The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 26

After returning to the orphanage—

The children wandered about in their new clothes. It seemed they were truly happy with what they had gotten.

Beaming smiles on their faces. The orphanage filled with joyful laughter.

“Teacher, how do I look? These are the clothes big sis bought me!”

“Do I look cool in this too?”

“Hehe...”

Rene spoke, genuinely surprised.

“Oh my! What’s going on here? Why did all of you suddenly become this cute and lovable? I just wanna squeeze you all! Can I nibble on you a little?”

The kids lit up even brighter at Rene’s enthusiastic reaction.

With a mischievous chuckle—hoo hoo hoo—she approached them like she really meant to scoop them all up.

The children shrieked in surprise and bolted away from Rene, their clear laughter echoing through the halls.

Watching the scene, a soft smile crept up on Red’s lips. There was a faint trace of loneliness mixed in.

She wished she could’ve bought them nicer clothes. But that wasn’t an option.

Too flashy clothes would draw attention, after all.

Dressing up extravagantly in the outer city was never a good idea.

It would attract eyes, and not just out of curiosity—there would be people with dangerous intentions too.

Maybe if someone was confident in their strength, it wouldn’t matter. But for kids, it was dangerous.

Then suddenly—one child was missing.

Red glanced around, searching, and spotted a girl standing quietly with her arms crossed.

A girl with pure white hair and a blank expression behind a mask.

Lily was watching the others playing with Rene.

Her mask hid her face completely, making it impossible to read her expression. Without seeing her face, it was hard to tell what she was thinking. Red tried to understand from her posture and mood.

Right now, she seemed okay.

Red recalled what happened at the clothing store.

Unlike the others, she didn’t react much after getting her clothes.

Lily was indifferent, even when she received new clothes.

Clothing served a practical purpose, but it was also a way to express oneself.

The other children smiled the entire time as they picked outfits, excitedly changing into them—but Lily showed no interest at all. In fact, she seemed more annoyed than anything.

Come to think of it, when Red first saw her, Lily was dressed in ragged, worn-out clothes.

Like something scavenged from trash, torn and tattered.

Maybe she just wasn’t used to dressing up.

Red lowered her eyes slightly, a quiet sadness flickering across her face.

What hurt more than anything was Lily’s demeanor.

Lily didn’t trust people. That mask was proof of it.

What kind of life must she have lived...

Red didn’t know the exact reason she wore the mask. But wearing one at all meant there was something—some kind of reason.

Not explaining that reason... that was a sign she still didn’t trust the people at the orphanage.

Even though she mingled with the kids on the surface, she kept her distance at heart. That was probably why.

A person not being able to trust others... that was just sad.

Even more so when it’s a child. A child who still has her whole future ahead of her.

But considering the kind of world they lived in, it wasn’t something to blame her for. Red completely understood Lily’s behavior.

Still—

She didn’t want to use the world as an excuse to do nothing.

Red wanted to teach her something.

That the world wasn’t completely hopeless. That people could be worth trusting.

At the very least, she hoped Lily would come to see the sincerity of everyone at the orphanage.

That’s why neither Red, nor Rene, nor the other children tried to force her to take the mask off.

Because that would only hurt the small girl even more.

So they waited.

Waited for the day peace would reach Lily’s heart, and that she would open up on her own.

Red walked over to Lily.

Lily tilted her head slightly, as if asking what was going on. A smile crept up on Red’s lips.

Sensing something ominous, Lily tried to move away—but it was too late.

Red grabbed her by the shoulder just as she tried to escape.

“Hey~ Rene. What do you think of Lily? Isn’t she just the cutest thing?”

“...!!!?”

And then, she shoved the small girl forward with a firm push.

Rene turned her head.

Lily stumbled awkwardly, frozen in place.

If she could speak, she probably would’ve said—

Oh no. I’m screwed.

“Lily’s cute too! Come on, give me a big ol’ hug!”

“...!!!”

With a rather terrifying grin, Rene came charging in.

Lily, struck with panic, immediately turned tail and ran like hell.

Red giggled, the corners of her mouth lifting in amusement.

*

Nina was walking alone through the corridor.

