Chapter 22 Let's Watch the Show

When Linde returned, he immediately saw Victoria lying on the ground, busy writing in her green book once again.

When she had knocked over the cabin he’d worked so hard to build, he had truly lost his temper. Had this been one of his old friends from back home—someone he used to play Minecraft with—they would have ended up in a real-life physical brawl, settling the score in a makeshift "octagon." To keep himself from doing something he’d regret or saying things he didn’t mean, he had forced himself to walk away and find a quiet corner to be alone.

Once his head cooled down, his irritation faded just as quickly, and his rationality regained the high ground. While it was certainly excessive for Victoria to have leveled his cabin, he had already scolded her and even given her a swat. To keep giving her the cold shoulder now felt like it was pushing things too far.

*Sigh.*

She had only wanted to help him expand the vegetable patch; her intentions were good, even if she had accidentally made a mess of things. Just as seeds of love sprout over time, so too do barriers of resentment. Linde didn't want to let the silence turn into a lasting regret.

He decided to make amends with Victoria. He was a lone traveler in this world, and she was a young dragon living away from her parents. Victoria was already doing her best. Why couldn't he be more tolerant?

Thinking this, Linde stood up, brushed the dirt from his pants, and prepared to go back. He felt a pang of worry: what if she was so upset that she ran away from home? If she encountered any danger while he wasn't by her side, he would feel guilty for the rest of his life.

On his way back, he plucked two dragon melons. Perhaps due to the lush vegetation and the intense competition for growth resources, these melons didn't grow to massive sizes; instead, they had shrunk back to the proportions of a standard watermelon. Much like how a mother’s peace offering after an argument is simply calling out "Dinner's ready," he decided his olive branch to Victoria would be these melons. After all, their friendship had begun with that very first shared dragon melon. He would explain everything clearly and end it all with a simple "Let's eat." Perfect.

...

Linde stood beside Victoria, took the dragon melons from his inventory, and placed them on the ground. He prepared to deliver the speech he had rehearsed, but when the moment came, the words felt stuck. Speaking to a real person was far harder than practicing against the air.

It was embarrassing. If he poured his heart out and Victoria just replied, "I wasn't even thinking about it, why are you overthinking things?", he would probably want to crawl into a hole and die of pure mortification.

After hesitating for a long while, he bit the bullet, leaned forward, and poked his head toward her. "What are you writing?"

"..."

The silver-white dragon didn't make a sound. She simply shifted her Book of the World to the other side and turned her back to him.

*Oh, still pouting, are we?* Linde thought. *I know your little dragon psychology like the back of my hand. The salt I've eaten is more than you've...* Wait, that might not be true yet. He shook his head and pushed the thought aside. Instead, he circled around to her side, raised his voice, and teased, "If you aren't going to talk to me, I'll have to find your ticklish spots. By the way, where exactly is a dragon's tickle spot?"

He began to search in earnest. Perhaps fearing he would actually find it, or perhaps because she had been wanting to talk to him all along, Victoria let out a muffled snort and whispered, "Stupid Linde, I was worried you weren't coming back."

"Hey, do you really think I’m that petty?"

"That’s exactly what I think!"

Once the topic was broached, Victoria’s emotions spilled out. She rambled incessantly: "It’s my fault I knocked over your cabin, but I didn't do it on purpose! My tail doesn't have eyes, you know. Whenever I play, I’m always careful to steer clear of your cabin, and I always duck my head when I go inside so I don't break the door. And then you go and throw such a huge tantrum... besides, it’s just a crummy little shack; I could build one of those in an hour!"

"Be my guest," Linde said with a smile, bowing mockingly.

"N-now? Well, it might take me five hours because my stomach is empty and I haven't..."

"I have dragon melons here. You can eat first, then get to work." Linde’s smile deepened, like a mischievous fox.

Victoria choked, coughing violently. When she realized how happy Linde looked, her brain finally caught up. *You're messing with me?!*

"Stupid Linde, mean Linde, giant rat Linde!"

"Alright, alright. If you’re done being mad, let’s eat." Linde waved a hand dismissively, picked up a round dragon melon, and handed it to her. "It’s all yours, Iron-Head."

The little dragon didn't hesitate; she took it and smashed it in half with her head.

"Before we eat, I have to say something..."

"What is it?" Linde tilted his head.

"I'm sorry..." Victoria’s scales turned a deeper shade of red as she averted her gaze. "I haven't apologized to you yet."

"Oh, come on. If you've already said you're sorry, what more is there to say? Let's eat!"

"Hehe, eat, eat!" Victoria nodded eagerly.

"Whoa, Small Pink, don't shove your whole head in there!"

"Oh? Shirona, you're back too? Did you find the sunflower field?"

"Never mind that for now, sit down and have some melon."