11. The Proper Way to Win Over Miss Dragon
“Miss Valentina! I’m back again!”
When Herbert returned to the cell the next day, he was met not with the old gatekeeper’s usual verbal attacks, but once again by a disheveled back of hair and a cold snort still tinged with anger.
“Hmph!”
Herbert’s mouth twitched in silent exasperation.
Really, Miss... it’s been more than a day, and you still haven’t cooled off?
How about this: why don’t you ask the Primordial Emperor to assign you a place? You can take on the duty of turning your back to the world—seems like a role fit for you.
Still, it was no surprise that the dragon lady remained upset, so Herbert decisively produced a strategy prop he had prepared.
“I brought you a gift, handmade by me.”
Setting down the wooden box he carried, he opened it to reveal its contents.
Ta-da—
“Look! Turn around and look at me. Don’t stay silent anymore. What exactly are you hoping to achieve?”
Come on, come on!
“...Hmph.”
The dragon lady snorted softly at the noise behind her, stubbornly refusing to turn her head. She had lost to him once yesterday because she couldn’t hold back.
“Hmph, give up! I will never turn around!”
Today, I am far stronger—I absolutely will not lose again!
Absolutely not... hmm?
Sniff sniff.
Her nose twitched suddenly, moving subtly.
Wait, what is that scent?
It’s fragrant, but different from yesterday’s. This smell is...
Sniff sniff!
Valentina seemed to have not smelled this scent for a very long time... Ah, yes!
It’s the scent of meat!
She turned her head to see a pile of skewered meat laid out before Herbert, who was fanning the aroma toward her with his hand.
Noticing she had turned, he smiled, deliberately taking a pinch of white granules between his fingers, rubbing them lightly so the salt scattered like fine rain, bouncing off his arm before falling onto the skewers.
Bling~ bling~
“...Huh?”
W-what on earth?
Valentina’s eyes widened, feeling her mind unable to fully process what she had just seen.
What did I just witness?
Even a dragon that had lived for a thousand years had never seen such a strange ritual.
Is this fellow playing around...?
His expression was serious, and his movements elegant and smooth.
But if he’s seriously cooking...
It didn’t quite look like it.
Very strange.
After finishing his classic “salt-sprinkling” pose, Herbert pushed the wooden box forward with a smile and announced, “Today’s meal from the Albert household! Herbert’s Honey-Glazed Skewers!”
“Please, madam!”
Gulp.
Snapping back to reality, Valentina swallowed hard, her gaze flickering between the skewers and Herbert as she hesitated, asking, “What... do you mean by this?”
“Don’t worry, there’s no trickery involved.”
Herbert raised his hands slightly in innocence, smiling as he explained, “It’s just a small token of gratitude for your kind warning yesterday.”
“If it weren’t for your alert, I might have fallen for that siren’s trap.”
His expression was sincere, tinged with the fear of a near-death experience. This made Valentina, who had been suspicious of his motives, suddenly understand and say, “Oh—so that’s how it is.”
So that’s the story.
Looking at the young man’s respectful face, she proudly lifted her head and let out a pleased hum.
“Hmph~ hmph.”
Feeling justified, she quickly picked up a skewer and stuffed it into her mouth.
As the juicy, fragrant meat touched her tongue, her taste buds—starved for centuries—awoke with a roar, erupting with an overwhelming craving!
Crunch!
Crunch!
Crunch!
Under Herbert’s raised brow, Valentina, unable to contain herself any longer, even bit through the wooden stick, swallowing it whole within seconds.
She wasn’t worried Herbert would poison the food, nor did she care about a few splinters.
Dragons possess incredibly strong digestive systems, able to absorb even ingested minerals to fortify their scales.
“Mm!!!”
Herbert smiled as he watched the dragon lady effortlessly overcome by the meal, a slight curl at the corner of his lips.
In truth, the reason he gave Valentina was entirely fabricated.
Completely made up.
The real truth was—without any warning, the siren with the clipped voice wouldn’t have succeeded the day before. The siren had been caught, given a stern lesson, and shamefully retreated back into the water.
But what did that matter?
Herbert knew the truth, Frema knew it too, but Valentina did not.
Did the truth even matter?
Not at all.
In human relations, making the other person feel they have contributed—that’s what counts.
In fact, people generally prefer those they have helped over those who have helped them.
Simply put, most people view themselves as clever and reasonable individuals.
When helping others, they feel their actions align with this self-image, amplifying their personal charm, which brings pleasure and makes them more attached to the person they aid.
Herbert’s purpose at this moment was to magnify the joy in Valentina’s heart.
To make her believe it was all thanks to her that he was safe and sound.
To let her understand she wasn’t ungrateful—that helping him would bring her benefits.
If once wasn’t enough, then twice, thrice, until she became completely accustomed to these two ideas.
When these beliefs formed a dependent pathway in her mind, then... heh heh.
“Mm!?”
Valentina had managed to hold back before eating, trying not to lose face, but now she completely lost all reason, greedily devouring the skewers.
Between mouthfuls, she managed to ask, “What exactly did you put in this flavor?”
“Onions. I added onions.”
The true secret to delicious food was never magic, but spices!
Herbert had marinated the skewers with spices he had brought from the duke’s household.
In this world, whose civilization resembled the medieval era, spices were rare and extremely expensive.
Although the druids were skilled with plants, they preferred to research ways to accelerate plant growth rather than develop culinary spices.
In many places, spices were worth their weight in gold!
Except for the nobility, ordinary people never encountered spices; their food usually retained its original, often unpleasant flavors—fishy, dry, bland.
Herbert’s lavish use of spices was something Valentina had never tasted before.
“Is it good?”
“Mm mm.”
“Do you want more later?”
“Mm mm!”
Watching Valentina utterly captivated, Herbert suddenly asked his ultimate question.
“If you promise not to swear from now on, I’ll bring you food regularly. How about that?”
“Mm mm... hmm?”