I Picked Up an Abandoned Villain in the Polar Region

Episode 91

 

In the depths of night, Kyle carried the still-sleeping Brody in his arms as he left the forest and made his way home.

His mood was subdued, weighed down by the disappointment of failing to lift Brody’s spirits.

However as he walked with heavy steps into the garden, he suddenly froze.

A familiar figure stood before him, her back facing him.

Hearing his approach, she turned to face him.

“…Kyle.”

The woman standing in front of his house was Zelda.

She didn’t seem surprised, as if she had been waiting for him. However, her eyes widened in shock when she noticed the woman in his arms.

Kyle was equally startled to see Zelda there, but only for a moment.

Since Abel was home, Zelda wouldn’t have been waiting outside if she had come to see him.

That meant her business was either with Kyle or the woman he was holding.

Realizing this, Kyle asked dryly.

“What’s going on?”

He didn’t even register that this was the first time he’d spoken to Zelda since their paths had crossed again.

Zelda hesitated at his cold tone but eventually spoke cautiously.

“I came to see the rabbit that came with you. There’s something I need to confirm…”

Zelda and Abel were the only ones who had witnessed Brody rewinding time with the pocket watch.

Kyle immediately guessed that Zelda wanted to verify whether Brody had turned back time to save her and his expression hardened.

He instinctively rejected the idea due to Brody’s past trauma from being exploited for her ability.

Kyle’s grip on Brody tightened protectively.

He knew Zelda likely intended to thank Brody if her suspicions were correct—Kyle was well aware of her character.

Yet, even so, he didn’t want anyone, not even Zelda, to know about Brody’s power.

Looking down at Brody, Kyle resumed walking and said firmly.

“Now’s not a good time.”

Zelda, watching him pass, froze when she caught sight of Brody’s white hair.

Any doubts she harbored solidified into certainty. That rabbit… it was her.

Regaining her composure, Zelda hurriedly called out.

“Then, may I speak with you for a moment?”

Kyle stopped in his tracks. His darkened eyes stared into space before he replied curtly.

“Later.”

Without waiting for her response, he continued walking.

His steps were deliberate, showing no regard for the woman left standing behind him.

Kyle knew exactly what Zelda wanted to discuss.

It would inevitably involve the past—the day he was banished, her feelings at the time, and her relationship with Abel.

Perhaps she would explain that pretending not to see him that day was unavoidable, or admit that she truly abandoned him because she loved Abel.

If they talked, she might reveal her true feelings from that time.

Kyle had returned to hear those truths from Zelda. Yet, when the opportunity arose, he had rejected it outright.

His mind was wholly consumed by concern for Brody; there was no room for anything else. Even the brief encounter with Zelda earlier had felt uncomfortable and burdensome.

Seeing Zelda only made him think of Brody and feel a pang of guilt.

The guilt he used to feel toward Zelda whenever he thought of Brody had long since vanished. Now, Kyle’s thoughts were entirely focused on his ‘rabbit.’

Leaving Zelda behind in the garden, Kyle entered the house.

 

***

 

Alone in the garden, Zelda stood silently, watching Kyle’s receding figure.

Her blue eyes wavered before darkening. Slowly, she turned away, her face shadowed by a mix of emotions.

As Kyle had surmised, Zelda had come in the middle of the night to thank Brody for saving her life and to speak with Kyle.

Yet, she had achieved neither. A sigh escaped her lips as she left the garden with heavy steps.

Though her expression was somber, the moonlight illuminated her path.

As she walked away from Kyle’s house, Zelda paused upon noticing a narrow path leading to the oak forest.

Her gaze lingered on the trail, and memories began to surface. She recalled meeting Kyle along that path once before.

It wasn’t the first time she had met Kyle.

As Abel’s childhood friend, she had often visited his home and seen Kyle there. Back then, Kyle paid her no attention, barely acknowledging her existence.

But as her reputation as one of the strongest women in Roden grew, Kyle began to take notice.

She vividly remembered the day they crossed paths on this trail.

For the first time, Kyle had turned around to look directly at her. Back then, Zelda believed it was her duty to marry Kyle, the leader, as a strong woman should.

It wasn’t love for Kyle, nor a desire for the power and prestige that came with being the leader’s wife. It was simply a matter of duty—a belief that fulfilling it would benefit the pack.

