Aiden and Helena, who insisted on following him to the bar, walked through several streets but still hadn't arrived.
"Aiden, how much farther is that bar you mentioned?"
Helena asked with a hint of complaint. She was wearing high heels, which made it inconvenient to walk long distances. Even though she had the physique of a fighter, she still faintly felt that the soles of her feet were starting to get sore.
"About three more blocks," Aiden said after taking out the map and glancing at it.
"Then why didn't we drive?" Helena hugged her dog, Amy, and walked right beside him, her pace quickened as she didn't want to fall behind.
Then she suddenly realized, "Oh right, I forgot you just came to Paris. But I have a car, I'll call my driver to bring it around."
"No need. My people already prepared a car for me, but since we might drink at the bar, I didn't drive," Aiden said casually.
"Then why didn't you take a taxi?" Helena asked curiously again.
"I wanted to see the scenery of this so-called romantic city."
"You must be disappointed. This place is full of thieves and robbers." Helena lowered her eyes, trying to hide the embarrassment in them.
"Not necessarily." Aiden turned his head slightly to look at her. "There are also beautiful ladies here."
Hearing this, Helena raised her head, blinked, and then smiled softly.
"Aiden, you're completely different from the Z-country people I know. My teacher was a very reserved middle-aged man."
"So you think I should be more reserved?" Aiden turned his head to look at her again.
"No, I think you're fine the way you are," Helena said with a smile. She was being honest.
As they talked, the two of them crossed another block. At that moment, the little dog in Helena's arms lifted its head and barked twice at Aiden.
Helena seemed to understand what her dog meant and turned her head to say, "Aiden, could you hold Amy again? She seems to really like you."
Aiden immediately shook his head. "No. It keeps licking my hand."
"That's because Amy likes you. Don't you think Amy is cute?"
"Now that you mention it, I actually kind of like her too."
"Then why don't you want to hold her?" Helena asked, sounding like a curious child.
Aiden glanced at the little dog in Helena's arms, its head was pressed under her… quite impressive rabbits. No wonder it wanted Aiden to hold it, probably couldn't handle the pressure anymore.
Shaking off the ridiculous thought in his mind, Aiden said with a half-smile, "My kind of liking isn't the same as yours. You like them alive. I… like them cooked."
"Alive… cooked…"
Suddenly, Helena realized what he meant, quickly took a step to the side, and distanced herself from him.
"Don't you dare have any ideas about Amy," she glared at Aiden.
Aiden shook his head regretfully. "That's a shame. Meat is really nourishing."
"Stop saying that, you'll scare Amy," Helena said, covering the little dog's ears and scolding him playfully. She knew Aiden was joking.
Speaking of which, Helena looked every bit like a mature woman, after all, she was European, and they developed faster than Asians, but in truth, she wasn't that old. Her voice was cool and elegant, mature like a big sister, but her personality wasn't actually that mature.
"She can't understand," Aiden glanced at the little dog. It reminded him of Nyotengu, now she could understand.
"She can understand," Helena said seriously.
"…"
Aiden was speechless. He didn't feel like arguing with a girl who looked mature but still acted a bit childish, so he lazily waved his hand. "Alright, let's just say she can understand."
But Helena emphasized again, "She really can."
"Mm-hmm, I know."
———
Half an hour later, the two arrived at a small bar with a sign that read King.
"King's Bar… nice name, but it looks so small," Helena said, pursing her lips as she looked at the little bar before them.
"That's because the bar's owner isn't rich," Aiden said as he glanced around. His attention was drawn to a small blackboard hanging by the door.
[Our bar is seeking a live singer. Pay negotiable.]
"So it's a small bar indeed. They don't even have a regular singer," Helena said, noticing the same blackboard.
"You've been to a lot of bars before?" Aiden turned to look at her.
"No, just once after I graduated high school, with my classmates. But it was really noisy. I didn't like it," Helena shook her head, but really, she didn't need to explain.
"I don't like it much either. But sometimes I go for a drink to relax… Speaking of which, want one? My treat." Aiden pointed at the bar as he asked.
He didn't mean anything by it, he just genuinely wanted to treat her since she had helped him earlier, even though he hadn't really needed her help.
"Sure!"
Unexpectedly, Helena agreed without hesitation. "But my alcohol tolerance isn't great."
"Just drink a little, it's fine."
