The Worst Villain is Actually a Cute Girl-Chapter 47

The roles were all assigned. The script was ready.

There was only one thing left to do.

Practice like our lives depended on it until the day we got on stage.

“Rena, raise your voice a little in that part.”

“Got it, teacher.”

“Ba Da, you’re way too stiff. Try to move more naturally. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”

“Okay... Hoo... Nothing to be nervous about... Just relax...”

“Leon, you’re getting way too emotional.”

“What?! But wouldn’t it be better if I went ‘BAM BAM’ here?”

The kids started practicing so hard they were drenched in sweat, from their faces down to their clothes.

With Rene helping them.

And.

They even cut back on their hobby and playtime to make room for rehearsals.

At first, when we started, I honestly wondered if they really needed to take it this seriously.

Not that they were wrong—if anything, I admired their determination.

I never had any intention of belittling their efforts.

Working hard for what you want, chasing a dream, doing your best to fulfill a desire—that’s all completely natural.

The kids were genuinely passionate.

They wanted to put on a stunning performance for the audience, especially for Red and Rene.

No one gets better at acting overnight, especially without practice. They knew that. That’s why they were so desperate.

Still, I thought maybe they were overdoing it.

We weren’t entering any national competition. None of us were aspiring actors.

It was just a kids’ play.

As long as it wasn’t totally embarrassing, that should’ve been good enough.

No—honestly, since it was a children’s performance, people would probably enjoy it no matter how badly it went.

So instead of pushing themselves this hard, I’d hoped they’d just take it easy.

Hmm...

‘I’m sure they’ll burn out quickly and slow down.’

Kids have weaker willpower than adults. They get bored easily. They give up fast.

So I figured they’d go hard in the beginning and then start taking it easy with time.

But I was wrong.

“Drink this—it’s good for your throat.”

“Thank you, teacher!”

“You’re sounding much more natural than before. Just keep doing it that way.”

“Hehe...”

“Leon, now that you’ve loosened up, you’re doing way better than before.”

“Ugh, I still haven’t really gotten the hang of it.”

Days passed, and the kids continued to rehearse without fail.

Even when exhaustion was written all over their faces, they didn’t give up.

Watching them throw themselves into it made me feel embarrassed.

To someone else, this might be just a silly skit to liven up a festival—but to them, it wasn’t.

They were desperate. Determined to make this play a success.

I felt ashamed for ever looking down on that.

At the same time, I was deeply impressed by them.

Anyone can start working hard.

Even animals can do that, as long as they understand basic commands.

But not everyone can keep working hard.

Because the desire to rest, the tiredness, the distractions—those things always get in the way.

But the kids were pushing through all of that to keep practicing.

They were doing something truly difficult.

‘Now that I think about it... they really are focused for their age.’

Rena practiced her singing.

Ba Da was always reading and writing.

All the others were just as dedicated.

They all worked steadily and seriously at the things they chose to do.

I smiled behind my mask.

If the kids were working this hard, I couldn’t just slack off on my own.

‘But... how am I supposed to work harder in this role?’

I had the motivation, sure—but when I looked at my part, I was at a loss.

In the end, I accepted the princess role like they wanted.

The problem was, they’d tailored the role to accommodate me.

A princess who wears a mask and can’t speak because of a curse.

I didn’t have a single line. I didn’t even need facial expressions.

All I had to do was act with gestures.

Because of that, I was able to handle my part without much difficulty, unlike the others.

Normally, the lead is supposed to be the hardest role—but somehow mine had /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ become the easiest.

The bigger problem was the princess’s importance.

If she were just a background character, whatever—but she was one of the leads.

And leads are supposed to... well, lead.

They’re the center of the show. The ones who shine the brightest and draw everyone’s attention.

So what happens when your lead is a mute, masked princess?

Can that even work?

Is that acceptable for a leading role?

Would people actually like it?

If I were in the audience, I’d probably start booing and giving it one star.

Even during rehearsals, my head was spinning.

“Lily, would you try taking off your mask for once? I want to see what it feels like without it.”

Then Rene made that suggestion.

I tilted my head.

Well, it’s not like my role required me to keep the mask on.

I understood her reasoning, but still—I didn’t really see the point.

But she wasn’t the kind of person to give careless directions, so I followed her lead and took the mask off.

The kids’ gazes all turned toward me.

Especially the boys—their eyes were practically sparkling. It was exhausting.

Sigh.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I shot a look at the girls, and they immediately understood.

Each of them gave a boy a good whack on the head to snap them out of it.

The boys groaned, rubbing their foreheads.

Heh.

I stretched my arms up, then shook out my hands and feet.

Loosening up a bit, I looked around at the kids.

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Their eyes were filled with anticipation.

The thought of living up to those expectations made me a little nervous.

I took a deep breath and gave Rene a small nod.

Rene gave the cue to start.

I moved my body according to the script, putting on expressions that matched the scenes.

My face is usually expressionless by default.

I figured that would make it hard to convey emotion, but I tried anyway.

When the scene was painful, I showed pain. When it was sad, I looked sad.

I’ve been acting as the Reaper for a long time, so I’m pretty used to putting on a performance.

After showing a few scenes, I turned back to the kids.

How did I do...?

The kids were frozen—eyes wide, mouths open.

The silence was so heavy I started to worry I’d done badly—

“Wooooaaahhh!”

Clap clap clap!!!

