I Picked Up an Abandoned Villain in the Polar Region

Episode 90

 

The words Fabian casually tossed out jolted Kyle from his lethargy.

After all, it was a matter of how Brody would perceive him, and that was no small concern.

Even Kyle knew that Brody wouldn’t be pleased to see him idly sitting around, neglecting his responsibilities. Brody was the type of person who couldn’t ignore anyone in need and would always lend a hand.

If she were awake now, she would undoubtedly urge him to get outside and help with the village restoration efforts—or, more likely, she’d be out there herself, raising a fuss to assist.

Kyle almost felt as if he could hear Brody’s nagging voice, urging him to get up.

A small smile formed on his lips.

Fabian’s incredulous gaze, as if to ask if Kyle had gone mad, didn’t reach him. Kyle thought to himself that if he could tell Brody he’d been out helping the villagers when she woke up, she’d surely be happy.

With that thought, Kyle stood up abruptly, a stark contrast to the indifferent attitude he had shown moments earlier when his uncle was speaking.

“Where are you going?”

Fabian asked, bewildered by Kyle’s sudden smile and movement.

Kyle turned to his uncle with a serious expression.

“You told me to work, didn’t you?”

Of course, Kyle had no intention of straying far from Brody’s side. But first, he decided to leave the mansion to find reliable subordinates.

As he stepped outside, he encountered Kernels, a crow scout who had come to meet him.

“Lord Kyle! Finally, we meet again! Do you know how long it’s been? Waaaah!”

Kernels cried as he flew toward Kyle. “Alright, cut the fake tears.”

Kyle replied with irritation. The crow, who had been wiping nonexistent tears with the tips of his wings, immediately returned to his normal expression.

Kernels began awkwardly muttering about how he had genuinely missed Kyle, but Kyle interrupted.

“Where are Oswald and the others?”

By “Oswald and the others,” Kyle referred to the twin brothers Oswald and Oswin, who had grown up with him and were his loyal subordinates.

Known for their combat prowess, they were a vital part of Kyle’s forces.

Kyle had found it odd that they hadn’t been around during the war. Turning to Kernels for information, he was met with a squawk of alarm.

“Oh no! Speaking of them, they were supposed to be released from prison the other day!”

“…Prison? What the hell are you talking about?”

Kyle’s expression darkened at the unexpected news. Grabbing the crow by the body, he demanded an explanation.

Kernels, flustered, quickly explained.

“When you were banished through the magical gate, Lord Kyle! At that time, they were guarding the Elders’ Canyon border. But when they heard the news about you, they came back and caused such a ruckus that the leader ordered them to be detained!”

“So, they’re still in prison?”

Kyle asked sharply.

“Yes! They were supposed to be released during the festival a few days ago, but with the tiger attack, everyone got so distracted that it slipped their minds—even mine, and I have an excellent memory!”

Kernels quipped, but Kyle didn’t care for his humor. He ordered Kernels to take him to the prison, and they set off together.

 

***

 

The prison was located in a secluded area, following the north road from the central square. However, when they arrived, there were no guards in sight.

Likely, the guards had either died or were injured in the recent battle and unable to return.

Inside, the sounds of prisoners shouting filled the air, most of them demanding to be released to join the fight.

Among the noise, one voice stood out, shouting, “Shut up! I’m not fighting for the bastards who exiled our captain!”

Kyle smirked at his loyalty.

Following the familiar voice, he approached a cell where two disheveled men with ash-gray hair and blue eyes sat.

When they spotted Kyle, they scrambled to their feet, their eyes wide with shock.

Seeing the brothers in such a state, Kyle couldn’t help but laugh.

“Haven’t been doing well, have you?”

“Is it… really the captain?”

Oswin, the younger brother, stammered. Oswald, the older brother, grabbed Oswin by the collar and shouted.

“Snap out of it, Oswin! It’s a hallucination! The captain is gone!”

“No! It’s definitely him! The captain is back!” Oswin argued.

“No, he’s not, you idiot!” Oswald shot back.

Kyle, bored of their antics, ignored their theatrics and unlocked the cell. Only then did the twins realize it truly was their captain who had returned.

“Captain! How did you make it back? Are we going to crush them all together?”

They asked eagerly. But Kyle, refusing their embrace, coldly instructed.

“Crushing them can wait. First, go guard my door.”

Despite their loyalty and their imprisonment on his behalf, Kyle didn’t spare them a single word of gratitude, immediately putting them to work.

