I Picked Up an Abandoned Villain in the Polar Region

Episode 80

 

When Kyle woke up from what felt like a nightmare, the first thing he saw was the high ceiling of a large tent.

Unlike before he had collapsed, he was now back in human form.

Quickly realizing that the scenery around him was unfamiliar, memories of the previous night flooded back and his mind cleared instantly.

He remembered coming face to face with Fabian Erbe before collapsing, and the realization jolted him upright.

“Argh!”

But the moment he tried to sit up, pain shot through his entire body like he’d been beaten with a club, forcing a groan out of him.

At the same time, a man’s voice sounded from beside the bed.

“Of course it hurts. Dragging you all the way here from that far was no gentle affair.”

Kyle turned his head to see a man sitting nearby.

At first glance, he thought it was his father and flinched instinctively, but upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn’t him—just someone who resembled him.¹This is so sad😭

The man’s dark blue hair, sharp blue eyes reminiscent of a clear sky, and striking features immediately identified him as Kyle’s uncle, Fabian Erbe.

His pronounced brow ridge, a jawline roughened by stubble, and—most of all—that fierce gaze clearly marked him as a blood relative of Kyle’s father.

Perhaps noticing Kyle’s astonishment at their resemblance, Fabian blew out a puff of cigar smoke, clouding Kyle’s vision.

“What are you staring at like a startled squirrel?”

…Even his personality was just as awful as Kyle’s father’s.

Kyle blinked at him for a moment before snapping out of it.

He’d expected Fabian to kill him on sight, yet here he was, alive and even receiving care…

It was completely unexpected.

That thought, however, was quickly pushed aside as Kyle scanned the area for Brody.

When he found no sign of her, his expression hardened immediately.

“The person who was with me—where is she?”

His tone instinctively grew feral, his eyes narrowing.

Fabian, flicking ash from his cigar, muttered under his breath.

“Just like his father—no manners.”

“That woman’s outside. She was making such a racket I had to tie her mouth shut.”

Kyle’s gaze darkened with murderous intent at those words, but Fabian laughed derisively and added.

“You can’t even take a joke? You really are a copy of your father.”

Leaning back in his chair, Fabian lazily swept his gaze over Kyle before taking another drag of his cigar.

“So, what were you up to that got you ensnared by a witch’s low-level tricks and left you writhing in pain like that?”

Kyle had expected an interrogation—questions about why he was here or his purpose—but the nonchalant, scolding tone threw him off.

“…What do you mean?”

He asked, confused.

Fabian gave him a look of pity and continued.

“The reason you collapsed yesterday. That’s a common symptom of someone exposed to candles or drinks laced with a witch’s charms designed to make men more… active at night. Usually, it passes once you relieve yourself, but if you don’t, you end up like you—burning up with fever every night.”

Fabian went on to mention that the healer had given him medicine to suppress the fever, so he wouldn’t suffer further.

But Kyle barely heard it, consumed by embarrassment.

A single memory came to mind—the overwhelming scent of the candles in the inn room.

‘For the honeymooning couple, I even lit some special candles,’ the innkeeper had said.

The realization hit Kyle like a punch. Those special candles were the cause of his suffering.

Grinding his teeth, Kyle cursed the innkeeper who had caused him so much grief.

He wanted to storm back there and wring his neck, but he clenched his fists and suppressed his anger—partly because of the sharp gaze watching him from nearby.

“I heard you were banished to a place you’d never return from. Seems that place was the wastelands of Rubinus.”

Fabian said mockingly.

Kyle, already on edge, snapped back.

“It seems spying isn’t exclusive to our side if you know such details.”

But no matter how sharp Kyle’s retorts were, they had no effect on the seasoned Fabian, who responded casually.

“An event as historic as the heir being replaced wouldn’t go unnoticed.”

Kyle’s expression turned cold at Fabian’s indifferent reply. He glared at him, but Fabian merely shrugged.

“Maybe you’re picking the wrong target to glare at. After all, I’m in the same boat as you. Just like you were dethroned by your brother, I was dethroned by my brother—your father.”

Kyle’s curiosity about Fabian’s intentions deepened.

What was his game, dragging him here and tending to his injuries?

Still frowning, Kyle asked.

“Why? Why go so far as to save and care for me, the son of the brother who stole your place, even after I trespassed on your land?”

Fabian exhaled another puff of smoke and answered nonchalantly.

“First of all, you’re the one who saved my son, Astrid, and brought him back home.”

