Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Villain and Market
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Serena tried to slip out of the market alley. This whole situation felt utterly unreal. She, an S-Rank Hero, getting help from a little "villain." And from the horned girl she'd run into at the park—the one she'd sharply criticized, no less.
'I need to get out of here fast. The youngest daughter of the IM Group can't pay for her tteokbokki? If word gets out, I'll be teased for life.'
Serena swallowed the shame rising in her throat and forced a smile.
"Thank you. I'll be going now."
Serena flashed Grimoire an awkward smile and quickly turned to leave. But in that instant, a small hand tugged at the hem of her hoodie.
"Where do you think you're going? If this body helped you out, shouldn't you at least give a proper thank-you? Or do commoners not know manners?"
'No way—who's calling who a commoner here?!'
Grimoire's bold voice drew stares from the people around them. Serena instinctively ducked her head. Anxiety flooded her—what if someone here recognized her?
"Thank you so much. But I have urgent business..."
As Serena took a step back, Grimoire advanced two steps.
"Urgent business? What could someone who can't even pay for tteokbokki have that's so urgent? Going to earn some money? Begging, maybe?"
Serena's eyes widened.
'Is this kid treating me like a beggar?'
Did this girl even realize what she was saying? A global fashion icon, top-tier hero—being called a beggar?
Serena's hand unconsciously drifted toward her crossbody bag. Inside were a few small gold pieces made with her quirk "Golden Rule." She always carried them for emergencies. One second—that's all it would take. She could put this horned girl in her place right now.
'No. That would ruin the whole point of my day off. Hold it in. This is just the price of anonymity.'
She couldn't throw away this rare freedom, this sweet gift of anonymity so pointlessly. The moment she used her powers, every phone camera in the market would turn on her.
[Golden Princess Treated Like a Beggar, Snaps in Rage—Unleashes Indiscriminate Golden Storm in Market] The headline flashed before her eyes.
"No, it's just..."
Unable to finish, Serena watched Grimoire grin triumphantly.
"First time here, right? It's written all over your face. This body has a knack for reading people."
Serena let out a hollow laugh. The girl hadn't recognized an S-Rank Hero but had instantly pegged her as a market newbie.
"Consider yourself lucky today! This body hereby appoints you as my minion for the day! You'd get lost or ripped off on your own, so I'll show you around the market and the best eats."
"Minion...?"
The heiress of IM Group, S-Rank Hero Golden Princess—as a horned kid's "minion"?
In that moment, Grimoire suddenly leaned in close, peering intently at Serena's face. So close that Serena instinctively stepped back.
"Wh-what...?"
"Your eyes... they're golden."
'She figured it out? Already?'
Serena regretted not covering her golden irises. She should have brought colored contacts.
"You know, you look kinda familiar. What's your name?"
"Sere—"
She nearly blurted out her real name and quickly corrected herself.
"No, it's Seren."
"Seren?"
Grimoire narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Sounds a lot like Golden Princess."
Cold sweat trickled down Serena's back. This kid was sharper than she'd thought.
"J-just a coincidence."
Under Grimoire's suspicious gaze, Serena hurriedly added,
"Actually... I'm a Golden Princess fan, so I changed my name."
"What? A fan of that Goldie? When there's a magnificent villain like this body around, you pick that show-off little gold nugget? What terrible taste! Become my fan instead!"
'Goldie? Little gold nugget?'
There it was again. Serena's nails dug into her palm. Anger flared in her chest, but she kept her composure on the surface.
'Getting mad at a kid like this would just hurt me.'
But Grimoire waved her hand dramatically, spinning more nonsense.
"That Goldie is a total coward who always attacks from afar! Never seen her get her hands dirty once! Real fighting means clashing head-on, like this body does!"
Serena's lips twitched. This girl had no idea how many monsters she'd faced up close, how many injuries she'd taken. Judging her solely by camera footage.
"Haha... could be..."
Serena forced a smile. But the rage hidden behind it was growing.
Grimoire kept pouring out her venom.
"And those flashy moves? All pre-rehearsed! She even calculates the camera angles, like 'shoot me here~' while striking poses. It's not fighting—it's a show!"
