The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 46: Am I Fit to Be a Princess?

A month had passed.

Outside the orphanage.

Red was smoking a cigarette, avoiding the children's eyes.

Her worries deepened, like the murky smoke rising into the air.

‘What should I do….’

During her time with Lily, Red had vaguely sensed that Lily was hiding a secret.

A special power, a past shrouded in mystery.

Red didn’t care much about those things.

After all, the other children were in similar situations.

Each of them possessed special abilities and carried painful pasts.

She had thought Lily was just another child like that.

But after the Isaac incident, the outline of Lily’s secret became a little clearer.

Lily was different from the other children.

Recalling what had happened at the amusement park, Red’s expression darkened.

The large screen Adam had shown her.

People were surrounded by four monstrous creatures, facing a dire crisis.

Yet, the moment the screen went dark, everything was resolved in an instant.

The screen had gone black, so even Red hadn’t been able to see what had happened.

Still, she had a hunch about what had intervened.

The moment the screen turned dark.

It was faint, almost easy to mistake for an illusion, but she had felt the presence of the Grim Reaper crawling up her spine from afar.

Her nerves had sharpened, keeping her eyes glued to the screen, to the point that she had completely forgotten about Adam standing right beside her.

An overwhelming and chilling magical power, far too immense for such a small body.

In those brief twelve seconds, her mind had raced, and her instincts whispered in her ear.

That presence—was her true enemy.

“Phew….”

She exhaled deeply, as if trying to shake off that lingering sensation, releasing the smoke along with her breath.

Red let out a bitter chuckle.

‘So that’s why the Grim Reaper Cult is interested.’

She couldn't be certain. Nothing was set in stone.

There was no need to jump to conclusions too hastily.

But the unease clinging to her heart wouldn't go away so easily.

Red felt like a fool.

After all, she had already learned from past events that Lily was closely connected to the Grim Reaper.

Even knowing that, she had accepted Lily.

She had said she had no regrets.

She had vowed to protect that child to the end.

She had made her decision.

And yet, she was wavering so much.

But what if—

What if, while investigating the Grim Reaper Cult, she uncovered a truth even more shocking than she could have imagined?

Could she accept it?

Could she still treat Lily the same way?

What if—just what if—Lily was actually evil?

What if Lily was an enemy that needed to be defeated?

Was it right to continue investigating the Grim Reaper Cult like this?

Didn’t they say that sometimes, ignorance was bliss?

At that moment, Red heard the children’s cheerful laughter spilling from the orphanage.

Her eyes widened.

Then, she bowed her head and her shoulders trembled.

“Heh, heh….”

Suddenly, Red let out a quiet chuckle.

When she lifted her head again, her worries had vanished from her face.

She looked strangely at ease.

She berated herself for such a foolish concern.

“I really was an idiot.”

Thinking back on the Lily she had come to know, Red smiled wryly.

Lily wasn’t that kind of child.

Lily had weak emotions and showed little change in her expressions.

Because of that, she might be misunderstood as a dull and cold child, but unlike her outward impression, Lily had a warm heart.

The faint emotions that surfaced when she played with the children.

Red could tell just by seeing that.

A kind-hearted child who got easily embarrassed.

She was just another ordinary child who had no choice but to become like this because of this harsh world.

Believe.

Even in a world where trust between people faded and people believed in themselves rather than others.

Red believed in possibilities.

She wanted to believe.

Hadn’t she fought against evil and protected the children, who symbolized the future, hoping that the world would become a better place with just that small bit of faith?

Even if Lily was truly walking the wrong path, it was fine.

“A child making mistakes and being guided onto the right path—that is the role of an adult.”

Red dropped the spent cigarette to the ground and crushed it underfoot.

Her worries were over.

Her mind felt as clear as the bright sky above her.

The children, who had been getting along just fine moments ago, were now arguing.

The cause of their conflict was their inability to agree on who would play the protagonist.

A protagonist always shined brightly and drew everyone’s attention.

Of course, everyone wanted to be the main character in a story at least once.

Watching the children, who all wanted to be the lead, made me feel a bit lonely for some reason, yet I couldn’t help but smile.

Unlike the children, I had no desire to be the protagonist.

I wasn’t someone who wanted to be a character that stood out like a main role.

I was sick and tired of excessive attention and focus.

In a peaceful world, it might be different, but in this world, seeking fame was one of the stupidest things one could do.

It was ironic, even to myself, that I bore the infamous title of the Grim Reaper and attracted the attention of nearly everyone.

But it wasn’t as if I had ever wanted to become the Grim Reaper in the first place.

I only played that terrifying role because it made my life easier.

It was merely a means to an end, not my goal.

Hmm. Are they still not done?

The argument showed no signs of ending. In fact, it was becoming more heated.

“Shouldn’t I be the knight?”

“What knight? You’re better suited to be a servant who follows the knight around. I’m the real knight.”

“Stop fighting. Since you’re all worse than me, I’ll just be the knight.”

Why were they even arguing over these roles?

This time, a group of well-known and financially stable people had pooled their money to host a small festival.

There wouldn’t be any unexpected accidents like the one at the amusement park.

That was because the festival organizers were acquaintances of Red, and like Red, they were selfless people.

In other words, it was a festival that could be enjoyed without any worries or anxiety.

Of course, security would be tight to ensure that both people and children could have fun.

And most importantly, with someone as formidable as Red present, who would dare cause trouble?

Unless they were some insane lunatic desperate to die, no one would.

