After Tifa, the maid at the door, re-closed the study door, Miss Jialinna continued speaking, teasingly, "Detective, I think you should be satisfied with this 'job', right? Just take the money with peace of mind. The situation at MI6 is special; there are all kinds of agents. Although getting paid for doing nothing is rare, even if it's discovered, nothing will happen."
"Miss Jialinna... thank you."
Xia De could only express his gratitude this way.
"Detective, I like this about you. You acknowledge others' efforts and are not stingy with your thanks. Such a simple thing, some people just can't do it. We will have many more collaborations in the future. The value of Founding · Silver Moon is not just at the card table. You will gradually discover that possessing this card will bring you many unexpected friendships."
Xia De took this as a hint to leave, so he prepared to bid farewell. But unexpectedly, footsteps sounded from the inner room of the study at that moment.
He looked in surprise at the Black-haired maid by the study door, who showed no intention of urging him to leave immediately.
So he turned to look at the inner door of the study. The door was pushed open from within, and first, feet wearing high heels appeared, followed by the hem of a skirt covering the feet. A young lady with long, fiery red hair walked out from the inner room of the study.
She appeared to be only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with fair skin, and a face beautiful like a rose in full bloom under light makeup. She wore an exquisitely styled long black dress, with lace and sheer fabric decorating the hem. The presence of a corset made her body's curves particularly prominent.
Her fiery red hair was meticulously braided and coiled at the back of her head, and she wore a black cloche hat adorned with a layer of white sheer fabric. Red hair is a symbol of the Cavendish Royal Family; King Larus III's title of "Leapfire" is related to this.
"Good evening, Detective."
Galina Cavendish greeted him, her diamond earrings sparkling under the warm yellow gaslight of the study. Her eyes were a deep golden color, a shade Xia De had never seen before.
"Good evening..."
Fair skin, a high nose bridge, delicate cheeks—the other person possessed a beauty beyond human, and this strangeness made Xia De unconsciously swallow.
...Miss Jialinna.
Those golden eyes scrutinized Xia De. Xia De did not shy away but met the gaze of the pretty lady before him. Only at close range did he realize that she was as tall as Xia De.
"But she's wearing high heels."
Xia De thought to himself.
A moment later, the red-haired Duchess was the first to look away: "Detective, do you have any other questions you wish to ask? If not, I think I should leave."
"Yes, one more question, which you may choose whether or not to answer."
Xia De said. He knew that the other party would not be infinitely generous to him, so for tonight's victory, he decided to exchange it for the answer to an additional question: "I've recently become interested in ancient deities. Regarding the Old Gods, please tell me... are they related to the Witch Emperors?"
He did not directly ask about the whispering chapters or The Chosen, to avoid misjudging the other party's alignment. He could not be certain how the Witch Council viewed the Great Prophecy.
A smile appeared on Miss Jialinna's face, revealing shallow dimples: "Everyone who knows us is curious about this question, but this is a secret of the Council, and the last secret of the fifth epoch. Detective, although I initially trust you, you are not a Witch; you are not one of us."
Xia De nodded, knowing it couldn't be that simple. But unexpectedly, Miss Jialinna suddenly added, "But if you become one of us, you can know the answer to this question... by becoming a woman."
Xia De's head immediately shook like a rattle-drum, and then he heard Miss Tifa Servett, the Black-haired maid at the door, lightly chuckle while covering her mouth. Miss Jialinna also laughed: "Of course, I'm joking. The Council only accepts pure women; there are no exceptions. Detective, although you cannot become a member of the Witch Council, you will receive my protection, that is, Galina Cavendish's. Although my relationship with them is not very good, with this identity, no one in the Council will make things difficult for you."
As she spoke, she actually reached out and grabbed Xia De's wrist.
Xia De was stunned. Not only had many people mentioned that "the Great Witches of the Witch Council generally dislike men," but even if they didn't, such a casual act of grabbing a man's wrist was not normal behavior.
"What's wrong?"
He asked, then pulled his wrist free. Miss Jialinna glanced at her palm, shook her head slightly, and then walked towards the door, saying with her back to him, "Detective, if needed, I will send someone to find you. When Tifa delivers the relic to you, you will also get my contact information... The last Witch Emperors of the fifth epoch did indeed inherit the power of the Thirteen Old Gods, respectively. As for the Great Witches of the sixth epoch... I'll tell you next time."
Miss Tifa Servett, the maid, opened the door and, along with the servants waiting outside, led Miss Jialinna out of the study.
Xia De stood in the study, listening to their footsteps gradually fade in the corridor, and only let out a long breath after a long time.
Frowning, he asked in his mind, "Her attitude towards me is very strange. Is there something about me that even I haven't discovered, something that might be beneficial to her? When she grabbed my hand, was there any sign of a Miracle or spell being used?"
He still had this level of alertness.
【No.】
He nodded, then stared at the study carpet beneath his feet, recalling every detail of their meeting just now: "And, that Miss Jialinna felt a bit off to me. I'm now considered an 入門 in mysticism, and the elements on her are a bit strange... What did you sense when we were at close range just now?"
【For a typical Ring術士, even if they specialize in a certain area, like your Writer friend, the four elements are generally in Balance, but she is different.】
"Unbalanced? I see."
Then he received a further answer: "The whisper element of Galina Cavendish is almost the sum of her other three elements. But she is indeed human, not a humanoid relic."
"whisper? Could it be that this is the special way of obtaining a position that the doctor mentioned? Using a relic to obtain a position? No, I can't guess casually."
Xia De looked towards the door: "Witch Council, Witches... Could it be that the last Thirteen Witch Emperors of the fifth epoch and The Chosen of this epoch all have the same mission? But that's not right; although the academy's history books are vague about the epoch transitions, there was indeed no appearance of any 'doors', and there was no major upheaval or anything between the fifth epoch and the sixth epoch..."
He pondered these matters as he stepped out of the study.