The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl

Chapter 38: Bubble Bubble, Sparkle Sparkle

The sun was shining brightly.

Everyone was at the secret base.

Under the sunlight streaming in through the open ceiling, everyone was playing a special game.

The children each held a stick in their small mouths.

At the signal, they exhaled, and bubbles formed at the end of the sticks.

It was a bubble toy that Red had brought.

But it wasn’t just any ordinary toy.

The bubbles changed shape depending on the imagination of the person blowing them.

Indeed, thanks to the children's imagination, bubbles of various sizes and shapes spread out.

Rabbits, tigers, bears, cakes, bread, stars, and many other shapes decorated the sky.

“What’s that?”

When Lena pointed with her finger, I saw a bubble that looked like my face.

Seriously, what is that?

Having a rough idea of who did it, I looked toward the boys, who were rubbing their noses proudly.

Ugh.

I put the stick in my mouth and blew.

A sharp-shaped bubble, reflecting my imagination, popped it.

“Aaahhh… I worked so hard to make that.”

The boys let out cries of disappointment from the other side.

The girls giggled.

At that moment, a strong gust of wind whooshed through.

The bubbles rode the wind and floated high toward the open ceiling.

The children stared in a daze at the countless bubbles shimmering in the sunlight.

When I blew another bubble, the other children got even more excited and started blowing bubbles too.

Bubble bubble, sparkle sparkle.

Bubble bubble, sparkle sparkle.

Everyone smiled brightly at the mesmerizing sight.

Laughter filled the air, drifting up into the clear sky along with the bubbles.

“I wish days like this could continue forever.”

Yeah.

At Lena's murmured wish, I silently hoped for the same.

That this peaceful time would last for a long, long time.

A strange tension filled the space between the two men.

Gray, the leader and high priest of the Grim Reaper Cult, stared at his visitor.

Black hair and snake-like slit eyes.

His delicate face exuded warmth. His gentle smile gave him a soft impression, yet there was an eerie undertone to it.

A man as unreadable as a snake.

Because of that, Gray remained on guard, maintaining a heavy demeanor, unlike the man who greeted him with enthusiasm.

Despite Gray’s dignified and commanding presence, the man was unfazed.

A smooth smile still lingered at the corners of his lips.

Shaking his head lightly while keeping his smile, he said,

“Aren’t we being too stiff for friends? Loosen up a little.”

“Friends, huh… I don’t think ‘friends’ is the right term for our relationship.”

“Well, maybe we don’t have friendship, but we do share the same desire, don’t we?”

“The same desire?”

“Yes, you and I both wish for the Grim Reaper’s descent.”

“…”

Gray lowered his gaze slightly.

Lost in thought, he recalled his first encounter with the man.

When the Grim Reaper Cult had just begun to rise, the man approached him, introducing himself as ‘Han Yeon.’

Han Yeon claimed that his prophecies would guide the Grim Reaper Cult to fulfill its grand purpose.

Needing people, the Grim Reaper Cult accepted Han Yeon.

After that, Han Yeon demonstrated his wisdom to help the Grim Reaper Cult grow.

Thanks to his timely advice, the Grim Reaper Cult was able to develop remarkably.

According to him, he could read the flow of the world.

In other words, he could see the future.

And in reality, events unfolded just as he had predicted.

It aligned too perfectly to be mere coincidence.

The Grim Reaper Cult acknowledged Han Yeon's abilities and contributions, granting him the title of "The One with True Wisdom."

In truth, Han Yeon was practically the benefactor of the Grim Reaper Cult.

The cult's growth to its current state was largely thanks to him.

However, as the leader, Gray was never fully fond of Han Yeon.

Gray lifted his gaze and met Han Yeon’s eyes.

“Indeed, our desires are the same. But just because we share the same desire doesn’t mean what we seek is identical.

We of the Grim Reaper Cult wish to bring peace and rest to this land through death.

But you—aren’t you seeking destruction?”

Their goal was the same, but their approach differed.

