The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 36: A Big Decision

Two weeks had passed since the commotion.

After safely returning to the orphanage, nothing had changed.

Red and Rene treated me no differently.

There must have been a few suspicious things, like the destroyed laboratory. But surprisingly, the way they looked at me hadn’t changed.

No. To be precise, their gazes had become even softer.

All the excuses I had prepared were useless, and they didn’t ask any difficult questions.

They only conducted a few simple tests and treated my injuries. They didn’t talk about the incident any further.

Was it out of consideration for me? Or did they not find me suspicious?

Either way, it felt unsettling that they let it slide so easily, but it also made things more convenient for me.

And now—

I was spending my time as usual, in a completely ordinary way.

Yum, yum.

I scooped up the pudding I had been saving, taking small bites with my spoon.

The moment the pudding entered my mouth, sweetness spread all over my tongue.

Mmm. So good.

Behind my mask, my lips curled into a satisfied grin.

I wanted to keep the pudding in my mouth forever, but happy moments were always short-lived.

As I swallowed the last bits, I held back my inner tears while watching TV.

The kids were outside, busy playing. At this hour, their favorite anime wasn’t on.

That meant I had the TV all to myself.

The TV was buzzing with hot news.

The shocking truth about a problem solver.

He had disguised himself as a hero of justice, but behind the scenes, he had committed horrific crimes.

Right now, the world was in an uproar over Isaac’s story.

Whether it was newspapers, online broadcasts, or news channels, everything had eye-catching headlines about Isaac.

It was inevitable. Isaac had always cared about his public image and was seen as a respectable problem solver.

A man who had seemed like one of the better people in this world had actually been committing heinous crimes. The shock was bound to be enormous.

For those interested in worldly affairs, it was the perfect scandal.

Especially since he was someone with a certain level of social standing—it made the story even more enticing.

[“I just don’t understand. Why would a problem solver like Isaac commit such crimes? What was he lacking that led him to evil?”]

[“Perhaps he became a problem solver just to hide his criminal activities from the start. We were all completely deceived by him.”]

[“According to our association’s investigation, Isaac had always been mentally unstable with antisocial tendencies. He had been forging documents to hide his violent nature… Though this has no relation to the association, we will ensure such incidents never happen again by thoroughly—”]

[“Hmph. I knew he was shady from the start. He was always smiling and clinging to people, like he was hiding something.”]

There were those condemning Isaac, those relishing the downfall of a high-status individual, and those desperately defending the association’s reputation.

Like hyenas, many were seizing the opportunity to tear him apart.

They say a tiger leaves behind its skin when it dies, and a person leaves behind their name.

To think that the hero he had so proudly claimed to be would be remembered instead as a villain.

It was a fitting end for someone who built his reputation on deception and hypocrisy.

The children were also deeply shocked by Isaac’s true nature.

I still vividly remembered their faces when they heard the news.

“Isaac… I can’t believe he did such things. It’s shocking….”

“He was always smiling. But it was all fake?”

“Sniff… I never thought he was that kind of person.”

“This is… too much….”

They had been close to him.

The more they trusted him, the greater the betrayal must have felt.

For the record, the children knew nothing about the attack.

When it happened, they were all asleep.

Even Lena, who had briefly stepped outside, seemed too drowsy to remember anything.

It all happened in one night, and there was no need for them to know, so neither Red nor Rene spoke of it.

I turned off the TV.

I stood up from my seat.

I headed to the kitchen to put away the empty bowl.

For now, the world was in chaos over this story, but soon, a new scandal would emerge, and this one would be buried.

Discussions about a problem solver’s character were always a dime a dozen.

This whole incident was just another trivial scandal.

Our daily life remains unchanged.

It flows the same way.

Still, on such an ordinary day, we are about to welcome a special event.

A truly significant one.

“Hmm-hmm.”

Evening time.

After finishing our meal.

In the room where all the children were gathered.

She cleared her throat, drawing the children’s attention.

“Today, Lily has made a very big decision.”

I could feel their gazes on me, as I was hiding behind Red.

“Surprisingly, Lily is going to take off her mask.”

At the shocking declaration, silence enveloped the room.

A moment later.

The children’s eyes widened.

“““Whaaaaat!?”””

I wondered if it was really that surprising, but then I remembered that I hadn’t taken off my mask even once in the past few months since I arrived here.

Thinking about it, I could understand their reaction.

“Here you go.”

Receiving Red’s encouragement and touch, I stepped forward in front of the children.

I took slow breaths to maintain my composure.

I decided to take off the mask.

At least inside the orphanage.

Perhaps because I had already shown my face to two people, they had suggested that, if I was comfortable, I could move around without the mask—at least within the orphanage.

After much deliberation, I made my decision.

I had grown close to the children during my time here.

I couldn’t just keep relying on Red’s kindness forever.

The children had persistently knocked on the door to my heart, so perhaps it was okay to open it up to them a little in return.

