The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 11: Let’s Find Out What Kind of Place This Is (2)

I began organizing my thoughts.

The reason I came to the orphanage?

First, because ignoring the effort someone went through to prepare the terminal didn’t seem polite.

Second, though I wasn’t sure if it was genuine or not, disregarding the concern of someone who cared for me didn’t feel right either.

And the third, which played the largest role, was my personal curiosity.

I wanted to confirm with my own eyes whether this was truly a facility that genuinely cared for children or just another pretentious establishment for self-satisfaction and profit.

‘When something unusual stands out, it naturally draws your attention.’

As I walked down the hallway, the dim lights flickered occasionally, and the air was cold, chilling my ankles due to the lack of heating.

The wallpaper was old and discolored, with small cracks here and there, and the floor creaked ominously at times.

There were several rooms along the hallway, so I decided to check them one by one.

The first room I entered was scattered with dolls and toys that seemed to appeal to children.

Upon closer inspection, they were all toys released long ago.

They probably couldn’t afford anything new.

Then I noticed an open sketchbook lying on the floor.

The page depicted a drawing of people holding hands and smiling happily.

Flipping to the next page, I found another drawing. I continued turning the pages, observing each one.

They weren’t well-drawn.

They were exactly what you’d expect from children.

Even so, they caught my eye.

‘They’re smiling….’

The atmosphere of the drawings was extremely cheerful.

Drawings often reflect the artist’s psyche.

This meant the child who drew these must have been satisfied with their life here.

I closed the sketchbook, tidied up a bit since I was already in the room, and moved on to the next one.

I continued to explore all the rooms on the first floor before climbing the stairs to the second floor.

The rooms on the second floor were the same.

Evidence of children’s activities was everywhere.

That’s when I glanced out the window and noticed a small flower bed blooming with vibrant colors.

Did the children tend to it?

Curious, I went downstairs and outside to check out the flower bed.

Up close, it was quite small, but it showed signs of careful care.

While I was outside, I decided to explore the yard a bit.

A ball lay abandoned, and there were swings and a seesaw.

After looking around the entire area, my impression was:

‘It’s ordinary.’

Yes, ordinary.

And in a city, ordinary is rare.

This place was on a completely different level compared to the orphanage I had stayed in.

That’s why it intrigued me.

The existence of an orphanage that genuinely cared for children was surprising.

From what I’ve seen so far, this orphanage didn’t seem to have any problems at all.

‘But what’s this feeling of being watched?’

As I wandered alone, I occasionally felt a gaze on me.

When I turned around or looked around, no one was there.

At first, I thought it might be children secretly spying on me. But that wasn’t the case.

No one was lingering around me.

There wasn’t even the faintest trace of anyone nearby, yet I felt watched.

‘It’s like being inside the belly of a beast. It’s an unpleasant sensation.’

Come to think of it, I had felt this strange sensation since I first approached the orphanage.

‘It just feels like I’m being watched without any sense of threat. What could it be?’

And now that I think about it, I haven’t seen any of the children.

They’re not in the facility.

There were no shadows or sounds of children playing in the yard either.

Did they all go out to play somewhere?

Rene mentioned she was making snacks for the children, which meant snack time, the kids’ favorite, was coming soon.

The children would naturally return without me doing anything. If I went looking for them, I might miss them, so should I just wait inside?

Or maybe I should return to Rene and ask where the children went.

‘Hmm… what’s that?’

That’s when I noticed an iron plate placed awkwardly against the fence wall.

Moving it aside, I found a small hole.

Bending down to peer inside, I saw a narrow passageway.

It was too tight for an adult but just the right size for a child.

I crouched down and crawled into the hole.

The passage wasn’t very long.

When I emerged, I found myself in a strange place.

It looked like an abandoned building.

No, it was definitely an abandoned building.

That’s when I heard an odd, faint sound.

I listened closely, trying to identify it. It wasn’t the noisy sound of children playing.

Following the direction of the sound, I began walking.

‘A song…?’

A slow melody floated into my ears. It was completely different from the music in the city.

City music was excessively loud, while this song was calm and serene.

It was a mysterious melody that warmed my heart.

But something about it felt odd.

The song wasn’t unfamiliar.

‘Have I heard this somewhere before? But I can’t quite recall….’

I searched my memory for a similar tune but couldn’t pinpoint it.

Frustrated, I furrowed my brows.

‘Well, whatever. If I can’t recall it immediately, it must not have been something I paid much attention to.’

The song itself wasn’t important. What mattered was the person singing it.

It wasn’t far.

I arrived at the source of the sound quickly.

‘Oh…?’

That’s when I finally remembered what the song was.

It was a tune a lost child once sang.

That child had asked if they could sing, and I had allowed it.

That’s when I heard this song.

Her name was Lena, wasn’t it?

‘I didn’t expect to see her again in a place like this. What a small world.’

Underneath a ceiling open to the sky.

