I Picked Up an Abandoned Villain in the Polar Region

Episode 103

 

On the way home after finishing work. The Oswald brothers, who had spent their entire lives idling away but had been forced to work hard under Kyle’s orders for the past two days, had been whining to Kyle since earlier.

“Boss, how long do we have to keep working like this?”

Having only worked for two days, their complaints fell on deaf ears. Kyle had no intention of paying attention to their grumbling.

The Oswald brothers, seeing Kyle’s indifference, realized their protests wouldn’t put an end to the labor.

Resigned to their inescapable fate, they suggested to Kyle, trying to relieve their stress:

“Then let’s go hunting! We want to run around again after so long!”

Normally, Kyle would have agreed without a second thought.

After all, in Roden, if anyone was obsessed with hunting, it was Kyle. He loved hunting to such an extent.

Knowing this, the Oswald brothers eagerly persuaded him, hoping he’d show his usual energetic leadership as he had been acting oddly since he reappeared after months of absence.

But to their surprise, Kyle responded indifferently.

“You go without me.”

He said this and headed straight for a roadside fruit shop.

The Oswald brothers, exasperated, shouted, “These **** fruits!” and clutched their heads in frustration, but Kyle paid no mind.

He went ahead and bought a lot of blueberries. He then stopped by a clothing store nearby to pick out some clothes and shoes for Brody.

Despite it being a women’s clothing store—an awkward place for a man to shop alone—Kyle didn’t hesitate and picked everything out himself before heading home.

 

***

 

Expecting Brody to be delighted, he returned home but found no one waiting at the door.

Seeing this, Kyle felt a pang of disappointment. Unconsciously, he had hoped Brody would wait for him.

Trying to mask his embarrassment, he headed to his room.

However, Brody, who he assumed would be in his room, wasn’t there either.

Realizing this, Kyle became alarmed, hastily dropped the items he was carrying, and rushed out to search for her.

“Where could she have gone this time?”

Not seeing Brody in the usual places made him suddenly anxious, and his heart began to race.

While hurrying down the stairs, he caught sight of a servant and stopped them.

“Where’s Brody? Have you seen the rabbit?”

Startled by Kyle’s urgency, the servant quickly answered.

“Miss Brody is in Madam’s room. She’s been there since morning.”

Hearing that Brody was with his mother immediately calmed Kyle’s pounding heart.

Relieved, he resumed his steps to bring Brody back.

But just as he was about to head toward Eliza’s room, he encountered his father, who had just returned home from work.

“…”

Since they rarely had anything to say to each other, Kyle intended to walk past him without acknowledgment. However, Alexander spoke first.

“A few days from now, your uncle will head to Avril Village with Abel for support. In the meantime, come work where I am.”

Hearing his father suggest they work together, Kyle’s expression hardened.

He couldn’t understand why Abel would be sent away while he was kept here. So without hesitation, he retorted.

“I’ll go with Uncle to Avril.”

“…”

Alexander was naturally displeased.

To him, it was clear that Kyle would rather work with his uncle than spend any time with him.

Yet, Alexander made an effort not to show his frustration to avoid an argument.

“…Do as you wish, then.”

Kyle turned away immediately, as if the conversation was over. However, Alexander still had something to say and hesitated before continuing.

“I heard you oversaw the demolition of the fire-damaged houses.”

“…”

“…Good job.”

It was a rare compliment, something Alexander had deliberated over after Fabian’s advice.

Kyle stopped in his tracks upon hearing it. His eyes wavered—it was the first compliment he’d ever received from his father.

Yet, unfortunately, Kyle couldn’t accept it at face value.

He recalled Abel’s earlier visit to his workplace that day and smirked bitterly.

The thought that Abel might have told Alexander to praise him annoyed him.

“Did Abel ask you to say that? Did he beg you to praise me because I’m doing a good job?”

“What…?”

Alexander frowned at Kyle’s unexpected reaction.

“What do you take me for? Do you think I move at your brother’s behest?”

“Why else would you say something so out of character? It’s laughable.”

Alexander had tried to hold back, but Kyle’s sneering tone pushed him over the edge.

