I Picked Up an Abandoned Villain in the Polar Region

Episode 111

 

The hand that had been gently touching her cheek slowly fell away.

Along with it, his heavily rising and falling eyelids gradually closed. Kyle had spoken that one sentence and fallen back asleep.

Brody stared blankly at him. It felt as if her thoughts and even time itself had stopped.

The gaze Kyle had directed at her, his smile, and the words he had spoken completely overwhelmed her.

‘My rabbit.’

She barely regained her senses when she noticed Kyle curling up as if he were cold, inching closer to her side.

“Wha…?”

His body drew nearer.

“Wha—wha—what?”

As he approached to the point their breaths nearly touched, Brody instinctively bolted upright, intent on fleeing.

But her attempt was thwarted by his grasp. Kyle wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her back toward him.

“Mm.”

As though seeking warmth in his sleep, Kyle pressed closer, burying his face in the nape of her neck.

“What… what’s going on? Wait, no, this isn’t right.”

Brody’s heart pounded furiously.

Both her face, squirming in his embrace, and the nape of her neck where his face rested, flushed crimson.

She had to get out of this situation. Otherwise, her heart might truly burst.

However, no amount of struggling could free her from Kyle’s iron-strong arms and solid body.

Sweating and grappling for escape, Brody resorted to her final option.

In an instant, she transformed into her rabbit form.

The dress she had been wearing fell to the floor, leaving only the fabric behind. From beneath its hem, a panicked rabbit darted out.

“My… rabbit?” Kyle muttered.

The rabbit—Brody—looked up at him, her expression one of shock, before frantically hopping about the room.

His gaze, his smile, and his words echoed in her mind, leaving her utterly flustered.

‘This is insane! This is insane! Does he really like me?’

The rabbit clutched her long ears with her front paws, silently screaming.

‘What do I do?!’

What had once been mere speculation was now nearly confirmed.

The thought that Kyle might truly like her made her heart race uncontrollably.

Was this the sense of accomplishment that came from succeeding after a long mission? The satisfaction of finally seeing her efforts bear fruit?

But Brody realized that the pounding of her heart wasn’t solely due to that.

It felt as though she had just received a heartfelt confession. She immediately shook her head to dismiss the thought.

‘No, this is just excitement. My body is reacting because I’ve achieved my goal.’

She kept repeating this to herself, trying to calm her heart as she sat still on the blanket, taking deep breaths.

But…

‘My rabbit.’

When that voice replayed vividly in her ears, she crumbled.

A tingling warmth spread from deep within her chest, and her small body heated up like a furnace.

She buried her head between her front paws, overwhelmed.

‘Ahhh, what’s wrong with me?’

Unable to control her body’s reactions, Brody, who had been gleefully celebrating just moments before, now found herself on the verge of tears, lightly bumping her head against the floor.

No matter what she did, her trembling refused to subside.

 

***

 

The next morning.

“Ugh…”

Kyle woke up clutching his pounding head as he glanced around the room.

After collapsing on the way back to the cabin last night, he had no memory of what had happened.

A glass of water rested on the bedside table. He drank it and scanned his surroundings again.

Brody was nowhere to be seen.

Just as he noticed this, the cabin door opened, and rabbit Brody entered.

“Oh, you’re awake?”

She greeted him awkwardly, having returned from washing up at the stream and tidying herself early that morning.

Kyle didn’t notice her awkwardness. Instead, seeing her triggered a fragmented memory.

‘Brody…?’

‘Yes, it’s me!’

He remembered Brody’s human form shouting those words at him.

“Didn’t you revert to your human form last night?”

“M-me?”

Brody stammered, taken aback.

Kyle, misunderstanding her response as denial, tilted his head.

“Guess not.”

He scratched his head, assuming it must have been a dream.

Meanwhile, Brody, realizing Kyle had no recollection of the previous night, felt a pang of disappointment. But she quickly decided it might be for the best.

If he remembered, things might become awkward, and the shy Kyle could end up distancing himself from her.

Feigning nonchalance, she said.

“Hurry up and get ready. It’s time to head home.”

Even if the previous night had been a chaotic whirlwind for one and a forgotten memory for the other, it was now time to return to Nort Village.

As Kyle and Brody packed their belongings and stepped outside, the wolves waiting for them spoke up.

“Finally! Took you long enough. You two are so slow.”

Fabian grumbled, irritable from being stuck in wolf form without his cigarettes.

“Come on, don’t be like that,” the twin brothers chimed in.