Basking in the pouring sunlight, a blonde girl was singing.

Six children sat quietly before her, listening intently.

Everyone was so focused on the song that they didn’t notice my presence.

Soon, the song ended.

The children erupted into applause.

Lena scratched the back of her head bashfully and seemed ready to start another song when—

Her eyes widened as if she spotted me standing at the entrance.

The surprised expression on Lena’s face prompted the other children to turn their heads toward me.

A silence lingered.

*

While Red and Stal rested on a bench, the surroundings grew noisy.

“Isn’t that the Ice Prince, Isaac?”

“He wasn’t listed as part of the participants for this mission. What’s he doing here?”

“Wow~ So that’s what he looks like in person.”

The pair turned their attention toward the commotion.

Many Problem Solvers were staring in the same direction.

It was a man.

A handsome black-haired man with a ponytail that suited him well.

He glanced around before his eyes landed on the two resting on the bench.

Smiling like a child who had found treasure, the man approached them.

Stopping right in front of Red, the man stood tall.

“I heard the news and came, but it looks like it’s already over.”

The man, Isaac, greeted Stal casually before turning his gaze to Red and continuing.

“Impressive. From what I know, this mission would’ve given even a group of A-Rank Problem Solvers a hard time. But with you here, it’s been resolved so easily. As expected of Red. I’m always amazed by your strength.”

“Ah, yeah. Thanks for the compliment.”

Red responded to Isaac’s praise with a disinterested tone.

Still, Isaac seemed satisfied, likely just happy to get a reply from her.

Then, as if remembering something, Isaac’s expression turned worried.

“I heard you faced off against the Grim Reaper. Are you alright?”

“If I wasn’t fine, I wouldn’t be here.”

“Seriously incredible. To think you fought the Grim Reaper and came out unscathed. I’ve had several acquaintances who lost their lives fighting him.”

Even though Red didn’t particularly like Isaac, she wasn’t the type to respond curtly to news of someone’s death.

She scratched the back of her head with a faintly guilty look and was about to offer a word of comfort when—

“No need for sympathy. You don’t have to.”

Isaac cut her off.

“These things happen all the time in this line of work. Both you and I know that well. There’s no point in dwelling on it.”

Isaac’s indifferent attitude brought back old memories for Red, making her scowl.

In a voice tinged with irritation, she asked, “So, what brings a busy guy like you here? This isn’t even your territory. Don’t tell me you came just because you wanted to see me.”

“Haha, you’re as blunt as ever. But I don’t dislike that about you.”

Red’s expression twisted further in annoyance.

“I was passing through for a mission and heard you were here, so I decided to drop by and say hello.”

“Really?”

“Well, it’s because you keep ignoring my calls and messages.”

“You should be grateful I haven’t blocked you yet.”

“Anyway, I wanted to say hi, but I also have a favor to ask you.”

“…A favor?”

“It’s something only you can help with.”

Red met Isaac’s gaze.

Isaac, wearing a faint smile, opened his mouth to speak when—

“Senior, we’re running out of time.”

A female Problem Solver standing behind Isaac called out to him.

Isaac’s face turned sour as he sighed.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it.”

Isaac let out another sigh, clearly reluctant.

“Sorry, I have to rush off because of an urgent mission. I’ll explain in detail later. So, please, don’t ignore me the next time I contact you.”

He turned to leave but suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Then—

“Here, catch.”

He tossed something to Red.

Red caught it effortlessly and looked at what landed in her hand.

It was a can of coffee.

It felt icy cold, as if it had just been pulled from the fridge.

When Red looked at Isaac, he was smiling brightly.

He waved at her before walking away.

Red, as if dealing with trash, handed the can of coffee to Stal.

Stal opened the can, took a sip, and commented.

“He’s still the same. But thanks to him, at least you—”

“Shut it.”

Red cut him off sharply.

“I didn’t even finish my sentence.”

“I know what you were going to say, so keep your mouth shut.”

Stal shrugged and took another sip.

“You two used to get along so well.”

Red and Isaac.

Red, known for her boldness and decisive actions.

Isaac, knowledgeable and able to offer advice as if he could see the future.

Like fire and ice, the two seemed to complement each other surprisingly well.

But, just as fire and ice cannot coexist, their relationship had drifted apart at some point.

“It probably started when the children from the orphanage Isaac ran died. What exactly happened?”

Red fell into the memories of that day.

The day of the children’s funeral.

A day when rain poured down in torrents.

Red saw something that day.

And from then on, she had been disappointed in Isaac.

Returning to the present, Red waved her hand lightly as if brushing the memories away.

“It’s nothing. You don’t need to know, so don’t worry about it.”

Red shifted her attention to the document in her hand, as if trying to forget that day.

The document was a list of individuals of interest to the Grim Reaper Cult.

And among the names was the mute child she had previously met, the one who hid their face with a hood and mask.