"Roommate in Orange Pajamas. It's truly enviable to have found a friend like that."
The young girl said, unconsciously touching the Ruby Earring on her right ear. Just then, the waiter arrived carrying the vegetable salad she had ordered, and the two temporarily stopped talking.
This was one of the better restaurants in the Dock Area. It was noon, and there were many diners. But the tables in an upscale restaurant were not packed together as densely as those in a street bar. Shade and Miss Princess had chosen a corner against the wall, and with no one seated nearby for the moment, they did not need to worry about being overheard.
"By the way, Miss Princess, what do you do in this city?"
Shade asked. He had revealed his own profession earlier precisely so that it would be easier to ask about her identity.
This time, the young girl who clearly appeared to be of noble birth did not refuse to answer:
"My sideline is journalism. I occasionally write social commentary and submit it to newspapers. As for my main occupation... Mr. Watson, I hope you won't laugh, but I'm considered a noble. My father doesn't approve of me working outside, so it's no problem if you think of me as one of those noble young ladies who does nothing all day but attend banquets and salons."
That introduction was more or less what Shade had expected. Seeing that she had not concealed much in this answer, he tried to probe further:
"A noble? Oh, it seems I've truly encountered someone remarkable. I wonder, your father is...?"
"I certainly can't tell you his exact identity. As for his profession, he's a Social Worker, contributing to public services."
"Social work?"
Shade understood this to mean that minor nobles, in order