Ilina wakes up a little before sunrise in the small hut created by the Elder Dragon Nedonera, who she now knows is called Nina by Mizuki. In truth, she didn't get much sleep last night. Instead, she spent a lot of the night unwillingly reflecting on her conversation with Mizuki.
While the conversation ended on a positive note for them, with their relationship progressing significantly, Ilina is still reeling from some of the associated revelations.
Ilina is unsure when she started wanting to be closer with Mizuki. She previously decided that Mizuki was too mysterious to trust, but still, someone who she didn't need to fear. However, with more exposure to his gentle nature, she found herself making more concessions.
She didn't do anything truly reckless, but she knew that she wasn't treating him with the appropriate caution anymore either. Eventually, when he declared Alto as his friend last night, Ilina even felt a pang of regret, and she realized that was something she'd like as well.
Therefore, when Mizuki offered to tell her everything she wanted to know about him, she jumped at the chance. First, Ilina learned that Mizuki was not Nina's servant. Ilina had to give Mizuki credit for that one. She isn't easily fooled, and the memory of being outwitted is enough to make her smile wryly.
Next, she learned of Mizuki's strength, the scope of which shocked Ilina. She'd always assumed that Mizuki was strong, and someone to avoid as an enemy, but what she heard last night convinced her…he is a force of nature for which there is no countermeasure.
Then, she learned that Mizuki journeyed here from another planet altogether. Ilina resisted the absurdity of that claim at first, but she also knows it to be true when she looks at him honestly. His unique piercing eyes, his strange knowledge and mannerisms, his absurd powers, and his shocking level of warmth towards the other races. Objectively, his claim is no more ridiculous than him.
Still, after questioning him last night, she is convinced that he is good-natured, empathetic, and almost comically direct. He wants a better life for those around him, and when he sees an opportunity to facilitate that, he takes it. His origins or power don't change that about him.
When Mizuki revealed his frustration with their cautious relationship, a sentiment Ilina shared, and he sincerely asked her to be his friend, she was relieved to an extent that confuses her now. Why was she so invested in what he wanted with her? Reflecting on their conversation until that point, she realizes that it wasn't the first time she has perplexed herself with her reactions.
Last night, when she'd remembered what he'd said about her personality being repellent, she'd instinctively wanted to know if he still felt that way. She'd also teased him into praising her cleverness, and she solicited another declaration about his attraction to her. Hearing all his admissions together, and being suspicious of them, she'd even probed him about his lack of romantic interest in her.
Thinking back now, she blames that final decision for the ultimate shift in her perception of Mizuki.
When asked directly, he'd plainly admitted to a romantic interest in Ilina. More shocking to Ilina than the admission, there was the…relief…that she instinctively felt when she heard his admission. She realizes now that the relief was from learning that they were on the same page.
Thus, Ilina is now forced to consider how she truly feels about Mizuki. Him being human had biased such an evaluation until now, given Ilina's growing distaste for humans before meeting him. However, she no longer sees him as human.
To her, he is a unique being on Azura, and her distaste for humans is now irrelevant. So, she has considered what she'd most like their relationship to be, without any limitations, and she has concluded that her inclination isn't strictly platonic.
Ilina is extremely young by high elf standards, so romance was something she placed far into her future. She felt she had plenty of time for such endeavors later, so she wouldn't regret focusing on other interests now.
However, no sooner than she realized her romantic interest in Mizuki, she was confronted with the painful reality that his relative lifespan made their romance a fleeting option that stretched further from her grasp every day.
This was why, when Mizuki revealed Nina's jealousy of her and asked for help in resolving the matter, Ilina admitted her feelings for him plainly and refused to assist him with Nina's jealousy – she doesn't want to abandon him so hastily.
Ilina has decided that his lifespan won't dampen her romantic interest in him. When she considers Nina, she is resistant to being treated like a temporary romance, but she knows that this would also be true of Mizuki in the span of her life.
She hates the idea of giving up on him far more than she hates the idea of being an accessory to Nina. Similarly, she knows that her country won't condone her being with Mizuki, but she doesn't desire their approval.
Putting her romantic feelings for Mizuki aside, Ilina is quite pleased with this new stage in their relationship. She now considers him a friend in the true sense, and she is happy that there will be no distrust or major secrets between them going forward.
It was with that in mind that she invited him to the Elven Kingdom as her guest. She is convinced that her country did nothing to warrant the demons' invading. Even if they are invading out of desperation, her people would be empathetic enough to consider humanitarian alternatives to the war. If Mizuki can be convinced of these points during his visit, Ilina believes he will support the elves no matter the outcome.
Ilina feels a warm sensation wash over her as she remembers Mizuki's oath to work alongside her during his visit to her kingdom. Knowing how much he values her trust and remembering his efforts last night to foster that trust, Ilina can't help but appreciate him even more. Similarly, she's convinced that she doesn't just want to be friends.