IPUAVNP Chapter 147

Chapter 147

 

Brody brought an outsider to the village.

Even if the outsider was a herbivore, it was an unacceptable act but in this case, the outsider was a wolf.

That night, the May family immediately hung a “Closed” sign on their hay shop, locked the door, and drew the curtains over all the windows, ensuring no one could see inside.

Though they had helped Kyle in a moment of confusion, they were terrified that they might be exiled from the village for sheltering an outsider.

Throughout the night, Brody explained everything to his anxious family, from meeting Kyle while on a pilgrimage along the Resonelle Path to traveling together to the southern Knohen continent.

As soon as they heard the story, Mr. and Mrs. May clutched the backs of their necks and nearly fainted.

Their reckless second child, who had always worried them with her free-spirited nature, had finally caused a major incident.

By principle, they should have punished Brody for abandoning her pilgrimage and heading south, and they should have expelled the outsider from the village.

But they couldn’t.

Seeing the clear signs of hardship on Brody, their hearts softened. And when Brody explained that Kyle had nearly died to save her life, they couldn’t ignore it.

Expelling the man who had saved their daughter’s life was unthinkable. So, in the end, the May family decided to postpone any decisions until Kyle regained consciousness.

Despite receiving medicine, Kyle remained unconscious for two days. Brody cared for him in her own room.

‘Eileen lay in bed for three years but recovered overnight…’

Was this simply the difference between those who possessed magical power and those who didn’t?

Normally, even serious injuries would heal within an hour after drinking red cypress sap. But perhaps due to the damage caused by dark magic, Kyle’s consciousness did not return easily.

Still, his wounds had healed, and his breathing was steady, as if he were only sleeping.

Brody reassured herself and tried to be patient. She gently stroked Kyle’s cheek, now regaining its color.

This was already the second time Kyle had ended up bedridden because of her. He hadn’t even fully recovered from his previous injuries yet.

Tears welled in her eyes as she gazed at him. She recalled Kyle’s words before he lost consciousness.

‘Brody. When you truly love someone… they become more precious to you than yourself.’

At first, she hadn’t fully understood what he meant when he smiled faintly and said that.

But as she nursed him back to health, she remembered—it was something she had once told Kyle herself.

‘Kyle, you know… when you truly love someone, you act just like me. At some point, their happiness becomes more important than your own.’

She never expected to hear her own words spoken back to her.

A whirlwind of emotions—gratitude, sorrow, and love—swirled in her chest.

Holding back tears, she buried her face in Kyle’s hand.

Just then, she felt his fingers twitch.

“…Brody.”

Kyle’s voice called her name.

Brody’s head snapped up in shock. Kyle’s eyelids were slowly lifting. She quickly leaned in and asked,

“Kyle, are you awake?”

His blue eyes locked onto her face, filled with emotion, before shifting to scan his unfamiliar surroundings.

His gaze flickered with confusion. After a moment, he spoke again.

“Where…?”

He was asking where they were.

Relieved to see Kyle awake, Brody smiled through her tears and teased,

“This is heaven.”

Kyle stared at her, then slowly smiled. He reached up and touched her cheek.

“Then I guess it really is heaven.”

Brody let out a soft laugh and pulled him into an embrace.

At that moment, the door burst open, and Oswald’s twin brothers, along with Kernels, came rushing inside.

“Boss! You’re awake?!”

“Lord Kyle! You’ve finally woken up!”

Despite the touching reunion, the twins had no sense of timing. The moment they saw Kyle, they immediately made a commotion.

“Boss, look outside the window!”

“It’s snowing everywhere outside!”

Their excited chatter filled the room, while Kernels shouted at them to shut up.

The chaotic scene left Kyle and Brody speechless. But as their eyes met, they both couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

Meanwhile, outside the May family’s hay shop, the entire Clock Rabbit Village was in turmoil.

The reason?

The night before, a young rabbit child had ventured outside and reported seeing wolves in the northern part of the village.

Panic spread.

Predators occasionally wandered down from the mountains, causing havoc in the village.

If the wolves had spotted the village, it was only a matter of time before they returned to attack.

Despite their natural weakness compared to predators, the Clock Rabbit people had always stood together to protect their home.

The village men, armed with terrifying axes, patrolled the area and went door to door, warning residents to stay on alert.

Among them was Joshua, the blacksmith’s son, now old enough to fight.