As Aiden said that, he stepped inside the bar.
Naturally, such a small bar couldn't afford to hire receptionists, and given King's circumstances, she clearly couldn't either. In fact, as he entered, Aiden wondered if King herself was running both the bar and serving customers.
But unfortunately, he guessed wrong. Behind the counter stood a very womanly bartender, not King, who should've had blonde hair, but a woman with long brown hair.
Aside from the bartender, there were only two waitresses, both women, hurrying between tables with trays in their hands, clearly busy.
In truth, there weren't many customers, only seven or eight tables occupied, but with just two waitresses, it was still quite a bit of work.
"This isn't what I imagined a bar to be like," Helena said curiously, glancing around. This bar wasn't the loud, rowdy kind she had pictured. The elegant background music actually made her feel more relaxed.
Her mother was a famous singer, and having inherited her mother's musical sense, Helena found the bar's taste and atmosphere quite to her liking.
"The environment's pretty nice too," Helena added.
Then, before Aiden could respond, she continued, "Aiden, is the person you're looking for here?"
"Haven't seen her yet… Come on, let's get a drink first." Aiden looked around the bar but didn't spot King anywhere.
'Could she not be working tonight? But the bar's open…' he thought.
He then walked toward the counter, and Helena followed right beside him, saying, "Um, Aiden, could you order a glass of milk for Amy too?"
"…"
"What would you two like to drink?"
The bartender behind the counter was a charming woman, not exactly stunning, but attractive enough to make most men do a double take. Seeing Aiden and Helena approach, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and gave them a professional smile.
But Aiden shook his head, then raised three fingers. "Not two, three."
Seeing her puzzled expression, he pointed at the little dog in Helena's arms. "Please bring her a serving of milk. A disposable cup is fine… I hope you have milk here."
"Uh… of course we have milk. This is a bar. We use milk for cocktails…" The bartender still hadn't recovered from surprise.
It was her first time seeing someone bring a dog into a bar, and not just that, but seriously order a drink for it. Even if it was only milk, it was still unexpected.
She took a paper cup from under the counter, poured in some milk, then asked, "And what about you two?"
"Vodka on the rocks. Don't add anything weird to it," Aiden said, tapping the wooden counter with his finger. The last part he'd learned from Revy, whenever she went to a bar, she always told the bartender that.
Well, now he suddenly kind of missed Revy.
He then looked at Helena, the mature-looking… girl, who was curiously staring at the rows of colorful bottles behind the counter. It was easy to tell she was still the well-behaved type of girl.
Thinking for a moment, Aiden told the bartender, "Make her a cocktail, something suitable for a lady."
"How about an Alexander?" the bartender suggested after thinking it over. She personally felt that a woman with Helena's mature looks should drink something more intense, like a Bloody Mary.
"She's from F-country."
"Then a Bloody Mary! Paris special."
"Forget it, Alexander it is," Aiden shook his head. For someone who rarely drank, jumping straight to a strong cocktail wasn't a good idea anyway. Besides, a Bloody Mary might sound cool, but the taste… not so much.
Born into a prestigious family, Helena's upbringing was clearly strict, she'd hardly been exposed to alcohol before. So when she heard them mention "Alexander," then Aiden saying "She's from F-country," she was a bit confused.
Still, because it was all new to her, she watched the bartender's performance of flair bartending with great interest, never once thinking Aiden might have other intentions in inviting her for a drink.
Of course, maybe because her first impression of Aiden had been good, the still somewhat naïve young woman didn't think that way at all.
While the bartender's hands dazzled with her skill, Aiden lifted his glass and took a big sip. Vodka on the rocks was perfect for summer.
At that moment, he noticed Helena glancing at the glass in his hand.
"Don't stare at it. This isn't for you yet, it's strong liquor," he said.
"Oh!" Helena immediately lost interest and went back to watching the bartender.
Before long, the cocktail named Alexander was ready. The milky white liquid made Helena's eyes light up. The mature-looking girl had an unexplainable fondness for the color white.
She lifted the glass and took a small sip. A smile of delight spread across her face. The spicy burn she'd imagined wasn't there at all, instead, it was rich with the aroma of cocoa, and most importantly, a hint of creamy sweetness.
"It's delicious." The mature-looking young woman had a sweet tooth and loved mousse. This drink, both in flavor and appearance, hit just the right spot for her.