Chapter 10
“Return.”
With the familiar fade-out, my body was transported back to the cocktail bar, along with a basket full of fruit.
“Feels like I just went through an entire movie…”
The difference is that I can intervene, though.
“Since I now have a stable fruit supply, shall I prepare some side dishes?”
I’m the type who can endlessly drink whiskey if I have melon.
I was thinking of preparing a fruit platter, ham melon, and fruit cheese salad as side dishes.
‘Put some effort into the plating!’
If the high-quality fruit also looks gorgeous, who would complain about charging a premium price?
This is exactly how you go upscale. It should sell quite well.
“I also want to do an ‘Afternoon Side Dish Set’. System, shower me with side dishes.”
There was no response. It’s quiet at times like this. Damn system.
Anyway, I enthusiastically peeled and studied various fruits for the first time in a while, recording the completed designs in my notebook.
₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆
“Quite a colorful cocktail. It’s simply breathtaking!”
“Indeed. I’m called the queen of tropical cocktails, after all.”
I shrugged my shoulders and grinned confidently.
The ‘Mai Tai’ cocktail, based on rum with lime, orange, pineapple and other tropical fruits blended harmoniously.
Decorated with a handmade cocktail umbrella, pineapple wedge, cherry, and mint leaves, the visuals alone were extraordinary.
But the most eye-catching part was the glass.
‘In a hurry, I just washed out a flower vase and used it.’
It was my first time serving a cocktail in such a large glass.
But then again, a truly unique guest had graced us with their presence.
“Truly pleasing. 70 points out of 100.”
“Ah, thank you.”
It was a compliment at least. I glanced at the guest with the elegant voice.
Amazingly, this guest was a crane. I was so startled when the crane larger than me opened the door and walked in.
“Bring me a drink.”
‘It even talked.’
Was it a character from some animation?
Momentarily dazed, I narrowed my eyes to assess the situation. From doing this job for so long, I can now tell at a glance if a guest is an adult or not. But a crane guest was definitely a first.
So I asked directly.
“Excuse me, but how old are you, sir?”
“523 years old this year.”
As expected, this was no ordinary crane.
But for that very reason, I had to make absolutely certain.
“Pardon my rudeness, but… is that really considered an adult age for cranes…?”
“Crane? Squawk! I am a divine beast!”
“Ah, I see. My apologies, elder.”
“Eldeeerrr? I’m in my prime!”
The indignant crane flapped its wings, sending a gust that almost blew me away. Clinging to the display for dear life, I somehow managed to calm and placate the terrifying crane guest.
And that leads us to the present.
“I drank it all down splendidly. When I saw it from outside, the shop looked too shabby to accommodate me properly, but I never expected such an upscale drink would be prepared here.”
The guest took out a glistening handful of silver coins and placed them on the bar counter, having wiped its beak with a handkerchief no less luxurious than the cocktail itself.
It seems quite generous, but I wonder how much this is? Thanks to my recent efforts on presentation, the price of cocktails, which used to be just 1 or 2 coins, had significantly increased.
‘Other guests paid 4 coins per glass today, so for this one…’
<Notice> The reputation of the cocktail bar ‘I don’t know. Stuff like that bar’ has increased by 400. (Total 1,700)
<Notice> You have obtained 100 coins!
With this amount, it seems the crane qualifies as a ‘special guest’.
‘Plus my reputation went up too.’
Could it be some kind of main character? Stories featuring cranes don’t really come to mind.
“I’ll come again. Already looking forward to the next glass.”
“I’ll be waiting for you.”
“I’ll also spread word of this place. Spots that only I know about disappear quickly. Places that last 100 years are few and far between. Sadly.”
People don’t normally say 100 years is short-lived though.
For a divine beast, the standards were quite different.
‘Luckily humans only live up to 100 years.’
That means our working periods are also short. How could anyone work for hundreds of years?
“I’m grateful for the kind words alone.”
Momentarily dazed, I hurriedly composed myself and smiled.
“The courteous owner also earns my favor. 5 bonus points.”
I prefer expressing gratitude in coins rather than points, but…
Of course, I didn’t say that out loud and simply waved as I saw the guest off.
<Notice> Quest Complete!
For the first time, you received three guest parties in a day.
Reward: 10 Dry Side Dish Set, 10 Assorted Cheese
I worked all day but only had three parties?
Guests didn’t increase quickly after all.
Still, I felt energized by the long-awaited appearance of side dishes. I better eat one myself.
“These brie are nice and ripe. Could do a flambe show with some nuts right here. Ah, but I should have prepared in advance…”
At that moment, a red warning light flashed before my eyes.
Looking outside, the darkness had grown thick.
‘Didn’t even notice the time passing.’
