"I am truly sorry about last night." A recovered Kamishirasawa Keine apologized to Sakuya and Kars, who was nestled in her arms. She felt particularly embarrassed recalling her actions at the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Kars, who had been forced to stay up all night doing homework, looked completely burnt out. Although students who broke the rules were usually punished, it was typically just a headbutt—not the kind of torture Kars endured yesterday.
"We'll take our leave now." Sakuya just wanted to take Kars home to rest. She wondered if this incident would have any lasting effect on him.
Sakuya quickly brought Kars back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Remilia looked at the two who had finally returned, especially Kars in Sakuya's arms, and wondered what exactly he had gone through.
"Kars was forced to do homework all night?"
"Yes. Young Master Kars initially intended to simply ride it out, but he eventually found it too grueling and decided to try to finish it quickly. In the end, he was still up all night." After Sakuya put Kars in his room, she explained the details. Remilia's expression became complicated upon hearing that Kars couldn't even finish one assignment.
"Kars hasn't had any systematic education, has he? As a Scarlett, he absolutely cannot fail to grasp this kind of basic knowledge. If this gets out, people will laugh at us." Hearing the result, Remilia realized Kars's educational deficiency. She wanted Kars to be excellent in all aspects, as that was necessary for the Scarlett family to prosper in the future.
"What did you think of Teacher Kamishirasawa's teaching, Sakuya?"
"It was very boring, but he was certainly learning things. However, that style of teaching couldn't hold the interest of a child like Young Master Kars, which is why he struggled so much, even though he tried very hard." Sakuya recalled Kars's frustrated expression from the night before, feeling sympathetic.
"I see. If he can learn things, then I think Kars should continue to attend the school."
"But Mistress, Young Master Kars is likely to be very resistant." Sakuya believed this decision would provoke a strong reaction from Kars, especially after last night. This would be the peak of his resistance. Sakuya thought her Mistress was rushing things too much.
"I will talk to Kars about this myself." Remilia understood the situation, but she wasn't planning to use coercion. She preferred to talk things through with Kars and eventually get him to agree. If he truly refused, she would let it go, but she still hoped Kars could grow into an excellent vampire.
"Don't… don't come closer… homework… agh…" Hearing Kars muttering in his sleep, Remilia walked over and stroked his sleeping face. Her gentle touch eased his troubled expression, and he finally settled into a peaceful sleep.
"It seems this has indeed left a strong psychological impact on him. If I don't handle this carefully, I might not succeed." Remilia continued stroking Kars, considering the best course of action. After a while, she and Sakuya left the room to discuss the problem further.
Kars finally woke up in the evening. His mental state had largely recovered, but he still felt a little worn out, a consequence of the severe mental exhaustion from the night before.
"Did I sleep until evening?" Kars rubbed his head, seeing the sunset through the window, and realized how long he had slept. Feeling hungry, he got out of bed and left the room to find Sakuya.
"Kars, you're awake. I have something I want to talk to you about." In the living room, Remilia saw Kars and decided to initiate a conversation to gauge his resistance to attending the Terakoya.
"What is it?" Seeing Remilia's serious expression, Kars subconsciously assumed it was something important.
"Well, it's about you attending the Terakoya. I think since you haven't had any formal education, supplementing your knowledge in various areas is a good idea for you… Huh?!" Before she could finish, Remilia watched Kars immediately turn and run, disappearing before she could even call out to him. Clearly, Kars now had a massive psychological fear of the Terakoya.
"Sigh, it looks like I need to take a step back." This reaction made Remilia clearly understand Kars's attitude towards the school. Anything she said now would be useless; she would have to wait a while before trying again.
Kars, having fled the living room, ran into the Great Library and found Patchouli. Without a word, he dove into her lap, burying his head in her chest, trembling slightly.
"What's wrong?" Koakuma saw the scene and was curious. This was the first time she had seen Kars look so scared.
"He's probably been frightened by something. There, there, it's alright." Patchouli gently patted Kars's back to soothe his emotions. When Kars finally looked up at her, she asked,
"What in the world happened? You look so frightened."
"Little Auntie… she wants me to go to the Terakoya! I… I never want to go to that kind of class again! And that homework was absolutely terrifying! Patchouli! You have to help me!" Kars pleaded pitifully to Patchouli. She was the only one in the Scarlet Devil Mansion who could truly help him, which was why he ran straight to her for help.
"Isn't your education sufficient with Patchouli? There's no need to go to that Terakoya, right?"
"I see. I have a rough idea of what Remilia is thinking." As Remilia's friend, Patchouli could guess some of her intentions—she likely wanted Kars to accumulate sufficient knowledge and become more competent.
Truthfully, Patchouli agreed with the sentiment; she also wished for Kars to have a bright future. However, seeing Kars's current distraught state softened her resolve.