(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 84

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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 84

I take back what I said about life being fun.

Someone once said you shouldn’t carelessly say things like “life is fun” or “I’m happy.”

My mood, which had been floating on cloud nine just an hour ago, came crashing down to the ground.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“We have orders from Lord Cromwell to search your home. Please cooperate quietly.”

“So what’s the reason? I haven’t committed any crimes, so why are you searching my house?”

“It’s Lord’s orders. He told us to search every single house without exception.”

“This is ridiculous. On tax collection days, you just take the taxes and leave. What else is there to do but rummage around looking for more things to steal!”

“If you resist like this, we’ll have no choice but to use force.”

“Go ahead. Try it. Rookies like you who’ve never properly swung a sword – I can handle you without any tools.”

“Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

“What the hell is this chicken?”

“Cooook!!”

I swallowed a stunned breath as I watched the situation unfold in front of Monica’s house.

A surprise inspection.

No matter how much absolute power a lord wielded in a small village, arbitrarily ransacking houses for plunder was something even lords from 200 years ago wouldn’t do.

That’s why Monica, who usually follows the lord’s orders, was desperately blocking them.

Moreover, there were four soldiers who had visited her house.

They weren’t even properly dressed in military uniforms, and their posture was loose like thugs – they seemed like untrained soldiers, but they could never defeat Monica and Kokko.

For reference, Kokko is a brave combat chicken. She wasn’t originally raised for that purpose, but grew up that way on her own. She probably takes after her owner.

I looked toward the shop and swallowed nervously.

Our house doesn’t have any valuable items, but the shop has many. The label printer alone is worth more than 100 silver coins.

But since Felix left 45 minutes earlier, he should be guarding the shop.

I suddenly felt grateful that Felix had hidden the money from the house and shop somewhere. As if he had known something like this would happen.

….

No, he didn’t know.

There was no mention of this during dinner yesterday evening.

‘Hazel, Axel won’t be coming to collect taxes tomorrow, but if you’re still worried, don’t go to work.’

‘How does Felix know that?’

‘Actually, Axel came to see me the day before yesterday. He said he covered up everything that happened that day, and told his father not to touch you. And he asked me to tell you he’s sorry.’

‘Did Axel really say that?’

‘Yeah. He said he’d make sure to stay out of your sight from now on.’

I should have argued that Axel’s words couldn’t be trusted, but somehow I couldn’t.

The Axel who had appeared in my dreams every single day for several days was so ridiculously gentle that it might have caused me to have misconceptions about Axel’s character.

‘I came out feeling relieved because Axel supposedly wouldn’t come… but I never expected something like this to happen.’

Lord Cromwell had cunningly exploited the village until now, but never so unreasonably as this time.

That’s why the villagers followed along despite their displeasure. The lord’s method was to cut off the seeds of rebellion with minimal justification.

So the current approach was very unlike Lord Cromwell. It was the kind of mistake only the stupid Axel would make.

Monica knew this, which is why she was boldly resisting.

The soldiers weren’t used to this kind of situation either, so they couldn’t be too aggressive.

Sure enough, the soldiers only threatened with words and didn’t even grab their sword hilts. A wise choice.

The moment they drew their swords, Kokko would fly up and peck at their eyes with her beak.

I watched the tense standoff and picked up a sturdy branch that had fallen on the ground.

Monica, who spotted me, shook her head. She was telling me not to get involved.

I had no intention of rashly stepping in and making things worse either. This was just a minimal defense in case of emergency.

“Ma’am, we’ll just take a quick look, so please open the door for a moment?”

“Seriously, I don’t know what’s wrong with the people in this village. We’re not here to plunder, so what’s so offensive? Do the lord’s orders sound like bullshit to you?”

“Exactly. What could there be to take in this shabby house anyway.”

The soldiers, tired of the standoff, openly revealed their thug-like nature. It was truly fitting for Cromwell Castle’s ragtag army.

Just as Monica was responding to their sarcasm with a snort—

“Tsk tsk, are you having trouble because you can’t subdue one woman?!”

A middle-aged man’s voice came from down the hill.

It was the Cromwell Castle official who had recently come to Ruden Village after hearing the tip from Gwen’s fifth cousin.

“Everyone’s discipline is so slack. Hurry up and follow the lord’s orders!”

Behind him stood two soldiers heavily armed in ridiculous armor that medieval knights might wear. Their eyes visible under their helmets were filled with military discipline.

However, Monica raised her sharp voice as if she wasn’t afraid of even the official and the heavily armed soldiers.

“Please tell us first why the lord is doing this. A house search without any reason – isn’t this too much?”

The official’s rigid lips twisted open. His tone suggested he found it bothersome to even explain.

“We received a tip that there’s a spy for the black magic rebels in Ruden Village.”

Monica’s eyebrows furrowed menacingly.

“What nonsense are you talking about…?”

I nodded in agreement. Black magic rebels in Ruden Village? It was such an absurd false accusation that I didn’t even feel like defending against it.

“The lord didn’t intend to start with house searches right away. He infiltrated two of his subordinates into Ruden Village, but they disappeared shortly after. That’s why he’s certain.”

“…!”

As we listened to the official’s story, Monica and I made eye contact simultaneously. We were both definitely thinking the same thing.

The day after I nearly had a terrible experience on the mountain.

Those thieves who tried to rob our shop.

He seemed to be talking about them.

For reference, the thieves were dragged to Uncle Franz’s cottage, but officially they were quietly released into the mountains.

So Uncle Franz wouldn’t face any trouble from this search.

However, if my guess is correct…

Lord Cromwell hasn’t given up on threatening me.

Only his methods have changed.

Sure enough, the official stared directly at me standing behind them and wagged his bright red tongue.

“And I heard rumors that some people in the village are selling illegal items and generating unsavory profits. We’re going to confiscate all suspicious items and take them to the lord’s castle.”

Monica burst into a hollow laugh as if she found it absurd and diverted the official’s gaze.

“Ha, illegal items? Unsavory profit generation? On what grounds exactly?”

“That’s for the lord to judge.”

The official tilted his head sideways. His eyes looking down at Monica as if to crush her were filled with unconcealed contempt.

Most of the power holders at Cromwell Castle are like this. They don’t even treat our village people as human beings.

“Quickly subdue both noisy women, and search the house thoroughly without missing even a speck of dust.”

As the official gave his order, the soldiers approached to surround Monica and me.

Cooooook!

Just as Kokko screamed and flew up—

“There, what’s going on?”

Clop, clop, clop.

A calm but sharp voice came from the top of the hill along with regular hoofbeats.

Everyone turned their heads in unison, drawn by that dignified voice.

A man riding an elegant white horse dismounted lighter than a feather.

His brilliant blonde hair shattered brilliantly under the sunlight over the dark blue uniform, symbol of the Imperial Army.

The official who recognized him at first glance widened his eyes and shouted.

“C-Count Cedric!!”

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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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