Serena's hands began to tremble. Endless training hours flashed before her eyes. Days practicing with gold until her hands swelled red. Moments whipping herself to maintain peak condition. All that effort dismissed as a "show"?
"N-no way."
Serena struggled to smile. She felt sweat soaking her wig underneath.
Grimoire's voice grew louder.
"What bugs me most is this chaebol princess acting like her success came from 'hard work'! With daddy's money buying top gear, coaching, training—pretending she's self-made! She couldn't even imagine real commoners' struggles!"
Those words brought back her father's constant refrain.
'Everything you have, I gave you. Your success is IM Group's success. Your failure is our family's shame. Remember that.'
From age fifteen, she'd woken hours before her siblings every dawn for solo training. Rushed to every dangerous scene. All to earn her father's approval, to claim something of her own. To not be dismissed as the youngest daughter.
"That's not true!"
She couldn't take it anymore. Serena's patience finally snapped.
Her voice erupted louder than expected. Heads turned. But she couldn't hold back the fury now.
"Golden Princess trains from 5 a.m. every day, pushing herself to the brink controlling her powers!"
Passion blazed in Serena's eyes.
"Do you have any idea how much sweat and tears go into that glamorous image...!"
Only after finishing did Serena realize what she'd done. Grimoire eyed her suspiciously.
"Huh? How do you know all that in detail? Wait, are you..."
"N-no, just a YouTube subscriber... Been to a few fan meets... Watched the documentary..."
Grimoire scanned Serena up and down, stroking her chin. Suspicion shadowed her red eyes.
'Please don't figure it out...'
Grimoire kept eyeing her suspiciously before finally speaking.
"Hmph... Really? Trains at 5 a.m.? This body doesn't get up till 10."
Grimoire rubbed her horn with her thumb.
That tiny gesture captivated Serena. What would the horn feel like? Hard? Soft? A strange curiosity stirred.
"So Goldie works that hard? Impressive."
"Huh...? Yeah?"
"Makes her worth taking down later! Still, effort alone won't beat this body! I'm a villain—born special!"
A strange warmth spread through Serena's chest. Every compliment she'd ever received was about results.
'Top performance this quarter.' 'S-Rank worthy.' 'Raised IM Group's prestige.'
None acknowledged the process, her raw effort.
But this boastful girl's words were different. They recognized Serena's effort itself. Even in a hostile context, it was validation.
"Anyway, let's go! Time to show you the market's commoner vibes—and the evil of a real villain terrorizing them!"
Serena sighed in relief. Her racing heart slowed.
Yet a peculiar feeling bloomed. Why did this trivial acknowledgment from Grimoire warm her so? Her father, siblings, even fans had never said it.
'This kid recognized my effort...'
Serena shook her head at the thought.
'Get a grip, Serena. Don't delude yourself. It's just words from a boastful brat—who insulted me as Goldie, remember.'
She furrowed her brow, then smoothed to neutrality. Perfect expression control was second nature.
'This is just to uncover Gate intel. Yeah. Pure information gathering. Nothing more.'
Grimoire strutted through the market alleys like it was her kingdom. Despite her small stature, her confident gait drew eyes.
'What an odd kid.'
Serena thought, following behind. Even she, an S-Rank Hero, lacked that boldness. Always the pressure to be perfect, fear of mistakes, endless scrutiny...
But this kid was different. Free. Calling herself a "villain" yet owning it proudly. Ignoring the stares.
"Seren! What're you doing? Hurry up!"
Serena realized she'd zoned out standing there.
"Whoa, hotteok!"
Oddly, the kid's antics—annoying at first—were starting to feel endearing. Standing there mouth agape in front of the hotteok stall, she seemed just an innocent child.
"That's hotteok, right? Want to try some?"
"Of course! Step one of world conquest: control all the tasty stuff!"
Serena rummaged in her pockets, then remembered reality. No cash.
"Ah, sorry. I don't have cash..."
Grimoire burst out laughing.
"Behold the greatness of this villain body! Hey, auntie, two seed hotteok—now!"
Serena worried how the hotteok lady would react to the rudeness. But surprisingly, the auntie recognized Grimoire and beamed.
"Oh, Grimoire! How's the community garden these days?"
"Garden? Oh, the land reclamation project with the tenant farmers! Going perfectly—naturally, with this body in charge!"
