The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 4: They Say Even Dogs Aren’t Disturbed While Eating

As I strode confidently toward the entrance of the shop, the android guarding the doorway greeted me.

“Welcome, customer. Feel free to browse, and please ensure you don’t disturb other customers. Above all, refrain from inappropriate actions such as theft or robbery.”

I nodded lightly in response to the android’s mechanical voice.

In the outskirts of the city, it’s challenging to run a proper business.

The frequent attacks by thugs due to poor security often force powerless shops to close down.

This is especially true for shops selling luxury items like desserts, which are even rarer in the outskirts.

To operate a shop under such conditions, establishments in economically stable areas hire security robots or employ Problem Solvers.

With a soft hiss, I stepped inside.

The lights bathed the shop in a gentle glow, and a sweet aroma tickled my nose, creating a cozy atmosphere with soothing music.

Various desserts were neatly displayed on the shelves.

I suppressed the urge to rush straight to them.

I am an adult.

Even if my body has shrunk, my mind is that of an adult!

Adults don’t get overly excited over such things.

In places like this, one should savor the atmosphere and browse gracefully and elegantly.

That’s the proper etiquette here.

However, contrary to my mature mindset, the instincts of a child exploded within me, causing my arms to flap excitedly.

Before I knew it, my legs had already carried me to the display case.

Darn it.

At this rate, I might even start drooling.

“Hoho, desserts won’t run away, you know. No need to press your face up so close. Take your time and choose.”

Hearing a gentle voice, I turned toward its source.

A man was arranging freshly made desserts on the display case.

He was an elderly dog beastman, the owner of this shop.

He was one of the few kind souls in this world, selling these rare and expensive desserts at low prices.

Feeling embarrassed, I began to spin my toes on the floor in small circles.

Pretending as if nothing had happened, I picked up a tray and started browsing slowly.

A quiet, warm chuckle reached my ears.

“Oh? Isn’t that Red? When did you come down here?”

“I just got back from a job. Stopped by to grab some snacks for the kids before heading in. But the streets have changed a lot—I got so lost finding this place. If it weren’t for that little kid, I’d have been in real trouble.”

“Why not just use a map app?”

“My battery died. Anyway, glad to see you’re looking well, old man.”

Do they know each other?

While focusing on the pretty and dainty desserts, I kept my ears sharp.

“From the way you act, it doesn’t seem like it’s the kid’s first time here. Does she come often?”

“Yes, she’s one of the few regulars we have.”

“Well, kids can’t resist sweet things.”

“Neither can adults, my friend. Sweetness brings happiness, even if just for a moment.”

“Fair enough.”

I wholeheartedly agreed with the owner’s sentiment.

In a world like this, many people have grown numb to happiness.

In that sense, the shop owner wasn’t just a dessert seller.

Sweetness is truth!

And the owner is a preacher spreading happiness.

Unlike some weird cults.

“Hey, kid. As thanks for guiding me here, this big sis will treat you. Pick whatever you want.”

I froze, overwhelmed by the offer.

I stopped what I was picking and turned my head stiffly, like a malfunctioning robot.

Then, I tilted my head slightly.

Really?

Though my face was hidden, Red seemed to read my thoughts and grinned confidently.

“Don’t underestimate me; this big sis has plenty of money. Just pick whatever you want without worry.”

Her mature attitude struck me like a thunderclap in my mind.

Overcome with emotion, I raised the tray high with both hands and hopped up and down carefully on my short legs.

The two of them smiled at my antics.

After my little dance of joy, I hurriedly began piling desserts onto the tray.

There was no room for refusal.

When else would I get free food like this?

I crammed the tray full, determined to leave no empty space, stacking the desserts precariously high.

“By the way, nothing here ever changes. Can you even make a profit selling at these prices?”

“Oh, I make do. But for me, it’s not about complicated business matters. Just knowing someone is happy eating my desserts fills this old man up.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, old man. By the way, I saw some strange folks in the village. You’ve heard of the Grim Reaper Cult, right?”

“Ah, that cult. Well, it’s inevitable. The harder life gets, the easier it is for misguided beliefs to take root in people’s hearts.”

“You should be careful. The crazy things those lunatics do are always on a different scale.”

“I’ll take that advice to heart.”

Thud.

Having chosen as much as I wanted, I placed the tray on the counter.

Red’s face twitched slightly as she took in the sheer volume of desserts.

Her temple throbbed visibly.

Heh heh.

It’s too late to regret this now.

The owner patted Red’s shoulder.

“Don’t forget to pay.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Red, with a teary expression, paid up, and the owner began carefully packing the desserts.

While waiting for the packing to finish, Red asked, “Aren’t you going to eat here?”

I shook my head.

