Once Tifa, the maid at the door, had closed the study door again, Miss Galina continued speaking, teasingly:
"Detective, I imagine you're satisfied with this 'job.' Just take the money and relax. Military Intelligence Section Six is a special case; it has all kinds of agents. While it's rare for someone to draw a salary for nothing, even if it's discovered, nothing will happen."
"Thank you, Miss Galina."
That was all Shade could do—thank her.
"Detective, that's what I like about you. You recognize what others have done for you, and you aren't stingy with your gratitude. Such a simple thing, yet some people simply can't manage it. We'll have plenty of opportunities to work together in the future. The value of Founding Silver Moon doesn't lie solely at the card table. In time, you'll discover that owning this card will bring you many unexpected friendships."
Shade took that as a cue to leave and was about to say his goodbyes. To his surprise, however, footsteps sounded from the room deeper inside the study.
He looked in surprise at the Black-Haired Maid by the study door, but she showed no intention of urging him to leave immediately.
So he turned toward the inner door of the study. It was pushed open from within. First came a foot in a high heel, then the hem of a skirt obscured it. A young lady with long, fiery red hair emerged from the inner room.
She looked no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Her skin was fair, and beneath her light makeup, her face was as beautiful as a rose blooming in high summer. She wore an exquisitely tailored black gown, its hem decorated with lace and gauze. The corset emphasized the curves of her body.
Her fiery red hair had been carefully