“They’re probably just tired. I mean, they did have a cozy little night together.”

While the Oswald brothers busied themselves with making teasing remarks, Brody grew flustered and quickly fled the scene.

“What’s this about a cozy night?”

Kernels asked, watching Brody retreat after hearing the Oswalds’ comment.

Understanding the meaning behind Kernels’s gaze, the Oswalds grinned mischievously and whispered.

“She shifted back last night. Finished shedding, I suppose.”

“What are you even talking about?”

Kyle, who had approached to shut down their nonsense, caught the Oswald’s whisper and demanded clarification, his expression turning serious.

Shifted back? But hadn’t Brody denied it earlier that morning?

“Oh, I mean.”

The Oswalds added with a sly grin,

“She turned back into her human form last night—she was like a dazzling fairy, no less.”

Kyle raised his head, processing the twins’ words, and his gaze wandered to Brody, who was now greeting the owner of the cabin.

As he thought about it, he recalled the laundry hanging outside earlier.

‘I just assumed I’d done that before heading out… but was it Brody?’

He couldn’t understand why she had reacted the way she did if that were true.

Kyle wanted to confront her about it, but Fabian, impatient to get moving, hurried them along, leaving Kyle with no opportunity to speak with her.

As they set off on their journey, the chaos of departure soon distracted Kyle, and he found himself forgetting the matter altogether.

 

***

 

When the wolves returned to the capital after leaving Avril Village, Alexander hosted a grand banquet in his garden.

It was a send-off for Fabian and his pack, who were departing for the Highlands of Erbe the next day, as well as a belated celebration of the reconciliation achieved after twenty years of estrangement.

The garden was filled with the leaders’ families, the elders of Roden, extended kin, and people from Erbe.

Unlike the practical attire of the previous days, everyone had dressed up for the occasion.

“What’s with all the fuss? Feels like overkill.”

Fabian grumbled, approaching Alexander.

Alexander handed him a champagne glass and replied.

“It seems like a historic day for everyone else. You could at least pretend to join in.”

With that, Alexander tapped his glass to grab everyone’s attention. Addressing the gathered crowd, he began.

“You’ve all worked hard until now.”

At this, the boisterous Oswald twins whistled and started clapping, prompting laughter and applause from the rest.

Once the applause subsided, Alexander continued in a solemn tone, directing his gaze toward Fabian and his people.

“I want to extend special gratitude to my brother, Fabian, and the wolves of Erbe. Without them, it would have been incredibly difficult for Roden to rebuild itself. Though we spent two decades as enemies, it was Fabian’s leadership and willingness to bridge the divide that allowed us to reconcile.”

Fabian’s head lifted, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at his brother in surprise.

But Alexander didn’t meet his gaze, instead continuing with a serious expression.

“They may leave tomorrow, but this is not a farewell. Just as they helped us in our time of need, we pledge to stand by them in theirs. As brothers, Roden will remain united with Erbe.”

It was Alexander’s heartfelt pledge. When he finished, the crowd erupted into applause, moved by his sincerity.

Turning to Fabian, Alexander raised his glass in a toast.

Fabian looked at his brother for a moment before a smile crept onto his face.

The two clinked their glasses, their expressions softening into shared laughter.

With the leaders’ toast and applause, the people of Erbe and Roden celebrated their reunion after two decades of division.

 

***

 

While the festivities were well underway, Kyle stood outside, waiting for Brody, who had yet to emerge from the house.

She had promised to be quick, but changing clothes seemed to be taking forever.

Just as Kyle decided to head to the door and fetch her, the first servants emerged with candles to light the mansion’s entrance.

The growing darkness was chased away as the lanterns were illuminated, drawing everyone’s eyes to the front door—Kyle’s included.

At that moment, the sound of heels echoed, and a figure hurriedly stepped into the light.

It was Brody.

She had rushed out to avoid being late, dressed in a dress the color of clear water, her silver hair elegantly pinned up.

A few delicate purple bellflowers adorned her hair, and her dress was simple, with no excessive lace or frills, only a blue satin ribbon tied around her waist.

Despite her understated appearance—especially compared to the lavishly dressed women of the wolf clan—she captivated everyone’s gaze, including Kyle’s.

Kyle froze, his breath catching in his chest.

Brody looked around nervously, aware of the attention, and when her eyes met Kyle’s, she smiled.

That smile stole his breath entirely. His heart dropped, overwhelmed by the dizzying sensation she evoked.

See how much I indulge you, dear readers~Enjoy~