The overhead lights, installed at intervals along the ceiling, lit the way clearly enough that she didn’t need a flashlight. She had been walking for quite a while, yet the hallway showed no signs of ending.

Only the sound of her own footsteps echoed down the narrow passage.

She was experienced enough that most things didn’t scare her. But her face was dark with tension.

Maybe it wasn’t the danger that might lie ahead—it was the unease gnawing at the back of her mind.

Stairs...?

Nina cautiously descended, one step at a time.

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It felt like she was stepping into a place she wasn’t supposed to be. Her body felt heavier with every step.

At the bottom of the stairs, another hallway stretched out.

Nina frowned.

Whoever designed this had a twisted sense of humor, she thought bitterly.

She kept walking—and eventually, she saw light in the distance.

She quickened her pace, assuming she had reached the end.

Exiting the corridor, she emerged into a wide space.

“There was a place like this under the orphanage...? Did the director know? Or...”

Mouth slightly open, Nina looked around.

The place was filled with all kinds of scientific equipment and machinery. One glance was enough to know—it was a laboratory.

She couldn’t believe it.

There was no way someone could build something this massive under the orphanage without anyone knowing.

Which meant... it had to be here from the start.

The orphanage was a property Isaac had secured.

Did he really not know? If not...

...No. It’s too early to jump to conclusions!

Nina shook her head hard to clear her thoughts.

She couldn’t afford to assume anything prematurely.

She began to investigate the room thoroughly, determined to figure out exactly what this place was and what had happened here.

Her eyes scanned everything like a professional fixer.

Though dust and scattered debris were everywhere, the facility itself looked incredibly new.

The machines were still fully operational.

Clink~

“...Hm? What’s this...?”

A bottle rolled into her foot.

Nina looked down. Her expression slowly stiffened.

She bent over, picked it up, and checked the label.

It was Isaac’s favorite brand of alcohol.

Coincidence?

Her hand trembled. She took a deep breath and gently set the bottle back down.

She immediately began rifling through everything she could find—searching for any records, any documents that might explain this place.

Eventually, she found a stack of papers.

Nina began reading through them.

They were experiment logs.

Detailed accounts of procedures, objectives, and outcomes. Enough to piece together what kind of experiments had been conducted here.

Synthetic organisms...

Chimeric biology. Experiments that involved combining only the strongest traits of various creatures—a completely unethical practice.

Illegal. In other words, a crime.

That such horrific research had taken place beneath the orphanage left her deeply shaken.

Suddenly, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° a wave of dizziness hit her, and she clutched her forehead.

No, wait a second... If that’s true—!?

Just then, a new thought shot through her mind like lightning, and chills ran down her back as her posture stiffened.

If experiments had taken place here, then naturally, test subjects must have been created.

She scanned the area quickly, eyes darting around—but nothing seemed out of place, and she sensed no presence.

Nothing. Or maybe... maybe they're hidden somewhere. But I didn’t see anything along the hallway I came from. If they’re not here, then where the hell are they?

Nina heightened her caution and resumed her investigation.

She was examining a shattered glass tube when something caught her eye.

A dirty, worn, torn scarf.

She stared at it quietly, then abruptly covered her mouth. Her face went pale. Her eyes trembled violently.

She knew that scarf. She knew who it belonged to.

It was something she had gifted to a child at the orphanage. No—it couldn’t be, she told herself. But then she saw the name stitched into it by hand.

Why is this here... Why...

Her heart sinking, Nina checked other glass containment devices just in case. In several of them, she found items belonging to children.

She didn’t want to believe it. But her mind had already reached the only possible conclusion.

Her fists clenched tightly.

Whoever led the experiments in this place—they would never be forgiven.

There were definitely experiments here. But then why’s there nothing left? Not a single trace. Did they already move everything?

Her eyes drifted toward the massive glass chamber in the center of the room—it was hard to ignore.

Nina approached the chamber. It was filled with a clear, colorless liquid.

She touched the surface gently, then lifted her gaze upward. Nothing there.

She looked down.

It extended downward for an incredible depth, the bottom swallowed in complete darkness.

She squinted hard, trying to focus.

Something moved.

Something massive, writhing in the dark below.

Startled, Nina recoiled from the chamber, taking a step back.

