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FROM a young age, she’d always watched Azraq as he stuck beside her mother. He always bowed his head respectfully to her and kept close at her side. Too close for a bodyguard, in fact. He was much shorter then than he was now, and he didn’t have anywhere near the muscles. And yet, he still held his head high like a warrior, walking confidently beside her mother.
Ah, that must be nice.
Yana had wanted the same thing. Back then, she hadn’t yet known what love was, but even though she was still only a child, she wanted him. His hands, his eyes, his warmth. Everything she ever wanted was hers, but she knew that Azraq’s heart was the one thing she couldn’t receive by throwing a tantrum.
Thus, Yana gave up on desiring him. She knew that once she did that, she would want nothing else. But that was fine; she was happy enough just being by his side.
If she flashed a ladylike smile, people would pamper her. People were so eager to please her that all she had to do was let them. She was so rambunctious as a child that no one could handle her, and yet they were all willing to wait hand and foot on her now. It was so ridiculous she wanted to laugh.
Azraq was the one person who remained the same. No matter how much Yana changed, Azraq stuck by her side, just so he could be close to her mother. And that was why she’d wanted him for so, so long.
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“THANK you for listening. I’d appreciate it if you’d continue acting the same as you did before,” Yana said, smiling bravely.
Since they were friends, Oriana naturally wanted to respect Yana’s wishes.
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I’D never thought about who Azraq might have feelings for before, Oriana thought to herself as she eyed the man in question. He was waiting for Yana at the entrance to the girls’ dormitory. Somehow, it makes sense, given his personality. Her expression sobered. How many eighteen-year-olds out there can make having a crush on a thirty-two-year-old seem natural? Just Azraq, I’d bet.
The way he devotedly looked after Yana reminded her of a mother hen, but he always struck her as a mysterious and sensuous boy. He had thick, wiry fingers, a slender neck covered in a thin sheen of sweat, and the edges of his lips were curled up in a smile. He was on a different level than the other boys in their year.
The whole “tortured man in the throes of a hopeless love with a married woman” thing already suits him well enough, but for it to even be the woman who raised him too… Ugh, I can’t take this! It’s so sensual!
Oriana quickly shooed her wanton delusions to the back of her mind.
Azraq was a man of few words normally, but he also had a wildness to him, overflowing with masculine charisma. It was only Yana that he treated with such reverence, as if she were a priceless treasure.
I always figured that if Azraq loved anyone, it had to be Yana, Oriana thought to herself. She now realized how childish she was for taking everything at face value.
“What is it, Elsha? Your gaze is likely to bore a hole through me.” Oriana’s eyes had grown moist as she stared him down, but Azraq simply flashed her a grin. Yana, who had been speaking to Azraq about something, turned to face Oriana.
The one thing she had asked, only a little earlier, was that Oriana act normal, and Oriana had failed to do even that. She had fallen into silent contemplation the moment she saw him. Flustered, she tried to gloss it over. “Sorry, I was just thinking it’s rare to see you with a bedhead.”
It was a spur-of-the-moment lie, but it seemed enough to deceive him. He pressed his large palm flat over his head, trying to smooth out his hair. “Is it that noticeable?” he asked.
“Nope. Not really.” Oriana quickly shook her head. He’d never had bedhead to begin with, after all.
“Azraq,” Yana said softly.
He instantly sensed what she wanted and went down on a knee, crouching before the girl who was far shorter than him—Yana was only about 150 centimeters tall. Once he tipped his head forward, Yana could scarcely hide her joy, grinning as she caressed the top of his head.
“Your hair is awfully stubborn.”
“I can wash it in the nearest stream,” he offered.
“That won’t be necessary. Simply stay like this for a bit longer.” Yana giggled, her spindly fingers brushing through the waves of his black hair, as if dancing in and out of the darkness.
“Yep, your hair sure doesn’t want to cooperate,” Oriana agreed, stepping closer to peek at his head and provide her friend backup.
“Quite right. I think I’ll have to do this for a few more minutes,” Yana said.
Even though he had two schoolgirls giggling above him, fiddling with his hair, Azraq didn’t mutter a word of complaint. He remained perfectly still, waiting for Yana to finish.