"Hotteok on the house."
"Kekeke! This body's infamy is legendary!"
Serena was dumbfounded. Everyone in the market seemed to know Grimoire—like a friendly neighbor, not a "villain."
"You come here a lot?"
"Duh! This is prime villain territory. Makima—or whoever—said it: 'The people's support is a ruler's power!' Politicians only show up during elections, crawling on the market floor. Too late! By then, Grimoire-sama will have conquered the traditional market!"
'Machiavelli, not Makima... What a unique kid. Calls herself a villain but wins people over.'
"See? Totally delicious, right?"
Serena picked up a hotteok. Its warmth heated her hand. A humble, honest heat unavailable in fancy restaurants.
'When was my last hotteok...?'
She took a slow bite. Sweet, nutty flavor filled her mouth. Better than any nutritionist's perfect meal or gourmet dessert.
"Commence the official tour of this body's domain!"
Grimoire shouted, stretching both arms skyward in the market center. Serena couldn't help smiling at the silliness.
'I thought it was a delusion, but she really believes she's a villain.'
Today was veering in an unexpected direction. She, an S-Rank Hero, market-hopping with the horned girl who called her "Goldie."
Grimoire led the way; Serena followed quietly.
The alleys were far more vibrant than imagined. veggie stalls lining the ground, baskets of red peppers, green perilla leaves, yellow potatoes. The bubbling scent of red tteokbokki sauce, sizzle of mandu frying in oil.
Astonishingly, merchants greeted Grimoire warmly wherever she went.
"Hey, Grimoire's here! Our neighborhood hero!"
The fishmonger uncle called out with a grin.
"Listen up, fish uncle! How many times do I gotta say it? This body is a villain, not a hero! Keep it up, and I'll unleash rats to take over your shop!"
Grimoire stomped in protest, but the fishmonger just laughed harder.
"Yeah, yeah, our good little villain. Here, eat this."
He plated fresh sashimi.
"Today's yellowtail. Best cuts only."
Grimoire shoveled in a mouthful; her cheeks puffed like a squirrel's.
"Mmm! Acceptable tribute to this body! Fine, your shop lives post-world conquest!"
Serena's eyes went wide.
'She's so rude—how is this okay?'
The fishmonger beamed even wider, offering shrimp tempura.
'One slip, and it'd be tomorrow's news scandal...'
Yet the street folks treated this "villain" girl with genuine warmth, unfeigned smiles full of affection.
"Our Grimoire's here. Try this fresh injeolmi."
The rice cake grandma handed over a wrapped assortment. Grimoire, one hand chapssaltteok, the other injeolmi, looked flustered and turned to Serena.
"Uh... you eat this."
She passed the injeolmi.
"M-me?"
"Obviously! You're my minion for the day—special grant from this body."
Serena took it gingerly. Bean powder dusted her hand, but oddly, she didn't mind. One bite, and the melting sweetness widened her eyes.
"It's delicious."
"Told ya! Everything from this body's territory is top-tier!"
'Is cuteness the true justice?'
Serena mused. That tiny frame, chubby cheeks, perky horns—her rudeness was offset by sheer adorableness.
They wandered on.
"These peaches are too hard! First to go in world conquest—selling unripe fruit to this body's subjects?!"
"Uh, some peaches are supposed to be firm like that...?"
At the fruit stall, as Grimoire poked peaches, apples, a young man clasped hands laughing.
"Sweetest of today's harvest. Please forgive me—I'll beg nicely."
He tossed an apple; Grimoire caught it deftly.
"Hmph! Spared this once!"
Even as Golden Princess, she'd never had such natural exchanges. People kept distance, awed by her glamour and perfection.
But Grimoire was different. Despite—or thanks to—the horns, she felt approachable.
'Is this real popularity?'
A twinge of envy rose. Lately, her hero work was all calculated PR and image control. Golden Princess was loved, but with cold admiration, not warm affection.
"Why stare like that? Awed by this body's majesty?"
"Everyone here seems to like you. It's... enviable."
Grimoire beamed smugly.
"Naturally! This is my territory! Subjects follow their lord—it's law!"
Serena chuckled softly. She was getting drawn into Grimoire's worldview.