I'm Not Your Dad, I'm a Villain - Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Aftermath (4)

Justice, unable to save the pitiable children, instead makes them sacrifices for justice.

Knowing the vile act of sacrificing the children they were supposed to protect, all he could do was maintain silence, taking that secret to the grave to protect the world he had nurtured.

If only, the one who had faced her wasn’t the Heavenly Demon but someone else, the outcome might have been different.

“Did the Heavenly Demon know you became her manager?”

“No, by then, he had already died from illness. I approached her after that, before she debuted as an idol.”

Well, that makes sense.

Given her nature, she wouldn’t want to show herself openly to the one who saved her life for any reason.

The only time she probably revisited the person known as the Heavenly Demon was during his funeral.

“His successor.”

But if he still remained in her heart, her interest naturally shifted to what he had accomplished.

“I simply wanted to see what he, who had nurtured the world’s resentment towards me, left behind. Whether it was a seed of evil or a follower of justice.”

“….”

“Yes, he despaired at the world, yet he left hope behind to replace himself. Drawing a sword against such a child… fate is truly cruel.”

Lee Yunseol looked down at the still-warm can of hot chocolate.

Her face was filled with an expression of great pain. For someone who had achieved nothing by her own will, the choice she made back then was inevitable.

If she had killed Kana on the spot…

Even then, her trusted subordinates wouldn’t have been completely annihilated.

“Will you fight her?”

But that did not lead to resentment towards Kana.

From the start, they had strayed from their path, and Kana was only doing what she had to do.

Evil shouldn’t be understood by anyone, and everyone had resolved to that. Now, having stepped back from the front lines, how could she be swayed by petty resentment?

“…I have to fight. Not now, but in the distant future.”

It was the choice made by the one who walked a different path from me.

I spoke honestly to her about the future that awaited us.

“Will you stop me?”

“I don’t have the right. I’m no longer a villain, nor do I have the strength to pursue that path.”

She looked down at her hands with a bitter smile.

Even the faint frost she barely generated was negligible compared to the snow falling from the sky.

Perhaps even the cold of this winter day felt chilly to her now. I could sense that just by looking at her.

Villain Seolhwa had already died in that battle.

Therefore, no matter the Association’s policy, using her death as a symbol of victory to calm the situation wouldn’t bring any repercussions.

“Will you take responsibility?”

Still, I wondered if it was really okay to leave things as they were and threw out my words carelessly.

“Yes, yes!?”

Lee Yunseol stood up in surprise.

Her wide-open eyes and reddened face indicated her shock.

She was so startled she even dropped the can of hot chocolate she was holding. Damn, good thing it was empty, or it would’ve dirtied my shoes.

“I mean, you lost your power because of me. So, I thought maybe I should help you find a way to restore it.”

“Oh, yes. In that sense…”

“…Did you think it meant something else?”

“Oh, no, nothing at all!”

Lee Yunseol hurriedly averted her gaze in a fluster.

“Just…”

Seeing her confusion, I watched as she pulled her scarf up to hide her mouth.

“Just meeting like this occasionally is enough for me.”

“…”

“…Is that troublesome?”

Her cautious tone and her moist eyes showing a hint of shyness made my mouth freeze.

What should I say…

Right, in this moment, she appeared as a woman to me.

I had prided myself on never having harbored such feelings, but now, I couldn’t help but be conscious of her no longer being a villain.

“Is that really enough for you?”

Yes, she is no longer a villain.

And I, too, if by any chance…

Even if there was a slim chance I had no mission to fulfill, I wouldn’t have tried to leave this unstable and precarious woman alone.

“Yes, really…”

“Truly?”

But no matter how strong my sense of duty, I thought I shouldn’t let her leave now.

She was one of the reasons I walked this path.

Even if it wasn’t a legal matter, she was a cornerstone of my current mindset.

“…Mr. Bread.”

Did she read my sincerity?

Calming herself, she revealed her true feelings.

“As long as my identity isn’t revealed, I will live as a civilian. I might never live as a villain again.”

Yes, the target of her vengeance was gone.

Although the world that ignored the transgressions of that person remained, even madness needs strength to fuel it.

Now, she is weak. In the reprieve I provided, she would have endlessly reflected on her situation.

“If anyone discovers my identity and reports me, I will calmly walk to the gallows and face the consequences of my crimes. If that time comes, even if you offer help, I will refuse.”

I could understand that.

Unlike before, she could now make her own choices. If she chose to face judgment herself, I had no right to stop her.

“But still…”

But what came next…

“But still, if you are ever in danger, I will come running.”

Those words were something I couldn’t take lightly.

“You granted my wish, but your ideals are still unfulfilled. Just like you ran to save me despite your lack of strength, I will come to you with this frail body.”

As a chilly wind blew.

Standing firmly despite her frail body that couldn’t even withstand the cold, she faced me.

“That alone.”

Her eyes, moist with tears, clearly showed her emotions, melting the chill.

“Can you at least permit that?”

More than just expressing gratitude to her savior, she wanted to entrust her life and future to me.

Rather than feeling it was burdensome, I found it pitiable.

Why is she…

Even now, when she has a chance to move away from evil, she cannot let go of her attachment to someone who still lives as a villain?

“…I.”

But if that, too, is my responsibility.

If that, too, is a trial I must endure, I will gladly accept it.

“If I become strong enough that I don’t need such help, there won’t be a need for you to come out.”

The trials that don’t kill me make me stronger.

Isn’t that what I’ve learned so far?

“…You’re still the same.”

Lee Yunseol looked at me warmly and then laughed softly.

“Still, a boastful fool.”

The kindness in her eyes was surely directed at me.

At last, it seemed she understood me as a person.

“Even boastfulness is fine as long as it lets me move forward.”

For now, that was enough. I stood up and turned away from her.

“…I’ll be going now.”

There were still many things I wanted to say, but this wasn’t the only opportunity.

If there was more I wanted to say, I could do so later, I thought, as I started to walk away.

“Next time.”

The arms that held me back.

Their strength was barely noticeable, but the warmth from the head resting on my back was unmistakable.

“See you next time, Bread.”

Feeling that warmth, I realized.

For both me and her.

There was still a tomorrow.

***

Yes, the law is distant, and the fist is near, but people still have a tomorrow.

Those who forget that and live only for today are called villains by society.

For those who aren’t guaranteed safety by law and morality, planning for a distant future might be considered a luxury.

Even so, if one dreams of the future while pursuing evil, what should one do?

Is it truly unforgivable for a villain to dream of ambitions that will be realized in the distant future?

“Welcome home, Father.”

The answer to such questions was found as soon as I stepped into my home.

A red-haired girl stood waiting, as if anticipating my arrival.

“Yes, I’m home…”

Yes, I am a villain now.

Once a great villain but now weakened greatly.

Even so, I dream of a comeback in the future, assisting someone as they learn about the world.

How could I take this life of disguise lightly when I must protect such a person?

“…What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

If a villain has no future, then to dream of the future, one must hide their true intentions.

Thus, the moment we reveal our true selves will be the moment we seize the opportunity.

It will be the moment when the seeds of evil, planted in a forsaken grave, sprout.

“I’m home, Moa.”

Until the promised day arrives, I will play the role of her father.

Destroy everything with my own hands.

While leading a collapsed world alongside my lord.

End of Novel