Chapter 53: House-Sitter, Loyal Guardian!

「Heeheehee!!! 」

Valentina, who had been sleeping, was jolted awake by a sudden shout. Her tiger-like body shuddered, and she abruptly flipped over, landing on all fours on the ground like a big cat.

「Mm!? 」

She arched her back high, her hair fluffing out as if standing on end, bared her clean, slightly pointed teeth, and let out a threatening sound.

Hiss-hah—

Her already not-small eyes went even wider, her crimson pupils contracting fully into vertical slits as she rapidly scanned her surroundings.

Who is it!!?

Then—she met the gaze of a white-haired youth smiling outside the railing.

「? 」

「Good morning~」

「??? 」Valentina blinked hard in a daze, shook her head vigorously as if still half-asleep.

Herbert, watching Valentina in this state, felt quite surprised.

Until now, in his impression, Valentina had always been… well, a different sort of animal-friend-to-humans image.

But that set of movements just now instantly reminded Herbert of a certain orange tabby who loved napping on his car roof.

The way that fellow would startle first, then go blank after being poked awake by him… well, it was exactly the same.

So, is your true form actually a large dog or an orange tabby?

Valentina stared at Herbert in a daze for a while, then her gaze instantly sharpened.

「Hmph! 」

She recalled again how Herbert had tricked and teased her before.

「…What are you here for again? 」

She glared at Herbert, somewhat annoyed, then haughtily turned her head away, refusing to look at him.

Don't want to deal with you.

But then…

Although Valentina was now showing such a guarded posture, in truth she had already decided not to stoop to that fellow's level.

She really had been a bit angry at first—the kind that would take a lot of food to soothe.

But not long ago, she had quite coincidentally run into a strange slime that had wandered to her cell from god-knows-where.

After casually beating up that unfortunate fellow, her irritation was vented along with it, and Valentina's mood improved on the spot.

As expected, lying around sleeping isn't life—only battle is truly living.

Battle feels great!

Although in the end she let that fellow get away, the long-awaited battle made her feel as though her whole dragon had come alive.

Even after seeing Herbert, she wasn't that angry anymore, still immersed in savoring the aftertaste of the fight.

Fighting really is great…

「Valentina, I've come to thank you. 」

Hm?

Hearing Herbert's words, Valentina's ear twitched. The hungry dragon Young Lady, who had intended to keep ignoring him, was genuinely curious now.

Thank me?

Thank me for what?

「If you hadn't helped me deal with that danger, I'd probably have been in grave peril. You saved me! 」

The hungry dragon's ears twitched again and again, half her body already turned sideways, only her face stubbornly still facing the wall.

Danger? I saved you?

What on earth is he talking about?

Mmmmmmm…

I'm just asking, just asking to see what he's up to—nothing else.

I won't be tricked again this time!

After agonizing for a while, Valentina ultimately couldn't contain her curiosity, and slowly turned her head back.

She looked the youth over oddly, examining him carefully from top to bottom, finding no sign of injury: 「Are you trying to trick me with that kind of talk again? 」

「How could I possibly trick you? 」

Herbert, knowing she had taken the bait, laughed heartily and asked with an extremely sincere expression: 「What good would it do me to trick you? If there's no benefit, why would I trick you? 」

「Benefit? I don't know, probably none…」

Valentina stared at Herbert suspiciously, muttering uncertainly: 「But I just have this feeling that you'd be… very happy after tricking me? 」

Herbert:?

「Th-this is a pure misunderstanding, Miss Valentina. 」

Herbert shook his head with a wry smile, spreading his hands somewhat helplessly: 「How can you think of me like that? Am I really that kind of person in your heart? 」

Would I be that kind of person!!?

Would I?

…Heh, what a coincidence!

I really would.

Tch.

Herbert couldn't help clicking his tongue inwardly, barely managing to keep his expression straight.

That's why I hate perceptive little brats.

Although he almost got his true nature as a scoundrel seen through by the starving dragon, Herbert would never admit it.

Admit it? Never going to happen — not in this lifetime.

"Hmph, cut the nonsense. I know what I'm doing."

Valentina also knew this utterly pointless topic would never lead anywhere, so she rolled her eyes and asked irritably, "So, what did you come find me for this time?"

"Hm? I already told you — you saved me, I'm here to thank you!"

Herbert cleared his throat and began telling Valentina a thrilling, exciting story.

The general outline of the story was—

The story's protagonist, Handsome, was a handsome but weak prison warden. One day, the lecherous demon Sangbiao snuck into the prison, intending to do something improper to Handsome!

But on his way to commit the crime, Sangbiao happened to run into the prisoner Little Beauty, who, bursting with jealousy, beat him to death in three punches.

His evil plan thus failed, Handsome preserved his purity, and the story ended perfectly.

Rejoice and be glad, everyone is happy!

"And now, to thank you for your heroic intervention, I plan to grant you one wish! As long as it's within my ability, I'll definitely make it come true!"

Herbert waved his hand grandly, brimming with dominance, and said, "Speak! What is your dream?"

Valentina stared at Herbert as he blinked rapidly, momentarily a bit dumbfounded.

"Eh?"

Of course she wasn't confused about who Handsome, Little Beauty, and Sangbiao were — she understood that perfectly well.

She might be a bit slow at most, but she really wasn't stupid…

What Valentina was actually concerned about was — is that slime dangerous?

No way, right?

Herbert saw her hesitate, thought it still wasn't enough, so he gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and added another line:

"Besides that, I'm also planning to award you a banner of honor!"

"On it will be written 'Guardian of the House, Loyal Defender! Humanity's Best Friend, the Prison's Best Prisoner!' What do you think? Doesn't it perfectly suit your temperament?"

?

"Hm? Who's being loyal to whom?"

Valentina shot Herbert a glare, and only after he grinned sheepishly and promised to delete the word "loyal" and the like did she snort.

Hmph, that's more like it.

Still, why does it still feel a bit off somehow?

By the way, what exactly is a "banner of honor"?

"Alright, just tell me what you want to eat, and I'll do my best to satisfy you!"

And just as Herbert and Valentina were discussing the reward, the ground beneath his feet suddenly gave way, and he free-fell into his own shadow.

Whoosh!

"Something to eat? Let me think… hm?"

Valentina twitched her nose, looked up, but couldn't find Herbert anywhere.

?

She looked around and said blankly:

"Where's the person?"

Such a big person — where did they go?

How did they just disappear like that?

(End of Chapter)