Mystery: The Witch of Desire

Blake, reclining in his chair, didn't even look at Reeves directly, and said lazily:

"109, 8 pence a day."

I'll give you the money tomorrow.

"Revi said in a deep voice."

"No credit accepted!"

Blake's tone became impatient, but he still didn't look directly at Reeves.

Reeve didn't speak, but slammed the dagger from his pocket onto the table.

Blake looked at the gleaming cold light, his lazy eyes turning sharp. He straightened up, stared at Reeves, and said viciously:

"Kid, are you threatening me? Do you know that the Goldfish Hotel is 'Old Cat's' territory!"

Reeves, however, remained unfazed:

“I’m not threatening you. I just want to tell you that if I don’t give you the money tomorrow, this finely crafted Fenneport dagger is yours. It’s worth at least 4 sole. Hmm, lend me another 1 sole, and that’ll be fair.”

He needed some money to take a public carriage, otherwise it would take more than an hour and a lot of physical exertion just to walk to University Street.

Blake didn't speak, but scrutinized Reeves for a long time before grinning:

"That donkey's ass, what an arrogant brat."

He sheathed the dagger, tossed a bunch of keys and a 100-pound banknote onto the front desk, and lay back down in his chair.

"I need to see the money tomorrow, or I'll say goodbye to your finely crafted Fenneport dagger."

Without saying a word, Levi picked up the keys and money and walked to the end of the corridor.

Entering room 109 and locking the door, Levi opened the box and took out the wooden-handled revolver from the burly man, which still had five bullets left.

After inspecting the muzzle and firing hammer, Reeves stuffed the pistol into the pocket of his undergarments and then took out all of Jason's women's clothing.

He first placed two wads of cotton-stuffed cloth in front of his chest and tied them securely with straps, then put on the beige lace-trimmed long dress with lantern sleeves.

The long dress has soft padding in the right places, making Rivi look curvaceous when she wears it.

Levi blushed and carefully applied the sweet-looking human skin mask to his face in front of the mirror. Then he meticulously applied makeup and light-colored eyeshadow. Thanks to his frequent participation in comic conventions and other events before his transmigration, Levi's makeup skills were quite good.

Finally, Rivi put on her long, golden, wavy hair and wore earrings and other accessories.

Finally, a tall blonde woman, about 1.7 meters tall, appeared in the mirror. She had a sweet and lovely round face, eyes as blue as the sky, a curvaceous figure, and exuded a charming aura.

"It's so beautiful..."

Levi stared blankly at himself in the mirror for a moment.

This was partly because he hadn't expected to be so charming and alluring one day, and he felt a mix of shame, surprise, and even a surge of hormones.

On the other hand, it's because his appearance when dressed as a woman is exactly the same as Jason's.

He had originally planned to make some adjustments to match Jason's female attire, but now he realized that no adjustments were needed at all!

Although Reeves had a premonition, when he saw his reflection in the mirror, he actually had the illusion that Jason had climbed into the house through the window at night, and he couldn't help but feel a little lost.

"After all, we're using the same outfit, and Jason and I have very similar hair, face shape, and body type, so when we're dressed as women, we look like the same person..."

Levi sighed, feeling both melancholy and fortunate. Otherwise, he probably wouldn't have been able to hide it from the extraordinary members of the Mutual Aid Society.

After the disguise was complete, Reeves picked up a small bottle from the box, which was filled with a colorless gas that Jason referred to in his notes as 'soft gas,' which could make a person's voice sound like a woman for a period of time.

"It should be helium."

Having acquired some chemical knowledge in his previous life, Levi easily guessed the nature of these gases. He carefully inhaled some, then cleared his throat and made a beautiful sound like a lark.

"Hmm... It's much better than helium. Perhaps it involves some extraordinary power?"

Reeves adjusted his voice, sat quietly for a while, and before setting off, he put on a hooded half-length cloak that he had secretly taken from Emily. He did this to cover his face so that those who killed Jason would recognize him in women's clothing and thus bring about his death.

After finishing everything, Levi locked the door and went to the window.

Chapter 5 Gathering

He opened the window. Outside was a quiet back alley. After confirming that no one was watching, he dragged his somewhat cumbersome long skirt and wore unfamiliar women's ankle boots, and climbed out of the window.

