Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: No, Why Does the Villain Keep...? (3)
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"Ha-yoon, if you want to get married when you grow up, you have to study hard."
It was something Yang Ha-yoon had heard from her parents since her childhood.
To be precise, ever since she underwent the Awakener test before entering middle school, her parents had constantly emphasized studying.
"Study? Why? Do I have to be good at studying to get married?"
"O-Of course!"
The Awakener test results had revealed that she had awakened not long ago as an Enhancer with the skill called 'Accumulation.'
Accumulation was originally a skill that stored calories and then released them all at once for a powerful attack, but...
"You know what a brainy babe is? It means a woman whose brain is sexy, and men go crazy for women like that!"
"Really?"
Her aptitude for mana with that skill was the lowest possible.
She couldn't even dream of releasing calories, let alone strengthening the skill, so it was just a skill that made her gain weight easily.
"Y-Yeah, right? Honey?"
"H-Hem. Yeah!"
Her aptitude was so low that she couldn't even control the skill herself, so it applied automatically like a passive, turning her into someone who gained weight with every bite she ate.
The only silver lining was that there was a limit to the fat accumulated, and since that was part of the skill too, no matter how much weight she gained, her health remained fine.
"Daddy fell for Mommy's smart side too."
"But Dad, didn't you say before that Mom only does stupid stuff?"
"...Honey?"
"No, you said you'd take out the food waste, but you forgot and didn't do it first!"
Yang Ha-yoon's parents, who had a future reserved as healthy pigs, wanted their daughter to marry ordinarily like them, so they guided her toward studying.
It was the only path she had to marriage, after all.
"If I'm smart, I can get married..."
After entering middle school, her body ballooned up in no time.
"Pig's here!"
"Heh heh, take this meat tank attack!"
Fortunately, thanks to her friendly personality, she was seen as the fun fat kid among her friends and didn't get bullied.
"Why do you study so hard? It's break time—let's hit the snack bar."
"Nah. You guys go. They say I have to study hard to marry a guy later."
"Fatsy? You? You sick or something? Hole in your frontal lobe?"
"You wanna die?"
She studied hard, following her parents' words. Having grown up watching her loving parents, single motherhood or spinsterhood felt like something from another world unrelated to her, so she absolutely wanted to get married.
"Whoa, Fatsy, you're amazing! Top of a prestigious high school entrance! Don't forget us when you're successful later, okay?"
"Heh heh, I'll send you the wedding invite, so bring a fat envelope of congratulatory money."
"You're still on that? You weren't kidding?"
"You bitch?"
So she really studied like crazy.
She entered a prestigious high school at the top, graduated at the top, and then entered Korea's top university at the top again.
"Sunbae, why do you study so hard? Well, everyone here does, but you seem extreme."
"Because I have a reason to."
Even there, it was study on top of study.
She studied so hard that she even received an offer from the devil himself.
"Yang Ha-yoon! Won't you come to grad school? I'll take good care of you, you punk!"
The problem was that she didn't just receive it—she accepted.
Anyway, after studying hard in grad school too, she somehow became a PhD, and finally, she could escape the world of all-study-all-the-time.
'A PhD should be the pinnacle of brainy babe.'
She wasn't an idiot. She had realized long ago that her parents' advice from childhood was because of her appearance.
But at the same time, she knew they were right—if she wasn't smart, marriage would be impossible. So upon reaching that destination, she planned her future.
'Just being smart isn't enough. What do people generally expect from smart people? That they'll make good money, right?'
She casually patented a new chemical formula for medicine.
And used that money as capital to start investing.
"Easy."
Just like that, she became rich overnight. It was partly due to her own abilities, but also because luck followed her several times.
"Now, can I get married?"
Once she had money and a PhD title, men started approaching her.
"So that's why I never drank during grad school. Haha!"
"Oh, really? That's interesting!"
"Thanks for listening. Do you have somewhere to get a call or something? You've been staring at your smartphone the whole time."
"I was just talking to my parents for a bit."
"...Is 30 minutes 'a bit'?"
But no matter which man she met,
she could easily infer from their conversations and actions that they had no real interest in her.
'They all seem to be after my money.'
Maybe it's my inferiority complex from staying a virgin past thirty.
But even if it's true, I can't get married while harboring these suspicions.
"This won't do. Marriage has to be with someone I can share body and heart with."
After agonizing for days, Yang Ha-yoon found the answer with her brilliant mind.
"I'll start a religion."
And become its leader, guide the followers, and marry a decent man among them.
Starting a religion wasn't hard. She had more than enough money, so finding a place for the church was easy, and all that was left was the doctrine.
"Just mix 'em roughly. Christianity and Buddhism are musts... Huh? What's this? Demonic Cult? Heavenly Demon? Cool name. Add that too."
Christianity, Buddhism, and various religions from old human texts.
"Welcome to the Celestial Harmony Church."
And so, the Celestial Harmony Church was born.
Gathering followers wasn't hard either. Leading with funds for various volunteer activities, the name of the Celestial Harmony Church slowly spread, and before long, people tired of life's hardships started joining one after another.
'But how long do I have to do this?'
However, as the church grew, so did her worries.
