"Is there something funny about me?"
"Cough! My apologies. I was just thinking about something happy, so I couldn't help but smile." Alice realized her impropriety. However, she felt it was necessary to try the idea she had just thought of: using a good relationship with Kars as a way to have common ground with Marisa.
"Kars, can you be more intimate with me for a while?"
"Huh? Why?" Kars was confused by this request. She had just said she wanted to be closer to Marisa, so why did she switch to wanting to be close to him?
"Because that way, Marisa will feel that I'm similar to her! By using your presence, I might be able to speed up the development of my relationship with Marisa!" Hearing Alice's plan, Kars realized he was being used as a tool. But this didn't seem like a good idea, did it?
"Alice, I brought the bottle!" Alice heard Marisa's voice and knew she couldn't continue discussing this with Kars.
"Please, Kars! This is my life's request! I will agree to any condition you propose afterward!" After Alice said this, Marisa walked over with the bottle, handed it to Alice, and then watched as the blue, slightly transparent potion was poured into the bottle.
"It looks pretty good. I wonder what the effect will be once I drink it." Marisa took the bottle and observed the potion inside, thinking about whether the effect would be good. After all, this was just an excuse she had made up to fool Alice, and she had no idea what the actual magic-boosting effect would be.
"I'll try it later. Oh, right, Kars, do you want to eat more crackers?" Alice shifted the topic to Kars, worried that Marisa might leave immediately after the potion was finished. So, she asked Kars if he wanted more crackers. This way, she could try her plan as she had intended.
Alice said this while pulling Kars toward the table. Marisa was slightly startled by this and was confused by Alice's sudden increase in intimacy toward Kars.
"If you want to eat anything else, you can tell me. I can prepare it for you. Oh, right, Marisa probably knows best, doesn't she?" Alice said, trying to pull Marisa into the conversation while secretly observing Marisa's reaction. However, she noticed that Marisa's gaze was strange, and her reaction seemed a little different from what she had expected.
"Eh? You're asking me that… I'm not really sure." Marisa shook her head, saying she wasn't sure. Then, she also walked over to Kars and slightly pulled him closer to her. Alice didn't mind this action, but she used it to move closer, significantly shortening the distance between herself and Marisa.
"It's okay if you're not sure. After all, we still have plenty of time to figure this out."
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Marisa felt Alice's words were strange. What did she mean by they had plenty of time to figure it out?
"I mean when we spend time with Kars in the future! I've found that I really like spending time with Kars, too. You feel the same way, right, Marisa?" Alice placed her hands on Kars's shoulders, seemingly gently embracing him, further closing the distance. She looked at Marisa's face, which was very close to hers, and her heart beat a little faster.
"Ah… that's true, but I didn't expect you to suddenly be like this, Alice." Hearing Alice's reply, Marisa began to suspect that something had happened between Kars and Alice when she left to get the bottle. Otherwise, why would she suddenly be like this?
This thought popped into Marisa's mind, and she started wondering what Kars had done. Even though it was the first time he had met Alice, their relationship was already developing like this.
"Marisa?" Seeing Marisa suddenly deep in thought, Alice was a little confused.
"Huh? Sorry, I was just thinking about something. So, Alice, you want to see Kars more often in the future, too?"
"Yes. I feel that spending time like this can make everyday life more interesting. You feel the same way, right, Marisa?" This statement further confirmed Marisa's suspicion that something had happened between them. Otherwise, Alice wouldn't have said this to her.
"Yes, that's right. I just didn't expect you to become so close to Kars so quickly after meeting him for the first time, Alice."
"It's nothing, really. It's just that he's the type that children like." A happy smile appeared on Alice's face, as she felt her plan seemed to be succeeding.
"So, you like children, then." Marisa hadn't expected Alice to like a male like Kars. It was completely unforeseen, and the fact that their relationship had developed so much in such a short time was truly unexpected.
Then, Alice decided to press her advantage. She first pulled Kars to her side and sat him on her lap. After creating a space between herself and Marisa, she moved to sit next to Marisa.
The two were very close, which made Alice even happier. However, Marisa, seeing her hugging Kars, felt a little unhappy. It felt like her most beloved toy had been snatched away by her best friend.
Finally, Marisa couldn't help but suggest leaving.
"Eh? Are you leaving already?" Alice was reluctant to see Marisa go and tried to stall, but Marisa pulled Kars out of Alice's embrace.
"Yes, I still need to take him back, after all." This reason made it difficult for Alice to argue, so she could only nod in agreement.
"Alright then. Marisa, bring Kars to see me next time."
"I will, if I get a chance." Marisa said this and then rushed out of Alice's house with Kars. She rode her broom, carrying Kars away, but she didn't fly toward the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Instead, she flew back to her Kirisame Magic Shop.