(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 86

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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 86

The elders having a plan… If there really was such a thing, we wouldn’t have been suffering all this time…

‘But maybe Felix is really telling the truth.’

These days, Felix’s words have been strangely accurate about everything.

I wanted to believe that.

But even so, it didn’t make all my worries disappear.

“Felix… but you know what.”

As I cautiously began to speak, Felix immediately cut me off as if he had anticipated what I was going to say.

“Yeah, no. That’s unnecessary worry.”

“You won’t even let me say anything…”

“If I listen and it turns out to be pointless worry, I’ll pinch your nose.”

“Ah, no. That hurts.”

Felix poked the center of my forehead with his index finger. His eyes grew seriously serious.

“Whatever you’re worrying about, it’s not that, so just let it go.”

“…”

I also wanted to think positively like Felix said, but I just couldn’t.

I kept moving my lips for a while before finally spitting out the words that had been swirling in my throat.

“Today’s incident, could it have happened because of me… Ow!”

Felix pinched my nose painfully as if he had been waiting for it.

Until my head went completely white.

“I told you it’s not, you really don’t listen.”

“…”

“Even if by some chance that were true, it would be Axel’s fault for not handling things properly, never your fault. Don’t blame yourself strangely.”

***

‘Felix, why are you pinching Hazel when she’s so precious you wouldn’t hurt her even if you put her in your eye?’

‘She’s worrying that the Lord is acting this way because of her.’

‘That deserved a pinch… Pinch her once more for my sake too.’

‘Felix! Where do you get off pinching a child when there’s nowhere on Hazel that deserves pinching!’

‘She’s… (omitted below)…’

‘Give her a light tap on the head too. Gently so it doesn’t hurt.’

‘Felix, who are you to tap Hazel on the head!’

‘(Below)… (omitted)…’

‘Still, the head tap was too much. Cook one less strip of bacon tomorrow.’

‘That’s even worse!’

On the way back to the general store, I encountered Anna, Uncle Paul, and Monica in turn, and they all scolded me.

Thanks to that, I even got tapped on the head by Felix. It didn’t hurt at all, but I felt a little wronged.

The adults had their fun teasing me, then headed toward Uncle Franz’s workshop with quite determined expressions.

I thought I saw Baron at the end of that path, but it must have been my imagination.

Baron isn’t in the village today.

‘I’ll briefly go down to the foot of the mountain on an errand for the elders. It won’t take long.’

‘Return safely. Though I’m sure you will without me saying so.’

‘When I get back, shall we have a real date this time?’

‘There’s no cafe here, you know? No theater either.’

‘No pistachio rose-flavored ice cream either?’

‘Well… Maria will make chocolate-flavored ice cream now that it’s summer.’

‘I think the dishes I make using the cookbook I received as a gift today would go well with chocolate ice cream.’

‘…’

‘Shall we paint here while eating lunch boxes and ice cream?’

‘You’ve already finished all the commissioned paintings.’

‘You can paint as a hobby too, and you’ll become famous now, so you need to prepare for a solo exhibition.’

Baron has such strange overlapping thought patterns with Felix.

…

There it is again.

While I was off guard, Baron’s handsome face took over my mind. I thought this only happened at night, but it’s happening at all hours, which is troublesome.

I stopped sweeping the entrance with the broom and shook my head. Felix, who was cleaning glass bottles, rolled his eyes as if exasperated.

“Hazel.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Are you shaking your hair out in advance to sweep it away?”

“Of course. I work quite efficiently, you know.”

“You are like that.”

“Good that you know.”

Felix chuckled and continued cleaning the glass bottles with squeaking sounds, then called my name in a subtly low tone.

“Hazel.”

“What now.”

“You said Count Cedric saved you.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Be careful. Don’t fall for his handsome face.”

“…?”

I stared quietly at Felix’s profile with a face that said ‘what kind of bizarre thing are you saying.’

But Felix didn’t stop his opened mouth.

“Even if he’s kind to you, just think that’s how he originally is. Men who are kind to everyone aren’t good husband material anyway. You can’t trust those with glossy faces.”

“?????”

Everything coming out of Felix’s mouth was strange from start to finish.

He did this with Axel too – hasn’t this guy cured his pathological lying yet?

Lines that delinquent Felix would say were flowing from the mouth of Felix, who I thought had come to his senses.

“You understood what I said properly, right? You especially need to be wary of Count Cedric. If you don’t keep your wits about you, you’ll be enchanted and…”

“Felix…”

I opened and closed my mouth in bewilderment, not knowing where to start or end my rebuttal.

First of all, Count Cedric isn’t originally kind.

Though he has an image of being a compassionate hero, that’s just rumors circulating among people who haven’t actually met him.

The people of Ruden Village, who have encountered the Count relatively often, all know that he’s actually someone who is equally indifferent to everyone.

Second, a man who is only kind to me would be even worse husband material.

After marriage, when passionate love cools and true nature is revealed, it becomes more troublesome than a man who is kind to everyone.

…

Wait, how do I know this?

I didn’t hear it from the adults, but it seems ingrained in my mind as if it’s natural…

Anyway, lastly, I don’t fall for glossy faces. My ideal type is firmly a dirt potato.

Though my ideal type has been shaking a bit lately, it might be because someone keeps appearing with dirt smeared on their face, causing my brain nerves to go into confusion.

I was too tired to go on at length with words, so I decided to use a simpler method.

Fists are faster than words, after all.

“That’s enough now.”

“Oof.”

Felix, who had his mouth covered by my hand in an instant, drooped his eyebrows as if feeling wronged.

“You can’t go around saying things like that carelessly. If someone hears you, they’ll think your brother has gone back to being a scoundrel.”

“Mmph, mph!”

“You need to be careful even when you’re just talking to me. You know how many customers our shop gets these days.”

Not today though.

Tax day is always like this. It’s the day everyone locks up their empty pockets.

So I thought we’d only have flies buzzing around until closing time—.

Ring, ring.

The fish-shaped bell spun around as the shop door opened.

I glared at Felix with a look that said ‘See, a customer came. What would have happened if you hadn’t been careful with your words,’ and called out in a welcoming voice.

“Welcome! This is Golden Goods. Is there something you’re looking for…?”

…for?

I was so surprised that I couldn’t even finish my sentence and just stared blankly at the entering customer.

Count Cedric.

He was entering the shop, removing his Imperial Army cap and running his fingers through his fine golden hair.

‘Why would the Count visit our shop?’

Count Cedric does visit Ruden Village for purification water, but he doesn’t buy purification water from our shop.

That’s because he leads his army directly into the Monster’s Domain to draw purification water himself.

So in the past 3 or 4 years since he started visiting Ruden Village, he had never once stopped by Golden Goods…

‘See you later.’

Could it be that he came to see me?

Why? Did I do something wrong? I don’t think that’s it though?

My head became complicated and I couldn’t open my mouth to say anything, just rolling my eyes around and around.

Count Cedric also kept his mouth heavily shut, scanning the shop interior as if searching it while stepping inside.

It’s nothing new, but he really is a rare handsome man. There’s a good reason why all the villagers used to pick Count Cedric as the Empire’s greatest handsome man before Baron appeared.

Just before the Count approached the counter, Felix stepped in front of me as if to hide me.

“Hazel, stay behind me.”

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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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