(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 83

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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 83

Under the shade of early summer trees, Baron and I swore we only drew pictures.

This wasn’t a date, and naturally, we didn’t even attempt things like holding hands or anything like that.

But why.

Why…

‘I can’t sleep.’

I even have two lamp flower calyxes stuck on the back of my hand, which are the main ingredient for sleep potions.

Although people from Ruden Village tend to have more resistance to herbs than outsiders, previously two calyxes would make me sleep reasonably well, but today it’s particularly severe.

I quietly closed my eyes and counted sheep, then kicked off the blanket, counted cows, then kicked off the blanket again repeatedly.

It was because Baron kept intruding into the peaceful meadow that should only have sheep and cows.

Even the shepherd clothes that a country bumpkin would wear suited him annoyingly well. No matter how shabbily I dressed him, his appearance still shone through.

‘Did you already wipe it all off?’

‘It was just a little bit…’

‘…Ah.’

‘Rather, I think I’m the one who got syrup on it…’

‘It’s fine.’

‘…’

‘It’s delicious.’

‘Ah, no, why are you licking that.’

Ah, there it is again.

The moment I let my guard down, unwanted memories took over my mind. I rubbed my face against the fluffy pillow and this time summoned goats.

Baby goats bouncing around like colts ran freely through the meadow.

One white goat, one spotted goat, one black goat.

One black Baron.

…

…

Damn, I failed again. This time Baron was lying in the meadow holding a black goat in his arms. With a seductively charming smile that I absolutely couldn’t ignore.

Even the black goat, famous for its nasty temper, was surprisingly docile in Baron’s arms. Baron was capable even in my imagination, which was absurd.

‘The pendant, may I look at it?’

‘Yes…, they want me to restore this boy’s face and draw a portrait, but honestly I don’t know what or how to draw it.’

‘…Ahem, Black Hand did wrong.’

‘No. Black Hand didn’t do anything wrong.’

‘Why not?’

‘The owner of Golden Goods is a slave to money. For that kind of payment, even if they asked me to draw an old man as a child, I should comply without complaint.’

‘Kheuhup.’

‘…Why are you laughing?’

‘May I speak honestly.’

‘Yes, by all means.’

‘You’re like a greedy squirrel…’

‘…’

‘So cute I’m going crazy.’

I sprang up like a spring and kicked off the blanket, then lay back down obediently. It absolutely wasn’t on purpose and was more like a conditioned reflex.

‘Uaaah.’

What other animals besides sheep, cows, and goats could frolic in the meadow.

…

…Horses.

Right, there were horses.

But unfortunately, the muscular horse summoned the muscular Baron faster than ever, and I had no choice but to obediently think of Baron’s quadriceps.

‘This boy looks like me.’

‘I thought so too…, but I’m not sure why. I can’t even see his features properly, but the feeling is somehow…’

‘Did anything else come to mind when you looked at this boy?’

‘…Like what?’

‘Like you’ve met him somewhere before…’

‘I have no idea.’

At that moment, why did Baron’s eyes, which had been excited the entire time he was with me, subtly sink?

Was it my imagination?

Summer hadn’t even ripened yet, but the loneliness of premature autumn settled at the end of his gaze.

That somehow lonely look in his eyes matched very well with the atmosphere of the boy in the pendant.

Ah, right. The unique sentiment that a person creates. Baron and the boy were similar in that aspect.

Others might say what nonsense, but you can’t fool an artist’s eye.

The painting was completed smoothly. Without realizing it, I became absorbed in filling in the features, and a boy with a faint smile was looking straight at me.

The boy was much more youthful than the model and had rounder features, but the relaxed eyebrows, sharp eyes, and the languid yet somehow bitter-looking mouth were exactly Baron’s.

Enough to make me inwardly startled.

‘I’m done drawing.’

‘May I look?’

‘Of course. Will Black Hand be satisfied? I feel a bit guilty because it looks too much like Baron, but Black Hand won’t know Baron so it should be fine, right?’

‘If Black Hand doesn’t like the painting, I’ll buy this picture.’

‘What?’

‘I’ll pay the same price Black Hand offered.’

‘Ah, no. You don’t need to do that. If the customer is unsatisfied, that’s my responsibility.’

‘I guarantee Black Hand will love this painting very much. Let’s trust my judgment and Hazel’s skill.’

‘Alright.’

Baron’s words have a strange power.

Whatever he says confidently seems like it will come true.

I went to bed with such peace of mind… but why…

‘Sleep, please.’

***

“Haeuaeuam.”

7 AM. Having woken up later than usual, I sat at the dining table with half-open eyes and started with a languid yawn.

What time did I fall asleep anyway. At least I don’t think I saw the sunrise. In any case, I’m glad I got at least some sleep.

Felix was about to leave for work alone without waking me, but seeing me get up sluggishly like a bear waking from hibernation, he closed the front door he had opened and came back in.

His hands were full of affection as he reheated yesterday’s leftover stew and tore up white bread and ham to fry in butter.

I looked at Felix’s back as he was excited to have breakfast with me, and muttered apologetically for no reason.

“I can prepare and eat by myself.”

“No. If it weren’t for you, I was going to skip breakfast too. It’s nice to eat together.”

“Why do you skip breakfast.”

“I usually don’t have an appetite in the morning. Back when I was drinking heavily, I skipped breakfast because my stomach was upset from refluxed gastric acid. That’s when I developed the bad habit.”

“…I didn’t know.”

“Of course you didn’t know. I hid it because I was afraid of getting lectured.”

Felix ladled the bubbling stew into my bowl, blowing on it to cool it down. The clear potato stew we eat in summer is one of my favorite foods.

A stew made by boiling chunks of meat and herbs into a clear broth, then adding roughly cut potatoes and boiling it once more.

Even bread that’s dried and hardened on the outside becomes delicious when you dip it gently in the potato stew. Though Felix did spread butter on fresh bread and toast the surface until crispy. These small luxuries are the biggest change lately.

When I scooped up the salty, rich broth and slurped it down my throat, my eyes widened. The fluffy potatoes that had absorbed all the broth’s flavor were exquisite too.

“Wow, this tastes even better than yesterday.”

“I made it myself, but this broth is seriously no joke. I’d eat this even the day after drinking.”

Right. It would be perfect for waking up and amazing as a hangover cure too.

I buried my face in the bowl, eating the stew, when I suddenly muttered.

“Alcohol goes away…”

“…?”

“That’s a new product name that just came to mind…”

Felix’s expression darkened a little when he heard the word “new product.”

Since we’re working overtime every day unable to keep up with the quantity of existing products, he seemed more worried than curious.

‘Get it together, Hazel. Don’t create more work.’

Since I wasn’t unaware of reality either, I added words as if to cover up.

“I was just thinking about it. Just thinking.”

Though I do have these thoughts often lately.

I suppose I’ve gotten hooked on the fun of making new products and selling them in the city.

When I retracted my words, Felix, who had been mumbling and moving his mouth hesitantly, hurriedly spoke up.

“I, I wasn’t giving you hints. It’s fine to make new products. I can just work more overtime! Ha, Hazel can do whatever she wants!”

“I’m already doing everything.”

I wrinkled my nose in a smile and stuffed the buttered bread into Felix’s gaping mouth.

“Really.”

“…”

“I feel like… life is kind of fun these days.”

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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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