Starting With The Sefirah Castle In The Anime World

"Haah…"

Maria woke up later than usual that morning, something quite rare for her.

Her mind felt foggy, her body sluggish.

The horrific scenes from the night before still haunted her. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the cruel, inhumane experiments the drug dealers had conducted. The images lingered, vivid and inescapable.

She hadn't managed to fall asleep until she was completely exhausted, and even then, her sleep had been restless and fragmented.

Maria turned her head slightly and glanced at the futon beside her.

Nagi lay there, still asleep. Although her brows were knitted with unease, the presence of Isumi beside her seemed to provide some measure of comfort.

Mr. Amamiya was right…

Yesterday was too overwhelming for everyone.

"Grrr~~~"

A low, involuntary growl came from her stomach.

Maria placed a hand on her abdomen, her cheeks coloring slightly.

She had vomited everything she'd eaten the previous afternoon. And when dinner came around, the nausea had been so intense that she hadn't managed a single bite.

Now, with the morning light streaming through the windows, hunger gnawed at her insides.

Carefully, she got up from beneath the covers and slipped into a windproof yukata. She adjusted the hem, tiptoed toward the door, and quietly left the room.

The hallway felt cold against her skin as she made her way toward the kitchen.

As she passed through the main hall, she stopped in surprise.

Mr. Amamiya…?

There he was, sitting at the dining table, eating breakfast. And in front of him, spread across the table, were the untouched dishes from the previous night.

Before she could greet him, her stomach betrayed her once more.

"Grrr~~~"

The sound echoed faintly through the room.

Ren turned toward her, just in time to see Maria's face flush with embarrassment as she covered her stomach with both hands.

"You didn't eat dinner, and you threw up everything from earlier," he said matter-of-factly. "It's perfectly normal to feel this hungry."

He gestured to the food.

"Come on, sit down and eat. It's all leftovers from yesterday, but it's better than nothing right now."

Maria hesitated.

The dizziness and faint blurriness in her vision told her that her blood sugar was dangerously low. She could feel the weakness in her limbs, the slight tremor in her hands.

He's right…

There was no time for pride or pretense.

Nodding, she shuffled toward the table, nearly tripping over herself in her hurry. She slid into the chair across from Ren.

A steaming bowl of rice appeared in front of her.

"Thank you," she mumbled, barely registering the words before digging in.

Hunger erased all thought of table manners.

Maria shoveled rice into her mouth and then reached for the vegetables, picking up crisp lettuce, tender bamboo shoots, and leafy greens with her chopsticks and combining them with mouthfuls of fragrant rice.

The flavors were simple, but in her current state, every bite tasted like heaven.

An old grandmother would probably say this is what it means to appreciate your blessings…

Ren watched her eat without comment.

Given that Maria had gone nearly a full day without food, her appetite was understandable.

In minutes, the rice bowl was empty.

The pallor that had drained her face earlier was gone, replaced by a faint rosy hue.

"Burp~"

The unexpected sound caught Maria off guard.

Her eyes went wide, and she clamped a hand over her mouth.

Before the blush could fully rise to her cheeks, a cup of warm water appeared in front of her.

Maria accepted it with both hands and drank deeply.

The warmth eased the tightness in her chest, suppressing the urge to burp again.

"…Thank you," she said softly, setting the empty cup down.

"No problem."

An awkward silence followed.

It took Maria a few moments to regain her composure.

When she finally spoke again, her voice was steadier.

"Mr. Amamiya, you're up early today."

"I woke up to check the situation around the hotel," he replied, leaning back slightly. "And I was hungry, so I figured I'd have breakfast."

His tone was light, as though he were discussing the weather.

Maria smiled faintly.

"And Sanzenin? Still asleep?"

"Yeah. Yesterday was a lot for her to handle."

Maria sighed. "I suppose it was inevitable."

Nagi had been through a kidnapping because of her family's inheritance. Though her sheltered life had spared her from much of the world's darkness, the trauma of that experience still lingered.

"This experience might have been terrifying," Ren said, "but it's not necessarily a bad thing."

Maria immediately understood what he meant.

The world wasn't as safe as Nagi sometimes imagined. Being exposed to its harsh realities might serve as a wake-up call.

The people who went after her inheritance won't always play nice.

The world is full of desperate people.

And Nagi needed to understand that reality. She needed to grasp the dangers that lurked beyond her sheltered world and develop a sense of caution to protect herself.

"That child's been forcing herself from the very beginning," Maria said softly.

"I've noticed," Ren replied.

He was well aware of Nagi's personality.

Tsundere. Stubborn. Strong-willed.

Even when terrified, she pushed herself to stay composed. She might be scared out of her mind, but she'd never let it show easily.

"She forced herself to get the method to revive her mother from the diary."

He paused. "What do you think, Ms. Maria?"

Maria fell silent for a moment, then chuckled lightly.

"With the right motivation, she'll figure it out."

She sighed and shook her head.

"I've probably coddled her too much all these years. She's grown completely dependent on me."

"That, and her identity constantly makes her a target for kidnappers."

She ran a hand through her hair. "That's why she hates going outside."

Ren didn't respond right away.

Avoiding the world out of fear…

It was understandable. Anyone who had been kidnapped multiple times as a child would naturally feel apprehensive about stepping beyond their comfort zone.

But prolonged isolation was dangerous in its own right.

If Nagi stays like that for too long, she'll become an internet shut-in.

Maria had shared the same concern in the past. But now, seeing Nagi's involvement with the diary and her new determination to bring her mother back… she wondered if it might actually be a blessing in disguise.

The mysteries might be frightening, but they've given her a purpose.

Now Nagi had a reason to push herself beyond her comfortable bubble.

The only person who could save Shiko Sanzenin was Nagi herself.

No one else could do it for her.

Maria took a deep breath and bowed slightly toward Ren.

"Mr. Amamiya, I need to thank you for the changes you've brought to Nagi."

Ren shook his head.

"This is her own doing," he said firmly.

"I only told her that her mother wasn't truly gone, but that saving her would depend entirely on her own efforts."

He leaned back slightly in his chair.

"The diary reacts to people's desires. It offers a path toward their goals but it doesn't grant miracles."

"If Nagi truly wants to bring her mother back, she has to work for it."

Maria's eyes softened.

He's right.

Ren looked at her.

"And you're part of that goal, too."

Maria blinked in surprise. "Me?"

He gave a faint nod.

"Nagi doesn't want to lose you. She's pushing herself to grow so that she can stay by your side."

Maria's lips parted slightly, but no words came out at first.

Then she smiled.

A genuine, relieved smile.

"For the longest time, I thought she could only grow if I left her."

She let out a soft laugh.

"But maybe… if she knows what lies ahead, she'll grow without me needing to disappear."

Her gaze shifted toward the room where Nagi was still sleeping.

"And if that's the case…"

Maria smiled again, this time with quiet determination.

"…then I guess I won't be going anywhere."

She had said the words casually, almost offhandedly.

But the warmth in her voice made it clear:

She never truly wanted to leave Nagi in the first place.

***

Bonus for 800 PS next bonus at 1000 PS

For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 20+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.