There’s something down there... Something huge...

She quickly composed herself and pulled out her phone. She was about to call Red.

But of course—no signal. Out of service.

“Damn it!”

She turned toward the hallway she’d come from, intending to hurry back—but footsteps echoed from the corridor.

Nina flinched, immediately ducking into cover.

As the footsteps drew closer, her expression hardened by the second.

Gulp. She swallowed dryly.

A shadow appeared. Then a familiar silhouette.

When she saw who it was, Nina’s eyes widened in horror.

A handsome man with black hair.

Isaac.

Nina froze, torn on what to do. Should she trust him? Her thoughts raced.

Sensing her hesitation, Isaac spoke.

“I know you’re here. Hiding’s useless. If you don’t come out right now, I’ll drag you out by force.”

A dark aura of magic radiated from Isaac’s body. The air in the lab turned frigid.

He meant it.

With no other choice, Nina stepped out from her hiding spot.

Isaac blinked in surprise when he saw her. The ominous pressure vanished as he exhaled in relief.

“Oh, it’s just you, Nina.”

“...Director.”

“I thought it was someone else. Maybe the owner of this place. You scared me, you know?”

“Did you know about this, Director? That something like this was under the orphanage?”

“Of course not. I had no idea. I mean, who would’ve thought something like this was here? Haaah... I should’ve done better research before I bought the place.”

Isaac pressed a hand to his forehead with a grave look.

He didn’t seem to be faking it.

His voice felt honest, too.

“Then why are you here, Director?”

“Me? I come here sometimes when I’m thinking about the kids. But today, I noticed a strange passage near the fireplace, so I got curious and followed it. What about you? Why are you here?”

“I... I was thinking about the kids too. I’ve been visiting Sunny Orphanage a lot lately, and... it made me miss ours more.”

“I see. Yeah, I’ve been going to Sunny too. Made me think about our kids more often. If only... if only they were still alive, like those kids over there.”

The mood darkened at the weight of the conversation.

Isaac gave a bitter smile, then spoke again.

“Let’s get out of here for now. Starting tomorrow morning, we’ll launch a full investigation.”

“Yes. I can’t forgive this. Whoever did something this horrible... Don’t you agree, Director?”

“I do. Kidnapping children and running experiments right under my nose—never! I’ll never forgive them!”

Isaac’s face twisted in anger. His voice trembled with emotion.

The "Ice Prince," the "Lord of Winter"—

The man known for his cold nicknames was now boiling with fury.

It showed just how deeply he loved those children.

Isaac turned around.

He started walking back the way they had come. But only one set of footsteps echoed.

He stopped and turned to look back.

“...What’s wrong? Nina? Did you find something?”

“Director, this is your first time here, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then how is it that you’re so sure experiments were conducted on the kids here? I only figured it out after reading the documents.”

Silence.

The heavy air thickened. No one said a word.

For a long time.

Then, having organized her swirling thoughts, Nina spoke with resolve.

“...What did you do to the children?”

She glared at Isaac, her voice sharp and accusing.

Isaac raised a hand to his brow, covering his eyes.

He let out a long sigh—then slowly lowered his hand.

His entire demeanor changed.

His expression hardened. His eyes turned chilling.

“...This is why I hate fixers like you, always so damn perceptive.”

That was as good as a confession.

Nina’s face twisted into a mask of rage. She glared daggers at him.

“So it’s true! How!? How could you do something like this!? Are you even human!? Those kids loved you! Why!? Was this your plan from the start? Is that why you founded the orphanage!? To collect kids like lab rats!?”

“Nina, I can explain everything—”

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“Shut the hell up! I don’t need your excuses. I’ll find out myself—after I rip open your head and look inside!!!”

Nina drew her weapon from under her coat.

She kicked off the floor and charged forward—lightning-quick, straight at Isaac.

Her blade swung for his throat.

The speed was far beyond what a normal person could react to.

In one or two seconds, Isaac’s head would be flying across the floor.

But—

Her incredible speed suddenly slowed.

As if time around her had broken, she began to freeze mid-motion. By the time her blade reached Isaac’s neck, it had stopped completely.

Nina’s time had been frozen.

She became a statue of ice.