Carrying the axe his father had given him, he made his way through the village.

Eventually, he stopped in front of the May family’s hay shop, which had remained closed for two days.

‘Did they all go on a trip?’

But the night before, he had noticed the flickering glow of candlelight behind the drawn curtains.

Joshua, staring at the closed shop door, soon made his way to the back of the hay shop.

As a close friend of Brody and someone who had always been around the May family, he was worried that something might have happened. So, he went up to the house and knocked on the door.

“Mr. May! Are you inside? Judy, are you home?”

After a brief silence, the quiet house responded with a few coughs, followed by Judy’s voice.

“Cough, cough Joshua?”

“Judy! Is something wrong? The shop’s been closed for days, so I got worried and came to check!”

He called out loudly, and after clearing her throat, Judy answered.

“Uh… our whole family caught a bad cold. We’re just resting.”

Oh no. 

Joshua felt sorry to hear that.

“That’s awful. Are you guys okay? Should I call the doctor for you?”

“Oh, no! If the doctor comes, he’ll just catch the cold too. Besides, we’re getting better, so don’t worry.”

Hearing that they were recovering, Joshua finally felt relieved. But when he heard Judy coughing again, he realized he might be disturbing their rest.

Quickly, he said,

“Alright then. Take care, and send my regards to Mr. May and Mrs. May too.”

“Will do. Thanks, Joshua.”

With that, Joshua left.

Once his footsteps had completely faded away, Judy who had been pretending to cough let out a deep sigh and rubbed her throat.

“Ugh, my throat hurts.”

But before she could relax, she noticed the Oswald twins peeking out from behind the curtains by the window. She was startled.

“Hey! You can’t do that!”

She rushed over, yanking the curtains shut as she scolded them.

“What if someone sees you?”

The twins, now scolded, put on pitiful expressions and murmured,

“Sorry… It was just so fascinating. The place we lived never had snow….”

Judy wanted to reprimand them again, but when the handsome young men gave her pleading looks, her resolve weakened.

So these guys are from the Land of Summer? Guess the rumors are true, men from the south really are handsome.

And yet, these two weren’t even the most beautiful men she had seen.

Judy’s gaze drifted toward the parlor.

There sat the man her sister had brought home as her lover.

His appearance was so striking that it made her momentarily forget he was a wolf beastman.

In her mind, she gave her sister a silent round of applause.

That’s my sister. She always had a weakness for handsome men… and now, she’s really outdone herself.

Gathering herself, Judy carried the tea she had prepared and entered the parlor.

Inside, Mr. and Mrs. May sat across from Brody and Kyle.

Kyle had come down to formally greet Brody’s parents as soon as he had recovered.

Judy placed the tea on the table and sat beside her parents. An awkward silence filled the room.

Kyle should have been the one feeling nervous, but strangely, it was the May couple who seemed the most on edge.

No matter how much they acknowledged him as their daughter’s lover, the sheer presence of a large wolf beastman sitting across from them was intimidating.

Still, as the father, Mr. May tried to maintain his composure, suppressing his nervousness as he spoke.

“Brody has explained everything. You’re from the southern Knohen continent….”

“Yes, that’s correct,” Kyle replied politely.

Brody, watching from the side, found it amusing.

The ever-composed Kyle Roden was so tense that his hands were clenched tightly on his lap. She had to hold back her laughter.

Mr. May shot her a disapproving glance for her barely contained amusement before clearing his throat and continuing.

“Ahem. I also heard that you met my daughter in White Stone Plains and even took her to your homeland.”

It was a question meant for confirmation.

Hearing this, Kyle immediately bowed his head in apology.

“Yes, that’s true. I sincerely apologize.”

It was an apology for having taken Brody so far away.

The couple, caught off guard, instinctively bowed their heads as well. However, realizing what they were doing, they quickly straightened up and cleared their throats.

“Well… There’s no need to apologize. Brody must have followed you of her own will. But…”

Mr. May hesitated, unsure how to phrase his next question.

After a moment of hesitation, he gathered his resolve and, with a skeptical look, got straight to the point.

“Do you intend to marry my daughter?”

“Dad!”

Brody shouted, flustered.

She turned to Kyle, ready to tell him that he didn’t have to answer that…

But before she could, Kyle had already spoken.

With unwavering eyes, he looked at Mr. and Mrs. May and firmly declared his decision.

“Yes. If Brody agrees, I will marry her anytime.”