The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 19: Nothing Happened

My shoulders felt cold.

I wasn’t sure if it was because of the chill flowing through this place or because of those two.

The atmosphere between them wasn’t normal.

Red seemed annoyed with him, but he didn’t appear to care much.

An odd tension filled the air, enough to make it uncomfortable for anyone watching.

I hated this stifling atmosphere.

“Ah! It’s Ice Brother!”

At that moment, one of the kids called out, and the other children flocked to the man.

Do they know him?

Regardless, the warm energy of the children seemed to chase away the cold lingering in the air.

Finally, I felt like I could breathe again.

“Hey, kids! Long time no see. How have you been?”

“““Good!”””

The man smiled brightly.

The frightened look that had been on their faces earlier was replaced with smiles.

In the middle of this cheerful mood, only Red looked uncomfortable.

Then, one of the kids made a sad face and cautiously asked,

“…Why haven’t you visited us for so long?”

The other children seemed to have the same thought, as they all focused their gazes on him.

It was clear they wouldn’t look away until he answered.

The man scratched his cheek as if he had been asked a tricky question.

“Haha, I wanted to, but….”

His voice trailed off, and he glanced at Red.

Red’s eyes grew sharper.

“I’ve been really busy with work.”

The kids made disappointed noises, as if they genuinely believed his excuse.

From behind my mask, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

That didn’t seem to be the real reason.

Sneaking a glance at Red, it was obvious that she had told him not to come.

Though I didn’t know why, she seemed to really dislike him.

Red stepped forward, approaching the man.

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

“I heard about the zoo opening in this city, so I got curious and thought I’d take a break and check it out.”

“…You must have plenty of free time, considering how busy you supposedly are, if you can come to a place like this.”

“Do you think I’m some kind of workaholic android? I take breaks, too. Just like you.”

“Didn’t you say before that you preferred working over resting in the outskirts of the city?”

“People’s feelings change over time. And occasionally, nice facilities like this one are built.”

Isaac brushed off Red’s aggressive words with ease.

Watching their exchange made me nervous, as if a fight was about to break out.

The kids had worked so hard to lighten the mood, but now it felt like a cold wind was sweeping through again.

It was suffocating.

Ugh.

If they were going to argue, I wished they’d do it outside, away from the kids.

Thankfully, it seemed they were mindful of the children, and the minor squabble ended quickly.

“Anyway, I came here to relax for the first time in a while, and now this kind of thing happens. Ha… I really hate it.”

Isaac shook his head, looking exasperated by the situation.

Then his gaze stopped on me.

Isaac stroked his chin, staring at me with a curious expression.

“By the way, who’s that kid? Did they get separated from their parents?”

“They’re my family.”

“…What?”

What’s with that reaction?

For a split second, Isaac’s eyebrow twitched.

It was as if my presence here was completely unexpected to him.

No, more accurately, it felt like he was looking at someone who shouldn’t exist.

Like he’d seen a ghost.

“This is a new child who joined us recently. Her name is Lily.”

At Red’s introduction, I bowed politely.

Then, as I straightened up, I took in his face.

Isaac tried to keep a composed expression, but there was a faint trace of surprise in his eyes.

“…Ah, I see. I understand now.”

He bent down and offered his hand for a handshake.

“I’m Isaac. Nice to meet you. I look forward to getting along.”

I accepted his handshake.

His reaction left me with an uneasy feeling.

Suddenly, I became curious about why Red disliked him so much.

Maybe I’d try to find out later if I got the chance.

Isaac stood up and turned to look at Red.

“So, what are you planning to do now? If you and I work together, we could resolve this situation quickly. Shall we team up like old times?”

“First, we need to take the kids to a shelter.”

“Well, I suppose it would be tough to fight while keeping the kids safe. I’ll come along with you, then.”

“…What?”

“Two people are better than one. You can’t guarantee a situation like earlier won’t happen again. Unless you can protect the kids on your own?”

“…….”

Red remained silent.

From my perspective, having fought her once, Red was a physical fighter.

Even if weapons were aimed at her, she could probably handle them all.

But if a large group simultaneously targeted the kids like earlier?

Defending was always harder than attacking.

Especially with her ability.

Isaac’s skill, on the other hand, was better suited for defense.

They say silence often implies agreement.

Isaac smiled and turned to the children.

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

The children’s faces lit up even brighter at his words.

Although Red looked displeased, she didn’t stop him.

“By the way, it’s been a while since I’ve been to the orphanage. Can I visit your home this time?”

“Hey!”

When Isaac said that, Red grabbed his shoulder.

“Yes, of course. Please visit anytime.”