That was also why she ignored Abel’s unspoken affection for her; she thought she was meant to be with Kyle.

But even such a resolute decision crumbled in the face of Abel’s unwavering love.

Slowly, she fell for his gentle and upright nature, surrendering her heart completely.

Realizing her feelings for Abel, Zelda decided she could never marry Kyle. She chose love over duty.

Zelda knew she needed to confess her feelings to Kyle and end things between them. Yet, overwhelmed by guilt, she avoided him instead.

She had always known how much Abel’s love and attention left Kyle feeling abandoned and isolated, which made her hesitate.

She realized her mistake too late—on the day of her engagement to Abel.

When Kyle returned and saw Zelda standing beside Abel, the shock on his face made her realize something for the first time—Kyle had trusted her.

Though she swallowed her momentary turmoil and maintained a composed expression under the gaze of others, Zelda had carried guilt and remorse toward Kyle ever since that day.

That was why she had come to him today, intending to offer a sincere apology. Though, in the end, she failed to do so.

Zelda recalled the events of the previous day on Mount Nevo, where she had met Kyle again.

His gaze then was neither the hurt look she remembered from before his banishment nor the one filled with resentment.

Instead, at that moment his eyes that met hers, were calm.

They became as composed as they had been in the days before he first recognized her presence on that old trail—back when she was invisible to him.

With a bittersweet smile, Zelda glanced at the path for a moment before turning away.

‘…My name is Brody! And I’m dating Kyle!’

She remembered the words the rabbit had boldly declared to Kyle’s father the day before.

While others didn’t believe the rabbit’s claim, Zelda did. She had seen the way Kyle looked at her.

It was a look she had never seen before—a warm, tender gaze.

For the first time, Zelda realized Kyle Roden was capable of looking at someone with such warmth.

At first, it surprised her, but soon, she understood.

It was the rabbit who had brought that warmth into his life. And when she realized this, she felt a sense of relief, happy that someone good had come into his life.¹Even so, I don’t like you. Please stay away from my rabbit, thank you.

Leaving the trail behind, Zelda walked away.

Though the weight of not apologizing to Kyle still lingered in her heart, she promised herself she would try again in the future.

 

***

 

The next morning, Kyle’s room was tightly secured, as always, under the vigilant watch of the Oswald brothers, the gatekeepers.

Summoned early in the morning, they sat in front of the door, yawning loudly, and continued their habitual conversation on the same topic as always.

“What kind of treasure is in this room, anyway? What’s so special that the boss is going to such extremes?”

Even the servants, when asked, would clamp their mouths shut as if under threat. The brothers’ curiosity was nearing its limit.

After another wide yawn, Oswin, the younger brother, spoke up.

“Hey, I heard something weird on my way here today.”

“What kind of weird?”

“Well, apparently, the boss brought in a female rabbit as his girlfriend or something.”

Even as he spoke, his tone was indifferent, as if he didn’t fully believe the absurd rumor.

Unsurprisingly, his brother responded with the same lack of enthusiasm.

“Oswin, stop wasting time with nonsense. Why don’t we just take a quick peek inside?”

The elder brother, Oswald, suggested with a mischievous grin, causing Oswin to frown.

“No way. The boss specifically told us not to go in.”

“Come on, just a quick look. You’re curious too, aren’t you?”

“I’m not curious about getting my neck chopped off.”

“…Coward.”

Despite his insult, even Oswald didn’t push further.

Both of them knew better than to test Kyle’s patience. However, their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a sound from the room.

Crash!

In the dead silence of the room, a glass shattered, followed by a high-pitched scream.

“Ahhh!”

Startled, the twins leapt to their feet.

“What was that?”

“Didn’t it come from inside the room?”

“Could it be that someone broke in through the terrace?”

Though the boss had forbidden them from entering the room, dealing with an intruder was a different matter.

Determined to catch whoever it was, the brothers flung the door open and stormed in.

“Who’s there…!”

Their confident shout trailed off as they froze in place, blinking in surprise.

Inside the room stood a small, white-haired woman.

That was all they could process at that moment.

The woman, startled by their sudden appearance, looked at them with wide, rabbit-like eyes.

She hesitated, as if caught doing something she shouldn’t, and a grape she had been holding dropped from her hand to the floor.

In front of her was a pile of fruit peels and grape skins—evidence of what she had been eating.