The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 50

One hour before the children’s big performance at the orphanage.

As the kids were getting ready to go on stage, Rena approached Rene.

There was a trace of anxiety on her small, sweet face.

Rena glanced at Rene with worried eyes.

Mistaking her nervousness for stage fright, Rene gently placed a hand on her small shoulder.

With a soft smile.

“Are you nervous? It’s okay. You all practiced hard, so I’m sure you’ll do great.”

But Rena shook her head at Rene’s /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ encouragement.

“That’s not it. Lily is missing.”

“Lily?”

Rene looked around.

Among the group of children, Lily’s face was nowhere to be seen.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t been seen since she mentioned going to the bathroom.

“I checked the bathroom. She’s not there.”

Rene asked the other children if they had seen Lily.

The kids looked at one another, confused, but all she got were uncertain shakes of the head.

Rene felt something was wrong.

Lily wasn’t the kind of child to disappear without a reason.

The fact that she hadn’t been seen for this long meant something unexpected had happened.

Perhaps sensing the strange atmosphere, a wave of unease began to spread across the children's innocent faces. Rene smiled gently to ease their fears.

“Don’t worry. Everyone keep getting ready. I’ll go find Lily.”

Leaving the kids in the care of the helpers, Rene stepped out of the waiting room.

After searching the entire building and confirming she wasn’t inside, she headed outside.

Rene used her ability—sending roots from beneath her feet spreading rapidly across the entire festival grounds.

In an instant, the festival streets became Rene’s domain as she searched for Lily.

But—

‘?’

She couldn’t sense Lily’s presence at all.

Rene realized something was seriously wrong.

She pulled out her phone and immediately informed someone on the other end.

Moments later—

Red came running up with a grave expression.

“What do you mean Lily’s missing? Did you check everywhere she might’ve gone?”

“Yes. I even used my power to search, but I can’t feel her presence at all. It’s like she’s not here.”

Red instantly grasped the seriousness of the situation.

There was no way someone could hide from Rene’s domain.

Unless something very unusual was happening.

“Don’t tell me... is it a kidnapping?”

“...”

Red rubbed her chin, deep in thought.

She and her people had been keeping a close watch, not to mention all the security bots they’d deployed. Every precaution had been taken to ensure safety.

Safety was priority one. Always.

There was no room for an incident—and even if one occurred, they were ready to respond in an instant.

With the guest list for this festival, no sane criminal organization would dare make a move. Not unless they had nothing to lose—or were complete idiots.

Besides, Lily was no ordinary child.

She wasn’t someone who could be kidnapped easily, and even if she was, there would’ve been a trace.

To silently abduct a girl after bypassing all those layers of security—it was practically impossible.

If she looked at it logically, Rene’s suspicion didn’t add up.

But Red couldn’t deny Rene’s instincts either.

What the hell was going on?

As the silence deepened in this clearly abnormal situation, Red suddenly sensed an odd presence approaching fast.

She moved her hand—and caught something.

It was a small device, about the size of a fist.

“Miss Red, that’s...”

Something emerged from the device.

A luxurious invitation, completely out of place in this world.

She opened it and read the contents.

Red’s face hardened.

Her eyes turned sharp and cold as she read, her grip tightening until the invitation crumpled in her hand.

It spelled out in detail why Lily had vanished.

She clicked her tongue, furious at the farce.

Rene asked, “Who is it?”

“Greed.”

“What?”

“Midas of Greed has returned.”

The name came out of nowhere, and Rene couldn’t help but gasp.

One of the most powerful groups after the Four Major Syndicates—the Seven Deadly Sins.

Midas, the one in charge of Greed.

They were supposed to be relics of a bygone era, defeated and humiliated.

And now, they were showing themselves in the middle of a festival?

“No way...”

“It’s exactly what you’re thinking. If we want Lily back, we’re to go where they’re waiting. Very helpfully, they even included a location.”

“Is this revenge?”

“Revenge...? Knowing him, it’s probably not that.”

Red frowned, as if she didn’t even want to imagine it.

She stopped talking and let out a deep breath.

There was no more time to waste.

The decision was already made.

The task was clear.

“Well, if they’ve invited us like this, we’ll have to oblige. I’m going to rescue Lily.”

“Got it. I’ll tell the kids Lily had a stomachache and had to step out for a bit.”

“Also, let the others know to increase security. If I’m not back before the play starts, go on without Lily. That okay?”

“Hmm... I’ll need to adjust the script, but the play itself should be fine. But there’s a key scene that needs the princess, so you have to be back before then. Otherwise, Lily might lose her chance to appear.”

“Alright. I won’t be late.”

Rene followed Red’s lead.

She was worried, but she trusted Red’s strength.

Red had once defeated all seven members of the Seven Deadly Sins.

No single person could take her on.

Which only meant they must’ve prepared something big to face her. Rene made sure to mention that.

“Please be careful.”

“I will.”

*

Back in the past—before the Reaper ever appeared.

There was a girl.

A beautiful, lovely girl, the kind who looked like she belonged in a grand mansion being treated like royalty—yet instead, she wore a choker-like shackle around her neck, locked in a prison that looked more like a birdcage.

The girl, trapped in deep despair, sang softly.

It hadn’t always been this way.

No, not from the beginning.

It started with an accident. After that, the girl’s world changed completely.

She hadn’t been in this world long.

But she understood her situation—and began to act to survive.

At first, she moved with hope.

But for a girl who had nothing, no power, no protection—this world was merciless.

What awaited her was nothing but hardship and suffering.

‘Cold...’

‘Hungry...’

‘It hurts...’

‘Why is this happening to me...? What did I ever do...?’

