It wasn't the first time a banquet was held at the Hakurei Shrine; the moment the excited girls arrived, they fell into their familiar routines, setting up for the feast—some laying out mats, others arranging drinks, one singing, another dancing. Even Lin Luo, under constant pressure from Youmu, had to bring out large quantities of food and wine from his storage space, which conveniently saved everyone the trouble of preparing side dishes and sped up the party's commencement.

It was spring, the cherry blossoms blooming riotously. To drink and chat while admiring the pink petals drifting on the breeze in this beautiful, romantic season was undoubtedly a pleasure for body and soul. Even the most combative among them calmed down in this atmosphere, smiling and savoring the warmth, as if the shocking, all-out war from before had never happened.

“Ah, Gensokyo is peaceful again today,” Reimu murmured, leaning back under a cherry tree, a smile playing on her lips as she took a sip. In that moment, she truly looked like the shrine maiden guarding the peace.

Yet, Lin Luo desperately wanted to retort. While the warm, quiet atmosphere of the banquet was delightful and refined the spirit, one couldn't simply ignore the recent war while enjoying this moment of ease... Peaceful today, perhaps, but she should wait until tomorrow to say that!

“Please, just this once, consider it helping me out.” A pleading voice drifted from not far away. Lin Luo instinctively turned and saw Alice sitting before Shinku, seemingly making a demand, though Shinku’s expression was utterly indifferent, shaking her head firmly in refusal.

Finally, unable to bear Alice’s pestering any longer, Shinku abruptly zipped behind Lin Luo to hide, whispering urgently, “Father, there’s something wrong with this woman. Is she really Alice?”

Looking at the look of utter contempt and suspicion in Shinku’s eyes, tinged with a hint of chagrin, Lin Luo was momentarily speechless. Even if he used the back of his heel to think, he could guess what kind of situation would arise between Alice and Shinku.

As a master of puppetry, Alice’s greatest dream was to create truly autonomous dolls. Autonomous dolls were those possessing an independent soul and consciousness, capable of acting entirely separate from their master’s control. However, she had never succeeded. While she could create dolls with souls and self-awareness—like Shanghai and Hourai—even they couldn't move if separated from her, without the support of her magic, functioning merely as ordinary toys.

In all of Gensokyo, the only doll to achieve true autonomy was Suigintou, but the reason for her self-direction was that she had become a yōkai from years of absorbing the toxins of the Belladonna Lily. She was a yōkai doll; essentially, she was no longer a mere puppet, but a spirit creature.

Thus, while Alice had always been deeply interested in Suigintou, she never considered seeking a breakthrough from her. Her interest stemmed purely from her affection for dolls. But Shinku was a different story.

The moment Alice first saw Shinku, she was astounded. A being with an independent soul and consciousness, possessing the ability to act freely and wield immense power—not a yōkai, but unequivocally a doll. This was exactly what she dreamed of in an autonomous puppet… No, Shinku’s existence far surpassed her wildest imaginings!

At that moment, Alice knew her dream wasn't impossible. Shinku provided irrefutable proof, showing her infinite hope. However, Gensokyo was in the midst of an all-out war then, leaving her no time to forge a connection. Now, she finally couldn't restrain herself and sought direct contact with Shinku.

Alice’s approach met no resistance from Shinku; deep down, there was a faint, inexplicable anticipation. The very purpose of the Rozen Maidens was for Alice—though this Alice was not that Alice, but the embodiment of perfection.

Back in the plane of Mahō Sensei Negima!, Shinku had already heard of Alice’s existence from Hōya. Even then, she had resolved to come to Gensokyo to see her with her own eyes. Why was this person called Alice? Was she the perfect Alice?

Now, Shinku had met her. Just as she had imagined, Alice was indeed beautiful and possessed a good disposition. But that was all. In Shinku’s eyes, beyond appearance and personality, Alice lacked every essential quality the name Alice implied… Wait, wasn't that line a bit confusing?

The war between the Rozen Maidens was waged so one of them could become Alice, yet there was never a victor, so Shinku didn't truly know what the perfect Alice was like. But in her understanding, if she was called perfect, she should have no flaws, and the Alice before her clearly didn't meet that standard; Shinku could find many shortcomings in her.

