Villain Eaten By The Hero - Chapter 79
“I’ve been extremely smart since I was a child. Even back then, my specialty was the same as it is now, so I often participated in robotics competitions and scientific invention contests. Winning these competitions gives you an advantage in admissions and grants.”
“Yeah.”
“But I always failed to win awards. In my eyes, the works of others were trivial and pathetic. Although I can’t say I’m the best in the world, I was definitely better than those guys. That’s for sure.”
“Of course you were. Finding a technician of your caliber is difficult even in our research department. So, was it rigged?”
“I thought so too. Since it was a contest for college entrance, I thought there would be a favored candidate or that the judges had biased views, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t pissed. I mean, I’ve endured it many times and I couldn’t stand it anymore…….”
Seo seemed to tense up, swallowing hard. His apparent attentiveness to Belze’s storytelling added a spark to Belze’s eloquence.
“…I went to ask why I failed. I thought someone who had judged my work five times would give me helpful advice.”
“You didn’t threaten them, did you?”
“Nope. I didn’t do that at that time.”
“And what did they say?”
This is the really interesting part. It was so amusing that the thought alone brought out a bitter laugh.
“They said it was too dangerous.”
Belze choked back a laugh and remembered what the judge had said that day. It was almost nostalgic.
“It’s a great idea, but they unanimously agreed that the idea was too dangerous, that something like it should not be released into the world. If I don’t change my mind, I will continue to be like that in the future. That’s why I thought I had no choice but to become a villain.”
“…I don’t quite understand. What did you create to hear such remarks?”
“It wasn’t anything special. It was a basic theoretical device for realizing a low-cost, miniaturized nuclear fusion power generator that could be supplied to each household.”
“Doesn’t sound like a big deal.”
When talking about a miniaturized nuclear fusion power generator, it’s an item that often appears in spy movies as a common theme alongside biochemical weapons.
When you add the words “low-cost” and “home-supplyable” to the list of things that characters in spy movies risk their lives for, it sounds pretty spooky. Without thinking, Seo understood the judges’ sentiments.
“But it wasn’t a big deal to me. I guess that’s the difference between me and everyone else. I made it on a grand scale level. If every home had a fusion reactor that explodes when touched, people would follow etiquette and live peacefully. It’s like when knives and guns appeared, people became cautious, looking around for fear of getting killed just by walking on the street.”
“It’s not like a chain reaction nuclear explosion causing a global catastrophe, right?”
“That judge said something similar. I thought people were more rational beings, but it seems others don’t trust each other at all. Anyway, I didn’t hear anything good about my other inventions either, so I became a villain instead of going to college.”
“I don’t understand. If you knew it was wrong, why didn’t you just change your mind and build something normal?”
“That wasn’t possible.”
Belze smiled at Seo, who still didn’t understand. As she continued to smile heartily, Seo, in any case, looked at her face.
“People with gills can’t live on land, you know.”
On that day, Belze didn’t feel defeated. She wasn’t angry. She didn’t seek revenge, and she didn’t make a resolution to succeed.
On that day, she felt relieved. It was a refreshing feeling, like a turtle that had been crawling on the sand, dipping its head into the seawater, and finding its place.
The world might criticize her, but this was where she belonged.
In a meticulously designed world that doesn’t allow devices to meet the person you desire in dreams, turn people into animals, or categorize and separate memories, some things should not be done.
Therefore, Belze had to continue being a villain. She never had deep-seated resentment, burning desires, or inevitable reasons from the beginning. Even though they didn’t exist, Belze had to be that way, a villain.
She gently stroked Seo’s hair as he quieted. As she played with two strands, then three, and then more strands between her fingers, Seo kissed her without saying a word.
He repeated his lips as if he would not ask any more questions and hugged Belze tightly to his body. He didn’t do anything else special, but the middle of his legs was still bulging.
After a while, Belze, who had been leaning against Seo, awkwardly cleared her throat.
“Can you finish in 10 minutes?”
“…15 minutes.”
Weak in energy and even weaker in desire, Belze eventually succumbed to temptation. She consoled herself, saying that 15 minutes would be manageable.
*
Even though they had a slightly awkward conversation, sleep was necessary, and he had to go to work. After sending off Seo, who barely made it to work at a precarious hour, Belze prepared to go to the interview.
She wore a collared blouse in a subdued color. A black blazer and a modest skirt. Black shoes that matched the color of the clothes and a modestly designed bag from a well-known affordable brand.
She temporarily changed her hair to black and put on discreet brown-colored contact lenses. Although she purchased only affordable items using Seo’s money, when neatly arranged, she looked like someone who lived a simple life.
“Good. This should be the epitome of a conservative and ordinary member of society.”
No matter how many times she examined herself, the outfit didn’t suit a villain who was either carefree or strictly adhering to military discipline. She looked like an ordinary newcomer to society, and that fact was satisfying.
As it happened, Belze was on her way to apply for a job at an ordinary company today.
The reasons why she was rejected at the application stage by every organization in Meteor City are complicated.
The first issue was that her future was uncertain since the issue with Kim Seo hadn’t been resolved yet. The second issue was the major all-out war happening between Cheonha and DDD, involving their headquarters and overseas branches.
Given the conflict initiated by Belze, her future value depended on who emerged victorious in the dispute.
In the worst-case scenario, both organizations might publicly claim Belze, and many organizations were afraid to get involved.
Even villains were finding themselves in an era where they had to watch their backs. The end of the era was undoubtedly near.
Belze sighed, lamenting the current dismal state of her organization. While contemplating the third issue, a secretary appeared before her.
“Are you Ms. Liz scheduled to visit us today?”
“Yes. Can I meet the CEO now?”
“Yes. He’s expecting you.”