Leon stood behind the black marble bar counter, wearing a clean and tidy white shirt. He calmly wiped the glass wine glasses, waiting for the first guest of the day, who was also his first guest in his professional career.

Today was his first day on the job, and he was full of anticipation for his career.

The bar played soothing music, and the air was filled with a subtle fragrance of perfume, creating a comfortable and pleasant atmosphere.

The size of the bar was not large, but the environment was warm and elegant, which made him quite satisfied.

However, at this moment, he could feel a sharp gaze piercing through him. It was coming from a table not far from the bar. The owner of the gaze was a woman dressed in a bartender’s uniform.

The woman appeared young, probably under twenty, with a beautiful face and her golden hair tied into a ponytail.

She stared at Leon behind the bar, and it seemed as if flames were about to burst from her attractive sky-blue eyes. It was as if she held a deep grudge against him.

Her name was Elise. Before Leon got hired, she used to be the one behind the bar. However, now she had been demoted to an apprentice due to the lack of customers.

The bar owner replaced her because there weren’t many customers coming in.

After trying the horrible concoctions she had mixed, Leon could sympathize with both the owner and the previous customers.

This woman clearly didn’t know how to mix drinks, and her temper was also terrible. Aside from being good-looking, she had no redeeming qualities.

A bartender like her, apart from attracting lecherous individuals, wouldn’t appeal to anyone.

“Before the guests arrive, you should stand with your hands crossed below your navel, your right hand pressing on your left hand, ready to serve at any time. Instead of sitting there staring at me like a frog.”

Leon casually said, which immediately ignited her anger.

Bang!

“Who are you calling a frog?”

Elise slammed the table and stood up. Her forceful movement even caused her chest to tremble slightly. Well, that could be considered one of her attributes, Leon thought as he glanced at her chest.

“If a guest were to come in now and see you like this, you’d definitely scare them away,” Leon’s tone remained calm.

“You, you jerk! So, what if you can mix drinks a bit better? Sooner or later, I’ll surpass you and kick you out of this place,” Elise retorted, sounding like an angry little lioness.”No, no, no,” Leon shook his head slightly, “Just mixing drinks well isn’t enough to become an excellent bartender. A truly outstanding bartender uses the drinks they create as a bridge to reach into the hearts of the customers.”

Leon’s gaze lightly swept over Elise.

“With your personality, I’m afraid it’s difficult to achieve that.”

His tone remained steady, but Elise’s face continued to flush, gradually turning crimson.

What frustrated her even more was that she couldn’t argue back.

This feeling of frustration almost drove her mad. If possible, she really wanted to lift up this extremely arrogant guy before her and ruthlessly whip him.

At that moment, a sound came from the bar entrance, and both of them turned to look.

Had a customer arrived?

Leon adjusted his collar, cleared his throat, put on a smile, and prepared to offer his first guest the most attentive service.

Seeing his appearance, Elise felt even more annoyed.

Hmph, this pretentious guy. I don’t believe he can keep up this act forever.

However, the person who entered wasn’t a customer. It was a woman dressed in loose casual clothing. She used to be the only waitress in the bar, and now there were two.

“Oh, it’s Nilu, I thought it was a customer.”

“Haha, it seems you’re quite excited, little brother Leon.”

Leon didn’t know Nilu’s exact age. She appeared young, but her mature aura suggested that she was probably older than him. So, he didn’t mind the “little brother” appellation.

When Nilu emerged from the changing room in her work uniform, Leon couldn’t help but be amazed.

Her shoulder-length brown hair had a silky texture, her skin was as fair as milk, and her work uniform was different from Elise’s. She wore a white V-neck blouse paired with a pure black work skirt. It was neat and professional, yet also exuded a captivating and sexy charm.

Was this also a method to attract and retain customers? Leon wondered inwardly.

“Elise, this guy is giving you the eyes,” Elise, who had been closely observing Leon, immediately reported.

Nilu just smiled gently, “Elise, don’t jump to conclusions. Little brother Leon is not that kind of person.”

Leon agreed with her in his heart and nodded silently.

“Alright, let’s start the business officially!”

Nilu pressed a button on the wall, and the signboard on the door lit up with the words “Open for Business.”

“Ah, Elise, you forgot to press that button earlier. No wonder no customers came in,” Leon said.

“You talk way too much. It wasn’t even opening time yet,” Elise retorted.

Leon didn’t want to argue with her, so he picked up another glass and started cleaning it meticulously.

Half an hour passed, and there still wasn’t a single customer.

Elise had been glaring at Leon for so long that her eyes were getting dry. She rubbed her eyes and started to doze off, while Nilu went to the break room.

Just as Leon was beginning to feel a bit disheartened, the wind chimes at the door finally rang, indicating the arrival of a customer.

His spirits lifted, and he looked towards the entrance.

The door was pushed open, revealing a girl in a purple wizard robe with a large wizard hat on her head. Her head was lowered, concealing her face under the broad brim of the hat.

Leon never expected that his first customer would be so unique.

Seeing the girl’s attire, he was slightly surprised, but he quickly put on a warm smile and greeted, “Welcome to Emerald Bar. How may I assist you, dear guest?”

The girl, seated on a tall stool in front of the bar, leaned her fair forearm on the counter, propping up her chin. Leon could finally see her face.

It was a fair and slender face, with her eyes appearing larger and brighter against her pale complexion. The melancholy in her shallow purple irises made her seem pitiable.

“Do you have any recommendations?” The girl’s voice was soft, matching her petite frame, and her delicate appearance made her even more charming.

Leon smiled and replied, “If it’s your first time here, I recommend The Emerald, named after the bar.”

“Sure, I’ll have one.”

“Very well, please wait a moment.”

Leon took out a cocktail glass, added a couple of ice cubes, and placed it aside. Then he fetched a mixing glass and a bar spoon, added a few ice cubes to it, poured in 0.5 ounces of dry vermouth and lemon juice each, followed by 0.5 ounces of gin. He stirred it 13 times with the bar spoon until the bottom of the mixing glass felt cold against his left index finger, allowing condensation to form on the glass rim.

With that, the blending process for The Emerald was complete.

He placed a strainer on the mixing glass and poured the mixed drink into the cocktail glass, then gently pushed it in front of the girl.

“Here you go.”

While Leon was preparing the cocktail, the girl had been watching him curiously. Now, her attention shifted to the sparkling Emerald cocktail  in front of her. She blinked, then downed the drink in one gulp, and suddenly—

She burst into tears.

“Sob, I’ve been rejected again.”

Confronted with the sudden emotional change of the young girl, Leon maintained his composure. Such situations were not uncommon for a bartender.

For an excellent bartender like him, what needed to be done at this moment was to listen to the customer’s heart and soothe their emotions.

With a gentle and soothing voice, he said, “If the other person doesn’t like you, why not try changing your target?”

“But no one wants me.”

“This… How is that possible? You look very charming to me, dear customer.”

The girl’s face, now slightly flushed due to the alcohol, turned even redder. She lowered her head and muttered softly, “You’re such a strange person. Why did you suddenly start saying things like… calling me charming…”