(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 69

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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 69

Right after Axel made his bombshell declaration that he wouldn’t marry and disappeared, Count Cromwell summoned his friends to interrogate them about the reason.

‘What? You’re saying the reason Axel keeps going to Ruden Village to collect taxes is because he’s hiding a lover there?’

‘Rather than a lover… it seems more like Axel is the only one with feelings…’

‘That can’t be. There are plenty of women in Cromwell Castle who like my son just for his looks alone. Just how pretty must she be to turn the head of Axel, who never once glanced at a woman before?’

Even in his mid-twenties, Axel had never had a fiancée, let alone touched a lowly maid useful for silencing.

He was so strangely problem-free when it came to women that there were times when homosexuality was suspected.

It was fortunate that he liked women, but who would have thought he’d keep a lover outside Cromwell Castle.

‘She is… pretty… She’s as beautiful as Axel’s fiancée.’

‘No, depending on taste, that devil’s child might be prettier.’

‘Devil’s child?’

‘Ah… she came to Cromwell Castle 15 years ago fleeing the civil war, but was branded as a devil’s child and fled to Ruden Village. Because her hair is ash-colored and her eyes are yellow.’

‘Axel likes such a girl?’

‘It seems like he might like her out of pity, but we’re not really sure either.’

A pitiful, lowly-born, beautiful woman.

Count Cromwell had a history of touching such women himself, so he wasn’t entirely unable to understand that taste.

For a man with power, there was no toy more entertaining than such women.

But he still couldn’t understand his son.

He should go ahead with the marriage and keep that lowly wench as a mistress.

When he asked his son’s friends about this, their response was absurd.

‘She told Axel she didn’t want to be a mistress, so it might be because of that.’

‘Ha.’

Despite her low status, she couldn’t even know her place. She was indeed a wench worthy of having an affair with his foolish son.

Having made this judgment, Count Cromwell sent his mistress and her friends to Ruden Village.

Around the same time, he received reports that That Woman’s Brother was up to something suspicious, so he didn’t forget to send scouts along as well.

However, he had no idea that Axel’s fiancée would be mixed in among them.

Count Cromwell held his mistress, who was younger than his son, in his arms and sighed deeply. The mistress cunningly whispered while stroking the lord’s beard.

“That devil’s child is no ordinary girl. It seems like she’s not just meeting Axel… Anyway, I can’t understand how these lowly women think.”

“What? She’s even promiscuous?”

“Exactly. I’m worried she might get pregnant with some lowly man’s seed and claim it’s Axel’s.”

“…This is serious. I need to take action before it’s too late.”

The mistress smiled charmingly and whispered in his ear.

“That’s a wise thought. Actually, my uncle…”

The lord’s eyes gleamed wickedly as he listened to the whisper. A smile revealing his base nature crept across his face.

“That’s quite a clever plan.”

“Do you think so? I’ll speak well to my uncle about it. Please don’t worry, my lord.”

“Your uncle is truly useful. Not only did he connect me with a ‘real wizard,’ but he’s also taking care of troublesome obstacles on his own.”

“I’m just happy that my uncle can be of help to you, my lord.”

The lord’s lips twisted unpleasantly as he tried to suppress his laughter. He didn’t dislike transparent flattery.

“Good, let’s proceed as quickly as possible.”

***

Early in the morning, I lay in bed holding the picture in the pendant up to the sunlight.

“Hah…”

A sigh escaped me naturally.

I thought I might see something more in bright light, but it was hopeless.

‘How am I supposed to draw this? Should I say I can’t do it even now?’

As I kept staring at the picture while getting ready for work, I strangely grew attached to it.

A stubborn desire to somehow draw this mysterious boy began to boil up.

Even more so—

‘Why does he look familiar?’

Maybe because I’d been staring at it so much, I was even having this illusion.

‘Does he resemble Baron a bit?’

Even with most of the paint peeled off, the unbroken nose bridge, sharp jawline, and eyebrows that looked straight ahead with strength were like that.

‘The area around his eyes also seems a bit reddish…’

Whatever the case, if this boy was Black Hand himself, he would be as handsome as Baron.

“I don’t know. I’ll just draw him as a handsome man.”

Even though potatoes come in diverse varieties, handsome men all look similar. If I draw while thinking of Baron’s childhood, who’s like a specimen of handsome men, it should turn out decent.

I snapped the pendant shut with a click and slipped it into my skirt pocket.

Today I’d practice by roughly sketching the impression in my sketchbook, and start the real painting tomorrow.

“Felix is sleeping like he doesn’t know the world exists.”

The sound of Felix’s snoring tickled my ears.

Seeing how his snoring was worse than usual, his insistence that he wasn’t tired must have just been bravado.

“What a fool.”

I smiled contentedly and prepared breakfast for Felix to eat when he woke up.

Monica had taught me a sandwich recipe that even I could make deliciously.

Cut a baguette in half, spread a spoonful of softly melted butter on one side, spread a spoonful of the basil sauce Monica gave me on the other side. Put four slices of ham between the bread and it’s done.

“It looks like something’s missing…”

I glared at the sandwich with uneasy eyes, then shook my head. I remembered Monica’s advice.

‘Kids who can’t cook always ignore what they’re told to do and do what they’re told not to do, then ruin everything.’

When the ingredients are good, simple is best. Butter 1, sauce 1, ham 4. I recalled her advice not to deviate from the formula even slightly as I cut the sandwich in half.

“Good, it’ll be delicious.”

No fire used, no knife used, and I followed instructions well.

I didn’t make any of the bread, ham, sauce, or butter myself, but that’s why it would be delicious. It had to be delicious.

I wrapped half the sandwich in cloth and put it in my basket. There was stew left in the pot, so Felix wouldn’t lack for food.

“Felix, I’m going now.”

I approached Felix, who was still sleeping soundly, and waved my hand.

There was a round drool stain on the fluffy new blanket. Under the slightly slipped blanket, I could see new shoes keeping their place neatly.

New blanket, new shoes.

A proud smile spread across my weary cheeks.

When I finish the painting Black Hand commissioned, I’ll earn a bunch of silver coins again, so this time I’ll make up some excuse to buy him lots of new clothes. Felix would cut quite a figure if he dressed up.

As I was quietly looking at his foolish cheeks that looked exactly like mine, something black caught between his hair and shirt collar caught my eye.

“…Is that a feather?”

A black feather, vivid and alone as if it had absorbed all the dim, pale colors.

A crow couldn’t have suddenly entered the house, and as I tilted my head in puzzlement, Felix suddenly tossed and turned.

The feather that fluttered up slipped into his embrace.

‘Well, it’s probably nothing to worry about.’

I thought of it as nothing significant and was about to look away from Felix—

“Hah…”

This foolish brother of mine.

As he turned his body and bent his knees, his feet, now visible on the opposite side of the sofa, caught my eye.

His toes and soles were covered with dark scabs and unhealed scratches.

After a quiet sigh, my throat tightened. I bit my rolled lips and reached my hand into his shoe.

I felt rough socks in my hand. When I pulled them straight out, gray socks stained with patches of blood were revealed.

“Why…”

If it’s hard, say it’s hard. If it hurts, say it hurts.

Why won’t this fool speak up.

The space between my eyebrows crumpled tightly. Strength pressed firmly between my clenched teeth.

It was a reflex action to stop the tear ducts that seemed ready to burst at any moment.

‘I need to go to Monica and get some medicine first.’

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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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