The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 1

They say disasters strike out of nowhere.

I was crossing the street at a crosswalk when a massive truck plowed into me.

Even though the light was green.

From there, it followed the all-too-common cliché.

As if the infamous isekai truck was real, I woke up in a completely different world.

In a body that wasn’t mine.

Of course, the first thing I did was figure out where I was and how to survive.

I wasn’t naïve enough to expect an easy, carefree life like in some comic or novel.

But at the very least, I wanted to avoid trouble as much as possible.

I tried to be careful.

But even with all my precautions, trouble found me much sooner than expected.

And the reason?

My face.

Even as a young girl, my appearance stood out far too much.

At first, I thought it wasn’t so bad.

Being a child had its perks—people were naturally more sympathetic. And since I was cute, people warmed up to me quickly.

For someone like me, who had no money and no clue how to survive in this world, it was a small stroke of luck.

Strangers reached out to help me, offering food and shelter.

If only that had been the end of it.

But I was dead wrong.

"Hey, kid. Have you ever thought about working in a place like this? You’d be great for our store’s business!""Little girl, it’s dangerous to wander alone. Come with me, I’ll take care of you.""Hey, what are you guys spacing out for?! Grab that kid now! She’s worth a fortune!"Everywhere I went, people kept making advances.

Some tried to drag me off to god-knows-where.

Some wanted to kidnap me outright.

Every day, swarms of people pestered me, making life unbearable.

On unlucky days, I actually got caught and ended up in serious danger.

Of course, I always managed to escape.

Somehow.

Even thinking about it now gives me chills.

That’s when I decided to start hiding my face.

I moved from place to place, learning more about this world as I went.

The first thing I figured out was that this wasn’t Earth.

It was similar in some ways but far more dangerous.

A sprawling city built atop a fusion of magic and advanced technology.

Humans weren’t the only ones living here—there were all sorts of different species.

At a glance, it might’ve seemed like a world where life wasn’t too bad.

But beneath the surface? It was a dystopian hellhole.

Society was drowning in extreme individualism. Morality and ethics had long since lost meaning.

It was a city of ruin.

Crime ran rampant. The law was virtually nonexistent.

If the world were to collapse tomorrow, no one would even be surprised.

It felt almost... scripted, like something straight out of a web novel.

What the hell did I do in my past life to deserve reincarnating into a place like this? Just thinking about it makes me want to scream.

But no matter how shitty my situation was...

I wasn’t dumb enough to just give up and die.

Of course, surviving as a child in this world was next to impossible.

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I saw other kids my age sometimes.

But if I went back to the places I’d seen them...

Eventually, they were gone.

That terrified me.

I feared that, one day, I would disappear just like them.

But then... I discovered something.

I had a special power.

And the moment I realized that—

I used it without hesitation.

"You crazy bastard... What the hell are you?! Which syndicate sent you?!""I-I’ll give you all the money and women you want, just spare me—ARGHHH!""The Reaper’s here! Run for your lives!"I just wanted an easy life.

I didn’t mean to shake up the underworld.

But before I knew it, I had become one of the most feared names in the city.

One of the Four Ruling Syndicates.

The infamous Reaper.

◆

A small, abandoned building, long devoid of human warmth.

Inside, broken furniture and discarded items were arranged too neatly.

Things others had thrown away.

Yet, I had carefully picked them out from the scrapyard, making sure they were still usable.

I flopped onto an old, worn-out couch.

This eerie, abandoned building was my hideout.

It didn’t belong to anyone, so I had no qualms about using it.

There’s no electricity or heating, so it’s a pain in the ass to live here, but oh well.

Some might wonder—why live in a dump like this?

With my power, I could easily afford something better.

But the problem was...

I was an undocumented illegal resident in this world.

No papers. No identity.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

And since shady, unidentified people weren’t exactly welcome, I couldn’t work any legal job.

Sure, I could get work in the underworld...

But none of those jobs were remotely appropriate for a kid.

So, I chose the simplest route:

I stole from bad people.

I raided criminals, snatched their cash, and sold off valuables through fences.

With that money, I bought a nice place for myself.

Decorated it with expensive things.

Made it comfortable.

And then...

I had to abandon it.

For one simple reason.

The scent of wealth attracted too much attention.

Syndicates, mercenaries, and all sorts of people came sniffing around.

I fought them off every time.

And I won.

But I didn’t want to fight.

I wanted peace.

A quiet life.

And so, I abandoned my home and moved.

Now, I lived here.

A dumping ground.

This time, I was more careful.

I made sure to only take what I needed.

I played it safe.

I stayed lowkey.

