.”
“What now.”
“I just called out to try it.”
Because when I call, Felix answers.
“How bland.”
Felix rolled his eyes and snatched the glass bottle from my hand. Then he placed a newspaper in front of me.
“If you’re that bored, at least read the newspaper. It’ll be nice for my ears too, so I won’t be bored.”
“Should I?”
I picked up the newspaper without complaint. I was thinking of doing something else for 10 minutes, then doing a baton touch with Felix.
I was scanning the newspaper articles with my eyes to choose one to read to Felix—
“Oh my…”
One article caught my eye.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
