I Picked Up an Abandoned Villain in the Polar Region

Episode 96

 

Meanwhile, Abel, who remained in the hall, looked up at the two ascending the stairs with a confused expression.

Every woman he had known until now admired his brother but was also deeply intimidated by him. The reason was, of course, his brother’s rough and fierce personality.

However, Brody, instead of being afraid of the man even wolves feared, was busy being playful and trying to get closer to him.

“Oh, darling! You’re here?”

It was a sight unimaginable among the wolves here, who valued gravitas as a virtue.

What was even more unbelievable was that his brother not only tolerated Brody’s behavior but also accepted it without protest.

That was the most shocking part.

Kyle detested anyone treating him casually, interpreting it as disrespect. To avoid this, he always displayed a cruel and savage side to instill fear. But now…

Kyle was undeniably different from the cold-hearted man he used to be.

He was showing reactions unimaginable in the past—reactions he reserved only for Brody. Abel couldn’t fathom his brother’s feelings at all.

Despite Kyle claiming he returned to this place because of Zelda, despite him pretending he still cared for her, why did it seem like he was in love with Brody instead?

Even after they disappeared from sight, Abel couldn’t shake off his bewildered gaze.

 

***

 

Kyle, who entered the room with Brody, went straight to the bathroom to clean up before dinner.

He planned to have a separate meal sent to the room afterward. But when he hurried out, worried Brody might be hungry, she was nowhere to be found.

‘Where did she wander off to this time?’

Kyle quickly changed his clothes, tossed aside the towel he had used to dry his hair, and stepped out.

The moment he opened the door, an uninvited servant stood outside, about to knock.

Startled by Kyle’s sudden appearance, the servant stumbled back, quickly bowed, and said,

“Sir, you are requested to join for dinner.”

Kyle frowned at the servant’s words, irritated.

“Tell them I’m not coming.”

He had always eaten separately from his family, so his reaction was unsurprising.

He used to dine with them until he was twenty, but after flipping the dining table in a fit of rage over his father’s constant nagging, he’d eaten alone ever since.

Over time, it became routine, and his parents stopped calling him for meals, dining only with Abel.

This sudden summons for dinner felt absurd and infuriating to him.

As Kyle brushed past the servant, intent on finding Brody, the servant hesitated and stopped him again.

“Um, it was Miss Brody who asked for you. She said she wanted to dine with you…”

The servant couldn’t finish, silenced by Kyle’s cold, threatening stare. Stammering, the servant froze.

Kyle, glaring at them, eventually turned sharply and headed for the dining hall, irritation rising.

When Kyle arrived, Brody’s cheerful voice greeted his ears, making him rub his forehead in exasperation.

As he entered, Brody, seated with his father, mother, and Abel, was chatting animatedly without a hint of awkwardness.

Seeing this, Kyle instinctively scowled.

“Darling, over here!”

Brody called brightly, causing the family to all turn to Kyle.

The lively atmosphere she had created instantly froze with tension.

Feeling like an uninvited guest, Kyle’s irritation deepened. But before he could act on it, Brody rushed over, grabbed his arm, and said,

“Come eat with us, won’t you? It’s odd for people living together to dine separately.”

Kyle didn’t find it odd at all. He’d always eaten separately, even while living in the same house.

Just as he was about to tell her not to worry and suggest they leave, his father spoke bluntly,

“Sit down.”

Kyle interpreted the command as a demand to stop causing a scene and just eat quietly.

A rebellious urge flared up instantly, but Brody stopped him, gripping his arm with pleading eyes.

‘If I lose my temper and walk out now, will it embarrass her?’

Realizing that leaving might humiliate Brody, who seemed to be trying to make a good impression on his family, Kyle hesitated.

Her earnest expression softened his anger, which had been ready to explode.

In the end, he decided to listen to her this once, suppressing his irritation as she led him to the table.

Still, a flicker of his fiery temper lingered in his eyes, as if he might overturn the table at any moment.

As everyone sat down, the meal began again.

