The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 19

Both shoulders felt cold.

I couldn’t tell whether it was the lingering chill in the air—or because of those two.

There was tension between them. Red looked clearly displeased, while the other guy didn’t seem to care. A strange current hung between them, thick enough for even an onlooker to feel.

I hated this kind of suffocating atmosphere.

“Ah! It’s Ice Brother!”

The tension shattered at the sound of a child’s voice, and soon the other kids gathered excitedly around the man.

So they know him?

Either way, their bright energy seemed to drive away the cold that had been clinging to the air.

I could finally breathe again.

“It’s been a while, kids. How have you all been?”

“““Good!”””

The man smiled warmly. The fear that had clouded their faces earlier was gone, replaced with laughter and chatter.

Red, however, stood stiff and clearly uncomfortable.

One of the kids suddenly looked a little upset and asked hesitantly,

“...Why haven’t you visited us?”

The others looked at him too, as if they were all thinking the same thing. Their eyes locked on him, demanding an answer.

The man scratched his cheek awkwardly, like he’d been hit with an uncomfortable question.

“Haha, I wanted to, but...”

He trailed off—then stole a glance at Red.

Red’s eyes sharpened.

“...I’ve just been really busy with work.”

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Whether they believed the excuse or not, the kids all let out disappointed sounds.

I smirked behind my mask. That’s obviously not the real reason.

I glanced sideways at Red. It was obvious even at a glance—she was the one who didn’t want him visiting. I didn’t know why, but she really seemed to dislike him.

Red stepped forward toward the man.

“Isaac, what are you doing here? You don’t even live in this city.”

“I heard they were opening a new zoo here. I got curious, figured I’d take a break and check it out.”

“...You must have a lot of free time. For such a busy man to come all the way here just to play.”

“What, do you think I’m some kind of work-obsessed android? I take breaks too, you know. Just like you.”

“Didn’t you say you preferred work over resting in the outer cities?”

“People change their minds. And sometimes, nice new places like this pop up.”

Isaac brushed off Red’s biting tone like it was nothing.

Their conversation had me on edge. It felt like a fight could break out any moment.

The kids had just warmed up the mood again, and now it felt like the cold wind was back. It was hard to breathe.

Ugh.

If they’re gonna argue, I wish they’d do it outside. Not in front of the kids.

At least they had enough awareness to rein it in in ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ front of everyone, and the bickering ended quickly.

“Anyway, I came here to finally enjoy some peace and quiet, and then this happens. Ugh... seriously, I hate this kind of crap.”

Isaac shook his head in frustration over the current chaos.

Then his eyes landed on me.

He stroked his chin, looking me over with curiosity.

“And who’s that? Got separated from her parents?”

“She’s with us.”

“...What?”

What was that reaction?

Just for a split second, his eyebrow twitched.

It was the reaction of someone seeing something—someone—they shouldn’t. Like he’d seen a ghost.

“She’s new. Her name is Lily,” Red explained.

I bowed politely at the introduction.

As I raised my head again, I studied his face.

Isaac forced a composed expression, but his eyes still betrayed a hint of unease.

“...Ah, I see. I get it now.”

He knelt down and held out his hand for a handshake.

“I’m Isaac. Nice to meet you. Let’s get along, okay?”

I accepted the handshake.

That reaction of his left a bad feeling in my gut.

Now I was really curious why Red hated him so much. Maybe I’d dig into it later.

Isaac stood back up and turned to Red.

“So, what’s the plan? If we work together, we can clean up this mess pretty quickly. Wanna team up like old times?”

“First, I need to get the kids to the evacuation shelter.”

“Yeah, makes sense. It’s hard to fight with kids in tow. Then I’ll come with you.”

“...What?”

“Better two than one, right? There’s no guarantee we won’t run into more trouble like earlier. Or are you confident you can protect all of them by yourself?”

“......”

Red fell silent.

From what I’d seen, she was a physical powerhouse.

Even if weapons were pointed at her, she could break them all with ease. But what if dozens of enemies attacked all at once, targeting the kids?

Fighting to protect is always harder than fighting to kill.

Especially for someone like her.

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If anything, his abilities were probably better suited for this kind of situation.

And silence, as they say, is just another form of agreement. Isaac smiled and turned to the kids.

“I’ll go with you guys to the shelter.”

The kids brightened even more at his words.

Red didn’t look thrilled about it, but she didn’t object either.

“But hey... it’s been a while since I visited the orphanage. Would it be okay if I dropped by sometime?”

“Hey!”

Red grabbed Isaac by the shoulder before he could finish.

“Of course! You’re welcome anytime!”