This is also why he chose room 109; it was too eye-catching for a strange woman dressed so beautifully to walk out of the main entrance so casually.

Stepping onto solid ground, Levi gradually became familiar with his attire and his steps became lighter.

She hurried toward the end of Windmill Street, where there was a public carriage stop. She could take a public carriage across two streets to reach Daffodil Street. Before getting on the public carriage, the conditions on Windmill Street were extremely unpleasant for a beautiful young woman.

As Reeve sped past the large pile of debris on the side of the street, a drunk man lying there looked up and whistled:

"Hey little girl, your ass is so plump, how about a few pennies to let me have a good feel for it?"

"I don't think you'd be happy to spend money to touch a ball of cotton..."

Levi mentally scoffed, ignored the drunkard, and sped through the area.

Ten minutes later, Rivi arrived safely at the bus and carriage stop. Along the way, several malicious glances fell on him, as if he were being appraised as a succulent roasted lamb chop.

"Phew... The environment on Windmill Street is really terrible. We must be careful to protect Emily. Hmm, make sure she dresses simply when she goes out. If all else fails, smear some dust on her face..."

While waiting for the public carriage, Levi pondered to himself that most of the women on Windmill Street were dressed in dirty work clothes, with ordinary looks and tired, haggard faces. The beautiful and pretty ones were basically streetwalkers.

At that moment, a middle-aged man wearing a top hat leaned towards Reeves and asked softly:

"How come a beautiful and dignified lady like you is here alone? Where are you going? Would you like me to take you home?"

Levi paused, then began to ponder:

"Yes, indeed. My attire is completely out of place on Windmill Street. It's too beautiful, mainly too dignified. Perhaps next time I should learn from those streetwalkers and dress more flamboyantly, so that no one will notice anything amiss at a glance..."

Reeves reflected on his actions while trying to reply as politely as possible:

"Thank you, but you don't need to worry about me. I'll be home soon."

The middle-aged gentleman shook his head and asked with some concern:

"Miss, do you work on Windmill Street?"

Reeve hesitated for a moment, but adhering to the principle of doing whatever he was told, he simply nodded.

The middle-aged gentleman was not deterred by Reeves's coldness and continued to press:

"What kind of work do you do on Windmill Street? There aren't many jobs there that are worthy of your dignity."

"Home tutor".

Reeve thought for a moment and then said a few words in a low voice.

"A tutor?" The middle-aged gentleman's tone suddenly became excited. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Ronan Keane, and I'm a member of the Tingen Women Teachers' Mutual Aid Association. Perhaps I can offer you some assistance?"

"You...the Tingen Women Teachers' Support Association?"

Levi was taken aback. The mutual aid society did have male members, but they were all extraordinary individuals like Jason. Could this middle-aged man also be an extraordinary individual?

Reeve immediately became wary, carefully scrutinizing Ronan Keane from head to toe.

Ronan didn't seem to mind and smiled kindly.

“My daughter is a teacher at Narcissus Primary School. She first joined the Tingen Women Teachers' Mutual Aid Association, and later, inspired by her, I also joined the association, dedicated to doing something to improve the situation of women teachers in Tingen. Well, there are also male members like me in the association, which is not surprising.”

Levi nodded slightly. This wasn't hard to understand; it was like how there were always some boys in girls' schools in a country known for its gluttony.

He gathered his thoughts and smiled sweetly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ronan. My name is… Livre.”

"Hello, Miss Livre!"

On the rest of the journey, Ronan spoke at length to Rivi about the various efforts the mutual aid society had made to improve the employment environment for female teachers in Tingen, including providing mentorship and assistance to women aspiring to become teachers.

"Perhaps we could get Emily to join this organization..."

Reeve thought to himself that what the middle-aged gentleman said wasn't entirely useless.

Finally, Ronan got off at the stop before Riviera, bidding a reluctant farewell to the beautiful young 'lady':

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Livre. If you need anything, please come to 32 University Street. The second and third floors belong to our mutual aid society."

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Ronan. You are a true gentleman."

Reeve responded with a smile.

"May the goddess bless you so you can leave Windmill Street soon! Praise the goddess!"