She rarely ate, and the hunger gnawed at her. She stole or scavenged just to survive.

Cold wind and hard pavement froze her small body to the bone.

Dangers lurking in every alley left her with cuts and bruises.

‘This place is horrible...’

The world she’d opened her eyes to was far more brutal than she ever imagined.

Death. Destruction. Betrayal. Blood. Corpses. Violence. Murder.

Things that were rare in her old world—

Here, they happened every single day.

‘I hope this is all just a dream...’

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She wished that when she closed her eyes and opened them again, it would be the world she came from.

She wished she would never wake up at all.

But her wish was never granted. Morning came anyway.

The same cruel, unchanging reality.

The girl was consumed by despair and wept, her sobs quiet and broken.

Without the courage to die, the only thing she could do was adapt to this world.

Alone.

It would’ve been nice if someone had helped her.

But sadly, that wasn’t possible.

Whenever someone saw the girl’s face, they would approach her with lecherous, twisted desire.

“Catch her! If we sell that thing, we’ll be rolling in money!”

“Ufufufu! She’s mine! Don’t you dare touch her!”

“Hey there, sweetie. Come with this nice lady.”

That’s why she hid her face wherever she went.

She couldn’t trust anyone.

“Hahaha! Sorry, kid. But what can I say? I gotta survive too.”

“Don’t blame me. That’s just the way this world works.”

“You’re the idiot for trusting people.”

Everyone around her seemed like an enemy.

People would change sides in a heartbeat if it meant protecting themselves.

She couldn’t trust anyone, so she couldn’t reach out.

In the cold city, she endured on her own.

She carried everything—alone.

Caught, escaped, stole, was robbed, hurt others. Over and over again.

Maybe God hated her. Yet she stubbornly survived.

And in the end, after fighting so desperately—she was caught. Completely.

‘You idiot! Why?! Why did you hesitate!?’

She could’ve gotten away.

She could’ve escaped if she’d just killed the person blocking her.

There was time. She had the chance. She just had to move her hand and go through with it.

But in the most critical moment—she hesitated.

Though she had resorted to violence before, she’d never found the courage to take a life.

‘Why am I so damn stupid?’

She wished she were like the protagonists in the stories she used to read—able to kill without flinching.

These people weren’t good. There was no reason to spare them.

So why?

Reality was brutal.

She couldn’t act like those fictional heroes.

She was too soft-hearted. Fragile. Painfully kind.

Even as the cruelty of the world tried to swallow her whole, she still couldn’t bring herself to cross that line.

Was that cowardice? Or just stupidity?

It didn’t matter.

She paid the price for her hesitation.

“Huhu... From now on, you’re mine.”

If she had awakened in a soft, gentle world...

If someone had looked at her with pity and given her unconditional love...

Things might’ve been different.

But this was no sweet world.

“Come now! Sing! The more you sing, the more money piles up. Kuhihihi!”

She was a goose that laid golden eggs.

No.

An angel who summoned money with her voice.

Too weak to resist, the girl had no choice but to obey the man.

Too scared to die, she sang to stay alive.

Her voice was special.

Like sunlight pouring into a muddy world, it breathed life into people’s hearts. A warm, comforting energy. It made people happy.

And so, wealthy audiences came from far and wide to hear the angel’s song.

Animal masks.

Expensive, pristine clothing.

Laughter and applause filled the air.

Each and every sound made her sick. She could barely stop herself from gagging.

What clawed deepest into her heart were the words they said.

“She must be a messenger from the heavens. How else could she sing such a beautiful song? Just listening brings peace to my heart. Now I can save even more people. Oh, thank you, dear God! Thank you for sending us an angel on Earth!”

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Those who claimed to serve God ignored the suffering girl before them.

“I’ve been so tired helping people lately. But hearing her song cleared my headache right up. Now I can save more lives.”

Those who claimed to stand for justice turned away from the dying child.

“Can’t I buy her? No? Then at least let me record her voice! What? No? Why not?!”

“Sing the next song.”

“Yeah, hurry up and sing. We paid good money for this!”

Not a single one of them looked at her situation.

Anger, disgust, hatred, pain—

The more she sang and made others happy, the sicker her heart became.

She felt like a fool. Like all her endurance had been for nothing.

She regretted every stupid decision she’d made.

Even at the end—when she still hadn’t been able to take a life—she wanted to erase everything she saw.

The negative emotions she’d been suppressing began to surge.

The cracks spread across her boundless kindness.

Once fractured, the cracks grew wider, until finally—they shattered.

Light and shadow.

Life and death.

The song that had once saved people turned into a song of hell.

The warmth that once caressed life became a fire that burned everything.

The happiness that once brought salvation became a catastrophe that erased even the soul.

In the middle of that devastating scream, the girl wept—tears streaming down her face, yet wearing a strangely serene expression.

*

Her eyes fluttered open.

A dream.

A nightmare. One so vivid and foul it left her irritated.

Why that memory, of all things?

She pressed her fingers to her brow as dizziness struck, brought on by memories she’d rather forget.

It was because of the singing. Because of this cage-like prison.

Right now, I’m locked in a prison suspended high in the air.

I was planning to deal with the bastard who kidnapped me as soon as I woke up, but he’s stronger than I expected—too risky to use my powers recklessly.

One mistake and my identity could be exposed.

In a place like this, I have to be even more careful.

I look around from inside the cell.

It looks like an arena.

Down below—that’s the one who kidnapped me.

The play’s about to start.

If I don’t want to be late, I need to escape now.

This place feels like a specially isolated space. Even if I use my powers, they probably won’t leak outside.

Which means—I won’t get caught.

Just as I was about to make my move to escape, someone entered the arena.

It was Red.