IPUAVNP Chapter 133

Chapter 133

***

 

After her husband and two sons left to rescue Brody to the south, Eliza couldn’t sleep properly and anxiously waited for their return.

It was the same even after she received the news from the messenger that Brody had been safely rescued.

So, as soon as she heard that her family had arrived home, she hurriedly ran to the front door.

“Darling.”

The first person she greeted was Alexander.

However, as the two exchanged a deep hug, a voice she had missed called out from afar.

“Mother!”

Looking up, Brody was running across the garden, with Kyle and Abel behind her.

“Brody!”

Eliza couldn’t see any injuries on Brody as she ran toward her.

Eliza finally felt relieved and embraced Brody when she jumped into her arms.

After holding Brody warmly, Eliza carefully examined her face and body, asking,

“Are you okay? You’re not hurt, right?”

Brody responded with a guilty look, gently stroking her head.

“I’m fine, Mother. But Kyle and Young Master are the ones who got hurt the most…”

Before she could finish speaking, Kyle, who had followed behind, interrupted.

“I’m fine.”

Despite his words, he looked exhausted.

Eliza’s face darkened as she remembered seeing him injured a few days ago.

“Kyle, are you really okay? You don’t look so well. If you go to your room, I’ll call the doctor immediately…”

But Kyle pulled his arm out of her grip and cut her off.

“There’s no need.”

His tone was firm, but it came out cold, leaving Eliza confused and embarrassed.

Kyle, sensing her discomfort, explained gently,

“The one who’s hurt… is Abel.”

He glanced at Abel, who was approaching with a bandaged right leg, before continuing hesitantly.

“…So please take care of him.”

Everyone in the room looked at Kyle in shock. Even Abel was surprised.

He couldn’t believe his brother was looking at him not with hatred, but with genuine concern.

He stood frozen, unable to respond.

Of course, Kyle, not wanting to linger with the shocked expressions of his mother and brother, quickly left with Brody.

Unable to bear the awkwardness, Kyle entered the house but had no regrets about his actions.

He walked up the stairs, only to run into Alexander, who had already gone ahead.

“…”

Their eyes briefly met, and then quickly broke apart. After a heavy silence, Alexander spoke.

“Go up and rest.”

That was all he said. After finishing his words, Alexander climbed the stairs ahead of them.

As Kyle stared at his father’s back, his expression darkened.

He remembered the incident with Alexander a few days ago. He had blamed his father for giving birth to him, especially after he had hurt Brody.

The memory of his father’s shocked face lingered in his mind. It was the first time he had seen such a look.

The harsh words he had spoken to his father had pierced him like a sharp knife. Seeing his father hurt didn’t bring him peace; in fact, it made him feel even worse.

All this time, he had thought he would never be thankful to his father, but now he felt grateful that Alexander had done everything he could to save Brody, the person Kyle cared about the most. It made the guilt over his earlier actions even more vivid.

Staring at the staircase where his father’s figure had just vanished, Kyle’s heart grew heavy, just like his eyes.

“Kyle.”

Lost in thought, Kyle felt a hand grasp his and looked down.

Brody was looking up at him, holding his hand tightly. It was a comforting gesture, calming his troubled heart.

Kyle gently took Brody’s hand in his, giving her a small smile to reassure her that he was okay.

 

***

 

That night, after they returned home, Brody never left Kyle’s side as he lay in bed, resting.

Even though he insisted he was fine, she devotedly nursed him, even feeding him by hand.

At night, she carefully applied the medicine the wizard had given them, ensuring his wounds were tended to.

Kyle, though exhausted, watched as Brody meticulously applied the ointment.

“…”

He felt guilty, but at the same time, he was secretly happy. Despite his physical pain, his heart was full.

Brody never left his side, her round, lovely eyes focused solely on him.

In this moment, he had her all to himself, and that alone made him overwhelmingly happy—so much so that he thought he wouldn’t mind being sick forever.

But soon, embarrassment flooded in at his own childish thoughts, and his face reddened.