At least the people here should be fine.

Besides, keeping the mask on all the time was inconvenient anyway. I should at least be comfortable when I’m inside.

With slightly trembling hands, I slowly took off my mask.

“…….”

Seeing the expressions that were exactly as I had expected.

I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.

Red stepped out of the noisy room.

Hearing the lively chatter from inside made her smile.

It seemed everyone was quite shocked by Lily’s appearance.

She could understand that feeling well.

After all, she too had been astonished the moment she saw Lily’s face.

That such a face could even exist in this world.

Like a lone star shining in the darkness.

Naturally, it drew attention, and now she understood why Lily had hidden her face behind a mask.

It would be a problem outside, but inside, it should be fine.

Red walked out to the yard and stood in a shaded spot.

She put a cigarette between her lips.

Red lifted her head.

The sky was heavy with thick, gloomy clouds.

Her eyes seemed lost in deep thought.

“What are you thinking about so much?”

Red lowered her head and glanced sideways.

A woman with long blue hair, Rene.

Rene approached and stood beside Red.

“Just this and that….”

“Is that so? Well, you’ve been busy lately because of that Isaac guy.

It wouldn’t be strange if you had a lot on your mind.”

Red had gathered all the evidence of Isaac’s atrocities and spread it to the world.

Naturally, as a result, the Problem Solver Association was in turmoil.

With the association in chaos, it was inevitable that its members would be busy as well.

They were overwhelmed with work.

And one more thing.

Even though they had grown apart, Isaac was once a comrade.

It wasn’t strange to be lost in thought over the fact that someone who had been a comrade turned out to be such a monstrous person.

After all, logic and reason alone can’t always explain human emotions.

Of course, Rene could tell from Red’s face that this wasn’t the only reason she was deep in thought.

Perhaps what was really on Red’s mind was….

“Come to think of it, I didn’t expect Lily to take off her mask.

I brought it up, but honestly, I wasn’t sure if she would go along with it.”

Red’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“Yeah. Even I was a bit surprised.”

“She’s truly a strong kid.

Taking off a mask she was so reluctant to remove must have required a great deal of courage.”

“Lily has always been strong from the start.”

“That’s true.

After going through all that, she’s still standing.

It wouldn’t have been strange if she ended up traumatized.”

A shadow briefly passed over Red’s face.

Rene, who was well aware of what a troubled expression looked like, spoke up.

“What did Isaac say about Lily?

Is that why you’re so deep in thought?”

“Not much.

It seemed like he didn’t know much about her either.”

“Really?

From the way he spoke, it sounded like he knew something….”

Rene tilted her head in confusion.

Red exhaled smoke and slowly opened her mouth.

“But there’s one thing I did find out for sure.”

“What is it?”

“That kid is very different from the others.”

“In a good way?

Or a bad way?”

Red honestly recounted what had happened that day.

At the scene—inside the laboratory—she had sensed a faint trace of the Grim Reaper’s power.

Rene was visibly shocked.

“What!? The Grim Reaper?”

“Yeah.

It was so faint that I couldn’t be certain, but there was definitely a similar presence lingering there.”

“Hmm…. Couldn’t it just be a mistake?”

“Normally, I’d brush it off too.

But there was a monster that Isaac had created.”

Through Nina’s records and her own investigations, she had learned of the monster’s existence.

In other words, there was supposed to be a monster in the lab.

But it was gone.

It couldn’t have disappeared on its own, meaning someone must have dealt with it.

And.

The only person inside was Lily.

In other words, it was highly likely that Lily had been the one to handle it.

“So, you’re saying Lily is closely connected to the Grim Reaper?”

“I don’t know for sure either.

Even when I subtly asked her about it, Lily seemed completely unaware.

I couldn’t tell if she was playing dumb, genuinely ignorant, or simply unaware of it herself.”

Rene’s eyes glimmered with realization.

She clapped her hands together.

“Now I finally understand why the Grim Reaper Cult is after her.”

“We’ll find out the exact reason when we beat the hell out of them.”

Red exhaled smoke, looking visibly concerned.

Isaac, who had been targeting Lily, was now gone.

However, this wasn’t the end.

“Something even bigger might happen to that kid.”

“Do you regret it?”

“No.”

Red answered without a trace of hesitation.

Isaac’s words suddenly came to mind.

Lily is a bug.

She’s a child who shouldn’t exist in this world.

If Lily was indeed closely connected to the Grim Reaper, then those words might hold some truth.

Perhaps that small girl could bring about a great catastrophe.

But!

Red flicked the burnt-out cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

There is no such thing as a life that shouldn’t have been born.

No existence is a crime in itself.

No matter what anyone said, Red would vehemently deny it.

“Well then, shall we head inside?”

“Wait a minute! The smell of cigarettes isn’t good for the kids. Red, get rid of the smell before going in.”

At Rene’s remark, Red wobbled slightly.

With a dry chuckle, she reluctantly agreed.