Volume 1. Chapter 33

Ken and Lily walked along the path leading to the Western Temple, each lost in their own thoughts. From time to time, they exchanged a few words, discussing the road ahead, but both were still preoccupied with everything that had happened earlier that morning. Lily, though she didn’t show it, kept replaying the farewell scene with the Pur family in her mind - every word, every glance, especially the moment when the girls insisted Ken marry one of them. A swirl of mixed emotions rose again, but Lily did her best to remain composed, hoping her thoughts wouldn’t betray her.Ken, watching her out of the corner of his eye, was quietly observing her thoughtful expression. He noticed how her gaze would occasionally dim, then light up again when she caught him looking.“I think we can take a little break here,” he suggested, pointing to a small clearing filled with tall grass, bathed in soft sunlight. Lily nodded, and they both sat down to have a quick bite to eat.As they sat, enjoying their meal, Lily couldn’t hold back a question that had been on her mind for a while. She glanced at Ken from under her lashes and asked carefully, “Hey, Ken, what exactly were you showing the girls on your phone?” Her tone was calm, but Ken picked up a faint hint of jealousy, which almost made him smile.“Nothing special,” he replied with a slight squint, teasing her a little. “Mostly videos of kittens and puppies. Want me to show you too?”Lily, a bit flustered but clearly curious, nodded.“Yeah, sure,” she said, trying to hide her interest.Ken pulled out his phone and played a collection of cute and funny animal videos. Lily watched closely, her eyes widening in wonder as tiny kittens clumsily chased their tails or meowed for attention. Puppies tumbled through the grass, making her smile and giggle.“They’re adorable!” Lily whispered in amazement, eyes fixed on the screen. “I never imagined animals could be so… funny.”Ken smiled, glad to see her enjoying it.“I could show you these all day, if you want,” he said, savoring the moment.But a random swipe of the screen suddenly brought up a photo - not a video, but one taken at the Pur house: Ken, Kiki, and Julie, all posing happily, the girls holding onto his arms.Lily’s expression changed the moment she saw it. Her gaze grew more serious, and a faint shadow of jealousy appeared at the corners of her lips.“Why… why did you take a picture with them, but not with me?” Lily bit her lip, as if she couldn’t believe she’d actually asked that out loud.Ken, seeing her adorable flustered reaction, leaned toward her with a teasing grin.“Would you like to take a picture with me?” he asked, his tone playful.Lily hesitated, but after a moment of shy struggle, she nodded.“Yeah… I’d like that,” she said softly, blushing. “And… if possible… maybe more than one.”Ken chuckled, clearly enjoying this.“Well, if you insist,” he said, readying the camera and scooting closer. “Say cheese!”Lily blushed deeper but tried to stay composed, leaning slightly toward Ken and offering a gentle smile. They snapped several pictures, and every time Lily saw herself on the screen, she laughed. Their photos together were especially warm and full of life - Lily with her bright, bashful smile, and Ken, unable to hide how happy he was.“Now one more, with a bigger smile,” Ken said, angling the camera to capture both of them and the beautiful scenery behind.Lily gave another smile, a bit wider this time, but her face turned red again when Ken turned to her and said:“You know, Lily, you look really beautiful in these pictures. They turned out great… I’ll treasure them.”Lily froze for a moment upon hearing those words, her face turning bright red, but her eyes sparkled with pure happiness.