Noticing this, Brody paused and gently placed her hand on his flushed cheek.

“Are you feeling hot?”

Kyle coughed awkwardly and shook his head.

“No.”

“If you’re hot, just tell me. I’ll fan you.”

She said, as if there was nothing she wouldn’t do for him. Her love felt too generous.

The happiness of this moment felt like a dream, but sometimes, Kyle feared that’s all it was—a dream.

He was afraid that when he woke up, he would return to the past, to when Brody had tried to leave him.

As those memories resurfaced, a question came to mind, and he finally spoke.

“Brody, back when you were planning to leave… where were you going to go?”

“…Huh?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Brody’s face flushed.

She seemed embarrassed that he had brought up the time she had secretly tried to leave. But soon, she shrugged and answered,

“I was going to go home.”

Kyle blinked in surprise. Home? He hadn’t expected that answer.

Brody had never talked about her home before, so he had never even considered the idea that she had a place to return to.

Guilt crept in as he realized he had taken her so far away from it. He muttered,

“So… your family doesn’t even know you’re here.”

His voice grew quieter as he spoke, and Brody, sensing his guilt, smiled playfully.

“They probably think I’m still out on my training journey in the Kalks Mountains. They have no idea that I got sidetracked because I met a handsome man along the way.”

Hearing her joke, Kyle let out a small, breathy laugh. Then, without much thought—almost impulsively—he voiced something he had been considering for a while.

“Brody, let’s leave.”

Brody, in the middle of applying the ointment, looked up at him, her eyes widening.

“Leave? You mean… here?”

Seeing her confusion, Kyle gave an awkward smile and explained,

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I don’t think I belong here anymore.”

“But Kyle… this is your home. You’ve lived here since you were young. Your family, relatives, and friends are all here…”

Brody reminded him of all the ties he had to Roden, but Kyle shook his head, as if he had no lingering attachment to them.

“There’s nothing left for me here. Even if there was, I don’t want to stay. It’s better for everyone if I leave.”

Kyle was the dethroned heir—an unwanted existence, a potential threat to Abel, the current heir, and to the family that had chosen him.

Even if Kyle gave up his claim to the position, the stigma of being a former successor would always follow him.

He didn’t want to be a looming threat, nor did he want to reclaim the title and force reluctant loyalty from people who had already abandoned him.

Leaving Roden was the best choice for everyone—for himself, his family, and the people of Roden.

Even after hearing his reasoning, Brody still looked troubled. Seeing her expression, Kyle forced a smile.

“You don’t have to look at me like that. I just want to leave and start over. With you.”

But even with his reassurance, Brody’s expression didn’t ease. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand him—she did.

What pained her was imagining how bitter, lonely, and heartbreaking it must have been for him to realize that he had no place left here.

How much had it hurt to come to this decision? 

Her chest tightened at the thought, and before she realized it, her eyes grew misty.

She reached out and stroked Kyle’s hand, her fingers trembling slightly.

Seeing this, Kyle was startled and asked hesitantly.

“Do you… not want me to leave?”

Brody quickly shook her head.

“No, that’s not it. I just… I was thinking about how hard this must have been for you.”

Kyle pressed his lips together. He had spoken about leaving as if it was nothing, but Brody had seen through him.

She grieved for him, felt his pain as if it were her own. And somehow, that understanding, that empathy—it comforted him more than he could express.

Kyle, trying to sound casual, murmured,

“To be honest, when I made up my mind to leave… it wasn’t that hard.”

Even when he let go of his homeland, his blood ties, and the power he had once pursued, he hadn’t felt sorrow.

Because there was something, someone, far more meaningful to him now.

“As long as you’re with me, I don’t care where I go.”

Brody’s face turned red at his sincere confession.

She had already made up her mind—if Kyle wanted her by his side, she would go with him.

Now that she had realized how much she loved him, leaving him was no longer an option.

“Brody, let’s leave together.”

This time, when Kyle asked, Brody didn’t hesitate.

“Okay.”