The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 22: I’ll Take a Look Into Your Heart

Warm sunlight and a gentle breeze came through the open window.

I was enjoying the relaxing atmosphere while sitting comfortably on a chair.

Someone opened the door and came in.

It was an old man with white hair and round glasses.

His wrinkled face appeared very kind, but his sharp eyes carried a coldness.

Even though I knew he wasn’t a bad person, I didn’t let my guard down.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Was it boring since you were the last one?”

His tone was gentle, unlike his appearance.

I shook my head in response to his question.

Noticing my tension, the old man smiled softly and pulled out a chair to sit across from me.

“There’s no need to be nervous. It’s neither dangerous nor painful. Just think of it as talking to a friend.”

It was one of those special days that occasionally occurred at the orphanage.

Every few months, a professional counselor would visit the orphanage to check the children’s mental health.

Apparently, this session was scheduled much earlier due to recent events.

“As I mentioned earlier, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Dr. Hoffman. Nice to meet you, Lily.”

Hoffman stood up and extended his wrinkled hand toward me.

I hesitated for a moment but eventually accepted his handshake.

Hoffman, smiling lightly, sat back down.

“Just like the other kids, feel free to relax.”

How could I?

This was my first counseling session.

The reason I was so nervous was simple—I didn’t like it.

These people were skilled at reading others’ minds, and I feared they might uncover my secrets during their tests or whatever they did.

I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice.

Fine. Since I was here, I would just play along.

As long as I picked the “correct” answers for the psychological tests, I could easily avoid negative evaluations.

“Do you like candy, by any chance?”

Huh?

I scoffed internally at his attempt.

Trying to ease my guard with food?

How clumsy.

Such a weak attempt wouldn’t make me budge or unlock the solidly secured locks of my mind.

“How about this? I heard it’s a popular candy among kids these days.”

Click.

I thought I heard the sound of a lock being undone in my head.

Gulp.

I couldn’t take my eyes off the lollipop Hoffman pulled out.

That beautiful color.

That shape.

If my memory served me right, it was the limited-edition candy they sold only in small quantities each day.

I had already given up on it since it wasn’t available in this city.

“Here, take it. It’s yours.”

…Hmm.

It wouldn’t be polite to refuse a gift.

I carefully accepted the candy and nodded my head in gratitude.

Hehe.

I’d save it to enjoy later.

“Wouldn’t you rather finish quickly and play with your friends? Do you need me to explain anything again before we start?”

I shook my head.

I’d already heard the explanation.

The sooner this was over, the better.

Hoffman smiled and turned his head toward the window.

I followed his gaze.

“Don’t you think the weather is beautiful today?”

Nod, nod.

“Have you been comfortable here so far?”

Shake, shake.

“How are the other children? Are you getting along with them?”

Nod, nod.

“Before you came to the orphanage, do you ever think about returning to your previous life?”

…Shake, shake.

The conversation continued in this ordinary manner for a while.

Since negative answers might lead to troublesome consequences later, I gave only positive responses, regardless of my actual thoughts.

After finishing the last question, Hoffman pulled out several sheets of paper from his bag and placed them in front of me.

Glancing at them, I realized it was a standard psychological test.

“Answer as honestly as you can. But don’t overthink it. Just write down whatever comes to mind as you read each question.”

Grabbing the pen, I started moving my hand.

There were no essay questions.

It was all multiple-choice, and answering each item didn’t take long.

The faint sounds of wind blowing, curtains rustling, and children chattering outside reached my ears.

The sound of my pen scratching against the paper filled the room until it eventually stopped.

I put the pen down and handed the completed test back to Hoffman.

“Now, next….”

Hoffman tucked the papers into his bag and pulled out another stack of sheets.

Unlike before, these were blank.

I had a rough idea of what was coming.

Hoffman explained, and my guess was correct.

He asked me to draw the house I wanted to live in or whatever else I wanted to draw on the blank paper.

Following his instructions, I lightly sketched without much thought.

‘So far, so normal.’

It was similar to the psychological tests I’d experienced in my past life.

However, this world was one where both science and magic were advanced.

As if it wasn’t over yet, Hoffman made a phone call to someone. Shortly afterward—

The door opened, and an assistant entered, pushing an enormous machine.

The assistant connected wires from the machine to various parts of my head and body.

Seeing my curiosity about the machine, Hoffman spoke.

“Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be afraid of. This machine is just to get a more detailed look at your condition.”

Once the setup was complete, the assistant fiddled with the machine.

Hoffman began talking to me again, as he had earlier.

The topics of conversation were similar, continuing with the same mundane questions.

Interestingly, every time I moved my head to respond to Hoffman’s questions, the machine made a beep-beep sound.

Stealing a glance, I noticed a rectangular screen on the machine.

The screen displayed a line fluctuating up and down repeatedly.

It also emitted lights in various colors—red, green, blue.

I didn’t know what it was, but it seemed to assess my mental state.

The conversation didn’t last long.

It ended much shorter than it started.

Just like when the assistant entered, they wheeled the machine out of the room.

“Thank you for cooperating so well. Now, please lie down on the bed over there.”

Was this finally the last part?

Although it wasn’t difficult, I was starting to feel a bit tired.

I laid down on the bed as instructed.

Hoffman pulled a chair next to the bed and sat down.

“Now, just stay relaxed like that.”

