The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 14

The conversation was postponed until the next day.

It was too late at night to talk, and Red was tired, so she wanted to wait until she could have a clear mind after a good sleep.

Since it wasn’t urgent, I followed her suggestion without protest.

The next day, after breakfast, Red and I entered the office and sat across from each other at the table.

Red rested her chin on her hand and looked at me with a curious expression.

“Really, is that you?”

I nodded.

Red squinted her eyes and stared at me intensely.

She must have heard about me from Rene, but she was probably trying to judge for herself. Her sharp eyes were carefully scanning whether my words were true or false.

I wasn’t guilty of anything, but I still felt nervous.

I worried that if I met those red eyes, my identity would be exposed, so I subtly avoided eye contact, not daring to look directly into them.

Maybe it was because her fierce expression made it feel even scarier.

Swallowing.

Still, I understood Red’s behavior.

After all, when we first met, I was completely concealed, and she had no idea what my voice sounded like since I didn’t speak.

It was only natural for her to be suspicious about whether I was the same person.

“Seems like it,” she said.

But quickly, Red believed me.

Although my face was still covered, she was intrigued by my appearance now, a contrast to the fully hidden version she had seen before.

“Hm. Now that you’re covered, I wonder what you look like under that mask. Would you mind taking it off?”

I froze and tightly gripped the mask with both hands. It was a clear signal that I would not let her take it off.

Seeing my reaction, Red chuckled lightly.

She waved her hand dismissively.

“Just joking. I wouldn’t make you take off your mask, even as a joke, so don’t worry.”

Even though my expression wasn’t visible because of the mask, I gave her a suspicious look.

If she tried to take it off by force, I’d have no choice but to fight back.

But thinking about her personality, I knew she wouldn’t try to do that, so I relaxed and let go of the tension.

“Well, I don’t know about the kids, though.”

Red pointed to the door with her finger.

Through the slightly ajar door, I could see the kids watching us.

When they noticed my gaze, they quickly hid their faces.

‘They’ve already seen everything.’

I sighed inwardly and grabbed a jar of candy from the table.

I unwrapped a candy and opened the bottom of my mask slightly to pop it into my mouth.

Grape flavor.

I was lucky.

I rolled the candy around with my tongue, and the sweet taste of grape spread through my mouth, lifting my mood.

“I heard everything from Rene. I thought you’d come, but I never expected you to really show up. And to stay for over a month, too. Looks like you like it here?”

I neither confirmed nor denied ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Red’s statement.

Sometimes, people don’t even fully understand their own feelings. Just like that, I wasn’t sure why I stayed here waiting for Red for over a month.

It just happened, that’s all.

It was like when you talk to someone once or twice, and suddenly, you find yourself becoming friends.

“Let’s cut to the chase. To be blunt, why don’t you stay with us?”

‘!’

I had kind of expected it, but hearing it for real made me so surprised that I almost swallowed the candy whole.

The kids’ breath was held in unison.

Even Rene, who had been working at her desk, froze.

The atmosphere in the room shifted at Red’s offer.

Red’s expression was serious as she stared at me, continuing her words.

“If you’ve stayed here for over a month, it means you don’t hate it here. If that’s the case, I think it wouldn’t be bad to stay here. The kids seem to want you to stay too. So, if you’re okay with it, you’re welcome to stay.”

I lowered my head slightly, resting my arms on my knees, and thought over her words.

The sounds of the world faded, and the only sound I could hear clearly was the candy rolling around in my mouth.

I closed my eyes.

Logically, turning her down was the right choice.

It wouldn’t be good for me to get involved with Red.

If I stayed here, I would naturally spend more time with her, and if things went wrong, there was a risk of my identity being exposed.

I turned down her initial offer for that reason, and I avoided coming when I got the communicator for the same reason.

I planned to have a brief encounter and move on.

Even though I knew what the best choice was, I found myself hesitating.

Once I had achieved my goal, I could just grab some candy and leave.

Why was I hesitating about something so trivial?

I felt a little pathetic.

“....”

I could feel the kids’ heavy stares.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

It seemed like they were waiting eagerly to hear what I would say.

Rene’s gaze was also on me, her eyes quietly waiting for my answer.

Red didn’t rush me.

She simply sat there, calmly waiting for my response.

I opened my eyes and lifted my head.

“What will you do? The choice is yours.”

Red extended her hand toward me.

What kind of expression must I have right now? I was glad my face was hidden behind the mask.

I struggled to move my hands off my knees, repeating the motion more than ten times.

‘Have I ever thought this much before?’

Looking back, I didn’t think so. At first, I was always too busy trying to survive, and later, when I became used to using my power, the only thing I really thought about was what dessert I’d have today.

I was sighing long when—

“Alright. From today, you’re part of our family. Please take care of us.”

What? When I came to my senses, I realized I was holding her hand.

I was stunned.

When did I grab her hand? I couldn’t remember. Did I do it unconsciously?

