Alice outside the door was confused about what Marisa was eating, but she hadn't come here to investigate what the other party was eating; she just wanted to invite her to spend time together.
"Then, Marisa, do you have time now? If you do…"
"Um, not right now. I have a guest here, you see." When Marisa opened the door and walked out, Alice also saw Kars next to her. However, she felt that something was strange about the two of them. Marisa's flushed face and the way her legs were instinctively rubbing against each other felt odd.
"Hello, I'm Alice Margatroid, a friend of Marisa's." Alice then focused her attention on Kars and introduced herself, not paying too much attention to Marisa's state just now. After all, she wouldn't have thought Marisa would do something embarrassing with Kars, who looked like a child.
"Hello, I'm Kars, Kars Scarlet."
Scarlet? I see. So he's from the Mistress of the Scarlet Devil Mansion. That explains why Marisa is connected to that magician named Patchouli. It's undoubtedly through her acquaintance with Kars. And the person Marisa had on her back earlier was him. It seemed their relationship must be quite good, otherwise, Marisa wouldn't have brought him home. Alice quickly surmised the situation in her mind.
"I just borrowed a Compendium of Potion Making, and there are many things inside that I don't recognize, so I wanted Kars to help me identify them and find some substitutes."
"Potions, you say? If it's about ingredients, I can help too." Alice proposed that she also join in to help. Marisa hesitated for a moment but finally agreed. After all, having Alice help with this matter would make things relatively easier.
"Then let's go to your place, Alice!" Marisa knew her home environment wasn't suitable for hosting, so she decided to head to Alice's residence. She then held Kars's hand and set off.
"That's nice." Alice looked at Marisa and Kars holding hands. She had always hoped to experience something like that, but Marisa always acted on her own and would never hold her hand. Now seeing her walking with Kars like this, it was impossible not to feel envious.
Walking beside them, watching Marisa and Kars chatting happily, Alice felt like she couldn't join in, especially hearing Marisa talk about planning to take Kars to visit other places, which made her feel even more yearning.
"He only came to Gensokyo recently, didn't he? They shouldn't have had much contact with each other, so how did their relationship become better than mine and Marisa's?" Alice was very curious about how Kars managed this. At the same time, she wondered if the lack of development in her own relationship was due to some difference between her and Kars.
"Or is it because Marisa is interested in this type?" Thinking back to how Marisa was flushed and panting when she came out earlier, it now felt quite suggestive. And if what she suspected was true…
Alice's mood became anxious. If something like that were to really happen, wouldn't this Kars be her romantic rival?
"Alice, what's wrong? You keep staring at Kars, and your expression is a little strange." Marisa's voice brought Alice back. She realized her behavior had been too obvious. After all, the impact of this realization was quite significant for her, and she hadn't managed to control herself for a moment.
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about something, and I lost my composure." Alice apologized. However, Kars still felt uncomfortable with Alice's gaze on him. He instinctively moved closer to Marisa to shield himself from Alice's gaze.
Marisa looked at the two of them confusedly, but she instinctively wrapped her arm around Kars. This intimate gesture made Alice's pupils constrict, and her internal worry intensified significantly.
They soon arrived at the Western-style house where Alice lived. Kars was immediately drawn to the large number of exquisite dolls displayed inside.
"This is the first time I've seen such beautiful dolls." With their beautiful outfits and delicate faces, if it weren't for the visible doll joints, one might mistake them for people.
"Right! The dolls Alice makes are amazing, aren't they! My reaction was the same as yours when I first saw them." Seeing Kars's reaction to the dolls, Marisa also spoke about her initial reaction. Then, Kars watched Alice control the dolls as if they were her own limbs. The dolls served tea, poured water, and placed snacks on the table, a sight that further impressed him.
"You're really amazing, Alice." Alice, facing Kars's somewhat admiring gaze, couldn't feel happy. Instead, she felt envious and impressed that Kars could have such a relationship with Marisa so quickly. After all, she had only ever seen Marisa engage in such physically close interactions with him.
While it was possible that Marisa simply liked Kars's type, it didn't mean Kars lacked social skills. Otherwise, Marisa wouldn't have made that subconscious gesture of care if it were just a simple crush. Alice even watched Marisa sit down and immediately choose to hug Kars, letting him sit on her lap—a truly enviable intimate relationship.