Hong Si remained silent as she locked eyes with Margaret.
She didn't ask anything further, just smiled meaningfully for a moment before lifting the glass in her hand to her lips, downing a drink with a bizarre color in one gulp.
After that, she set down the glass, smacked her lips as if savoring the flavor she had just experienced, and voiced her dislike, "Nasty, tastes a bit like soy sauce mixed into the liquor, watered down at the end. It also lacks an aftertaste, feels like the drink just vanished after passing through my throat, leaving not a hint of flavor behind."
Despite claiming the drink to be "nasty," when she saw the previously empty glass slowly refilled with liquid indistinguishable from before, she lifted the glass and emptied it again.
This time, her facial expression went from bright disdain to understanding, as she shook the now empty glass and added, "Rotten liquor."
"Your review has been noted, I apologize for not being able to offer a satisfying drink," Margaret replied graciously, nodding as if she were truly a bartender, "It was a lapse in my duties. Would you grant me another chance to adjust the drink in your hand a little?"
"Oh? There's a service for a remix? Then I'll take you up on that offer, please go ahead."
Hong Si seemed taken aback for a moment before smiling as if she truly concurred, placing her glass on the bar, "Personally, I hope for something with a stronger kick and a more stimulating taste, and preferably without the excess off-flavors..."
However, mid-sentence, she altered course and retrieved her glass, voice turning cold, "...Did you think I would say such things?"
Her question abruptly changed the previously somewhat relaxed atmosphere to one that was much tenser. The already quiet wonderland was now filled with sparse whispers and the still melodious music. But even the music couldn't ease the chill in the air, only making the scene more awkward.
In such an atmosphere, Margaret maintained her poised and proper smile in the face of the challenge and said nothing.
Seeing the lack of response, Hong Si was not annoyed, and simply started talking to herself, "You see, I'm not really worried about being poisoned, as my organs are filled with 'Qi', which can isolate anything I consume at any time, rendering toxins ineffective against me."
"But, just now, to confirm my suspicion, I wrapped the drink in Qi before it went down my stomach, only to observe an interesting phenomenon—the drink didn't enter my stomach at all. It just slipped through my mouth and then disappeared."
"After it disappeared, my glass was refilled. In other words, this so-called 'never-ending drink' has always been just one glassful from the start."
"Now that's fascinating, a drink that remains unchanged from start to finish, and interestingly, everyone has a glass, all brought into existence by the influence of your wonderland..."
Raising the glass again, letting the warm yellow lights around her seep through the liquid, Hong Si watched as the shimmering light fractured through the ripples and confidently said, "This drink must symbolize my true nature, right?"
Unfazed, Margaret responded, "Maybe you're just reading too much into it?"
"What over-interpretation? I've pondered countless times what my true nature and Magic Power would look like without this shell. After seeing this drink, I understood—it's the answer to my question. My true nature should look just ."
Yet Hong Si simply shook her head, "And if it reflects my true nature, would the changes in this glass of drink cause corresponding changes in me? Can you tell me the answer, bartender?"
"An intriguing hypothesis. I can tell you that your speculations are very close to the truth," Margaret replied.
Her hand brushed lightly over the countertop, opening up next to Hong Si's glass, "It's just unfortunate that reaching this conclusion now is a bit too late."
Silence fell over the bar.
"What did you say..." Grasping the implication behind those words, Hong Si's eyes widened slightly, but before she could finish her sentence, she was overwhelmed by a surge of uncontrollable emotions erupting from deep within her heart.
Sadness, pain, regret, frustration... A deluge of bitter sentiments suddenly filled her mind, nearly shattering her thoughts completely.
The intolerable grief instinctively made her clutch her chest, feeling as if her heart had been carved out, leaving only suffocation and numbness.
And accompanying this emotional onslaught, was a transformation occurring in the cocktail before her.
At some point, a whisper of azure had silently blended into the distinct layers of black and red liquid in her glass, spreading rapidly like dark ink dropped into clear water, filling the entire glass.
For humans, emotional experiences often inversely affect their physical actions. For Hong Si, right then, the intense sorrow was like a Binding Spell, rendering her immobilized where she stood.
"—Make your move." Thus, the bartender behind the bar withdrew her hand and made the announcement.
The next moment, the small world resembling a tavern sparkled with various colors of Magic Power light.
Leading the charge against Hong Si were Emerald Sparrow, who had regained her mobility after a brief respite, and Hong Siyu, who had been by her side all along.