"But I can't help you with that, I'm afraid. You'll have to try hard on your own, okay?" Yukari, however, did not agree to help. Not only did the entire affair seem like a mere child's game, but she wasn't about to agree to let Ran marry a child, even a very old one.
"Huh?" Kars looked at Yukari, who was offering a gesture of encouragement but had no intention of interfering. After all that talk, you won't help at all?
"That is too soon for you. It's not too late to think about it once you've grown up. Oh, by the way, this is Chen. You two could go play together." Ran introduced Chen standing next to her. Ran rarely found playmates of Chen's age, and Kars seemed like he might get along with her, which would be good for Chen to socialize more.
Kars's gaze shifted to Chen, who was constantly clinging to Ran's side. Noticing her cat ears and two tails, he surmised her identity.
"I'm not interested in little kids." His goal was to find a wife, not to play games with children like her.
Chen was immediately offended. Look who's talking! You're a child yourself!
"You're one too! What gives you the right to say that about me! If anything, you're even younger than me!" Chen puffed out her chest, trying to intimidate Kars, but Kars only gave her a look of contempt.
That's it? She's even smaller than my little aunts. She thinks that's enough to impress me?
"Hmph. While I may be young in years, my mind is mature. You are simply not comparable to me. And in a little while, my body will return to its adult form. At that point, you'll barely reach my knee."
"You are quite mature mentally, indeed. Most children your age are only thinking about playing, and you're already focused on marriage." Yukari, who was still paying attention to Kars, nodded in agreement.
"See? So, I am a mature adult, and you are not." Kars shot a smug look at Chen. A mere little kitten daring to compare herself to him—how presumptuous.
"Lady Ran!" Chen felt wronged and hugged Ran's leg, giving her a tearful, pitiable look, as if she had been severely bullied.
"Now, now. You two should try to get along. You shouldn't quarrel over such trivial matters." Ran comforted Chen, hoping the two children could have a friendly interaction. It would be a shame if they ruined things over a silly argument.
"See? That's why she's a child." Kars sighed, looking at Chen's reaction, which earned him a fierce glare from her. However, Chen couldn't articulate a rebuttal and could only glare, trying to convey her feelings through her stare.
"Staring at me won't change anything. Fine, since Sister Ran asked us to get along, I'll condescendingly agree to interact with you. Come on, I'll take you to the cake table. Though, considering you're a cat, maybe I should take you to the fish?"
"I want cake!" Chen immediately replied. Then, feeling she might have accepted his offer too quickly, she let out a small Hmph and turned her head away, trying to look disinterested.
"Then let's go." Kars ignored Chen's display. It wasn't worth paying attention to. He simply took Chen's hand and led her toward the area where Cirno and the Great Fairy were.
Chen didn't resist Kars holding her hand, silently following him. Seeing this, Ran smiled, happy that Chen had found a new friend.
"Cirno, Great Fairy, this is Chen." Kars introduced Chen after arriving at the table.
"Oh, we know her. From Keine-sensei's class." Cirno quickly noted that she and the Great Fairy were already acquainted with Chen, though they weren't close friends.
"Oh, that saves a lot of time. Go get whatever you want to eat." Following Kars's instruction, Chen looked at the table, which was much higher than she was. She couldn't reach anything, and jumping onto the table would be impolite.
Noticing her difficulty, Kars didn't say anything. He simply flew up, retrieved a plate of strawberry cake from the table, and handed it to Chen.
"Th-thank you." Chen took the plate from Kars and finally said thank you before starting to eat the strawberry cake. However, seeing everyone else eating but Kars not touching a thing, Chen couldn't help but ask.
"Aren't you going to eat something?"
"Me? It doesn't matter if I eat or not. If I want to eat, I can just ask Sakuya to make it for me anytime. I can have as much as I want. Besides, my mission at this banquet isn't to eat." His goal was to find a wife. Eating was optional. So far, the only acceptable candidate was Ran Yakumo, and everyone else fell short of his standards.
"You can eat as much as you want?! That… that is a life I envy so much!" Yuyuko, who had just wandered over, heard Kars's words and looked immediately envious. That was the life she wanted! Unfortunately, the finances of Hakugyokurou couldn't support such extravagant daily eating.
Kars glanced at Yuyuko. She hadn't stopped eating since she arrived. Her appetite was simply staggering.
"Hey, you proposed to Ran just now, right? If I help you, will you buy me meals forever?" Yuyuko looked at Kars with eager anticipation, seemingly hoping to secure a lifetime of free, plentiful food.
"No, I won't." Kars immediately rejected the condition. Buying food for this perpetual eater every single day? He'd have to be crazy to agree. Did she really think she could trick him like he was a little kid?
"Eh? Won't you consider it? I'm very close with Yukari! I can definitely help with this!"
"That's enough, Lady Yuyuko! Let's go somewhere else!" Youmu Konpaku had seen enough. She grabbed Yuyuko and pulled her away from the table before her mistress could say anything else utterly bizarre.