Meanwhile, Leon stepped into the Stardrop Saloon and headed straight for the bar counter.
The Stardrop Saloon was always lively at night. Most of the tables were already filled, taken up by the townsfolk and miners from the Eastern mines.
Aside from a few familiar faces, Leon didn’t recognize most of the patrons. The ones he did know already had their own drinking companions, so it wasn’t convenient for him to join in. That made the bar counter the perfect spot for him.
“Hey, Leon, what’ll you have tonight?”
Emily came over with a smile the moment Leon sat down.
“I’ll go with whatever you recommend. By the way, is Gus in the kitchen?” Leon asked with a grin.
“Yup, this is his busiest time of the night.” Emily answered, jotting down a few dishes of her choice onto a small notepad before handing it to him.
“See if this menu matches your taste.”
“Let’s have a look.”
Leon glanced at the menu. Emily had picked Fried Mushrooms, Surprise Carp, and Rice Pudding for food, with freshly squeezed orange juice for the drink.
“Looks good. Let’s go with this.” Leon didn’t see anything that clashed with his tastes.
“Actually, I was going to recommend the Grampleton Orange Chicken—Gus’s latest creation. But you don’t seem to be into sweet dishes.” Emily chuckled.
“Yeah, not really my thing,” Leon admitted. The tangy sweetness of orange chicken was worlds apart from the spicy diced chicken and braised chicken he preferred.
He could eat it if served, but he’d never order it on his own. That was his feeling toward Grampleton Orange Chicken.
“Haha, I knew it. Guess I didn’t misremember your tastes.” Emily covered her mouth, laughing. “But yesterday, Gus swore you liked it. I thought I’d gotten it wrong.”
“Gotta give Gus some face,” Leon joked. “He is the best chef in town, after all. There are three kinds of people you never want to offend—doctors, teachers, and chefs. Don’t you agree?”
“That’s actually a great summary. Wait here, I’ll get this to Gus and then make your juice.” Emily nodded, heading to the kitchen with his order before peeling two fresh oranges and feeding them into the juicer.
While waiting for his food, Leon glanced around the room.
He was curious about Sophia. With the Blue Moon Vineyard still under renovation, she should be staying with Gus.
But he didn’t spot her—no trace of her signature pink hair. Likely she was in one of the private guest rooms, away from the crowd.
Instead, Leon spotted another familiar face—if he remembered correctly, her name was Claire, the new hire at Joja Mart.
Without the Joja uniform, Claire carried an unexpectedly classic elegance. It was hard to picture someone with that air working as a cashier.
Unfortunately, the dark circles under her eyes stood out, making her look exhausted.
Even so, she wasn’t dozing off, but eating while reading a book. Leon’s sharp eyes caught the title on the cover—“The Meaning of the Stage.”
She was so absorbed that she didn’t notice the sauce from her meal staining her sleeve.
Looks like someone with dreams, but shackled by reality, Leon thought.
“Your juice is ready. Want ice?” Emily returned, holding the glass.
“No need. It’s perfect as it is. Maybe in summer I’ll think about ice.” Leon smiled before asking, “Tomorrow Abigail and I are heading to the Calico Desert. Want to join? Last time I went, Sandy seemed to miss you.”
“I’d love to, but I promised to accompany Haley to a photography symposium tomorrow. Can you tell Sandy I’m sorry? I’ll visit her next time.” Emily’s tone showed she was tempted, but she stuck to her plan.
“Photography symposium?” Leon asked curiously.
With nothing pressing at the moment, Emily was happy to chat.
“Yeah, it’s a gathering for photographers to exchange ideas, and some big names in the industry will be there to judge the works on display. It’s both an award ceremony and an exhibition. Haley’s been preparing for ages, and since I’m basically her agent, I’ll be going with her.”
“Haley’s famous in the photography world?” Leon was surprised.
“Mhm. She was named one of the ‘Outstanding Young Photographers of the Year’ by Lens magazine. She’s among the very best of her generation,” Emily replied.
“Never would’ve guessed. I thought it was just a hobby,” Leon said.
“Same here. I thought she was just messing around at first. Who knew she’d actually achieve something? Compared to her, I’m just a waitress, which feels a bit… embarrassing.” Emily chuckled self-deprecatingly.
“Not at all. There’s no ranking in honest work. Waitressing earns you your living through your own effort. That’s honorable,” Leon countered.
“Haha, I didn’t expect you to think that way. But it’s a good view—and kinda charming too,” Emily teased.
“Am I wrong?” Leon grinned.
Before Emily could respond, a soft voice cut in, “I think that’s very well said.”
Both turned toward the source—and saw Claire standing beside Leon.
It was clearly her voice just now. But with both their eyes on her, she looked flustered and quickly explained.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, and I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop. I was just heading to the counter to pay and overheard you. But what Mr. Leon said made so much sense, I couldn’t help but comment. I hope I haven’t caused trouble.”
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