The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 1: The True Identity of the Great Villain Is Actually

Accidents always come unexpectedly.

I was walking across a crosswalk when a large truck hit me.

And it wasn’t even my fault—I was crossing with the green light.

What happened afterward followed the most cliché development imaginable.

Like the joke about being sent to another world by a truck actually becoming real, when I opened my eyes, I was in a completely different world.

And in a completely unfamiliar body.

Of course, I moved immediately, trying to figure out where I had ended up and how to survive.

I didn’t expect to live an easy life like in a comic or novel.

But at the very least, I wanted to avoid getting caught up in trouble as much as possible.

Even though I acted cautiously, I ended up facing a problem much sooner than I had anticipated.

The reason was my appearance.

Even as a young girl, I had a face that seemed to attract everyone’s attention.

At first, it wasn’t so bad.

Since I was a child, people were naturally sympathetic, and my good looks made it easier to build goodwill.

For someone like me, who didn’t have a penny to my name and no idea how to survive, people extended helping hands out of kindness.

If things had stayed like that, there wouldn’t have been a problem.

But I was gravely mistaken.

-“Hey, kid. How about working with us? You could definitely boost our shop’s sales…!”

-“It’s dangerous for a little girl to wander alone in a place like this. Come with me.”

-“Hey! What are you guys standing there for? Go grab that kid right now! She’s worth a fortune!”

No matter where I went, people kept trying to pull me into strange situations, throwing flirtatious comments, or outright attempting to capture me.

On unlucky days, I even got caught and faced serious danger.

Of course, I always managed to escape and survive somehow.

“Even now, just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.”

Anyway, because of that, I started traveling around with my face hidden.

And I gradually came to understand this world.

First, this was not Earth.

It resembled Earth, but unlike Earth, it was a highly dangerous world.

A city built atop advanced science and magic.

Humans lived alongside a variety of non-human species here.

At a glance, it seemed like a world where one could live decently enough.

But like any dystopian future, it had its darker sides—extreme individualism and fading morals and ethics, to name a few.

It was a grim and hopeless world.

With so many problems erupting, the city’s public order naturally fell to rock bottom.

This was a world teetering on the edge, so chaotic it wouldn’t be surprising if it collapsed tomorrow.

The fact that it somehow managed to sustain itself felt artificial, like something out of a web novel or comic.

“What did I do so wrong in my past life to be reincarnated into such a dangerous world? Even now, it makes my blood boil just thinking about it.”

But what could I do?

No matter how unlucky I was, I wasn’t stupid enough to end my own life.

Still, living as a child in such a perilous world was no easy feat.

I occasionally saw children around my age, but before long, they’d disappear without a trace.

I shivered with fear, wondering when my turn would come.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to realize that I had a special power.

And I used that power without hesitation to survive.

-“What the hell are you?! Which organization sent you?!”

-“I’ll give you money and women, as much as you want! Just spare me—AAAH!”

-“The Grim Reaper is here! Everyone, run!”

As I wandered around, trying to live comfortably, I somehow became one of the top figures in the world of criminal organizations.

Originally, I just wanted to stay quiet.

Sigh.

◆

A small, desolate building long devoid of human warmth.

Inside, what could only be described as trash was surprisingly well-organized.

These were discarded items picked up from the junkyard—usable but abandoned by their original owners.

I collapsed onto a battered old sofa in one corner of the room.

This eerie, abandoned building was my base of operations.

Since it was ownerless, I figured there was no issue in using it.

“Though, to be fair, it has plenty of flaws—no electricity, no heating, and it’s just generally uncomfortable.”

You might wonder why I chose to live in such a place when my powers could secure me something better.

The answer was simple.

I was an undocumented outsider stranded in this world.

Naturally, no legitimate organization would accept someone as suspicious as me.

Sure, I could find work in the underworld, but none of the jobs were suitable for a child.

In the end, I chose to rob bad people for money.

I took their cash and sold their valuable items to fences to make a living.

With that money, I got myself a house and bought various expensive items to decorate it nicely.

But I had to give up that comfortable home in the end.

The reason was simple.

Various factions caught wind of me and started coming after me.

I fought them off and won every time, but I preferred peace and quiet.

A life of constant fighting felt empty.

Eventually, I gave up and moved to a new base.

And that’s how I ended up here.

An abandoned junkyard where no one else came.

Reflecting on my past mistakes, I now moved cautiously, only gathering just enough money to get by.

“Of course, there is a much easier way for me to make money.”

Rumors about me had spread throughout the city.

The people here called me “The Grim Reaper.”

It was a nickname that arose from all the chaos I had stirred.

Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t a term of endearment.

In short, it meant I was a terrifying and wicked villain.

People were so afraid of me that I became a sort of urban legend.

If I wanted, I could create my own organization under the Grim Reaper’s name and take in criminals.

If I did that, I could live like the major crime bosses, sitting on piles of money.

But I didn’t want that.

“If I built an organization, I’d eventually have to resort to doing bad things to keep it running.”

I didn’t care if bad people died, but I couldn’t bear the thought of harming innocent people.

And…

“It would be a hassle. I’m not cut out to lead anyone, let alone a bunch of scumbags. Just imagining it makes me shudder.”

Being a leader isn’t easy.

Especially since I’d have to control and monitor the criminals to ensure they didn’t cross the line.

That would be unbelievably difficult.

I don’t want to take on such bothersome responsibilities just for convenience.

And lastly, there’s one more reason.

“Who would follow me in this body? If anything, I’d just attract enemies from all sides.”

Right now, I’m a young girl.

If people found out that the fearsome Grim Reaper was actually a child…

They’d start salivating and come rushing in from everywhere.

I believe in my power, but I’m not confident I could handle all my enemies at once.

That’s why, to avoid being underestimated, I’ve been deliberately wearing a frightening suit of armor and a helmet.

You might wonder why I don’t just run an organization while wearing the armor, but that seems even more exhausting, so I don’t.

Anyway, for those reasons, I’ve been enduring the inconvenience and keeping a low profile.

To be honest, this life isn’t so bad.

Once you get used to it, living here isn’t as much of a problem as you’d think.

◆

While I was counting the cracks in the ceiling, I suddenly remembered something important I’d forgotten.

“Oh, right. I almost forgot about that.”

I got up from the sofa and headed toward an old, small refrigerator sitting in the corner.

This refrigerator is a rare item that works without any cords or electricity.

It even has a convenient function that adjusts its temperature to match its contents.

I found it discarded outside and brought it here.

Unlike other items, this one is genuinely essential to me, so I didn’t sell it to a fence but kept it for my own use.

When I opened the refrigerator, it was packed with all kinds of desserts.

Castella, strawberry cake, chocolate cake, pudding, macarons—you name it.

It was nearly impossible to count them all.

I had bought these desserts with the money I earned, storing them in the refrigerator to enjoy over time.

“I used to avoid sweets because they upset my stomach.”

But perhaps due to this body’s influence, my tastes seem to have changed.

Hehe.

Just looking at them made my mouth water and a smile spread across my face.

I wiped the drool with my thin arm.

As the urge to eat them all surged, I slapped my soft, chubby cheek with my palm to snap out of it.

Desserts are for lunch and dinner—one each.

I had already eaten today’s portion, so even if I wanted more, I’d have to wait until tomorrow.

But today was a special day.

I rummaged through the desserts and picked out a suitable one.

A chocolate muffin!

“You’re the one!”

I closed the refrigerator, grabbed the chocolate muffin, and sat down in a corner.

I looked around and spotted a twig rolling on the floor.

I picked it up and trimmed it into a small “I” shape.

Once done, I stuck it right into the middle of the chocolate muffin.

Now everything was ready.

Using my power very gently, I lit a tiny blue flame at the tip of my finger.

I brought my finger close to the end of the twig.

Fwoosh.

The blue light dispelled the darkness inside the building.

Its soft glow created a cozy atmosphere.

“Alright, let’s get started.”

Taking a deep breath, I began singing in my mind.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”

The poignant melody reverberated quietly within me, as if washing away all the filth in the world.

It wasn’t actually my birthday.

Today was simply a meaningful day for me—the day I woke up in this world.

I remembered that day and celebrated it every year by doing this.

Each year, I prepared a cake, placed a candle on it, and sang a song.

Originally, I had a proper cake for today, but a conflict between organizations caused the cake shop to get caught in the crossfire.

Sob sob.

Anyway, it all began with a hope that this was just a dream and that I could return to my original world.

But ten years have passed, and that wish still hasn’t come true.

Even today, if I make that wish, I’ll likely still wake up in this world tomorrow.

I always wonder.

Why do I have memories of my past life in this strange world, and why am I in the body of a child?

It might be because of something special, or maybe there’s no reason at all.

It’s all a mystery.

I don’t like it, but I’m living in this world anyway.

So my wishes have changed over time.

To be able to eat sweet desserts until my belly is full.

To spend a peaceful tomorrow with nothing happening.

To someday find the reason I woke up in this world.

To have hope waiting for me at the end, no matter how bleak this world may be.

And to reach a happy ending.

I wished earnestly.