His pride and anger erupted.

“Why can’t you just accept a compliment as it is? Why do you always have to twist things?”

Kyle clenched his fists at his father’s outburst and shot back.

“You’ve never praised me before. How am I supposed to take it at face value now?”

“You’ve always been like this, which is why I’ve never praised you! You’ve always hated me! How could I treat you kindly when you’ve been like that?”

In the end, Alexander’s pride led him to blame everything on Kyle, igniting the fiery anger within his son.

Kyle snapped at his father, shouting fiercely,

“It wasn’t me who hated you first! You hated me first, and that’s why I started hating you!”

Veins bulged in his neck as he yelled, his voice breaking with anguish.

Without waiting for a response, Kyle stormed out of the house.

Hearing the commotion, Eliza and Brody rushed out of their rooms.

Brody, seeing Alexander still standing in the hall, looked at him in confusion and asked.

“Where’s Kyle?”

Alexander, without answering, clutched his throbbing head and brushed past the two women, retreating to his study.

Brody realized that Kyle had left and hurried out of the house to find him, only to run into Abel outside.

Abel, who had been stiffly standing after Kyle had rudely bumped his shoulder on his way out, asked Brody.

“What happened?”

“Kyle fought with Father. Do you know where he went?”

Brody’s urgent tone made Abel recall seeing his brother heading toward the forest.

“He probably went to the lake in the woods. He always goes there when he’s upset.”

Abel offered to accompany her, but Brody declined politely and quickly followed Kyle.

She limped slightly as she walked, having twisted her ankle earlier that morning.

Fortunately, the forest had only one path leading to the lake, allowing her to find her way without much difficulty.

Soon, she reached the lake surrounded by a dense curtain of oak trees.

The expansive lake reflected the hues of the setting sun, glowing in a deep red.

Brody scanned the area and spotted Kyle not far away.

He was sitting alone, hunched over by the lake.

Seeing him in such a state made Brody’s heart ache, and she bit her lip.

She knew Kyle always came to the lake when he was upset—it was a detail she had read about in the novel.

Even then, it had pained her to read about his solitary moments. But seeing him in person, sitting all alone by the vast lake, was even more heartbreaking.

Quietly, Brody approached him.

Normally, Kyle would have noticed even the softest footstep, but now he seemed so lost in thought that he didn’t hear her coming.

His vacant gaze remained fixed on the lake, but his heart was a tangled mess of emotions.

The words his father had spoken, blaming him for their broken relationship, still burned in his mind.

He was angry, resentful that Alexander had only now offered him praise, and deeply upset about their argument.

Yet, despite his anger, the fight left him feeling conflicted and sad.

He sighed heavily, lost in thought, when he sensed someone sit beside him.

It was Brody.

Kyle turned to her, startled, his eyes widening.

“What are you doing here?”

Brody didn’t answer. She silently sat beside him and gently rested her head on his shoulder.

Kyle was taken aback by her gesture but didn’t push her away. He could feel the warmth of her presence, and it brought him a sense of comfort he hadn’t expected.

The quiet solace she offered spoke louder than a thousand words.

For the first time, in a place where he had always been alone, Kyle felt someone’s warmth beside him.

This lake, where he had always felt abandoned and isolated, suddenly felt different.

His clenched jaw trembled slightly as he struggled to hold back the overwhelming emotions.

“Kyle.”

Brody’s gentle voice broke through the stillness, resonating softly within him.

Resting her head against his arm, she looked up at him and said.

“You’re not alone. You know that, right?”

Kyle met her gaze in silence.

“I’m here. I’m on your side.”

Her words, simple and sincere, brought a faint warmth to his face, reflecting the glow of the setting sun.

Brody smiled at him, and for a long time, the two sat together, watching the sun sink below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of crimson.

They stayed there until their hearts, like the lake before them, became calm and still—until the cold and lonely memories melted away in the warmth of shared presence.

Hello everybody!

I am back with two pieces of good news:

First, I won’t need a long break from now on!🌟

Secondly, I should be able to finish translating this novel in less than two months, so get ready!

Thank you all for your support and patience 💓