Contrary to her original purpose, she didn't touch the male followers.
Her dream, after investing over 30 years of life, had grown a massive reward psychology, raising her standards sky-high.
'No insanely hot guys are joining.'
And they say position makes the man?
As she acted the perfect leader, she started feeling like a real religious saint, and began thinking she didn't want to give up her position for mere lust.
Method acting.
The phenomenon of getting too immersed in a role and confusing it with herself had happened to her too.
"Maybe... I'll just live as the leader like this."
What marriage with this body?
Better not touch the devout followers and just live like this.
She made that resolution for one day.
'W-What the...!?'
And one day later, after meeting Yoo Jun-hyuk, that resolution shattered.
He was too perfect. Handsome in a cute way, with a sweet voice.
Meeting a man perfectly matching her tastes made her desperate.
'I can't let him get away!'
Normally, per the purpose of founding the church, she should wait for Yoo Jun-hyuk to fall deep into it and love her with body and soul.
But he was just a guest, and his eyes looking at her were full of distrust.
So Yang Ha-yoon decided to grab him by any means necessary.
'I didn't want to use this...'
In case she ever slept with a man later.
Worried her inexperienced skills might not satisfy him, she slipped in the aphrodisiac she had bought from the deep web long ago.
'First satisfy him with the body, then slowly win his heart.'
An action born from urgency and a dream so long-held it had gone rotten.
But after that, she couldn't get a grip on the suddenly unfolding situation.
"Th... This is..."
The whole world was filled with white light.
The study she had been in moments ago was gone, and it felt like floating on clouds.
"Where the hell is this?"
"You've awakened?"
As she looked around frantically, a holy voice rang in her ears.
Opening her eyes and looking ahead, a being made of light stood there, one she couldn't dare gaze upon.
"Wh-Who are you?"
"I am God."
"What!?"
"Your actions displeased me, so I summoned you thus."
God?
No way, gods actually exist?
She naturally doubted it, but...
[You come to believe that God exists.]
[You come to believe the being before you is God.]
Her doubts vanished naturally, and since she knew her own sin, she trembled and prostrated herself on the spot.
"G-God!"
"Yes. Now you please me."
"Wh-What brings a lowly human like me..."
"Do you truly not know and ask!?"
"Eek!"
At God's shout, she instinctively felt fear and buried her head to the ground.
This too was the power of hypnosis, but of course, she didn't know.
"Celestial Harmony Church, was it? Helping the weary and giving them the will to live—your actions were indeed righteous."
God did not rebuke her right away.
He was even praising her.
"In a world rife with cults, loving and helping your neighbors—truly impressive."
"Th-Thank you!"
"But!"
God's shout struck her crown like lightning.
"How could you fail to overcome mere lust and commit such an ugly crime!"
"Th-That!"
"Do you have any excuse?"
What excuse could she make to God?
Unable to, she repeatedly repented her sin and apologized.
"I'm sorry! Sob sob! I met a man perfect for my ideal type and lost my mind without knowing!"
"...Was he that handsome?"
"Yes! Just his gaze made me wet down there—he was that much of a hunk!"
"That much?"
"He was so handsome that seeing his face alone made my belly full, and if I could live with him, I'd donate all my fortune without regret."
"Ahem, enough. Stop there."
For some reason, God seemed suddenly in a good mood.
She couldn't perceive that Yoo Jun-hyuk, who had been in the study with her, had vanished somewhere.
Nor the sense of incongruity about why he disappeared and God appeared—it had all been erased by hypnosis.
"Your purpose was impure, but it made many people happy. From a utilitarian view, you are no villain."
"I-Is that so?"
"However, attempting to rape a man by force is truly regrettable. If only you hadn't done that."
"I-I won't ever do it again!"
God shook his head.
"Worry not. I've watched you all this time and know your worries well. You doubt if a man truly loves you, yes?"
"Y-Yes! That's right, but..."
"Then, when you find someone you love someday, I'll check directly if that person truly loves you."
"Does that mean you'll appear to me again?"
"A revelation will come."
[When you have a lover, you will go to Cafe Hypnos with that person.]
Hypnosis was engraved into her subconscious.
She didn't know where Cafe Hypnos was now, but when she got a lover, she'd scour the internet or whatever to find it.
"So worry not, date normally, and continue leading people righteously as the church head."
"Yes! Understood!"
With that, the surroundings slowly began reverting to normal.
But then, Yang Ha-yoon asked.
"By the way... what is Your holy name, God?"
As a scholar.
As the head of the Celestial Harmony Church, who had devoured countless religious texts.
"There are so many names claiming to be God in the world—I really wonder which is the true holy name."
"Th-That..."
God stuttered.
It was a question with no need to answer, but having dealt with something similar before, he unwittingly replied.
"Novellia? No, that's not it..."
At that moment, Yang Ha-yoon fainted.
When she came to again, neither God nor Yoo Jun-hyuk was in the study.
"..."
It felt like a dream.
Her mind, having completely forgotten Yoo Jun-hyuk via hypnosis, held only the conversation with God.
"Novellia..."
And that name.
"God, do You truly exist?"
Along with a newfound faith she hadn't had before.