(Risking My Life) Proposing to Miss Hazel - Chapter 97

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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 97

“Report.”

As a brief command fell from Basserion’s lips, the aides surrounding him stepped forward one by one.

The voices reporting on the civil war situation and the movements of the Black Magic Rebels were filled with fear.

Anyone who had just witnessed his feat of instantly slashing the necks of hundreds of black magic mutants and dozens of rebels would feel the same.

“As Your Highness suspected, contact between the princes’ camps and the Black Magic Rebels has been confirmed. Particularly the 1st Prince, who was severely injured in the capital recapture operation…”

He who had been quietly listening to the report clicked his tongue mockingly.

“My dear brother knows that day isn’t far off and is struggling desperately.”

“It would be best for Your Highness to also be careful until that day comes.”

“That’s why I’ve been staying quietly in Ruden.”

The aide swallowed hard at his master’s shameless answer. He knew full well why he was staying in Ruden, setting aside even his busy schedule.

Basserion disgustingly rolled his eyes and changed the subject.

“It seems the Black Magic Rebels are searching for Abraxia’s Heart in Ruden.”

Abraxia’s Heart.

A red gem passed down through the Ancient 7 Families.

It was called a heart because when you put your ear to the gem, you could hear a heartbeat-like pulsing sound.

Legend has it that using Abraxia’s Heart allows one to wield the powerful strength of the Ancient 7 Families.

Right after the civil war broke out, those who wanted to claim the heart competed to massacre the 7 families, but ultimately failed to get their hands on the heart.

Even after searching through the secret libraries of the 7 families, not even records or traces of the heart remained, leaving the heart’s existence shrouded in mystery.

However, the 1st Prince and 4th Prince hadn’t stopped searching for the heart for 15 years. Finding the heart took priority over gaining more territory and gathering forces.

Now even the Black Magic Rebels were searching for that heart.

The aide answered Basserion’s question in a rigidly upright posture.

“Unable to find the heart despite combing through the entire empire, they seem to have sent spies even to Ruden. It’s been confirmed that spies were also dispatched to Benu City and Cromwell Castle.”

“I see.”

After hearing the answer, he tilted his head slightly, and a man covered from head to toe in a black hood pushed through the aides and walked out.

The man was distinctive for the large mole between the edge of his hood and his right eyebrow.

“Your Highness.”

“Yes.”

“The transaction was completed safely. The painting is stored in Benu’s most secure vault and…”

Basserion listened to the man’s words with a more careful expression than when hearing any other report.

Then—

“…Kuk.”

He suddenly burst into laughter.

“…!”

The startled aides gasped and stepped back again. While their master was generally abnormal when it came to matters concerning Miss Hazel, today’s reaction was excessive.

He was hunched over his massive body, shoulders trembling as he let out a chilling ‘kehehehe’ laugh.

The man with the mole above his right eyebrow asked cautiously.

“Did I perhaps make a mistake…”

“No, continue.”

“…”

“It’s just, she’s cute.”

“Pardon…?”

“Imagining her surprised face when receiving ten pouches of silver coins… Ah.”

Basserion hadn’t originally planned this when he entrusted the painting to Hazel.

But what could he do about receiving nine more completed paintings during the practice period?

He had no choice but to pay the promised price.

Black Hand was someone who always kept his promises.

“The pendant?”

“Here it is.”

He held the pendant that had returned to his hands against his chest and looked toward Ruden.

Hoping that someday the woman who drew this young boy would remember him.

***

“…”

Should I bury it in the ground?

After the noble gentlemen left, I had been crouched inside the counter, staring at the velvet money pouches for a long time.

Even though I was doing nothing but staring at the money pouches, time passed quickly.

I hadn’t even eaten dinner, but I felt full somehow. Indeed, just looking at beautiful things fills the heart.

But now it was 6:30. Felix would arrive soon, so I needed to decide what to do with the money.