“Astrid?”

Kyle’s brows furrowed.

Was he referring to that young wolf he’d met the night before? 

The memory of the child shouting and bounding around before Kyle passed out surfaced in his mind.

‘Father! These are the ones who saved me!’

So, that child really was Fabian’s son. Kyle had felt something odd about him from the start but had ignored it, helping him anyway, which had ultimately landed him here.

“I didn’t know he was your son.”

Kyle said coldly.

Fabian, unsurprised, chuckled softly at Kyle’s aloof response, making Kyle awkwardly clam up.

Silence fell between them, broken only by the occasional sound of Fabian’s cigar burning.

After a while, Fabian spoke again.

“That woman outside says you’re planning to return to the Roden Valley. Why would someone who’s been banished bother going back?”

The words, ‘someone who’s been banished,’ were cutting.

Was tactlessness a family trait?²I strongly believe so…

Kyle, too drained to respond sharply to every provocation, answered bluntly in return.

“It’s none of your business.”

“Hah.”

Hearing Kyle’s insolent response, Fabian chuckled as if he found it amusing.

Then, in a softened tone, as if trying to console the disgruntled youth, he said.

“I’m asking because I care. You’re in the same position as me. Going back won’t restore your place, will it?”

Kyle raised his head at those words and replied with a question of his own.

“Is that why you never went back?”

For the first time, a flicker of something unsteady passed through Fabian’s usually relaxed gaze.

It was fleeting, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

After a brief silence, Fabian spoke, his tone unexpectedly calm.

“At first, I tried to return. I fought tooth and nail to get back. But as I grew older, everything started to feel… tedious. So, I gave up.”

Kyle stared at him, unable to comprehend.

Gave up because it was tedious?

His expression said, ‘What kind of nonsense is that?’

Fabian, noticing his disbelief, burst into laughter.

After his laughter subsided, he explained.

“It’s good to keep challenging yourself, but when you feel like you’ve become a pathetic sight, it’s better to let go.”

Kyle froze, looking at him in surprise.

The meaning behind Fabian’s words wasn’t hard to grasp. He had tried to overcome Kyle’s father, the brother who had taken his place, but eventually realized he couldn’t and decided to stop.

While Kyle struggled to process this unexpected admission, Fabian continued to speak, his tone casual but tinged with a quiet melancholy.

“Of course, it took me a long time to come to that realization. Too long, in fact. By the time I figured it out, the distance between your father and me had grown so vast that it was impossible to bridge.”

Kyle’s eyes widened as he listened.

He had assumed his uncle harbored the same resentment and hatred toward his father that his father harbored for Fabian.

That was the reason, Kyle had believed, why the two treated each other like mortal enemies.

But that wasn’t the truth.

Through Fabian’s words, Kyle could sense the bitterness in his heart.

Far from hating his brother, Fabian had longed to reconcile with him.

He had forgiven the sibling who had taken everything from him.

“Did you… want to make amends with my father?”

Kyle’s hesitant question hung in the air.

Fabian took a drag from his cigar and slowly raised his eyes to meet Kyle’s.

“I was curious to see what the son of my brother would look like.”

He grinned mischievously and added.

“But I’m disappointed. You look exactly like your father.”

“…”

With that cheeky remark, Fabian stood up, stubbed out his cigar in the ashtray on the bedside table, and spoke again.

“Whether you go back or not, which path you take is entirely up to you. Just don’t choose one that destroys you.”

His voice, so serious now, carried none of the playful sarcasm from moments before.

Hearing those words, Kyle felt an unexpected surge of emotion. He clenched his fists and replied bitterly.

“My life is already ruined. By my father and brother, no less.”

It was a statement filled with resignation and resentment.

Kyle had come to realize that his hostility toward Fabian had been misplaced. His father had projected his own fears and insecurities, tormenting Kyle with an invisible enemy.

The unjustness of it all weighed heavily on Kyle’s heart.

“I don’t think I can forgive them as you have,” Kyle muttered.

Fabian’s steps paused as he was about to leave the tent.

Though he didn’t turn back, it was clear he understood Kyle’s pain.

But Fabian was no longer the young man consumed by anger over what he had lost. Time had dulled his wounds and allowed him to empathize with others.

Before stepping out, Fabian spoke one last time.

“Your father struggled too. More than anyone, he must have hoped his sons wouldn’t live the same life he did.”

Here’s your beloved chapter. See you all soon 💕