Suddenly the kids exploded in cheers and applause.

They rushed at me in a frenzy.

“That was amazing! You really looked like a princess!”

“I couldn’t take my eyes off you!”

“You’re such a good actor—why haven’t you said anything until now?”

“Hrrk, when the princess made that sad face, I started crying without even realizing it.”

I stared at Rene in disbelief, flustered by the flood of compliments.

Rene, too, was looking at me in awe, her expression full of admiration.

“That was incredible. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be that good. I got completely drawn in. You really could become an actress if you wanted to.”

Their praise was so over-the-top it almost felt scripted. I didn’t know what to do.

Then Rene touched her chin thoughtfully and continued.

“Hmm... When you took off the mask, the emotions came across so much better. What do you think about performing without it?”

Thud! The shock of that suggestion hit me like a bolt of lightning.

You’re seriously dropping this on me now?!

Everyone had praised my performance.

Maybe taking off the mask really would bring out stronger reactions from the audience.

But.

I shook my head.

Inside the orphanage was one thing—but in front of the public, I wasn’t ready to remove my mask.

Disappointed murmurs spread around the room.

The kids stared at me.

Their big, sparkling eyes tried to sway me again—but this time, I was firm.

Even if I could accept the princess role, the mask was non-negotiable!

Leaving behind their sad expressions, I put the mask back on.

And so, our rehearsals continued.

It had already been a week since we started rehearsals.

While the kids were taking a break, Rena and I went out with Red.

The place we arrived at was a music store.

The reason for visiting was to find props for the stage.

Red was picking out the necessary equipment, while Rena and I wandered around, browsing the store.

As someone who loved music, Rena was practically skipping, her face glowing with joy.

I followed behind her but couldn’t shake a strange sense of unease.

It didn’t take long to figure out what it was.

The store was packed with people, but none of them looked like they were actually here to shop. It felt more like they were waiting for something. Like... dogs waiting to be fed.

It wasn’t just me who noticed. Red asked the employee.

“Why is everyone like this?”

“Oh, they’re all waiting for the owner to bring it out.”

“It?”

“The machine that supposedly plays the ‘Song of the Angel.’ There’s a recording of it. The owner sometimes plays it for us.”

The Song of the Angel?

What, did an actual angel sing it or something?

But even after all these years, I’d never seen an angel in real life.

Unless you counted those feathered races, maybe.

I didn’t know what the Song of the Angel was, so I just reacted indifferently.

But Red—Red looked genuinely surprised, as if she recognized it.

“The Song of the Angel... don’t tell me?!”

Rena, too, gasped and darted over to the clerk with wide, shining eyes.

She flailed her small arms in excitement.

“Whaaat?! The Song of the Angel?! That’s real?! I thought it was just an urban legend!”

The clerk nodded and glanced at Red.

“I thought so too at first, but I guess the owner got their hands on a real recording somehow. If you’re curious, stick around. He usually plays it around this time.”

Someone else called the clerk, so he left.

When I looked over at Rena, she was frozen, slack-jawed in disbelief.

Was this song really such a big deal?

I poked her shoulder and used gestures to ask what it was.

She grabbed both of my hands, pulled in close, and whispered with an excited face.

“It’s insanely beautiful. They say when you hear it, your heart fills with happiness, like you’re in heaven. It makes you feel so, so good. And also...”

Rena started explaining nonstop.

I’d never seen her this worked up before.

I got the gist of it.

I’d heard people say music was like a drug, but now I was seriously starting to wonder if this wasn’t actual drugs.

I mean, a song that drags you into a euphoric dream world?

That screams narcotic.

A little while later—

The store owner took out a small box.

Everyone instantly froze in place, turning their eyes toward him.

Red looked mildly intrigued, while Rena’s eyes sparkled like stars.

The Song of the Angel, huh...

I crossed my arms.

Just how incredible could this song possibly be?

With a mixture of anxiety and curiosity, I waited.

The owner fiddled with a few things, and then from the small box, a gentle melody began to play.

‘!!!’

Jolt.

A voice I thought I’d never hear again.

The song shoved my consciousness back into the past.

A twisted, broken past flashed through my mind like a cracked screen.

Nausea welled up.

My face slowly distorted beneath the mask.

*

The Song of the Angel truly sounded like something sung by an angel—blissful and transcendent.

It slipped into people’s hearts and pushed out the darkness.

Color returned to the dull, gray world.

Skies choked with black clouds suddenly cleared into a brilliant blue.

Life began sprouting from the desolate earth.

Warm sunlight poured down, and a gentle breeze whispered greetings to the world.

A slow, quiet light spread through even the murkiest soul.

That was the power of the Song of the Angel.

The people were captivated.

A man with a sly face started crying openly.

A tough-looking thug’s hardened face melted into something soft and kind, like he’d become a different person entirely.

An old woman fell to her knees, clasped her hands, and began to pray.

Even Red was inwardly stunned.

She hadn’t expected something so... breathtaking.

But in the middle of all that peace, something very different surged through the air.

A small, clenched fist, raised as if to shatter heaven itself.

Red quickly rushed forward and grabbed Lily’s wrist.

‘!?’

The small arm was trembling slightly.

Rage.

That burning emotion made Red recoil in surprise.

As if swallowing her anger, Lily slowly lowered her arm.

While everyone else was still lost in the song, Lily quietly stepped outside, alone.