After Youmu Konpaku rescued her half-phantom from Yuyuko's mouth, the spirit hid behind her, trembling. It was yet another near-death experience for the poor thing.
"Lady Yuyuko, please try to behave a little more properly." Youmu felt Remilia's gaze on them growing even more peculiar, so she pleaded with Yuyuko to stop doing anything else attention-grabbing.
"I know, I know~" Yuyuko nodded in agreement, then immediately grabbed a new plate of food and continued eating.
What is that thing? How can she eat so much? And when did she get here? Kars was astonished by Yuyuko's incredible appetite and speed. However, he quickly wondered about her entrance, and the answer soon arrived.
A gap, filled with eyes and adorned with two ribbons at the edges, appeared in the hall. From it, Yukari Yakumo, followed by Ran Yakumo and Chen, stepped out and came into view.
"Welcome, all three of you, to the Scarlet Devil Mansion's banquet." Remilia looked at the leading Yukari with a knot in her stomach.
She had initially underestimated the strength of the yokai in Gensokyo, but upon seeing Yukari, she realized her earlier assumption had been far too naive.
"Not at all. We must thank Mistress Remilia for her kind invitation. It is rare to attend such a lavish banquet." Yukari smiled, fanning herself, as she replied to Remilia.
"Then I hope you enjoy the banquet."
Their conversation didn't last long. Yukari soon walked over to Yuyuko, seemingly unfazed by her friend's aggressive eating.
Meanwhile, Ran Yakumo was quietly helping Chen choose some dishes when a small figure approached her.
"A child?" Ran looked at Kars, who was roughly the same height as Chen, curious as to why he approached her. She didn't act aloof toward the child, instead offering him a reassuring, maternal smile.
"Is there something I can help you with?"
"Could you marry me, beautiful sister?" Kars didn't hesitate to state his purpose. He found that Ran completely met the standards he had set—her appearance, temperament, and even her current smile were exactly what he wanted. Since he had found a suitable target, he should immediately go for it.
"Eh?" Ran, utterly unprepared, was momentarily stunned by Kars's sudden proposal. She had not expected to be proposed to by a small child.
"Oh my~ This is quite an unexpected development. Ran, your charm is truly significant, managing to get a marriage proposal from a little boy." This amusing scene brought a playful smile to Yukari's face as she observed Kars standing before Ran.
"But little brother, isn't it a bit too early to be thinking about a wife? How old are you?"
"I'm one hundred and fifty years old, and I'll grow back up in a little while!"
One hundred and fifty? That truly was young, even much younger than Chen. A child that young already thinking about marriage was genuinely amusing.
This Kars… Remilia couldn't believe Kars's method—running straight up to a stranger and proposing marriage. This was incredibly reckless! How could that possibly succeed? What if he angered the other party?
After observing Ran's expression and sensing no displeasure from her regarding Kars's behavior, Remilia relaxed slightly.
"Remi, is this okay?" Patchouli, somewhat worried, approached Remilia and asked. She hadn't expected Kars to approach someone as powerful as Ran Yakumo and say such a thing. That boy really had the nerve…
"It should be fine. She probably just sees Kars's actions as a child's playful antics. But once this banquet is over, I am definitely going to teach that brat a lesson!" Remilia shot a fierce glance at Kars, making him shiver instinctively, wondering why he suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
"I might have to disappoint you, but I can't accept that." Ran finally replied. This wasn't something she needed to deliberate over. She couldn't possibly harbor romantic feelings for such a small child. Furthermore, a one-hundred-year-old child already thinking about marriage—she really didn't know what to say.
"Ran, directly rejecting a child's naive, innocent proposal like that might break his little heart, you know." Seeing Yukari enjoying the spectacle, Ran gave her a helpless look, then turned back to Kars. However, Kars didn't show the heartbreaking devastation Yukari suggested. Aside from a slightly disappointed look, he showed no other strong emotion.
"I see, I failed again."
"'Again'? It seems, little brother, you are quite experienced in this matter. Have you proposed to many girls? That's quite the playboy move." Kars looked at Yukari and answered her question.
"No, I only went on blind dates before. But they all rejected me because of one of my habits."
"Would you mind sharing what that reason was, sweetie?"
"I love to sunbathe. I even took the vampire girls I dated to watch the sun rise, and they all rejected me afterward."
Yukari was silent for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"You truly are an interesting little fellow."
"So, beautiful older sister, could you possibly help me?" Kars noticed Yukari held the most authority among them and, given her earlier reaction, thought he might be able to get a little assistance from her.
"Calling me a beautiful older sister? Your little mouth is very sweet. Your sister here likes honest children like you." Being addressed so sweetly delighted Yukari, and she reached out to gently knead Kars's cheek, causing Reimu nearby to roll her eyes.
That shameless old woman.