(2/5)
Seeing Nagi fall silent, Ren didn't press her further. Instead, he stepped aside, giving her space to think.
"Nagi, this is something you need to decide for yourself."
Maria didn't urge her either. Instead, she turned to Ren.
"Mr. Amamiya, may I have a word with you?"
"Of course."
The two didn't move far, simply standing a short distance away from Nagi.
"How much do you know about Miss Yukariko ?" Maria asked.
"Not much," Ren replied casually.
Maria gave him a sharp look.
"I know she made a wish for her daughter at the Royal Garden, with the aid of the imperial family," Ren continued.
"When she needs help, she calls out the name of the person she's most connected to, and he will come to her, whether from the past or the future."
"She made this wish at the cost of everything she had left."
"But Sanzenin Yukariko was someone favored by fate."
"As far as I know, while her body perished, her soul never entered the cycle of reincarnation."
"In fact, I recall that she appeared in Nagi's future though not in her original form."
Maria stiffened.
This… didn't sound like someone who "didn't know much" at all.
If anything, Ren seemed to have too much information.
More importantly, Yukariko had sacrificed everything for Nagi.
The price of her wish had been enormous.
But what truly shocked Maria was Ren's claim that Yukariko wasn't completely gone.
"Are you saying… Miss Yukariko isn't really dead?"
"In a way, yes."
"This likely has to do with Yukariko's unique circumstances."
Sanzenin Yukariko was an extraordinary person.
Her life had been shaped by an unusual mix of luck and fate.
Every bit of fortune she had accumulated in the past had converged into this single moment, allowing her to escape total erasure.
But in return, fate had abandoned her entirely.
The fact that she still appeared in future events meant one thing:
Sanzenin Yukariko's soul still existed.
Whether as a lingering presence or something else entirely, she had not completely vanished.
"That being said, meeting Yukariko through normal means should be impossible."
Maria exhaled softly, processing the information.
So that was it.
Miss Yukariko wasn't truly gone, but her physical body had been lost.
If Nagi wanted her back, the price would undoubtedly be steep.
Maria shifted topics.
"About that diary…"
"Do you think there's a way to resist its temptation?"
Ren nodded without hesitation.
"Yes."
"How?"
"Give up unnecessary desires."
"Simply accumulate the diary's rewards, starting small and working up."
"As long as you don't let the diary influence you, you won't be tempted."
Maria rubbed her temples.
That sounded easy in theory.
But the real question was could Nagi actually do it?
From what Maria knew… probably not.
She sighed.
"Even if the diary's temptation can be resisted… Nagi won't be able to."
"If Miss Yukariko really comes back, Nagi won't be able to bear losing her again."
"And to prevent that, she'll keep relying on the diary."
Ren already understood this.
"That's why the diary functions as bait."
"It dangles rewards in front of its holders."
"If they want something badly enough, they will willingly entwine their fate with mine."
"That is the price of possessing a diary."
"Besides… this isn't just theory. It's something I've tested myself."
Maria's expression turned serious.
"You've tested it?"
"Yes. The diary's rewards are influenced by the holder's own desires."
"A stronger desire will shape the type of reward granted."
"If someone wants to maximize their benefits, they need to study my diary carefully."
"As for other mechanics… I haven't fully explored them yet."
Maria absorbed his explanation.
So the diary wasn't just handing out random rewards, it was tailored to the user's subconscious needs.
That meant that as long as Nagi continued using it, she would get what she wanted.
And that…
That was something Nagi would never be able to resist.
Maria hesitated before speaking again.
"And about this whole 'intertwining of fate'…"
She cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Nagi is only thirteen… isn't that too soon?"
"…"
Ren stared at her, clearly caught off guard.
"Miss Maria," he said flatly, "I wasn't talking about that kind of relationship."
Maria coughed, suddenly feeling embarrassed.
"Oh… I see."
"What I meant," Ren continued, "was that as Nagi and I interact more, our fates will naturally become more connected."
"As time goes on, that connection may deepen."
"But that doesn't mean we're destined to have that kind of relationship."
Maria let out an awkward chuckle.
"Right. That makes sense."
Honestly, she had jumped to conclusions.
For a moment, she had imagined something far more… inappropriate.
But now she understood what Ren meant.
It was about proximity and influence.
Not romance.
"But," Maria pointed out, "it could turn into that kind of relationship."
"It's not guaranteed to, though," Ren replied.
"Also, there's another layer to this 'intertwining of fate' I mentioned."
"As diary holders continue using the diary, they will inevitably grow more dependent on me."
"My choices, my actions… will start to affect them directly."
Maria finally understood.
This was about more than just influence.
It was about entanglement.
The moment Nagi accepted the diary's power, leaving Ren's orbit would become nearly impossible.
In the end, that was the true cost.
And the worst part?
It was entirely voluntary.
The diary never forced its holders to stay.
But once they were drawn in, escaping became nearly impossible.
Maria sighed.
This was a problem she had been considering from the start.
And now that Nagi had made her decision, she would have to live with the consequences.
If, someday, this connection evolved into something deeper.
She could only accept it.