Brody, determined to lighten the tense atmosphere, chirped excitedly,

“Oh my, the food here is incredible! Even the fruits are so delicious. I feel so spoiled here in Roden! Mother, Father, may I just stay here forever? Haha!”

Her playful tone left the family unsure of how to respond, resulting in awkward smiles and nods.

But Brody didn’t mind their lukewarm reactions and continued chattering warmly, eventually easing the tension in the room.

After a while, Alexander, who had been silently eating, spoke to Brody.

“I hear you’re from the Asgar continent. Is that true?”

For a moment, Alexander’s gaze flickered to Kyle.

Kyle immediately understood the meaning behind the look: his father knew he had been exiled to Asgar and returned.

When Brody answered affirmatively, Alexander continued,

“Someone mentioned you turned back time after arriving here. Is that true?”

Though it sounded casual, the question was direct. Surprised, Brody froze, unable to respond with her usual lightheartedness.

At that moment, a voice came from another part of the room.

Kyle, who had been stirring his soup without taking a single bite, slammed his spoon onto the table with a sharp thud and spoke.

“Who’s saying that?”

The room fell deathly silent, as if even the faintest sound could be heard.

Kyle spoke again.

“Who the hell is spreading such nonsense?”

At Kyle’s harsh words, Alexander raised his head. He didn’t say a word, but his icy gaze was enough to convey a warning to watch his language.

The chilling glare that could freeze a room, a trait Kyle had inherited from his father, made the atmosphere heavy.

Even Abel, who had been the one to spread the “nonsense,” almost confessed but ultimately shut his mouth.

However, Kyle, immune to that piercing gaze, remained unfazed. In a low voice, he continued,

“Tell anyone talking carelessly about this person to watch their mouths. Otherwise, I’ll personally go and cut their tongues out.”

It wasn’t an empty threat. In his youth, Kyle had once cut out the tongue of Baldwin’s lion after the man insulted him, a notorious incident that nearly sparked a war.

Without Brody’s presence, Kyle’s words might have already caused an uproar.

But Alexander, who would have usually reprimanded him harshly for such words, stayed silent out of consideration for their guest.

The heavy silence returned, blanketing the room.

Even Brody, who had been chirping so brightly earlier, stiffened and focused all her energy on eating quietly without making a sound.

The silence didn’t last long as Kyle, who hadn’t taken a single bite of his soup, tossed his spoon aside and stood up abruptly.

Eating with his family for the first time in years stirred old memories of dining alone in his room, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.

“Sit down. Don’t be disrespectful in front of our guest.”

Alexander warned in a stern voice.

Kyle responded coldly, as if spitting out the words.

“Better than sitting here and feeling sick to my stomach.”

He crumpled the napkin on his lap, tossed it onto his plate, and turned to leave the dining room.

“Kyle!”

Brody called out, hastily following him.

Kyle ignored her and strode up the stairs, his steps heavy with frustration.

“Kyle, wait! Let’s talk!”

By the time they reached the second-floor hallway, his pace had slowed slightly.

Brody quickly caught up to him and grabbed his arm.

Letting out a sigh, Kyle turned to her.

“Don’t do this again. You saw it yourself, didn’t you? I don’t get along with my family. No, it’s more than that… we’re just-”

He spoke rapidly, as if venting pent-up frustration, but suddenly bit his lip.

Swallowing down whatever emotion was welling up, he opened his mouth again and continued,

“We’re like a broken plate. No matter what you do, it can’t be pieced back together. I see you’re trying to meddle again, but this time, just let it go.”

His cold words caused Brody’s expression to fall.

Seeing her dejected look, Kyle felt a pang of guilt, so his voice softened as he added,

“Don’t go out of your way like you did today, okay?”

Brody didn’t respond, and after saying his piece, Kyle turned and walked toward his room, his face weary.

She silently watched his retreating figure for a while before letting out a sigh and slowly following him.

As she walked, she lightly kicked the carpeted floor with her toes, her shoulders slumped.

Brody’s face was clouded with discouragement.

Kyle’s words and the harsh reality of his family’s fractured dynamic weighed heavily on her.

‘I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but… this is harder than I expected.’

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