What he didn't know was that Mylia had felt the same way from the very beginning.
Khazak was surprised by this strange feeling he had never experienced before. He tried to speak but couldn't because of all the possibilities running through his mind, and he couldn't even look Mylia in the eyes. Mylia seemed to notice this, so she went over to him with a concerned and worried expression. As Mylia got closer, Khazak's heartbeat quickened, and the warmth in his chest grew. Finally, Mylia stood next to Khazak and looked at him with worried eyes, saying:
"Khazak... is something wrong?"
After saying this, Khazak looked shyly at Mylia, who was right next to him. Seeing the worried expression on her face, he felt a slight pang of regret. He tried to say something, but it was no use—every time he tried to speak, the feeling inside him grew stronger, making it even harder to talk. His face flushed red, and without realizing it, Mylia gently placed her hand on his forehead. The sudden touch caused Khazak to lose his balance, and he fell back into the field of white lilies, breathing deeply as he stared at Mylia, his face bright red.
Seeing him in this state, Mylia realized what she had done and blushed, but for some reason, Khazak's reaction to something so simple felt both amusing and endearing to her. A surge of confidence hit her, and she playfully threw herself down beside him. Khazak was left speechless, surprised by her sudden action. Mylia lay on her side next to him, watching him with a gentle smile on her face. Khazak, with flushed cheeks, looked at her in awe, lying among the white lilies. They stared at each other for a little while longer before Mylia, her cheeks still slightly red but her face adorned with a cute smile, softly said:
"I didn't know you could get embarrassed like this too."
At those words, the warmth Khazak felt inside seemed to surge uncontrollably for a moment, and somehow, he managed to stammer:
"N-no, I wasn't embarrassed... nothing like that."
Mylia, without changing her expression, replied:
"Yeah, yeah, sure, that must be it."
Right after saying that, Mylia gently poked Khazak's nose with her finger. Taken off guard, Khazak blushed again, trying to hide his face by tucking his head into his body. Seeing his reaction, Mylia couldn't help but laugh out loud in her sweet voice. As she continued laughing, Khazak glanced at her from the corner of his eye. The sun was just starting to set, casting a warm glow behind her. With the soft orange sky framing her smiling face, Mylia looked absolutely breathtaking to Khazak.
After lying side by side in peaceful silence for a little longer, with the sky now almost fully dark and the stars beginning to appear, a slightly unsettling thought crossed Mylia's mind. She turned her head slightly and, with a soft but concerned tone, said:
"You said you'd be training for the next month, didn't you... What will you do after that?"
Khazak was momentarily surprised by the sudden break in their peaceful silence. He had started to feel more relaxed, with that earlier overwhelming feeling now turning into a pleasant warmth. Mylia's very presence seemed to bring him a deep sense of contentment. He closed his eyes, thinking about how peaceful he felt in that moment, the cool evening breeze adding to the sense of calm. After a few moments of lying there with his eyes shut, Mylia spoke again:
"Hey, I'm talking to you... What are you planning to do in a month?"
Khazak opened his eyes again, turned toward Mylia, and said:
"I'll probably go back to my master, and then I'll head to the village. I have a cousin there, and I'm curious about what he's been up to. As for what comes after that... I guess it's a mystery. What about you?"
Mylia looked up at the sky, thinking for a moment before she replied:
"I don't know, I'll probably go to the battle against the demons..."
Khazak felt a bit lost, as if he had missed something important. After seeing Mylia's slightly sad yet smiling face as she gazed at the sky, he realized something and quickly spoke up:
"If you want, I can talk to my master, and you can come with us... He's very powerful, and although he can be a bit egoistic, he's really a good person. I'm sure he would accept. Of course, if you want to."
Mylia turned to Khazak, her crimson eyes shining brightly as if she had been waiting for this moment. Her mouth was agape, and she covered it with her hands. After a few seconds of this stunned silence, she said:
"B-but would it really be like that? Are you really sure?"
"Yes, absolutely. Besides, I think I don't want to be apart from you."
The words had slipped out of Khazak's mouth half-unintentionally, and he couldn't recall ever feeling this embarrassed. He immediately turned away, pulling his knees to his stomach and burying his head for a while. Then, he felt a warmth behind him; Mylia had come around and was gently hugging him from behind. She rested her cheek against Khazak's back for a moment before saying,:
"I don't want to be apart from you either... Khazak."