Yet, the Oswald brothers, accustomed to Kyle’s personality, simply grinned and followed his orders without complaint.

They naturally gravitated toward each other because they shared similar personalities.

The simple-minded twins followed Kyle outside, their faces filled with curiosity, and asked.

“Guard your door? Why all of a sudden?”

“Just make sure no one goes inside.”

Kyle replied curtly, offering no further explanation.

Left to their imaginations, the curious brothers began speculating wildly.

“Why? Is there treasure inside?”

“Could it be? Did the place you were banished to through the magical gate turn out to be Treasure Island? And you brought back some incredible loot?”

Kyle wondered if it was wise to leave Brody in the hands of these chaotic twins, but they were the only ones he could trust.

Nodding dismissively, he said.

“Sure, it’s extremely valuable, so guard it well until I get back.”

Leaving the twins stationed in front of Brody’s room, Kyle headed out to help with the village restoration.

He worked diligently but avoided his father, choosing instead to work alongside his uncle. However, he didn’t stay long—just enough to do work he could proudly report to Brody.

As soon as he felt satisfied, he went straight home, earning a torrent of curses from Fabian, which he ignored entirely.

 

***

 

Two days passed, and on the third night, while Kyle was sitting by Brody’s bedside after returning from his usual restoration work, he suddenly heard a voice calling his name.

Startled, he looked up, but Brody was still lying motionless.

Kyle had thought he heard her voice, but it seemed to be a hallucination. Sighing deeply, he slumped in disappointment.

But then, as if to defy his dismay, Brody’s long, white lashes trembled ever so slightly.

This wasn’t an illusion—it was real. Kyle stood up as he watched her eyelids begin to flutter and called softly.

“Brody?”

Was she finally waking up? Slowly, Brody opened her eyes, revealing her dark pupils.

“Brody! Are you awake?”

Kyle’s voice rose with hope. But something was wrong.

Brody didn’t fully open her eyes, leaving them half-closed, staring blankly at him without a trace of expression.

She showed no reaction, not even when Kyle spoke to her or brought food to her lips.

It wasn’t that she refused to eat—it seemed she lacked the strength to move her muscles.

The vibrant, expressive Brody he knew—the one with her wide range of emotions, from smiles and anger to mischief and joy—was gone, replaced by someone who gazed at him with an unmoving face.

Despite knowing her lack of energy, Kyle desperately wanted to make her smile. He wanted to bring her even a glimmer of happiness, hoping it would spark her recovery.

He asked a question he had long kept in his heart.

“Brody, do you want to see fireflies?”

“…”

“You said you wanted to see them, didn’t you?”

Normally, Brody would have eagerly shouted, “Yes!” but now she remained silent.

Still, Kyle lifted her gently, blanket and all. Holding her as carefully as a doll, he carried her outside.

Brody felt so light in his arms that it made his chest ache. Cradling her small, fragile frame, he walked along a path where crickets and frogs serenaded the night, heading toward the forest.

It was a place he often visited—a forest with a lake that, every night, became a stage for hundreds of fireflies to light up the dark.

True to his memories, the dense oak trees hid the moonlight, and countless golden fireflies sparkled like stars in the night.

Kyle sat in the best spot to view the fireflies and placed Brody on his lap.

For a while, she sat there quietly, breathing softly like a child. Then, the flickering lights of the fireflies began reflecting in her dark eyes, one by one.

“What do you think?”

Kyle asked, observing her closely, eager for any reaction.

“Isn’t it amazing?”

He kept talking, trying to draw a response from her.

But Brody remained silent, her face still and expressionless, as if the sight and sound meant nothing to her.

She gazed quietly at the fireflies, unmoving, as if she couldn’t see them at all. Slowly, her eyes began to close again.

“Did you see them?”

Kyle asked, hoping his question would prompt her to open her eyes once more.

But there was no reply.

He gazed down at Brody, now peacefully asleep in his arms. Warmth filled his chest as he watched her delicate features.

Gently, he raised his hand and stroked her cheek with the utmost care, as though touching the most fragile and precious thing in the world.

As he looked at the woman in his arms, Kyle’s eyes softened, brimming with tenderness and sorrow.

Thank you all for your patience, though I am pretty sure some of you nearly lost it🤭. 

Thank you arwendolyn, Jean and Oana for the Ko-fi. Jean and Oana because monthly too. I am really flattered💘💌