In the midst of my confusion, the kids who had been watching from the outside rushed in.

“Wow! Great choice! From now on, we’re family!”

“I’m so happy.”

“I’m glad...”

Don’t cling to me. The mask is going to fall off.

Unlike the beaming faces of the kids, I silently protested inside.

This is wrong. We should redo this.

Of course, no words came out, and it just echoed inside me.

In the middle of all this chaos, Red clapped her hands to silence the kids.

“Everyone, quiet!”

The noise died down immediately.

All the kids’ eyes turned to Red.

She looked at me.

“You said you didn’t have a name. Since you’re going to live with us now, don’t you think it’s uncomfortable not having one? We’ll give you a name. Is that alright?”

Huh? Wait, a name?

The kids were excited by the suggestion, and naturally, names started flying out.

Ugh. My head hurts. Fine, do whatever you want.

I listened to the names quietly.

Blue, Skull, Snow, Eye, Eisen, Evil, and so on—just random names, it seemed.

At least they could have done it seriously.

“Lily...”

Hmm?

The girl holding the book, Ba Da, spoke again.

“Your hair is white, so... Lily.”

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Ba Da glanced at a white flower and then looked at me quietly. Ah, because of the lily flower. It’s simple and clear.

The others looked at me, seemingly thinking the name was decent.

What do I think of it?

Yeah, it’s the best option.

It feels like a name for a little girl, but since my body is that of a girl, it works.

I never had a name before, and this is much better than being called ‘that kid’ or ‘this kid.’

Since I couldn’t tell them my nickname, I nodded.

“You seem to like it too. Then it’s settled?”

A satisfied smile appeared on Red’s face.

“Welcome to our family, Lily.”

Thump.

For a moment, my heart fluttered, though it was very faint. I pressed my hand against my chest.

What was that? I wondered inwardly.

At least now, I was being called by a proper name with my eyes open in this world.

It felt awkward and strange.

*

As the other kids took the newly adopted Lily outside, only Rene and Red were left in the room.

Red sat down on the sofa, her hand reaching for the candy jar on the table.

She took out a candy, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth, rolling it around as she spoke.

“What do you think of her after living with her for over a month?”

“That’s a really direct question,” Rene replied somewhat curtly, then began reflecting on the past month.

She started recalling her thoughts about Lily, based on everything she had observed.

“It’s the same as when the other kids first came here,” she said.

“How so, specifically?”

“She tries to hide it, but Lily always looks at us with a sense of wonder. Whether it’s when the kids are playing, eating together, during snack time, or studying. She feels awkward about everything here.”

That wasn’t all.

There was a subtle air of wariness around her, and she also had the disability of not being able to speak. It made Rene feel sympathy when imagining what kind of life Lily had lived in this harsh world.

That’s why they needed to embrace her with love.

But...

“But unlike the other kids, she’s hiding something.”

That was the reason Rene hadn’t fully let her guard down with Lily.

It was sad, yes, but if Lily’s presence ended up becoming a danger to the orphanage, she would do whatever it took to protect the children.

“Is that so? Actually...”

Red revealed to Rene the information she had gathered.

Lily was on a watchlist of people the Reaper Cult was keeping an eye on.

“Is that so? Now, that makes sense,” Rene said, her expression turning more serious.

Tap tap.

Having finished sorting out the documents, Rene looked up at Red with a worried expression.

“...Do you think it’ll be okay?”

Red understood the meaning behind Rene’s words.

When you’re around someone who’s carrying a problem, you inevitably get dragged into it.

It was a question of whether she would be able to handle whatever happens, no matter what it is.

“I’ll be fine.”

Red’s voice was confident.

Her expression remained calm.

If anyone else had said that, it would have been nothing but anxiety-inducing, but Rene knew Red well.

“Well, if you say so, I suppose it’ll be fine.”

“By the way, you can just call me ‘sister’ if you feel comfortable.”

“...It’s fine. I prefer this.”

“Ah, right. By the way, I heard there’s a new zoo opening in the outer city. I’m thinking of taking the kids there. What do you think?”

“The kids would love that.”

“Right?”

Both of them started busying themselves with preparations to visit the zoo.

*

Isaac sat in his room, looking at his phone.

He saw the missed calls and unanswered messages, a bitter smile forming on his face.

“Even Red is going too far. I told her to accept it, but she’s ignoring me...”

At first, things between them were fine.

Isaac knew Red well, so it was easy for him to build rapport.

But then, out of nowhere, distance started to grow between them.

He didn’t know why. There had been no issues.

He had followed the information accurately, and there was no way the game’s information could have been wrong.

‘At least if we meet, we can patch things up and maybe even get back on track... Hmm, wait a second.’

Isaac looked at the date on his phone, a smile spreading across his face.

‘The event’s date is coming up soon. The timing is perfect. If I use this event...’

If they refuse on that side, he could just force a connection from his side.

Isaac began to make his plans.