That small difference could create a rift in the end.

They were not friends.

They simply needed and used each other to achieve their respective goals.

Which meant that if one lost their value or if their objectives were fulfilled, there was always the risk of a knife being driven into their back.

Han Yeon’s dedication was acknowledged, but someone who hid their true intentions could never be trusted.

All the more reason to remain wary.

At Gray’s words, which carried a warning, Han Yeon simply shrugged.

“Isn’t it all the same? We’ll reach the same finish line in the end.”

“Anyway, to answer your question, yes, it happened just as you said.

Isaac has fallen into the hands of Crime Killer.”

“False wisdom scatters blood upon the vast land so that death may take its place.

And when its role is fulfilled, false wisdom shall be pierced by the fist of the one who upholds justice.

Heh… He was a man worth using.”

A twisted smile formed on Han Yeon’s lips.

Gray nodded as if in agreement.

“He was a foolish man. That made him easy to use.”

“He probably believed he was the one using us.

But even in his final moments, he never realized he had been dancing in the palm of our hands the entire time.”

Isaac had been a valuable piece.

His power, wealth, information, and various other assets.

Everything he possessed had been thoroughly exploited to make their plans run smoothly.

And after his death, the world plunged into even greater chaos.

Even in death, he proved useful.

“Now, only one prophecy remains for us.

We must break the conviction of the one who upholds justice so that their fist will be directed toward the city.”

“That’s right.

Then, as we wish, the Grim Reaper will descend upon this land.”

Han Yeon sat down on a worn-out wooden bench.

Stretching both arms above his head, he let out a lazy yawn.

And then, he muttered,

“Things are about to get busy.”

“But it won’t be as easy as you make it sound.

That person’s mental fortitude is incredibly strong.

If anything, we might be the ones crushed by their fist first.”

Red was strong—both physically and mentally.

Her strength was devastating, and many had fallen by her hand.

Even at this very moment.

Of course, the deeper Red stepped into this side, the better it was for them.

More interactions meant more opportunities to shake her resolve.

But her mind was as unyielding as a fortress, making things difficult.

At Gray’s concern, Han Yeon chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

“Haha, don’t worry.”

As he spoke, Han Yeon opened one of his eyes slightly.

A crimson eye was revealed.

Its deep, blood-soaked hue made Gray unconsciously furrow his brows.

It was eerily red.

Han Yeon wore a soft smile, but combined with those eyes, it made him look utterly sinister.

“Corruption is simple. You just have to give them a little push from behind. Then, they’ll fall all on their own.”

“You’re underestimating that person’s mental strength too much.

That kind of carelessness and arrogant thinking might lead to failure.”

“Is that so?

In a world like this, it’s hard to hold on to goodwill.

People like that tend to crumble easily.”

For once, his tone was unusually serious, so Gray asked,

“Is that from experience…?”

“…Who knows.”

Han Yeon shrugged and closed his eyes again.

“Anyway, put aside your worries.

Besides, we have some reliable friends with us.”

Han Yeon turned his head to the side.

Gray followed his gaze.

Two figures emerged from the darkness, untouched by the candlelight.

Recognizing their faces, Gray narrowed his eyes.

“The surviving members of the Seven Deadly Sins….”

The Seven Deadly Sins.

A title given to criminals who wielded influence second only to the Four Great Organizations of the underworld.

Out of the seven, five had already been wiped out by Red’s hand.

Now, Gray finally understood why Han Yeon had been absent from previous meetings.

Han Yeon introduced the two with a friendly tone.

“This is Greed and Wrath.

I really had to work hard to make friends with them.”

“If those two are joining us, they’ll certainly be a great asset.

But… can we trust them?

Their ambitions are completely different from ours.”

To be the best, to gain power, to rise to the top.

Most people are driven by their desires.

Just as those in darkness desperately seek the light.

The people of the underworld have an especially strong inclination toward such things.

Among them, the Seven Sins stood at the peak of desire.

They were honest about their ambitions, striving to grasp their dreams.