But no matter how much I racked my brain, there was nowhere in the shop or house to hide money from Felix. I couldn’t think of any clever solution other than burying it in the ground.

“Digging in the ground isn’t my specialty…”

That’s Felix’s specialty.

Unfortunately, Felix came home from work faster than I could make a decision.

“I’m home!”

I raised my voice in response while still crouched down.

“Welcome back. You worked hard.”

Felix looked for me with a puzzled voice. It seemed I wasn’t visible to him.

“Hazel, where are you? I can’t see you…”

When I quietly raised just my hand while sitting, Felix chuckled as if finding it absurd.

He high-fived my hand that peeked up over the counter and looked down at me, asking.

“Did you hide some jewels inside the counter? Why are you sitting there like that?”

Is he a ghost? How did he know?

I looked up sharply with all the strength I could muster in my eyes. Felix flinched reflexively at my fierce gaze.

“Felix.”

“Why, why…”

“Give me your pinky finger.”

Felix clasped both hands neatly to his chest and immediately shook his head.

“Can’t you make your eyes look prettier? If I give you my pinky now, you look like you’ll break it.”

“I can’t break it with my strength, so just give it to me nicely.”

He extended his left pinky finger slowly with a suspicious expression. He was being as careful as if putting his hand into a lion’s mouth.

I reached out like a predator snatching prey and hooked his pinky finger. Felix’s and my fingers interlocked like hooks.

“Promise me.”

“What… promise?”

“You won’t drink alcohol ever again, right?”

“Mmm…”

When Felix suspiciously drew out his words, my eyes turned triangular.

“You need to answer properly to earn your one and only sister’s trust.”

He immediately corrected his attitude and said.

“I won’t drink. Absolutely won’t drink. Unless you force me to, I won’t even touch alcohol.”

“You won’t gamble either, right?”

“I won’t. Absolutely won’t. It doesn’t suit me, and honestly, it wasn’t even fun. I won’t gamble even if you tell me to.”

“Good. Then you’ll never waste my money again, right?”

“Of course. The money I hid before is also safely stored underground… no, in a safe place! I could probably multiply the money by about 2.7 times by investing in Black Hand’s business, but I’m just keeping it safe because you might not like it.”

“Good job. Don’t do any investing either. Whether it’s Black Hand or Golden Hand, no. It’s all dangerous.”

“Right. It’s not dangerous at all, but it’s dangerous.”

I gave a thumbs up as a reward to Felix who was picking only the right answers and speaking nicely.

Felix grinned and pressed his thumb against mine like stamping a seal.

“Come over here. I have something to show you.”

When I scooted over to make room for Felix, he squeezed his large frame down to sit beside me.

His eyes widened as he spotted the ten velvet money pouches embroidered with the Black Hand insignia.

“Hazel, what’s this?”

“Black Hand paid ten times the price for the painting.”

“My goodness… He must have really loved your artwork.”

“…I think so.”

That’s what I decided to believe.

I intertwined our clasped hands more tightly, comforting myself to trust Felix.

“Felix, you’ll keep this money somewhere safe too, right?”

“Are you finally starting to trust me?”

“No. It just seems better than digging a hole and burying it.”

When I grinned mischievously, he shot me a sly look in return.

Three seconds later, we both burst into laughter simultaneously. A warm wave spread gently through my chest.

“What should I do?”

“About what?”

“I already feel like I’m rich.”

“You’re still far from it. Hazel is going to become the richest person in the Empire.”

I let out a hollow laugh at Felix’s wild claim.

It’s troublesome that his delusions of grandeur haven’t been cured yet, but these intermittent episodes aren’t so bad.

“You’re way too greedy, Felix.”

“And you don’t have enough greed.”

“But at this rate, I might die from overwork before becoming rich. We got tons of orders today too.”

“If anyone’s going to die, it’ll be me.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

We crouched behind the counter for a long while, gazing at the money pouches and chatting quietly together.

That day, the lights at Golden Goods stayed on late into the night.

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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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