Kars felt relieved despite the look of worry on Kamishirasawa Keine's face. As long as he didn't agree, these problems wouldn't trouble him. But what was Little Auntie's opinion, since she had Sakuya bring Keine here?
Kars looked toward Sakuya.
"The Mistress remains neutral in this matter. Everything depends entirely on Young Master Kars's decision." Sakuya, who had been observing Kars, immediately explained Remilia's stance when he looked at her.
"I see. Then, Teacher Keine, you should know my answer by now. In my opinion, the knowledge you teach me is not useful to me, nor is it what I'm looking for." Having understood the situation, Kars explained his position to Keine, hoping she would understand and drop the matter.
"Then what is it that you want to learn, Kars?" Keine wanted to know. If Kars's desired subjects were within her knowledge, the situation could be easily resolved.
"Just magic, for starters—the Seven-Element magic. Only Patchouli understands that kind of knowledge, and you won't know it, Teacher. Beyond that, I want to learn knowledge and experience related to interacting with girls."
Hearing Kars, Keine thought the gap between the two subjects was unusually wide. The former was a legitimate subject, but the latter was completely off the rails!
"Why are you thinking about girls at your age!" Keine felt a headache coming on. Of all the yokai she had met, none of them were preoccupied with such matters at such a young age.
"Teacher Keine, you must understand that I am the sole male heir of my family! My mother told me that the responsibility for the family's prosperity rests entirely on my shoulders, so I must work hard! Don't let my current appearance as a child fool you; it's only because I've used up too much power. After I soak up enough sun, I will turn into an adult!"
Soak up enough sun? But you're a vampire! You're not a plant! Growing up through photosynthesis makes absolutely no sense for you!
"And that is the main reason I came to Gensokyo—to find a suitable wife. It's just proving to be very difficult." Bringing up the topic made Kars sigh. He felt deeply saddened by the lack of progress in his quest.
However, Keine saw a good angle for an approach.
"Kars, have you ever considered why you haven't been able to find someone?"
"Huh? Is there a reason? What could be the cause of this failure?" Kars was instantly intrigued. This response gave Keine a foothold in the negotiation. Patchouli, observing the exchange, remained silent.
"It's because your behavior and personality give off an air of immaturity."
"Immaturity? So, how does one appear mature?" Kars pondered the word and asked Keine how to achieve a mature appearance.
"You need to become smart through studying! By learning all sorts of knowledge, expanding your awareness, and broadening your knowledge base, a person naturally undergoes a significant change. That is an excellent method."
"Oh? Is that true? But Patchouli can teach me that, right?" Kars suggested that Patchouli could help him if that was the solution.
"But she can only teach you magic, and that only makes you stronger; it won't completely change your mindset and inner self."
Hearing Keine, Kars looked at Patchouli, who remained silent, indicating Keine was likely correct. This made Kars somewhat tempted. However, the thought of Keine's teaching style instantly extinguished that temptation. It was simply unbearable.
"But Teacher Keine, your lectures are so boring! They're not interesting at all."
"Interesting doesn't necessarily mean you'll learn knowledge." This was Keine's firm belief, one she wouldn't compromise on. This rigidity was precisely why only Cirno and the others attended her class, and even they were largely forced to go.
"That's exactly why I don't want to go," Kars muttered.
"In short, Teacher Keine, what you've proposed gives me no desire to agree. I apologize." This outcome was undoubtedly disappointing for Keine. Clearly, she couldn't persuade Kars now.
"Well… alright then. I should take my leave." Keine bid farewell, feeling deeply disheartened. Kars looked at her expression and felt a pang of guilt, but he didn't change his mind.
"He didn't agree?" Remilia merely nodded after Sakuya reported the situation.
"But is Kars really that opposed to listening to Teacher Kamishirasawa's class?"
"Yes. Young Master Kars stated that Teacher Kamishirasawa's classes were extremely boring and uninteresting, which is why he is so unwilling."
"I wonder how boring they could be…" Remilia tried to imagine what Keine's class was like.
"Speaking of which, tonight is a full moon. Have Kars join me for moon-viewing. It's been a long time since we sat together to drink tea and watch the moon."
"Yes." Sakuya replied, then informed Kars of the arrangement, telling him to prepare for the evening rather than going straight to sleep.
"Huh? Moon-viewing? I understand." Kars didn't really appreciate moon-viewing, but since his Little Auntie asked, he couldn't refuse.
That night, Kars arrived at the garden. Remilia was already seated, sipping tea and enjoying the starry sky and the bright moon, looking very relaxed. Flandre was running around the garden; there was no way she would sit still and watch the moon.
"Sit down. You should learn to enjoy this kind of life sometimes. After all, this is the normal lifestyle of a vampire."
"Little Auntie, I can't get used to it, as you know. Especially since my powers are connected to the sun. But Little Auntie, do you think the reason I can't find a wife is that I'm not mature enough?" Kars had seriously considered Kamishirasawa Keine's comment, wanting to know if that was truly the reason, especially since he himself preferred mature older women.