Ronan drew a crimson moon by making four dots on his chest, offering a blessing as a farewell.

As a member of the mutual aid society, he naturally believed in the goddess of the night who supported women's work.

Levi paused for a moment, unsure whether he should draw the triangular emblem of the Mechanical Church, which he originally believed in, or act in accordance with his persona and praise the goddess with Mr. Ronan.

Few members of the mutual aid society are members of other churches.

The image of the crimson moon flashed through his mind, along with the ghastly white face pressed against the window beneath it, and Emperor Roselle's admonition:

Watch out for the moon!

Reeve swallowed hard, but made no gesture.

He is now filled with fear of the Crimson Lord who controls the moon.

"Could it be that this world is just a giant breeding ground, and the so-called true gods are merely raising believers to satisfy their own needs?"

Some thoughts crossed Levi's mind, but he instinctively felt that this was blasphemy against the gods, so he quickly stopped thinking.

Although he trusted his fellow countryman Roselle more than the Seven Gods, the moon might not necessarily refer to the goddess of night; it could have another meaning.

Lost in thought, the bus and carriage arrived at the station. Levi got off and walked another 300 meters along University Street to the entrance of the Flamingo Bar.

A lively drumbeat emanated from inside the house, and a scantily clad, glamorous woman stood outside the door, loudly hawking her wares in a brash tone:

"My dear college students, here you'll find the sexiest striptease performances and the most fashionable masquerade balls. Come and cleanse your minds, don't let that damn knowledge overload you!"

Amidst the woman's winking and eye-rolling expressions, Levi awkwardly pushed open the hotel door and entered. Without the obstruction of the door and walls, the sounds of drums and instruments boomed in his ears. The young men and women below the stage wore various masks, excitedly twisting their bodies and making loud noises. The atmosphere was lively yet seemingly full of academic atmosphere.

"It feels like college students in this world know how to have fun better than we do..."

As Levi mentally grumbled, a waiter approached carrying a large stack of masks:

"Beautiful lady, every Monday is the time for the masquerade ball. We suggest that all guests wear masks and join in the festivities."

"This must be an arrangement to prevent people attending the party from revealing their true identities. Wearing a mask after dressing as a woman is quite cautious. But it's good this way, as it reduces my risk of being exposed."

As he pondered this, Levi used his remaining 8 pence to buy a mask that was wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, with two small hand-like stripes on either side that wrapped around the back of his head.

He didn't like the mask; its bizarre shape reminded him of a woman's reproductive organs. But it was the only mask he could buy for 8 pence, and he had no other choice.

Levi put on the mask, wandered around the bar for a while to prevent anyone from associating him with his masked self, then walked to the counter and said to the bartender wiping the wine glasses:

"A glass of liqueur, mixed with some absinthe, and two large spoonfuls of ice."

This is the code for attending the party.

Chapter 6 Lady

The bartender glanced up at Wei, then busied himself for a moment before handing him a glass of strong rum, saying in a low voice:

"The third room on the left-hand side of the second floor, facing the stairs, has the code three long and one short."

Reeve nodded slightly, but did not take the glass of Leronzi—he didn't have enough money on him.

Under the bartender's disdainful gaze, he walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor and arrived at the third room on the left, facing the stairs.

Levi took another deep breath to maintain his voice, and then rather inelegantly slipped his hand from the lantern sleeve into his chest, confirming the position of the revolver between the two soft mounds of cotton.

Having done all this, he knocked on the door according to the code:

"Thump—thump—thump—, thump."

The door opened a crack.

There was a round table in the room, and several women were already sitting around it. They were wearing various masks. As Levi entered the room, they looked up and then quickly looked away.

Levi took a deep breath. He didn't know if the party members had assigned seats, so he slowly walked to a spot near the window. After standing there for a while and seeing that no one was giving him strange looks, he carefully gathered his skirt and sat down.

The seats near the door were already occupied, making this the best spot for escape.

After sitting down and seeing that no one was looking at him anymore, Levi breathed a soft sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, it didn't attract too much attention."

After a while, several more members entered the room one after another. The round table was already full of people, but no one was talking; there was a solemn and quiet atmosphere.