“There shouldn’t be anyone monitoring us.”
Levi said, reporting the good news with feigned ease as he sliced the rye bread with a dagger.
Emily nodded as well, forcing a faint smile that didn’t quite match her red, swollen eyes.
Levi handed a slice of rye bread to Emily.
The two of them chewed with difficulty, washing it down with plain water.
“I really wish I could dip this in some creamy mushroom soup; at least it would be softer…”
[Writing this, I hope readers will remember our domain name, Taiwan Fiction Network Library, twkan.com, for your reading pleasure.]
Levi chewed even harder as he indulged in his fantasy.
After ‘enjoying’ the rye bread, Levi tidied up the crumbs and said with feigned indifference:
“I’ll go out in a bit and see if there are any suitable odd jobs for me.
I have some skill in mechanical repair.
If I’m lucky, I might be able to earn a soli or two a day…”
Emily nodded as well:
“I’ll go out and look too.
I can work as a short-term tutor; I should be able to make some money that way.”
Levi gave a bitter smile:
“In Windmill Street, it’s unlikely anyone would hire a tutor.
Hmm…
I can head over to the West District and North District to look around and keep an eye out for any families needing a tutor for you.”
“Okay.” Emily nodded gently.
After thinking for a moment, she added, “I can also work as a washerwoman or a general maid.
No matter what, as long as we can solve our immediate need for food and shelter…”
Levi shook his head:
“I wouldn’t feel safe with you doing those jobs in Windmill Street; it’s very likely to attract people with ill intentions.
I’ll work hard to earn money.
Until we move to a safer street, you stay in the hotel and review your lessons.
I believe that one day, we’ll both be able to return to school and continue our studies.”
Among the bundles Emily had brought from home were her textbooks and study notes.
Emily was taken aback, her gaze toward Levi becoming somewhat complex:
“Clearly, Jason and I both looked at you as a child before.
Is it your turn to take care of me now?”
Levi gave a soft laugh:
“Well, a man can change overnight.”
Immediately, he felt his words might have some ambiguity.
He could only shake his head helplessly, pick up Jason’s suitcase, and prepare to head out.
Jason’s notes stated that the Mutual Aid Society’s regular meetings were held every Monday at 8:00 PM at the Flamingo Bar on University Street.
And today was the day of the meeting.
“Levi, you’re not going to be a detective like Jason, are you?”
Emily watched Levi’s back, deep worry showing in her beautiful light blue eyes.
Levi followed Jason’s dying wish and hid the matters of the Beyonder world from Emily.
Therefore, he lied to her, saying Jason’s job was that of a private detective.
Levi stopped in his tracks, turned, and smiled:
“How could I?
I don’t have Jason’s skills.
I’ll be satisfied if I can find a job repairing clocks or gas lamps.”
“Then why won’t you let me see what’s in the suitcase?”
Emily asked suspiciously.
Levi paused and said slowly:
“Trust me, these are all filthy things.
I’m going to leave them at the entrance of the police station and let this filth leave us forever.”
While Levi spoke his prepared excuse, he thought silently to himself:
“Jason, don’t worry.
I’ll let you go with a clean slate…”
Under Emily’s worried gaze, Levi pushed open the door.
He didn’t leave the hotel but instead went to the front desk and spoke to the manager and hotel owner—Blake, a man with a thick brown beard:
“Open another room for me.
I want a quiet room at the end of the first-floor hallway.”
There was only one room that met his requirements, and that was 109.
Levi had confirmed in advance that 109 was currently unoccupied.
Blake reclined in his lounging chair, not even looking directly at Levi, and said lazily:
“109, eight pence a day.”
“I’ll give you the money tomorrow,”
Levi said in a heavy voice.
“No credit accepted!”
Blake’s tone became impatient, but he still didn’t look directly at Levi.
Levi did not say anything; he slapped the dagger from his pocket onto the desk.
Blake looked at the gleaming cold light, and his lazy eyes turned sharp and cold.
He sat up straight, staring at Levi, and said fiercely:
“Kid, are you threatening me?
Do you know that the Goldfish Hotel is ‘Old Cat’s’ territory!”
Levi, however, remained unfazed:
“I’m not threatening you.
I just want to tell you that if I don’t give you the money tomorrow, then this well-crafted feneport dagger is yours.
It’s worth at least 4 soli.
Hmm, and lend me another soli; that would be fair.”
He needed some money for a public carriage; otherwise, just walking to University Street would take over an hour and a lot of physical energy.
Blake didn’t speak.
He scrutinized Levi for a long time before grinning:
“You little donkey’s ass, you’re quite an arrogant brat.”
He took the dagger, threw a set of keys and a one-soli note onto the counter, and lay back down in his chair:
“I want to see the money tomorrow.
Otherwise, say goodbye to your well-crafted feneport dagger.”
Levi said nothing, took the keys and the money, and walked toward the end of the hallway.
Entering room 109, he locked the door.
Levi opened the suitcase and took out the wooden-handled revolver from the burly man; there were five bullets left in the gun.
After checking the muzzle and the hammer, Levi tucked the revolver into a pocket in his undergarments and then took out all of Jason’s female attire.
First, he placed two cotton-stuffed cloth balls on his chest and secured them with straps.
Then, he put on the beige lace dress with lantern sleeves.
The dress had soft padding in appropriate places, making Levi look curvaceous once he put it on.
Levi’s face flushed.
Facing the mirror, he applied the sweet-looking human skin mask seamlessly to his face.
Then, he carefully applied powder and light eyeshadow—thanks to frequently attending comic conventions and similar events before his transmigration, Levi’s makeup skills were quite decent.
Finally, Levi put on the long, golden wavy wig and donned earrings and other accessories.
At last, a tall blonde woman of about 1.7 meters appeared in the mirror.
Her rounded face was sweet and lovely, her eyes as blue as the sky, and her figure was curvaceous, exuding an air of charm.
“So beautiful…”
Looking at himself in the mirror, Levi was momentarily stunned.
On one hand, it was because he hadn’t expected to have such a charming and moving day; he felt a momentary surge of shame, surprise, and even a hormonal impulse.
On the other hand, it was because his appearance after cross-dressing was exactly the same as Jason’s.
He had originally thought about making some adjustments based on Jason’s cross-dressed appearance, but now he realized that no adjustments were needed at all!
Although Levi had a premonition, when he saw his own reflection in the mirror, he really had the illusion that Jason was climbing through the window at night.
For a moment, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy.
“After all, I’m using the same set of gear, and Jason and I are very similar in hair, face shape, and body type.
So after cross-dressing, we look like the same person…”
Levi sighed.
While feeling melancholy, he was also somewhat relieved.
If not for this, he would likely have a hard time deceiving the eyes and ears of those Beyonders in the Mutual Aid Society.
With the disguise complete, Levi picked up a small bottle from the suitcase.
It was filled with a colorless gas that Jason’s notes called ‘Soft Gas,’ which could make one’s voice sound feminine for a period of time.
“It’s probably helium.”
Levi, who had some chemical knowledge from his previous life, easily guessed the nature of the gas.
He carefully inhaled some, then cleared his throat, letting out a voice as beautiful as a lark’s.
“Hmm…
the effect is much better than helium.
Perhaps it involves some Beyonder power?”
Levi took a moment to get used to his voice, sat quietly for a while to adjust his state, and before departing, he put on a hooded half-cloak he had secretly taken from Emily.
He did this to hide his face and prevent those who killed Jason from recognizing his cross-dressed appearance, which could bring about a fatal disaster.
Having finished everything, Levi locked the door from the inside and walked toward the window.