The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 9: Should I Give It a Try

The desserts had run out, so I needed to restock the fridge.

I revisited the dessert shop run by the Dogman Shopkeeper.

After carefully stacking colorful desserts on the tray, I placed it on the counter.

While waiting leisurely for the packaging to be done,

“Hey, kid, why don’t you visit the childcare center that Red sponsors?”

The Shopkeeper said that as he handed over the finished packaging.

I was caught off guard by the unexpected topic and froze, unsure of how to react.

A childcare center?

Now that he mentioned it, Red had also suggested it before.

Of course, I had refused at the time and had since completely ignored it, to the point of forgetting.

Why would he suddenly bring it up now?

Anyway, if I had to choose, I’d say I didn’t want to go.

Just as I was about to shake my head to express my refusal,

“You really don’t want to go, huh?”

The Shopkeeper spoke first, startling me.

I touched my face, wondering if my hood or mask had slipped off to reveal my expression. But no, they were in place.

How could he have read my mind?

While I was flustered, the Shopkeeper smiled warmly.

“You know, you don’t always need to see someone’s face to understand what they’re thinking. Emotions seep through actions.”

“….”

“I usually believe in respecting an individual’s will and wasn’t planning to bring it up myself. But that child keeps asking about you whenever they visit here. Questions like, ‘Does the kid look healthy?’ or ‘Do they seem okay?’ They’re oddly curious about you.”

Only then did I understand why the Shopkeeper had mentioned the childcare center.

It’s natural to feel pity when seeing a child in a pitiful state.

Especially someone like me, with a shabby appearance—thinking I live a tough life wouldn’t be far-fetched.

It’s not unusual for people to show kindness to a struggling child.

However, this level of goodwill toward a child they’ve only seen once felt excessive.

When I tilted my head slightly in confusion,

“Red loves children. That’s why she finds it hard to ignore a child like you who looks pitiable.”

Hmm.

The Shopkeeper’s explanation made sense in a way, but

I still couldn’t shake off a vague feeling of doubt.

It wasn’t just because of my mistrust of people.

Something about it felt off, like there was another reason.

Could they have somehow found out I’m the Grim Reaper after that fight?

No, that’s unlikely.

If they’d really caught on, things would’ve escalated by now.

“Why don’t you go and show them you’re doing fine, even just once?”

“….”

“You might even like it once you get there.”

The Shopkeeper handed me the packaged goods along with a small device.

He pointed at the device and said,

“That child left this here. If you don’t know how to use it, I can show you.”

I didn’t refuse.

I took the device and stared at it blankly.

“If you follow the directions on it, you’ll reach the childcare center. Well, the choice is up to you, kid.”

I nodded and started walking toward the entrance.

Just as I was stepping outside,

“A child should live in a place where they can truly be a child, rather than a world where death is commonplace.”

I heard the Shopkeeper murmur wistfully.

Leaving behind the sweet-smelling shop, I returned to my base.

—

The decision took a lot of thought and hesitation.

There was no real need to visit the childcare center.

It’s not like I had any money invested there, nor did I have a special reason to go.

Besides, it was a place Red sponsored.

Getting involved with such a strong and dangerous Problem Solver wasn’t good for my safety.

The more time I spent with her, the higher the chance my identity would be exposed, and if that happened, it’d be a real headache.

It wasn’t mandatory.

The choice was mine to make.

Ignoring it would’ve been easy.

Still, after all the effort the Shopkeeper went through to prepare this, I felt too guilty to completely disregard it.

Ignoring it wouldn’t change my current life, but going there likely wouldn’t cause major changes either.

It’s not like I planned to live there. Just showing my face briefly shouldn’t lead to anything serious.

As soon as I got back to my base, I stored the desserts I had bought today in the fridge and set off right away.

I followed the map displayed on the device as I traveled.

‘I hope it’s not too far.’

How long had I been walking since I started?

It felt like at least three hours had passed, but without a clock, I couldn’t tell for sure.

Honestly, I kept second-guessing myself partway through, tormented by an inner voice urging me to turn back.

But I stubbornly ignored it, unwilling to waste the time I’d already spent walking.

That determination didn’t go to waste, as I soon neared my destination.

The closer I got, the more the scenery began to change.

The roads became narrower.

Tall skyscrapers gave way to shorter buildings.

The noisy sounds of the city faded, replaced by a quiet atmosphere.

After passing through a narrow alley, the device beeped, signaling that I’d arrived.

I glanced at the device, then looked ahead, repeating the motion two or three times.

‘Is this the childcare center? It’s… completely different from what I imagined.’

Since Red sponsored it, I expected a grand building.

Something like what you’d read about in books with phrases like, “The chirping of birds that touch the heart,” “A warm garden,” or “A home filled with hope and dreams.”

‘It’s such an old building.’

Still, it’s much better than where I live, though.

‘But how do I get in?’

I approached the iron gate at the entrance.

When I grabbed and shook it, it rattled noisily.