Anyway.

During the festival, various foods would be sold, and there would be fun performances.

And the children would be participating in one of those performances.

Naturally, the actors for the play would be the children.

Any missing roles would be filled by androids, so the number of participants wasn’t a concern.

‘Hosting a festival in the outskirts of the city….’

I was surprised at the unexpected event they had planned.

While it made me feel a bit suspicious, I couldn’t deny that a part of me was also looking forward to it.

Festivals were meant to be enjoyable.

Perhaps they wanted to use the festival to remind people that this world was still worth living in.

Maybe they hoped to bring warmth to this desolate city and restore some vitality, even if only a little, to this sick world.

Honestly, it wasn’t much different from pouring water onto a desert.

But I still wished for Red’s festival to end successfully and for their intentions to be fulfilled.

‘But to think they even considered putting on a play.’

It was admirable, in a way.

Doing something in front of many people takes a great deal of courage.

From what I’ve heard, they’re doing it for Red, which is quite admirable.

“Let’s put the knight role on hold for now. Who’s going to play the second most important role, the princess?”

“The princess role?”

“That’s already decided.”

It seemed that the princess, one of the main roles, had been chosen easily.

Well, Lena had said she would play the singing maid, and Bada had a quiet role that suited her personality.

That meant the person playing the princess would be either me or one of the remaining children.

If it wasn’t me, then naturally, that child would be the princess.

“It’s Lily.”

“That’s right, Lily.”

“There’s no one else but Lily….”

…Huh?

……Huhhh?

What?!!

They want me to play the princess?

I turned my head toward the child, thinking I must have misheard, but she looked utterly satisfied rather than displeased.

The other children also seemed to have no complaints about me playing the princess.

Chills.

A cold sensation ran down my spine.

Goosebumps spread across my arms.

Snapping back to my senses, I crossed my arms into an X and shook my head frantically from side to side.

I stomped my feet as well.

Shake, shake. Stomp, stomp, stomp.

Shake, shake. Stomp, stomp, stomp.

No way. Me, a princess?

I refuse. Absolutely not. No matter how I think about it, this isn’t right.

The moment I take on the role of a princess, I feel like something inside me will crack.

More than that, a play?

That’s impossible for me from the start.

I can’t even speak, so I wouldn’t be able to recite any lines.

And even if I take off my mask inside the orphanage, I don’t remove it outside, meaning I can’t play a lead role.

A main character wearing a mask would only ruin the entire mood of the play.

If they’re going to make me act, they should just cast me as a tree swaying in the wind.

Using hand gestures and body language, I desperately insisted that I didn’t want to do it, but the children’s reactions were negative.

“Ehhh?! Why not? You’d make a perfect princess. Lily is the cutest in the world, so everyone will love it.”

“Don’t worry about your voice. We’ll prepare a pre-recorded voice, and you just have to move your lips. Or we can make it so the character doesn’t speak from the start.”

“Or you could just wear your mask. A masked princess… how thrilling.”

The children were incredibly persistent.

They kept coming up with all sorts of reasons to convince me.

They were just as desperate as I was.

Ugh.

Clap, clap!

“Alright, that’s enough. Lily looks troubled. The play is important, but shouldn’t we make it something that everyone can enjoy? That means we need to consider Lily’s feelings too.”

In the midst of the difficult situation, Rene appeared and stopped the children.

I silently gave Rene a thumbs-up with both hands.

At Rene’s words, the children closed their mouths.

Though they looked dejected by my refusal, they didn’t seem ready to give up, gazing at me with sorrowful eyes.

Their big, sparkling eyes were so full of desperation and sadness that it felt like beams of light were pouring down on me, making me feel pity for them.

An overwhelming, pure pressure that was impossible to resist.

Ugh.

How dare they try to corner me like this?

“But Lily, when did you lose your voice? Can you still not speak now?”

At that moment, one of the children asked.

The innocent question made the others stop their gaze attacks and look at me with curiosity.

After arriving at the orphanage, they had given me a full-body checkup.

The results showed that while my throat wasn’t in perfect condition, there was nothing preventing me from speaking.

In simple terms, I should be able to speak.

But I didn’t.

The issue wasn’t physical—it was psychological.

At that moment, memories of the past surfaced in my mind like a flickering video.

A past I didn’t want to remember.

—Now, …you ……

—Do….

—…it. …again.

A blurred screen filled with static.

Countless masks and the roar of applause.

I barely stopped myself from grimacing, forcing my expression to remain neutral.

Haaah.

The reason I couldn’t speak…

It was because I hadn’t overcome my past yet.

When I first opened my eyes in this world, I went through many harsh experiences.

Even though I had grown strong enough to be called the Grim Reaper, I was still shackled by the past.

Some might laugh at me.

But overcoming the pain of the past was never an easy thing.

Especially in a world like this.

A lonely feeling began to rise, but I suppressed it before it could show on my face.

There was no need to show these emotions to them.

My expressions were already dull enough. If I let this show, I’d look even duller.

I shrugged as if to say, “Who knows?”

Regardless, the children continued their attempts to convince me.

Of course, I rejected them, crushing their hopes.

But, just like how I couldn’t refuse those who had come to me three times before, in the end, I gave in to their persistence.

The children’s faces lit up like sunshine.

They bounced around excitedly.

Their bright laughter filled the orphanage, making it feel even warmer.

“Alright, everyone, we’ll practice until the festival begins!”

“““Oooooh!”””

Ugh.

I hate plays.