The next morning, Sparkle slowly sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The white duvet slipped off her shoulders, exposing a large expanse of pale skin to the early morning sunlight.
Yes, she wasn't wearing pajamas. Robin didn't have any in her size, and there hadn't been time to go out and buy some. But it wasn't a big deal; she was just sleeping naked, and it was actually quite comfortable. (Thumbs up!)
After taking a few minutes to get dressed, she stepped barefoot onto the cold floor and headed toward the luxurious suite's bathroom. The icy chill beneath her feet helped shake off the last of her drowsiness.
To be honest, her shoes were just too much of a hassle to put on right now. She'd deal with them later.
She grabbed a disposable toothbrush and began brushing her teeth while mulling over yesterday's events.
When she'd initially planned to get a room, Sparkle had intended to find a cute girl, use an illusion to trick her, and crash for the night. But as she was searching, she noticed a tall man with a scarred face and a menacing demeanor approaching the door of the luxurious suite.
After using an illusion to deceive him, Sparkle realized that he truly lived up to his appearance—he was a bad guy through and through.
In the absurd depths of that otherworld dimensional rift, this man had personally slaughtered over five indigenous people and two Sakura Nation citizens.
With no further hesitation, Sparkle kicked the villain off the deck after thoroughly looting everything of value from his body.
From that moment on, her identity shifted from being stalked by a man named Takashi (full name unknown) to impersonating the murderer Yamada Shinji.
Hmm... A name that sounded vaguely familiar and utterly ridiculous.
"Glug glug~" After spitting out the mouthwash, Sparkle glanced at her reflection. Her face still held a hint of drowsiness, and her long black hair cascaded messily down her back, with several defiant strands sticking out in all directions.
Yet even this couldn't diminish her exceptional beauty. In fact, unlike yesterday's provocative attire that instantly evoked thoughts of "elation," she now appeared more approachable and undeniably cuter.
"Hmm, no surprise, you're the best, Grandpa!" Sparkle traced a figure-eight in the air with her right hand beneath her chin. "You're so adorable!"
Next came her hair. Sparkle's twin ponytails weren't particularly complicated, but if she'd tried this right after transmigrating, even this simple style would have stumped her.
Now, however, things were different. She glanced in the mirror and effortlessly brushed her hair. Before long, her hairstyle was identical to the one she'd worn to bed the night before.
Finally, she scurried back to the bed to put on her shoes. Sitting on the edge with her right heel pressed against the mattress, she leaned over, holding a shoe and a bundle of red cords. She couldn't help but feel perplexed.
Even with her extensive experience in women's fashion, this shoe left her bewildered. How did it even go on? Or rather, how were these cords supposed to be tied?
Lost in thought, Sparkle wiggled her toes. She stared at the gaps between them, then slid her index finger through each crevice.
Hmm... To put it poetically, she was clearing residual grime from between her toes. In more colloquial terms, she was picking her feet.
Thinking about it, perhaps everyone is always wearing a mask. For example, when she inhabited Robin's body, she made a conscious effort to act more ladylike. Even when Lü Heng taunted her about her weight, she didn't swear; instead, she blackmailed him with concert tickets.
Though she wasn't truly Robin, to the rest of the world, Robin was her. So she slowly began to restrain herself, striving to present a better version of herself.
There was nothing inherently wrong with this. In fact, it was perfectly normal. To live comfortably in society, humans inevitably make compromises. Everyone does.
But now, using the Sparkle identity and inhabiting this body, she felt completely unburdened by such concerns. It was as if she had let her true self run wild. Or, more precisely, this persona existed outside the bounds of human society. She could join in at any time, playing any role she chose, or withdraw completely to become a hidden manipulator or a mere spectator.
Besides, she was now undeniably an undocumented immigrant, so naturally, she didn't need to make any "compromises."
However, she wasn't going completely wild. She still couldn't bring herself to do anything too outlandish or shameful.
After spending some time figuring out how to tie the ropes and put on her shoes, Sparkle grabbed her belongings and left the luxurious private cabin, stepping onto the deck.
The ship had already docked, and before her lay the capital city of the Sakura Nation.
She had boarded as a stowaway, but disembarked through official channels. A quick search on her phone revealed the location of the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations.
It's worth noting that the phone now contained the SIM card of the murderer, Shinji. The stalker's SIM card, like Shinji himself, was floating somewhere in the sea.
Leaving the dock, she hailed a taxi at the roadside. "Take me to the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations," she instructed.
As everyone knows, taxis in the Sakura Nation are notoriously expensive, even ridiculously so. But what did it matter? It wasn't Sparkle's money anyway; it was a generous gift from the late Shinji.
Bored in the back seat, Sparkle crossed her legs, right over left, and began adjusting the tightness of her thigh holster. She must have been in a rush that morning, because it was too tight, leaving faint marks on her thigh.
From any other perspective, this would have been an undeniably alluring sight. But in the taxi driver's eyes, the woman in the back seat was a scar-faced, menacing figure—a dead ringer for a gangster!
As he drove, his hands trembled slightly on the steering wheel, terrified that the "Big Boss" in the back might take offense and slit his throat.
When they arrived at their destination, Sparkle paused, surprised by the fare.
"Hmm? Why is it so cheap?"
Shrugging it off, she turned her attention to the towering building before her: the Sakura Nation's Bureau of Anomalous Investigations. Now, it was time to infiltrate.