The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 25: Shopping for New Clothes

The clothes worn by the children at the orphanage were rather shabby.

Most of their outfits showed obvious signs of stitching and repairs.

Even if they were to complain about wanting just one new outfit, it wouldn’t seem unreasonable.

Yet, the children never complained.

There wasn’t even a trace of discomfort on their faces.

They seemed to think everything was fine as it was.

Why am I bringing this up?

“Kids, let’s go buy some clothes.”

Today, we were going out together to buy clothes.

Since it was hard to find a decent clothing store nearby, we took Red’s car and drove a bit farther out.

Naturally, the children were excited about the outing.

When we arrived at a clothing store with a pretty decent exterior, the children stepped inside and gasped in awe at the clothes on display.

Their eyes sparkled with excitement.

Unlike the clothes they’d worn until now, these were clean and came in a variety of styles.

“Welcome!”

An Arachne shop assistant with a spider’s body greeted us with a friendly face.

The children didn’t seem particularly startled by the spider body and legs.

With innocent expressions, they bowed politely in greeting.

Red led the children toward the children’s clothing section.

Red began looking through the clothes.

Not sure what to pick, she furrowed her brows slightly.

She rubbed her chin as she pondered.

Meanwhile, the children were happily pointing at various clothes, chatting amongst themselves.

“This outfit is so pretty….”

“Doesn’t this one look like it would suit me?”

“No way. Not at all.”

“What did you say!?”

“If I wear that, I might become super popular.”

“Keep dreaming. That’s never going to happen.”

“Ugh!”

I chuckled quietly and began browsing through the clothes myself.

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I’d visited a store like this.

In the past, I rarely went to clothing stores. Before coming to the orphanage, I only ever wore ragged clothes.

“Little customer, the girls’ section is over there.”

As I was looking at boys’ clothes, the shop assistant kindly pointed me in the right direction.

Ugh.

It’s not like I care about gender distinctions at this point.

I’ve been living in this body for over ten years.

That phase is long over.

Still, clothes from the boys’ section are more comfortable.

Skirts and dresses feel too breezy below.

Reluctantly, I trudged over to the girls’ section.

“I think this would suit Lily.”

“No, this one’s better….”

“I like this one!”

The girls were enjoying their conversation, and I couldn’t find a way to join in.

Sorry. I’m completely clueless when it comes to this kind of stuff.

“Customer, are you looking for something in particular?”

The Arachne shop assistant approached Red, who was still deliberating.

Red hesitated for a moment but soon opened her mouth, deciding it was better to get some help.

“I’m trying to pick out clothes for the kids, but I have no idea what to choose. My sibling used to handle this, not me.”

“Oh, I see~ Let me help you!”

The Arachne shop assistant clapped her hands cheerfully.

Like a fish in water, the assistant enthusiastically began selecting outfits for the children.

She seemed to have a keen eye for fashion, suggesting clothes that highlighted each child’s style and personality.

Each time one of the children tried on an outfit and stepped out of the fitting room, the others gasped in admiration.

“Is that really Bada? She looks like a completely different person.”

“Adorable!”

“Wow….”

As they say, clothes make the man—or in this case, the children.

Some of the kids gaped with open mouths.

Others sparkled with excitement.

A few blushed deeply.

Even Red had a satisfied smile on her face.

One by one, the children took turns trying on clothes until finally, it was my turn.

‘…?’

The shop assistant’s quick hands suddenly paused, and a hint of hesitation flickered across her eyes.

She looked like she wasn’t sure what to do.

I quickly realized why.

“…That’s a cool mask. But could you take it off while we pick out your outfit?”

“Oh, this kid has a reason for keeping the mask on. Is it impossible to do it like this?”

“…It’s fine. No problem at all.”

Though she looked a bit troubled, the assistant straightened up confidently, placing a fist over her chest as if to show determination.

With a serious expression, she scanned me from head to toe and then nodded, seemingly having made up her mind.

She picked out a few outfits for me, and I took them into the fitting room to change.

‘…They weren’t kidding when they said clothes make the man.’

When I changed into the outfit, I looked completely different.

My true value shone like a polished gem.

I couldn’t take my eyes off my reflection in the mirror.

I swallowed hard.

This is dangerous.

If I’m not careful, the world might just end.

I made sure the mask was secure, double-checking before stepping out of the fitting room.

Unsurprisingly, the reaction was great.

The assistant also seemed proud of her fashion sense, raising her head with a smug smile.

“Adorable! Beautiful!”

“Clap, clap….”

If I were to take off my mask here, I might get an even better reaction.

But that wasn’t an option.

For my sake and the world’s.

I tried on a few more outfits, like a doll being dressed.

Each time, there was a wave of positive reactions.

“If you took off your mask, I think we could pick out even better clothes….”

The assistant muttered wistfully under her breath.

Sorry, but that’s not happening.

Still, it seemed like others shared her sentiment, as the conversation shifted toward my mask.

“Can’t you take off the mask just once?”

“I agree.”

“Is it because you’re ugly?”

“Any face is fine….”