“The little customer doesn’t remove her hood or mask, so she always takes her orders to go.”

“Is that so? Well, everyone has their reasons.”

She could’ve pressed for more details out of curiosity, but Red didn’t.

I appreciated her consideration and hummed a cheerful tune in my head.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Suddenly, an alarm blared throughout the shop.

The outside seemed unusually noisy.

Red’s expression changed, and she stepped out of the shop.

The owner followed with long strides.

I also stepped outside, curious.

A suspicious crowd had gathered in front of the shop.

*

“Is this the guy you were looking for?”

In front of the shop, someone was causing a commotion.

Red’s eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the source of the noise.

“That guy….”

Persistent, aren’t they?

I let out a heavy sigh internally.

It was the mechanical-armed Orc who had blocked the road earlier and gotten thoroughly thrashed by Red.

Oh, right—now he’s just an ordinary Orc since he’s missing the mechanical arm.

More concerning than that nobody, though, were the group of people accompanying the Orc.

They all wore skull masks.

Their black outfits matched perfectly, and each held a staff in their right hand.

If my memory served me correctly, they were members of the Grim Reaper Cult.

Specifically, the violent faction—a dangerous group.

As with many organizations, divisions tend to arise due to internal issues, and the Grim Reaper Cult was no different.

It was split into two groups: the moderate faction and the violent faction.

The moderates were creepy folks who quietly prayed and proselytized wherever they went.

The violent faction, on the other hand, were ruthless thugs who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

One of their doctrines claimed that only blood, corpses, and death could summon the Grim Reaper.

Sorry, but I don’t buy into that nonsense.

If anything, offerings like cake or pudding would probably work better. Not that those fanatics would ever believe that.

Anyway, what was an Orc doing with lunatics like them?

“This wasn’t the deal, but I’ve brought the person you were looking for, so I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain. Now hand over the money.”

A member of the violent faction handed a pouch to the Orc.

The Orc’s eyes sparkled like a child’s as he inspected its contents.

“Alright, we’re done here. Let’s go, boys.”

“Yes, boss!”

The Orc and his subordinates hurriedly left the scene.

But moments later, a horrifying scream echoed from the direction they had gone.

Thud. Thud.

A group of violent faction members approached from where the scream had originated.

Their clothing was stained with blood.

It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened.

“Old man, kid, stay inside. I’ll handle this quickly, so don’t worry.”

Muttering softly, Red stepped forward and positioned herself in front of the shopkeeper.

The violent faction members numbered around a hundred.

Even in the face of such overwhelming numbers, Red remained unfazed.

“Sorry, but we don’t believe in your religion. If you’re here to preach, why don’t you take it somewhere else?”

Red boldly gestured for them to leave.

The violent faction members didn’t budge.

Red shook her head in disbelief at their stubbornness.

Her sharp gaze bore into them.

“I’m not the type of person to spare someone who attacks first. If you leave now, nothing will happen. But if you cross that line on the ground, something very bad will happen.”

Red shoved her hands into her coat pockets.

“Only those who are prepared to face the consequences should cross that line.”

Her voice was chilling, enough to make even shoulders tremble.

A normal person would’ve been running away in tears by now.

But the violent faction members slammed their staffs against the ground in unison.

From the tips of the staffs, blades of light emerged.

Without hesitation, they stepped over the crack in the ground.

Red let out a small sigh at the sight.

Then she smiled, revealing sharp teeth.

“Fine. Everything that happens here from now on is entirely your fault.”

*

“All for the Grim Reaper!”

Ugh.

This is exactly why I hate those guys.

I despise the Grim Reaper Cult as a whole, but I hate the violent faction the most.

They shamelessly use my nickname to commit atrocious acts without a second thought.

I never did anything.

I didn’t tell them to create a religion, nor did I tell them to commit crimes.

They built that religion because they wanted to, and every time they do something terrible, they invoke the Grim Reaper’s name.

Do they have any idea how irritating and disgusting that is for me?

Honestly, I’d love to wipe them all out.

But since they’re structured in a decentralized way, even if I deal with one group, another pops up somewhere else.

Their resilience is as annoying as cockroaches.

Anyway, as compensation for interrupting my happy time,

I would’ve handled all of them myself in the past.

But now, I have Red, the infamous crime killer, here with me.

There’s no need for me to get involved when she’s here.

If her reputation is anything to go by, she should have no problem dealing with them.

The violent faction members charged forward with their light blades pointed straight ahead.

Boom!

But Red moved much faster, closing the distance in an instant.

The person at the very front was sent flying, crashing into the rooftop of a tall building behind them.

“I told you, bad things would happen.”

Red had delivered a home-run kick that sent her target soaring.