María frowned, somewhat confused by Hugo's question.

“What do you mean?” she asked uncertainly.

Hugo smiled calmly before explaining.

“What you just made isn’t just any ring. Now that you have one, you need to maintain it. You'll have to meditate at least once a week to strengthen it and keep its structure intact. If you don’t, the ring might break… and that could harm you severely.”

María blinked, stunned, as her heart began to race again, this time from fear.

“Harm me severely…?” María repeated, her voice trembling.

Hugo nodded solemnly.

“Yes, uncontrolled mana could damage your internal organs, and in extreme cases, it could even kill you.”

María felt the blood drain from her face.

Her eyes instinctively darted to Aria, seeking an explanation or some sort of comfort.

‘How could you not tell me something this important?!’ María screamed internally, worry swelling in her chest.

Hugo, seeing the panic on her face, burst into laughter.

“Relax, relax,” he said through his laughter. “It’s not that hard. At least with the first few rings, maintaining them isn’t tedious or difficult. I can teach you how to do it, no problem.”

María let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, though her mind was still spinning from the initial shock.

But some relief began to seep in.

‘At least I’m not completely alone in this,’ María thought. Still, the fear lingered in the back of her mind.

Hugo stepped closer, his smile more relaxed.

“Congrats on your first ring, María,” he said with a small nod.

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María, completely caught off guard by his words, felt her cheeks heat up instantly.

She hadn’t expected a compliment from Hugo, especially not for something that only moments ago had seemed impossible to her.

“Uh… thanks,” María mumbled, her face flushing with embarrassment.

But Hugo didn’t take long to burst her bubble of pride.

“Don’t let it go to your head, though,” he added with a teasing grin. “You’ve still got a long way to go. This is just the beginning.”

María nodded, still a little flustered, but she knew he was right.

The journey was just starting, and now she understood there was much more to learn.

Hugo, shifting his attention to Aria, asked:

“And you, Aria? Have you managed to create your first ring?”

Aria shook her head, showing little emotion.

“I haven’t been able to. I’m stuck because it keeps telling me I need key 04. Even though I’ve tried several times, I can’t get past that.”

Hugo let out a deep sigh, clearly irritated.

“Seriously, I’ve never heard of anything like this before. It’s the first time I’ve heard of a ‘key’ to create a ring. I’ll have to look into it more deeply.”

Hugo rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

Aria watched him with her usual calm, though María noticed a flicker of frustration in her eyes, making her wonder how much that limitation must bother Aria.

After a few seconds of reflection, Hugo lowered his hand from his chin and pointed at the dirty dishes on the table.

“So?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you done eating?”

María, still basking in the satisfaction of having created her first ring and Hugo’s unexpected compliment, nodded.

“Yes, we’re done.”

Hugo wasted no time bringing her back to reality.

“Then what are you waiting for?” he said, almost like an order. “You’ve got to wash the dishes!”

The excitement that had been building up in María instantly deflated.

She felt a bit foolish for getting so excited about Hugo’s praise, only to be treated like a mere servant moments later.

With a disappointed expression, María gathered the dirty dishes from the table without a word and headed to the sink to wash them.

As María busied herself with the task, Hugo turned his attention to Aria, leaning slightly toward her with a curious air.

“Tell me, Aria,” he began casually, “wouldn’t you like to have a new maid?”

Aria looked at him, blinking once before answering coldly.

“No.”

The immediate response clearly surprised Hugo, who raised his eyebrows slightly as he watched her.

“Why not?” he insisted, intrigued.

“I already have María,” Aria replied without flinching, as if the matter required no further explanation.

Hugo snorted and looked at her skeptically.

“I’ve got very reliable contacts. I could get you a much better maid than María, someone with more experience and skills,” he suggested, trying to persuade her.

“I don’t care,” was Aria’s cold and firm response, showing not the slightest hint of interest in the offer.

Hugo ground his teeth, clearly frustrated by the girl’s resistance.

‘Poor girl… wasting her talent working as a maid… if only she knew and accepted how great her potential is…’ Hugo thought as he glanced at María.