The children had always been curious about what lay beneath my mask.

Usually, their curiosity would fade quickly.

But this time was different.

Perhaps because of my new appearance, their curiosity only grew, and they gazed at me with desperate eyes.

Just once.

I was truly at a loss.

Holding my mask tightly with both hands to ensure it didn’t fall, I repeatedly shook my head.

“Alright, everyone, stop. You’re making Lily uncomfortable.”

Thankfully, Red intervened and stopped them.

With Red stepping in, the children had no choice but to give up.

Their heads drooped low.

Seeing their disappointment, Red spoke to them.

“Even if it’s not today, there might be a day when Lily decides to take off the mask herself. So let’s wait until then, okay?”

“Yes.”

Phew.

I was relieved that they listened so well.

As I pretended to wipe my forehead with my arm in relief, my eyes met Red’s.

In her crimson eyes, there was a hint of sadness.

It seemed that deep down, she also wished I would remove my mask.

Perhaps one day, as she said, I might choose to take off the mask myself. But at least for now, that day wasn’t today.

As long as I could, I would avoid removing my mask.

I intended to rely a little longer on Red’s kindness.

* * *

Late at night.

Under the quiet night sky, a lone car sped down a road lined with dark, unlit buildings.

The driver was a young woman.

Her name was Nina, a Problem Solver.

A junior to Isaac, she had worked under him for a long time and was a trusted Problem Solver.

Now, she was on her way to the orphanage Isaac used to run.

‘…Why did she say that?’

Red had made an odd suggestion to Nina, asking her to investigate the orphanage together.

Red’s words implied that Isaac might have been involved in something suspicious.

If that were true, it would explain all of Red’s behavior up to now.

But Nina trusted Isaac.

What kind of person was Isaac, and what kind of Problem Solver?

He was someone who grieved for his colleagues’ deaths, someone swayed by emotions.

A rare individual in this world who harbored genuine goodwill and sought to act on it.

Wasn’t it because of his kind nature that he established the orphanage and took in orphans to care for them?

“The director would never do something like that.”

Isaac was someone Nina admired and looked up to.

It was his character that drew her to his office, and together, they had shared countless hardships over the years.

Throughout that time, she had never seen any sign of suspicion in him.

Absolutely not.

But.

“She’s not someone who would joke about something like that.”

She couldn’t completely dismiss Red’s words.

After all, Nina knew both Red’s abilities and her personality well.

So, there was only one conclusion.

“She must have misunderstood something after hearing strange information somewhere.”

As the road darkened further, the streetlights became scarce, and only the car’s headlights illuminated the way.

After a long drive, the car reached its destination.

A place devoid of any sign of life.

Nina got out of the car.

She looked at the abandoned building.

“I never thought I’d come back here….”

Since the children’s disappearance, the building had been left unattended.

She had never returned to this place.

Nina pulled out her phone from her pocket but put it back.

Originally, she was supposed to come here with someone else, but she ended up coming alone.

It wasn’t to destroy evidence or anything like that. She just wanted to look around on her own.

Nina stepped into the building.

After being left unattended for so long, the floors and walls were decayed and covered in mold.

Waving her hand to dispel the musty smell, she walked further inside.

The dim light from the broken windows wasn’t enough to brighten the darkness.

Turning on her flashlight, she began to slowly inspect the interior.

As she looked around, memories of her time spent here resurfaced.

The memories overlapped with the present.

But the images of those memories soon faded, leaving nothing in their place.

“Why did that have to happen…?”

The children who stayed here had all been full of promise for the future.

Who would have thought a disaster would befall them?

A pang of sorrow filled Nina’s chest.

It was truly a tragedy.

Nina moved her steps.

Even after searching every room and rummaging through the furniture, nothing suspicious turned up.

“There’s nothing out of the ordinary.”

There was no sign of the feared outcome, and Nina was starting to think about heading back when her gaze shifted.

Her eyes stopped at the fireplace in the room.

Her gaze narrowed.

Near the fireplace, there were traces of human activity.

This was an abandoned building where no one had been for a long time.

Why?

Cautiously, Nina approached the fireplace.

Wrinkling her nose at the musty smell, she brushed the floor lightly with her hand and leaned in.

She examined it closely.

Nothing seemed out of place.

“What is this…?”

As she was about to step back, something caught her eye—a brick that looked different from the rest.

“Why is this one a different color?”

She touched the brick and pressed it.

It sank inward, and with a grinding noise, the fireplace began to move, sending dust falling in all directions.

Quickly stepping back, Nina looked again.

The fireplace had disappeared, revealing a passageway inside.

The passage seemed to stretch far into the distance.

“What the…?”

Her widened eyes trembled in shock.

Her mind was in chaos.

She had no idea such a mechanism existed.

Why would there be something like this in the orphanage?

Nina swallowed dryly.

Anxiety began creeping into her heart.

Holding her forehead in one hand, she let out a long sigh.

After lowering her hand, she regained some composure.

Steeling herself, she stepped into the passage.

Deep in her heart, she hoped her fears were unfounded.