Red didn’t look happy at all—but the kids certainly did. They nodded with innocent, beaming faces.

A smile appeared on Isaac’s lips.

“Really? Then next time, I’ll bring lots of presents. That okay with you?”

He looked over at Red again.

The kids watched her with sparkly eyes, clearly waiting for her answer.

Red’s temple twitched.

She obviously hated this.

But not wanting to disappoint the kids, she let out a long sigh and said—

“Fine. But let’s deal with the current situation first before we talk about that.”

“Don’t forget you said that. Let’s get moving—for their sake.”

Isaac looked pleased.

Red looked like she’d rather be anywhere else.

An awkward alliance of ice and fire, however temporary.

This is fine... right?

*

Isaac’s skills were actually pretty decent.

His hand-to-hand combat was laughably sloppy—honestly, I wondered if he was kidding—but his magical prowess was top-tier. Not quite on my level, of course.

Still, thanks to that, getting to the evacuation shelter was much easier.

The two of them left right away after safely dropping us off, heading out to deal with the situation, while the rest of us waited obediently inside.

“It’s okay. The two of them are strong. Nothing bad will happen.”

I guess my eyes kept drifting to the door, because Rena seemed to think I was worried and said that to reassure me.

There was no need to correct the misunderstanding. I just nodded and looked around.

“Mommy—! I’m scared.”

“It’s okay, sweetie. The strong troubleshooters are out there fighting the bad guys.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Everything will be fine. The Frozen Prince and the Crime Killer are on the job.”

“Please... just let it all end safely...”

The shelter was packed with helpless civilians.

Several troubleshooters and security robots stood guard to protect them.

When we’d first arrived, the place had been filled with fear.

People burying their faces in their knees and sobbing, others whispering prayers, parents trying to soothe their crying children... Everyone trembled, suffocated by despair.

But once they found out Red and Isaac were here, the atmosphere changed drastically. Like dandelion seeds scattered in the wind, fear dissipated, replaced with hope and anticipation.

Famous people really did carry a different kind of weight.

That guy Isaac must be pretty well-known too.

Now that I think about it... I’ve heard that name somewhere before...

I shook my head, clearing the thought, and stood up.

“Hm? Where are you going?”

I gestured to Rena that I was headed to the bathroom.

Luckily, she understood immediately.

“Then I’ll go with you.”

Shake shake.

“But it’s dangerous to go alone.”

Shake shake.

I kept shaking my head at Rena’s insistence.

If I were really just going to the bathroom, I wouldn’t mind her tagging along—but this was something I had to handle alone.

“...Okay. But first priority: safety. Second priority: safety. Once you’re done, you have to come right back here, got it?”

After we sealed it with a pinky promise, I was finally allowed to leave the shelter on my own.

That way, huh...

Not far from the shelter’s entrance, I could feel the presence I’d sensed earlier. I quietly followed the trail.

Soon I found a door marked with a No Entry sign.

It’s definitely coming from inside.

After confirming no one was around, I opened the door and slipped in.

Judging by the state of the security cameras, which all looked busted, I figured I wouldn’t be spotted.

I took the stairs down, one step at a time.

I’d felt a suspicious energy the moment we arrived at the shelter. My instincts, honed over time, whispered danger in my ear. I couldn’t ignore it, not with everything going on.

So I decided to check it out myself.

At the very bottom, I reached the lowest floor.

I opened the door and entered.

Inside was a control room, filled with equipment and dials.

I looked around.

That side, maybe?

Ignoring the unfamiliar machines, I pried open a steel plate—

Unbelievable. They really went through with this. Only a lunatic would install something like this here. Were they planning to blow everything sky-high? Why? What’s even here that’s worth all this?

It was a bomb.

A bomb combining both science and magic—one with tremendous destructive power. Based on its placement, it would’ve wiped out the entire shelter.

It was a complex structure, the kind that needed a whole bomb squad to carefully disarm, step by step.

This was a major threat.

Still...

Lucky for everyone, I’m here.

I don’t know any technical bomb-defusing skills. So I’d use a simpler method.

I channeled a little magic and solidified its form.

And with the blade I created, I stabbed the bomb.

Boom!

Of course it exploded.

But the flames from the blast were absorbed entirely by my magic blade. Not a single thing went wrong.

And just like that, it was done.

The magic in the blade dispersed and vanished into the air.

With the problem solved, I headed back.

I returned to the shelter as if nothing had happened.

“Lily, over here! You’re okay, right? You’re not hurt or anything?”

Head shake, head shake.

Nope. Nothing happened.

“Thank goodness... Once you were gone, I started regretting letting you go alone. Next time you need the bathroom, let’s go together, okay?”

I nodded.