He took a small device out of his bag and placed it on the bedside table.

After fiddling with it briefly, he stood by the bed and clasped his hands together, murmuring strange words in an unfamiliar language.

A faint light began to radiate from beneath his feet.

Once the light subsided, Hoffman took a seat in the chair.

He remained motionless, but I could tell he was doing something.

I closed my eyes.

But I didn’t fall asleep.

If I fell asleep, they might remove my mask.

The room was filled with an eerie silence.

‘I think I’ve heard of magic that can read people’s minds. Is this that kind of magic?’

What would happen if he truly read my mind?

Would Hoffman figure out that my real identity was The Grim Reaper?

The thought worried me as the session neared its end.

If that were the case, what choice would I have to make?

While organizing my thoughts in the darkness and waiting for this time to pass, a sudden loud noise broke the silence.

I opened my eyes and turned my head.

The chair Hoffman had been sitting on was toppled over, and the old man’s complexion was pale.

It was the expression of someone who had seen something they shouldn’t have.

His tightly closed lips trembled slightly, and his dull eyes lacked focus.

Hoffman, seemingly aware of my gaze, regained his composure and adjusted his glasses.

He wiped the sweat off his forehead and smiled at me.

It was a forced smile.

At first, I thought he had figured out that I was The Grim Reaper and was overcome with fear.

But upon closer inspection, that wasn’t it.

The emotion reflected in Hoffman’s eyes wasn’t fear or shock, but pity and sorrow.

His incomprehensible expression left my mind in turmoil, but the session concluded.

It felt unsettling.

*

The children’s counseling sessions at the orphanage were finished.

The children ran outside to play, leaving only Red and Hoffman in the room.

Red stood by the second-floor window, watching the children playing outside.

One child noticed Red’s gaze and smiled brightly, waving a hand.

Red raised a hand and waved back.

With a contented smile, Red observed for a moment before turning around to speak.

“How are the results? Are the children okay?”

“They’re fine. They’re all strong. Despite what they’ve been through, there haven’t been significant changes. Maybe they’ve already become accustomed to such events and recovered quickly.”

Hoffman lifted a teacup to his lips.

Red responded with a bittersweet smile.

“And Lily? How is she?”

“…”

Hoffman’s hand froze momentarily.

Red didn’t miss the hesitation.

“…Hoffman? Don’t tell me her results were bad?”

The silence lingered.

A small sense of unease began to stir in Red’s heart.

Finally, Hoffman spoke.

“No. The first and second tests all came back normal. But…”

Red’s expression tightened slightly.

Without delay, Hoffman continued.

“…She’s a very skilled artist.”

Hoffman suddenly brought up a different topic.

Red tilted her head in confusion but decided to play along.

“Yes, she is. If she had been born in a much more peaceful time, she might have dreamed of becoming an artist.”

“What did you think of the pictures she drew?”

Red thought about all the drawings Lily had created so far.

Her skills were extraordinary for a child, and her work had a unique character.

She captured various landscapes in her mind and transferred them to paper.

The other children would often comment on how beautiful her drawings were.

Red agreed.

But at the same time, another emotion arose.

“They seemed lonely.”

A ruined city.

Dreamlike and fantastical landscapes.

A city covered in snow.

A city submerged in water.

Every single drawing depicted a ruined city, and none of them escaped an air of wistfulness and melancholy.

“Exactly. Her other drawings were similar. Drawings can often reflect a person’s mind.”

Red began to understand what Hoffman was getting at.

People who had been exposed to terrible environments for extended periods often ended up with broken spirits.

When such people drew pictures, their work often carried a dark tone.

The children who had first arrived at the orphanage were all like that.

Lily might be the same.

But Hoffman’s expression suggested there was more to it than that.

“Stop beating around the bush and speak directly.”

Hoffman gently set his teacup down.

“I looked into Lily’s heart.”

Hoffman let out a long sigh.

“It was horrifying. The other children had their share of darkness, but none as extreme as hers. I’ve never seen a place so dark in my entire life.”

Hoffman began to explain what he had witnessed within Lily’s mental landscape.

Mountains of corpses piled up everywhere.

Rivers formed from blood streaming down those piles.

An entirely black sky, devoid of light.

Screams echoing from the depths of the darkness.

If he had delved deeper, he might have uncovered the child’s past, but he feared being consumed by the darkness and refrained.

A shadow passed over Red’s face.

She remained silent, lost in thought.

What kind of past must Lily have endured to end up with a heart so shrouded in darkness?

Red’s heart ached.

After a moment, her tightly closed lips parted.

“…I see.”

“If you’re planning to take responsibility for that child, you’ll need to watch her closely. She may seem fine on the surface, but inside, she’s completely broken and rotten.”

“That’s a heavy responsibility.”

“It’s the path you chose.”

“That’s true.”

Red murmured quietly.

The children brought to the orphanage all bore deep emotional scars.

Caring for such children was far more burdensome than most could imagine.

Some people mocked Red, saying she was needlessly bringing trouble upon herself.

But Red didn’t regret it. She had chosen this path fully aware of the challenges.

Just as the other children had recovered, Red believed Lily would also heal.

Beep-beep~.

An alarm buzzed in her pocket.

Red pulled out her phone and opened it.

Her face twisted into a scowl.

It was a message from Isaac.

The content was related to their earlier agreement at the zoo.

The time they had agreed upon had arrived.