It was just an ordinary iron gate with no special mechanisms.

The surrounding walls were equally plain.

For a place where children live, I expected at least security robots or devices.

Maybe they thought it wasn’t necessary because the area had good public safety?

From what I’ve seen, though, this area doesn’t seem particularly safe.

But that wasn’t the issue now.

‘I need to let them know someone’s here. How should I do that? I can’t shout because I can’t speak. Is there a doorbell somewhere?’

No matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t find a doorbell.

I couldn’t just wait around for someone to show up.

Should I pull out the iron bars and go in?

Honestly, I could break through these bars with just a little bit of my magic.

It was a simple and easy plan, and I nodded in satisfaction.

Unfortunately, it was immediately dismissed.

I didn’t come here to cause a fight.

There was no need to act recklessly and create a scene.

‘Maybe I should just climb over the wall? There don’t seem to be any special devices installed, so it should be fine.’

For someone small like me, the wall was high, but

if you’re not an ordinary kid, a wall like this doesn’t even count as an obstacle.

With a little force in my legs, I could jump over it in one go.

But that idea was dismissed too.

Breaking in without permission would already make me an unwelcome guest.

The best-case scenario would be entering peacefully as a visitor.

‘Maybe I should just shake the gate. Someone might hear the noise and come.’

Yes, that seemed like a good idea.

I grabbed the iron bars with both hands, ready to shake them vigorously when—

“Stop right there!”

A loud voice rang out.

The sound came from above, near a large tree close to the entrance.

I looked up toward the source of the voice and saw someone perched on the very top of the tree.

The sunlight made it hard to see clearly, but it appeared to be a person.

“This is the Sunlight Childcare Center, a place filled with dreams, hope, and love! No villain dares to set foot here, not with Rene, the guardian of peace and the future, standing guard! Hyaaah!!”

The figure leapt high, flipping through the air several times before attempting to land gracefully in front of me.

BOOM!!

Unfortunately, the landing was a complete failure.

Their foot slipped on impact, and their face ended up greeting the ground.

‘Ouch! That must’ve hurt. It looked pretty high up.’

I picked up a twig that was lying on the ground and poked the person who had fallen to see if they were still alive.

The figure flinched and quickly stood up, performing a backward somersault before finally striking a proper pose.

Though their face was red from hitting the ground and covered in dust, essentially ruining their dramatic entrance, they didn’t seem to mind at all.

‘Now that I think about it, that pose….’

I recognized it.

I’d once picked up a discarded comic book in the junkyard, and this was the exact same pose the protagonist struck in it.

They probably thought it looked cool,

but from my perspective, it was so embarrassing I felt secondhand shame.

How could a grown adult not feel self-conscious doing that?

Ignoring my inner thoughts, the person changed their stance to a threatening one.

“You’d better reveal your identity unless you want to suffer!”

Embarrassment aside, the intensity in their voice sent a shiver down my spine.

This woman was strong.

I stared at her in surprise.

She looked like an ordinary human,

a beautiful adult woman with long blue hair and an attractive face.

There wasn’t anything obviously extraordinary about her. Yet, the pressure she radiated was immense.

They say you shouldn’t judge people by their appearance.

She was definitely not someone to underestimate.

Her name was Rene, wasn’t it?

She demanded I reveal my identity, but I was the one who wanted to ask: Who are you, and why are you doing this to me?

The longer I stayed silent, the more Rene’s expression hardened.

“Why aren’t you answering? Does your silence mean you refuse to reveal your identity? If that’s the case, I won’t hold back. And for the record, I don’t go easy on opponents, no matter their size.”

She looked ready to charge.

What should I do?

This was a real problem.

She wasn’t like the thugs you’d find on the street.

She didn’t seem like someone I could deal with casually.

On the other hand, if I used my powers here, it might cause trouble for the childcare center and even risk exposing that I’m the Grim Reaper.

This was a serious predicament.

Was there no way to resolve this peacefully?

I racked my brain for ideas, but no lightbulb went off.

Then, as I observed the woman more closely, I noticed something odd.

‘Her outfit looks like something a kindergarten teacher would wear.’

Come to think of it, didn’t she refer to herself earlier as the guardian of the childcare center?

In other words, that meant she was affiliated with the center.

“Prepare yourself!!”

Just as things were about to escalate, I hurriedly pulled out the device and showed it to her.

Rene, who was about to leap at me, stopped abruptly when she saw the device, almost slipping forward in the process.

“That’s…! Can you hand that over for a moment?”

I gave the device to Rene.

She fiddled with it for a while,

and gradually, her expression and demeanor softened.

“So you’re the child Red mentioned.”

Rene bowed her head deeply, her face full of apology.

“I’m sorry. Your suspicious outfit made me mistake you for a bad person.”

I waved my hand to indicate it was fine.

“Red is currently away on work. It’d be better to wait inside rather than standing outside. Come on, let’s go in.”

Phew.

I was glad it ended peacefully.

Now I understood why the childcare center didn’t have any security devices.