In other words, they clung to life.

That was the exact opposite of the Grim Reaper Cult, which sought the end.

Would such people really lend their strength to the resurrection of the Grim Reaper?

Understanding his concern, Han Yeon waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s fine.

We share a common enemy.

You know the saying—‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’”

“If you say so.”

Gray set aside his unease.

He trusted that Han Yeon would handle it properly.

Now that their prayer was over, Gray began walking toward the door to leave the cathedral.

Then, as if something had come to mind, he stopped abruptly and turned his head.

“By the way, what about the list of people Isaac told us to keep an eye on?”

“Oh, that?

We can just scrap it, right?

We only made that list to fool Isaac while playing along with him.”

“I see….”

Gray briefly recalled the young girl Isaac had taken interest in.

Lost in thought, his demeanor turned slightly odd, making Han Yeon tilt his head in curiosity.

“Why?

Did you notice something unusual?”

“No.

I just think there might be someone who could be useful to our plan.

Since this action might distort the prophecy, I wanted to ask first.”

“Really?

No problem.

If you think they’re useful, do whatever you want.”

“Got it.”

With that, Gray left the room.

Han Yeon, now alone in the cathedral, sent the two others away as well.

Silence filled the sacred hall.

Left by himself, Han Yeon stood up from the wooden bench and faced the statue of the Grim Reaper.

─Just because our desires are the same doesn’t mean what we seek is identical.

We of the Grim Reaper Cult wish to bring peace and rest to this land through death.

But you—aren’t you seeking destruction?

The words Gray had just spoken flashed through his mind, and a faint smirk appeared on his lips.

Han Yeon lowered his head.

One hand rested on the statue, while the other covered his mouth.

A quiet, unsettling laugh broke the silence.

His hands and shoulders trembled violently.

The more he laughed, the more a black aura seeped out of his entire body.

The eerie energy made the already cold building feel even heavier, sinking into an even deeper chill.

After laughing for a long while, the aura dissipated, and he removed his hand, gazing at the statue of the Grim Reaper.

His tightly shut eyes slowly opened.

His crimson pupils were unbearably cold.

“Hahaha, how utterly ridiculous.

Even if you assign meaning to death, death itself remains unchanged.

I wonder if the Grim Reaper also assigns meaning to death?”

The doctrine of the Grim Reaper Cult was laughable at best.

Death was simply death.

Nothing more, nothing less.

“Hey, Grim Reaper.

If you really are a god, can you tell me why I ended up in this world?”

Han Yeon recalled his past.

He had been walking while reading a webtoon on his phone when suddenly, with a loud noise, his vision was engulfed in white light.

When he opened his eyes, he was in a different world.

He had been transported.

Into the world of the very webtoon he had just been reading.

No answer came to his chilling question.

The statue’s lips did not move.

He had never expected an answer in the first place, so he closed his eyes.

Then, indifferently, he turned his back.

“It’s a relief that troublesome bastard is dead.”

Isaac was the protagonist’s ally in the webtoon.

Though his arrogance was a flaw, his possession of another’s body granted him more knowledge than others, and he had enough abilities to act as the protagonist’s support.

He had been one of the most troublesome obstacles to Han Yeon’s plans.

Han Yeon smiled in satisfaction.

His footsteps echoed throughout the cathedral.

As he approached the door, he also drew closer to his goal.

‘Everything is for one purpose.’

Han Yeon only remembered fragments of the webtoon’s plot.

In this dystopian world, the protagonist, with the help of the religious figure Gray, spread hope.

Normally, one would use their knowledge and power to take the protagonist’s place or wholeheartedly support them as an ally.

But Han Yeon chose a different path.

For his own purpose, he killed the protagonist with his own hands.

He drowned Gray in madness.

He twisted the original story.

‘I will never forgive this city that abandoned me.’

Behind his ever-smiling, gentle façade, he harbored a vicious thirst for revenge.

With that, Han Yeon pushed open the door and stepped outside.