Though Red didn’t seem happy, the kids clearly were.

They nodded with pure, innocent smiles.

Isaac smiled in return.

“Really? Then I’ll bring lots of gifts when I visit. Is that okay?”

Isaac turned to Red.

The kids looked at her with expectant eyes, waiting for her answer.

Red’s temple twitched slightly.

It was obvious she didn’t like it.

But not wanting to let the kids down, she let out a long sigh.

“Fine. But let’s deal with the situation at hand first.”

“Don’t forget what you said. Now, let’s move quickly for the kids.”

Isaac looked satisfied, while Red’s face betrayed discomfort.

A temporary alliance of a team as incompatible as ice and fire.

Was this really going to be okay?

*

Isaac’s skills were pretty decent.

His hand-to-hand combat seemed clumsy, almost like a joke, but his magic was top-tier.

Of course, not as good as mine.

Regardless, thanks to him, we arrived at the shelter much more smoothly.

After dropping us off, the two of them immediately headed back out to resolve the situation.

Meanwhile, the kids and I quietly waited inside.

“It’s fine. Those two are strong. Nothing bad will happen.”

As I kept glancing toward the door, Lena, perhaps misunderstanding that I was worried, said those words.

There was no need to correct her, so I simply nodded and looked around.

“Mom─! I’m scared.”

“It’s okay. The strong Problem Solvers are outside dealing with the bad people.”

“There’s no need to be afraid. It’ll be resolved soon. After all, the Ice Prince and the Crime Killer are on it.”

“Please, let everything end without any trouble….”

The shelter was packed with powerless civilians.

To protect them, a few Problem Solvers and security robots were stationed inside.

When we first arrived, the shelter was filled with fear.

Some buried their faces in their knees, sobbing, while others prayed.

Parents tried to comfort crying children.

Each person trembled, consumed by despair in the grip of terror.

But once they found out Red and Isaac were present, the atmosphere changed dramatically.

Like dandelion seeds blown away by the wind, fear dispersed, replaced with hope and anticipation.

Famous people had that kind of effect.

Isaac seemed to be quite renowned as well.

‘Now that I think about it, I feel like I’ve heard that name somewhere before….’

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I stood up.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

I gestured to Lena that I was heading to the restroom.

Fortunately, Lena understood my explanation.

“Then I’ll come with you.”

I shook my head.

“But it’s dangerous to go alone.”

I shook my head again.

I repeatedly declined Lena’s offer to accompany me.

If I were really going to the restroom, it wouldn’t matter if she came along. But this was something I had to do alone.

“Alright… but promise me, first and foremost, stay safe. And second, come straight back here when you’re done.”

After sealing the promise with a pinky swear, I was finally able to leave the shelter on my own.

‘This way….’

I quickly moved toward the strange energy I sensed not far from the shelter’s entrance.

Soon, I found a door marked with a “No Entry” sign.

‘The energy feels strong inside.’

Looking around to make sure no one was nearby, I opened the door and stepped inside.

Since it seemed like all the surveillance cameras were broken, there shouldn’t be any problem.

Step by step, I descended the staircase.

As soon as we arrived at the shelter, I had sensed something suspicious.

My instincts, honed over time, whispered danger in my ears.

Given the circumstances, I couldn’t ignore it.

That’s why I chose to investigate directly.

Eventually, I reached the lowest level.

Opening the door, I stepped into a room filled with various control panels.

I glanced around.

Huh? Over there?

Ignoring the unfamiliar panels, I tore open a steel plate.

‘This is insane. No one in their right mind would install something like this here. Were they planning to blow everything up? Why would they go this far in a place like this?’

There was a bomb.

Not just any bomb—a highly destructive device that combined advanced technology with magic.

Its placement suggested it was capable of destroying the entire shelter.

The bomb was complex enough to require a bomb squad to carefully dismantle it in the proper sequence.

It was undoubtedly an enormous threat.

But.

Luckily, I happened to be here.

I didn’t have any professional knowledge about defusing bombs.

So, I opted for a simpler method.

I channeled a bit of magic and solidified it into a shape.

Then, with the sword I created, I stabbed the bomb.

Boom!

Naturally, the bomb exploded, but the flames from the detonation were entirely absorbed by my sword.

No problems occurred at all.

That solved it.

The magic in my sword dissipated into the air.

With the issue resolved, it was time to head back.

I returned to the shelter as if nothing had happened.

“Lily, over here! Are you okay? You didn’t get hurt, right?”

I nodded.

Everything was fine.

“Thank goodness. Honestly, I regretted letting you go alone. Next time you need to go to the restroom, we’ll go together.”

I nodded again.