(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 82

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 82

“This isn’t a date.”

“I know.”

In the middle of painting, Baron nodded with a face full of laughter at my firm declaration.

He said he knew, but his expression said otherwise.

“So don’t make that face.”

“What kind of face am I making?”

“Well…”

I trailed off for a while before biting my lower lip.

My gaze dropped to wildflowers blooming among the weeds. They happened to be pink flowers.

Just like Baron today.

His eyes, the look in his eyes when they met mine, my face reflected in his pupils—everything was pink.

That’s why I didn’t like it.

I pressed my lips firmly together and raised my gaze with my brow furrowed tight.

As if he’d been waiting for me to meet his eyes, his entangled gaze urgently burrowed into mine.

The moment our gazes completely overlapped, his eyes and lips curved in opposite directions.

It was the innocent smile of a simple country boy, completely unsuited to the dangerous city man Baron.

‘He really won’t listen.’

I just told him not to make that face, and here he goes again.

Again, again, again—why does he keep doing this?

It’s not like he’s trying to seduce me… well, maybe he is. But this isn’t fair play.

Making that face, looking at me like I’m the only one in the world, smiling so innocently—that’s cheating.

I swear, it’s not that my taste for potato-like men has changed.

But there exists in this world at least one perfect subject who can shake your preferences to their very foundation.

And unfortunately, such a man was hovering right in front of me, so I couldn’t help but feel confused.

‘This won’t do. I need to stop looking at his face.’

When I squeezed my eyes shut, a long breath finally burst out. I hadn’t realized I’d been holding my breath.

I buried my head in the paper as if diving into the painting and focused solely on drawing for a while.

His persistent gaze pierced through the paper and pricked at my cheeks.

At first I thought it was my imagination, but the moment I peeked just my right eye out from behind the easel, our gazes met immediately. I jumped in surprise and hid my face behind the paper again.

‘This is trouble…’

To complete the painting, I need to look at Baron’s face.

But if I look at Baron’s face, I can’t paint.

Caught in this dilemma, all I could do was make the black background even blacker.

Ah, I really don’t know why I’m acting like this.

Today’s Baron is really, truly, so, maddeningly troublesome.

While I was fidgeting around, pretending to paint, Baron casually spoke to me.

“Miss Hazel.”

He’d only called my name, but my ears felt itchy. My earlobes seemed to grow hot too.

“Yeeees…?”

My throat constricted and my voice trembled like a goat’s. Just as I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole, my pencil lead snapped.

I wanted to cry. Baron’s voice from above my head sounded so refreshing, which made it worse.

“Snack.”

Bacon dangled down like a rope between my forehead and the paper. It was Carson’s ambitious creation, his new bacon. The sweet smell tickled my nose pleasantly.

‘Why is this appearing here?’

I let out an absurd laugh. How did he even know I liked this bacon?

Following the long strip of bacon with my eyes, I saw him looking down at me, barely suppressing his laughter.

The movement of muscles trying to pull down his mouth corners was quite displeasing.

“Carson told me this is what Miss Hazel likes. Have a snack first. I’ll sharpen the pencil.”

He snatched the pencil from my hand and tucked the bacon into the empty space.

Like a child receiving candy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the bacon before taking a bite from the end.

It was so sweet my tongue tingled.

***

“When you go on dates, what would you like to do?”

Scrape scrape scrape—

Baron asked naturally while sharpening the pencil.

It was so natural I thought we were obviously a couple planning to date.

Munch munch munch—

So I naturally let the question slide by, pretending not to hear. Fortunately, I had bacon in my mouth.

But Baron wasn’t an easy opponent after all.

“Even if it’s not with me, you’ll date someone eventually.”

“…”

That’s true. I should. I don’t want to finish life without ever going on a single date.

“Just tell me casually about your dreams or something.”

“…”

Dreams… dreams, huh…

Come to think of it, I’ve never thought about it.

Contrary to having firm preferences for my ideal type, I seem to have no taste when it comes to dating.

Maribel liked going on outings to the lake with her husband, and Sara…

Our bold Sara liked calling her (current) husband (former) boyfriend to the watermill in the middle of the night.

I don’t know what history unfolded there. The girls with boyfriends whispered among themselves and didn’t tell me. They said Hazel is still pure so she doesn’t need to know, but I know everything I need to know.

…Don’t I?

When I couldn’t even answer this and just hemmed and hawed, kind Baron brought up the topic first.

“In the city, when people become lovers, they usually meet at a cafe, go see a play, have dinner at a nice restaurant, then part ways. It’s natural for a gentleman to escort the lady home.”

Listening to his story, it seemed like a scene from a romance novel set in the city. I thought it only happened in novels, but it was interesting to know it actually happens in real life too.

“You seem to know a lot about it, so you must have done it often.”

But contrary to my innocent thoughts, a spiteful response popped out. I don’t know why I’m acting like this.

Realizing my mistake, I watched him anxiously. Fortunately, he didn’t look upset.

He just looked quite…

Wronged. Uncharacteristically so.

He drooped his eyebrows and protested.

“I’ve never done it once. What I mentioned earlier is just common knowledge a gentleman should know.”

“Hmm…”

With that face and this body, he’s never been on a date? Does that make sense?

It was quite suspicious, but somehow it didn’t seem like a lie.

When I remained unconvinced, he glanced at me with a hurt expression and continued calmly.

“This is also the first time in my life I’ve asked someone on a date.”

“…Really?”

His chin swayed gently with the rustling early summer breeze.

Sunlight pouring through the tree leaves created leaf-shaped shadows on his handsome face.

The tip of his lips, positioned in the center of the vivid shadows on both cheeks, curved softly. Though it’s nothing new, even the ratio of his upper and lower lips and the curvature of his lip line are perfect.

When he gently opened his eyes that had been squinting from the sunlight, his jewel-like eyes sparkled beautifully.

Under the green foliage, Baron’s red eyes and lips were like ripe fruit.

I don’t know.

Maybe that’s why I wanted to touch them.

My unconsciously extended hand was drawn almost to his lips before stopping abruptly.

Coming to my senses, I awkwardly curled my hand into a fist. My fingertips touching my palm were sticky. I had reached out without even wiping off the bacon syrup.

My flustered eyes wavered aimlessly. My hand hung suspended in midair, unable to move forward or retreat.

Fortunately, Baron was a gentleman.

A gentleman who knew how to spare a lady—though I’m not a lady—from embarrassment.

He gazed intently at my frozen fingers and asked casually.

As if he knew nothing at all.

“Is there something on my lips?”

“Ah, yes…”

“Would you wipe it off for me?”

“I was going to, but I realized there’s syrup on my hand…”

Just as I was about to seize the opportunity and discreetly pull my hand back, his handsome face followed along.

“I don’t mind.”

“…”

Gentleman, I take it back.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————