Chapter 20: A Little Hungry Dragon, Handled!

Valentina awoke because of a waft of fragrance, but was then enraged by a strange sound.

"Hey! What were you just doing?"

"Teasing a dog… uh, no, hear me out."

???

Valentina clenched her teeth, her slit-pupil eyes fixed dead on the white-haired youth right in front of her.

"What did you just say!?"

This damned bastard.

Explain yourself to me!

Otherwise I'll tear you to pieces!

Herbert blinked, gave a small cough, and said: "Ahem, I was attempting a food-bait trap… oh, that's not right either, I was kindly waking you up."

After saying that, he flashed a bright, breezy, brilliant smile at the dangerous-looking Young Lady dragon.

"Good morning, Young Lady!"

At that moment, Valentina stared at that handsome-yet-especially-punchable expression and felt as if the blood vessels in her head were about to burst.

*Slap. *

"Good morning… my ass!"

"Her! Bert!"

The Young Lady dragon's furious roar shook the heavens, echoing endlessly through the entire cell, vibrating Herbert's very innards as he stood right beside her.

It nearly gave him internal injuries.

"Ahem, ahem, just a joke, calm down a bit, don't get too worked up."

Herbert rubbed his aching eardrums and said helplessly: "Here, I'll apologize to you right now."

After saying that, he casually tossed the roasted chicken leg in his hand into the cage.

*Toss—*

The carefully roasted chicken leg traced a perfect arc through the air, spinning as it flew.

!

Valentina, who had been roaring the second before, reacted lightning-fast, leaping up and catching the chicken leg in her mouth with one bite.

*Crunch! *

One could only say that although she was currently in human form, the movements etched into her bones still belonged to a dragon — she didn't grab it with her hands but simply opened her mouth and bit.

"Mm!?"

And only after she had already bitten down did she realize, under Herbert's amused gaze, that her action was a bit off; she turned her head and glared at him furiously.

What the hell!!?

She wanted to say something, but didn't want to give up the chicken leg in her mouth, so she just mumbled incoherently: "Mm mm mm, you, mm mm mm—" (What are you looking at!)

After finally quickly crunching and swallowing the chicken leg in her mouth, Herbert once again seized the moment and stuffed a new one in, shoving it straight into her mouth.

"Here, for you."

"Mm!?"

Herbert, while forcefully shoving the chicken leg in, also earnestly advised: "Be good! Don't talk while eating."

"You!? Mm— *crunch! *"

*Crunch crunch crunch. *

Valentina was furious.

But she couldn't resist — the chicken leg really was too fragrant.

*Crunch crunch crunch. *

Valentina knew it was wrong of her to give in so easily, a loss of dignity for a dragon.

But it really wasn't her fault — her mouth had One's Own Thoughts.

*Crunch crunch crunch. *

So, Valentina could only try to speak again and again, only to be gagged again and again.

Anger and appetite wrestled constantly… and every time, appetite won.

*Crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch crunch—*

And Herbert, after successfully feeding in the fourth chicken leg, finally relaxed, knowing this hurdle had been safely passed.

A little hungry dragon, handled!

So, his smile grew even gentler, and as he fed her, he kept saying:

"Good girl, don't talk."

"Right, flick it off, don't get it stuck in your hair."

"Swallow first, don't rush, there's more later."

"Ah! Eat slower, no one's stealing it from you."

……

When the last chicken leg was handed over, Valentina didn't catch it with her mouth, but reached out and took it.

"Oh?"

Her mouth stuffed full, she stared hard at Herbert for a good while, very visibly rolled her eyes, then gave a soft hum.

"Hmph!"

Then, gripping the chicken leg, she turned around, sat down with her back against the bars, and mumbled incoherently: "…Mm."

Herbert: "Mm?"

What are you mumbling about?

Can you speak human… oh.

Watching Valentina lean her head back, Herbert came to his senses — she was letting him cut her hair.

Just as they had agreed yesterday.

"So, I'm supposed to do it myself, huh…" Herbert blinked, feeling that his relationship with the young lady of the great dragon seemed to have drawn just a little bit closer.

To be fair, though.

In the eyes of others, Valentina was a dangerous evil dragon, a monster to be treated with the utmost caution.

But in Herbert's eyes, she was a completely different picture.

This one, although her temperament was a bit hot-tempered, she ate a bit more, and seemed a bit more dangerous too.

But apart from that, the feeling she gave off wasn't bad.

Quite obedient, and quite easy to coax.

Her anger came quickly, and it also passed quickly.

She would hold a grudge overnight, but could also quickly toss it out of her mind.

Honestly… she's actually kind of cute.

Also, although she looked a bit slovenly right now, her figure was actually very healthy and full, and her features were very delicate, even to the point of being called dashingly handsome.

Herbert got up and returned to the warden's room, cleaned his hands, then brought over the tools he had prepared.

He directly carried a stool and sat outside the railing, rolled up his sleeves, and tentatively poked at the fiery-red hair with his fingertip.

After confirming there was no resistance, he reached both hands into the cell, one hand smoothing the hair, the other gently combing it with a comb.

"Valentina."

"…Mm?" (What?)

Herbert's voice was soft, with no trace of the earlier playfulness, and he asked gently: "Has anyone ever cut your hair before?"

"…" Valentina, with her back to him, twitched her lips. For a moment she didn't speak, and only after a while did she open her mouth lightly: "No."

"Never?"

"Never."

As if recalling something, her expression shifted slightly, her eyes turning somewhat baleful, and a hint of ill will crept into her voice: "Why do you ask?"

But Herbert didn't change at all because of her tone; he chuckled and said: "Nothing, I just feel I'm rather lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Yes, lucky."

Herbert finished combing through the waist-length hair that was like flames, and sighed with feeling as he gently twirled the ends between his fingertips.

It looked rough and tangled, but without much effort, a light comb made it soft and smooth — such a head of long hair, who knew how many outsiders would envy it.

So, without performing, he sighed from the heart: "Young Lady Valentina, I'm honored to be the first person to tend to your hair."

"Mm!!?"

Upon hearing this, Valentina's expression changed again and again; for some reason, a sudden impulse rose in her heart not to let him touch her hair any longer.

It felt itchy inside — what was going on?

But in the end, she still forcibly suppressed the strangeness in her heart, held on, and didn't flee in a sorry state.

Her lips moved, and finally she hummed in a slightly coquettish tone: "…Hmph, you're right, this is your honor!"

And what answered her was Herbert's rather speechless click of the tongue.

"Um… miss, the tsundere act went out of fashion ages ago, you might want to try being a bit more frank."

?

What fashion?

(End of chapter)