Originally, pubs peak during these hours, but since my safety rating was ‘lowest’, a warning popped up as night fell.
I’m already reluctant to work hard, so I couldn’t risk danger on top of that.
‘Still, I have some energy left today…’
Maybe I’ll quickly go grab some fruit?
For the first time in a while, I crossed over to the fruit orchard—no, the dimension of Regressor Eve.
Since that day, a large fruit basket had been prepared wherever I entered.
The basket was filled with especially large, quality fruits, as if handpicked just for me.
‘But this won’t be enough.’
Now that I could legally help myself to fruit, there was no need for hesitation.
As I searched for watermelons, I heard voices arguing in the distance.
“Why are you following me?”
“It’s getting late. Someone has to keep an eye on you.”
It was the voices of Eve and the young marquis.
“So the busy young marquis is diligently following me around?”
“There are rumors of a suspicious fruit thief wandering about.”
That’s me. Why are you making excuses for me?
‘I’ve been officially given permission now, so I’m not a thief!’
Despite that thought, I ended up chuckling.
Well, it seems the drunken ranting paid off after all.
“Right. You have to show outward change for things to actually change.”
In any case, it’s a relief she seems to be doing well…
‘Wait a minute.’
At that moment, the lights came on, clearly revealing Eve’s face. We were close enough that I could see the dark clouds hanging over her expression.
‘Why does that brother look so self-satisfied spending time with his sister? Can’t you read the situation from that face?’
This family had serious issues. It wasn’t just Eve becoming meek around her family members.
That brother might have a ‘#clueless’ keyword or something.
Just as I was thinking that, Eve and I made eye contact. Light flickered in her previously dull eyes.
This seems troublesome. I got a bad feeling I’d get tangled up in something annoying.
“Ret—”
Whoosh.
Before I could even finish saying “return”, the wind whipped up and enveloped my body.
‘Dammit.’
It was a familiar sensation. Surely the power of a spirit.
“Did you hear a sound just now?”
“Brother, something urgent just came up, so I’ll go in first.”
“What is it? Let me help.”
“Ah, well…”
“It doesn’t matter what it is. Just tell me.”
The young marquis seemed intent on following Eve no matter what excuse she gave.
“The b-bathroom! It’s urgent!”
“Ah.”
Eve sacrificed social dignity to shake off the Viscount. He didn’t stop her as she grabbed her dress and rushed off.
Shortly after, as expected, Eve came running to me with tears streaming down her face.
“Hic, huhu…”
“Oh, Sister. Don’t do this. The hammock and the drinks are waiting for me.”
Ignoring my complaints, Eve kept wiping her tears as she dashed towards the fruit tree grove. Enveloped by the wind, I was dragged along like a grand opening balloon figure.
Once we were completely out of earshot, Eve plopped down on the ground. Her sobs echoed through the stillness.
‘I should have just stolen the fruit.’
When the wind holding me dispersed, I briefly considered just fleeing then and there.
‘Oh, whatever.’
With a sigh, I went over and patted the red-eyed Eve on the back.
As troublesome as it was, I couldn’t be so cold-blooded as to ignore someone breaking down right in front of me.
“Looks like you need a pick-me-up cocktail today.”
“Is there such a thing?”
“Of course.”
I summoned my cocktail making kit. Luckily, all the necessary ingredients were prepared.
I added ice, vodka, triple sec, and blue curacao to the shaker and shook it vigorously.
‘Moderate on the vodka.’
While the original cocktail is half vodka, I adjusted the ratio so Eve, not a strong drinker, could sip it comfortably.
When I poured it into a chilled glass, it exhibited a beautiful ocean blue color.
“The ‘Blue Monday’. A cocktail to blow away the Monday blues. Fittingly, today is Monday.”
Even when I offered the glass, Eve just stared at me blankly. Only after I urged “Here” and pushed the glass towards her did she finally take it.
“I can smell the refreshing orange aroma.”
“That’s why the alcohol doesn’t come through as strongly. But it’s still potent, so sip it slowly.”
“Haa… Feeling a bit dazed.”
Eve’s expression grew calmer, as if her frantic heart had settled down a little. She spoke up in a soft voice.
“But why are Mondays depressing?”
“Because you have to go to work. As a noblelady, Eve probably can’t relate.”
₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆
⋆｡‧˚ʚ Translator Note ɞ˚‧｡⋆
The Blue Monday cocktail has a sweet and tangy flavor with a bright citrus profile, thanks to the combination of Blue Curaçao, triple sec, and lemon juice. The vodka serves as a neutral base that allows the citrus flavors to shine. The cocktail is both visually striking and refreshing, making it a popular choice for parties and gatherings.
₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆
Thank you for reading! ♡