Of course, there are much easier ways to make money...

A certain rumor had spread throughout the city.

A legend.

People called me the Reaper.

A title that had stuck after all the chaos I caused.

Not in a good way.

I wasn’t a hero.

I was a monster.

A demon.

People feared me so much that my name had become a modern urban legend.

If I wanted, I could use that fear to build an empire.

Create a proper organization.

Put criminals under my control.

Like the biggest syndicates, I could sit on a throne of cash.

But hell no.

If I were to form an organization, I’d have to get my hands dirty eventually.

That was a fact.

Bad people? I couldn’t care less if they lived or died.

But what if innocent people got caught in the crossfire?

I’d lived in a peaceful world before.

I didn’t want others to suffer because of me.

And...

It’d be such a pain in the ass. There’s no way I could lead people. Let alone criminals. Just the thought of it makes me cringe.

Being a leader isn’t easy.

Especially when it comes to keeping criminals in check.

I’d have to constantly monitor them, make sure they don’t cross certain lines.

It’d be exhausting.

I didn’t want to take on that much responsibility just for the sake of convenience.

And one more thing—

Who the hell would follow me in this body?

I was just a little girl.

If word got out that the terrifying Reaper was actually a child...

Predators would swarm from all sides.

I trust my power, but I’m not arrogant enough to believe I can take on everyone.

That’s why I made sure no one ever saw the truth.

I wore armor, a helmet, and a mask—a terrifying facade to keep threats at bay.

Some might ask, why not just run an organization while staying in disguise?

Because that would be even more annoying.

And I didn’t want to deal with it.

So, despite the inconvenience, I endured.

I lived quietly.

And honestly?

Life wasn’t that bad.

Once you get used to it, survival becomes routine.

◆

As I lay on the couch, staring at the cracks on the ceiling, something important crossed my mind.

Oh. Right. I almost forgot.

I got up and walked over to the small, old fridge sitting in the corner.

It was a rare thing—no power, no wires, yet it still worked.

It even adjusted its temperature depending on what was inside.

I had found it abandoned somewhere and dragged it back here.

Unlike other items I’d stolen or sold, this one was too precious to get rid of.

I opened the fridge.

It was stuffed with desserts.

Castella cakes. Strawberry shortcakes. Chocolate cakes. Pudding. Macarons.

So many varieties, I couldn’t even count.

I bought them with my hard-earned money.

And stored them here so they’d last.

Back in my past life, eating sweets made me feel sick. I never really touched them.

Maybe this new body changed my tastes.

Hah.

Just looking at them made me grin.

I wiped away the saliva pooling at the corner of my mouth.

For a moment, a wild urge to eat everything surged up inside me.

I had to slap my soft cheeks to get a hold of myself.

One dessert per meal. One for lunch. One for dinner.

I had already eaten today.

So I had to wait until tomorrow for another.

But today...

Was special.

I rummaged through the fridge and pulled out a chocolate muffin.

You’re the one.

Closing the fridge, I sat in the corner of the room, muffin in hand.

I glanced around and picked up a twig that had been lying on the ground.

I carefully shaved it down until it resembled a thin candle.

Then, I stuck it into the center of the muffin.

Perfect.

I focused my power, generating a faint blue flame at my fingertip.

And then, I touched it to the twig’s end.

Fwoosh.

The gentle blue glow illuminated the dim room.

A peaceful warmth filled the air.

Now, then.

I took a deep breath and, in my mind—

"Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me..."

A quiet, bittersweet song echoed in my heart.

It wasn’t actually my birthday.

But today was... meaningful.

Today was the day I first woke up in this world.

Every year, I celebrated it.

Every year, I prepared a cake, lit a candle, and sang to myself.

Originally, I had a real cake ready for today.

But a gang war had broken out, and my favorite bakery got caught in the crossfire.

...Dammit.

Still, I made do.

At first, my wish was simple.

I wanted this all to be a dream.

I wanted to wake up back in my old world.

But ten years had passed.

And that wish had never # Nоvеlight # come true.

Even if I wished for it again tonight...

Tomorrow, I’d wake up here, just like always.

I often wondered—

Why was I reborn with my past memories?

Why was my body like this?

Was there a reason?

Or was it all just random?

A meaningless accident?

I had no answers.

I didn’t like it.

But this was my reality.

And so, over time...

My wish changed.

I wish to eat all the sweet things I want until my stomach is full.

I wish for a tomorrow where nothing bad happens and I can live in peace.

I wish to one day understand why I woke up in this world.

I wish that, no matter how terrible this world is, at the very end...

There will be hope waiting for me.

I closed my eyes.

And wished with all my heart.