Moreover, through brief interaction, Shinku discovered this "fake Alice" had a poor temperament too, constantly clinging to her with questions and trying to drag her into strange research. Truly peculiar!

“Stop talking. I won't agree to your request.” Seeing Alice approaching again, Shinku, still leaning against Lin Luo, refused without hesitation before Alice could speak.

“Don't be so stingy, just help me this once,” Alice insisted, making a pleading gesture. Then, she pushed Shanghai and Hourai, who were beside her, toward Shinku, smiling, “Look, these are the dolls I made. Aren’t they cute? I hope they can move freely just like you.”

“Idiot, there’s no way these two little brats can be like me!” Shinku turned her head away with disdain, a hint of arrogance in her eyes, then looked toward Lin Luo with adoration. “I am the doll closest to perfection, meticulously crafted by Father’s own hands. One day, I will become Alice… Oh, and not you, fake Alice!”

“Fake Alice…” Those four words made Alice feel incredibly awkward. She was standing right here; in what way was she fake? But she didn't have time to dwell on that now; instead, she stared at Lin Luo in utter astonishment. “This little doll was made by you?”

She hadn't known Lin Luo for just a day or two, but Alice had never heard that he could create dolls, let alone the autonomous type she dreamed of. Shinku’s statement hit Alice like a thunderclap.

“Well, how should I put this…” Lin Luo was momentarily speechless, pretending to drink to ease the tension while trying to figure out how to explain. Alice's gaze was intensely expectant and somewhat aggressive. Instinctively, he didn't want to lie to her, but denying it would surely hurt Shinku's feelings. He was trapped between a rock and a hard place.

“Father…” Shinku also gazed at him eagerly.

Alright, Lin Luo truly felt the pressure. He should have anticipated that letting these two meet would cause trouble. After weighing his options, he offered a vague reply: “Actually, this question is hard to explain clearly right now. I am this child’s father… yes, that’s correct.” Saying this, Lin Luo felt a pang of guilt, feeling he had somewhat usurped Roan’s position.

“However, I currently cannot explain how to create autonomous dolls, nor can I offer you any assistance. So, placing your hope in me won't succeed. In fact, I suggest you communicate more with this child; her current accomplishments are entirely the result of her own efforts,” Lin Luo said, gesturing toward Shinku to Alice. He had skillfully kicked the ball back.

“How could you be like this…” Alice’s disappointment was obvious. She felt Lin Luo was merely brushing her off, and a faint irritation simmered inside her.

Shinku was equally displeased. She whined dramatically to Lin Luo in protest, “Father, this person is nuts. She’s not worthy of being called Alice. I hate her.” There was no doubt about Shinku’s sharp tongue; she showed no hesitation in speaking ill of Alice right in front of her.

“Not worthy of being called Alice…” Alice was instantly crushed. She was Alice; why wasn't she worthy of the name? How could such a thing be true?

“Now, don’t have too many expectations of Alice either,” Lin Luo said with a slight smile to Shinku. His intent was to advise her not to expect too much from the ‘perfect Alice,’ but Alice interpreted it differently.

“Hey, what do you mean by that! What do you mean not to have expectations of me? What’s wrong with me?” Alice protested loudly, pouting to fully express her dissatisfaction with Lin Luo.

“Well, I didn’t mean you…” Lin Luo’s head began to throb. He felt staying here might drive him insane. He abruptly stood up from the ground, placed Shinku in front of Alice, and announced, “You two chat slowly, I’m leaving now.”

Without waiting for their reaction, he activated his instant teleportation and decisively fled.

“Father!” Shinku cried out in alarm and tried to chase after him, but before she could move, Alice caught her, smiling ingratiatingly, “See, since he already said that, why don't you chat with me for a bit, and then come back with me for research?”

“Idiot, I’m not helping you. Your research sounds inherently weird,” Shinku retorted without hesitation, shaking off Alice’s hand and quickly running away.

“Hey, wait up!” Alice immediately gave chase.

“Idiot, stop chasing me!”

“If you stop running, I’ll stop chasing.”

“You’re the real idiot; if you chase me, of course I have to run.”

“Being an idiot is fine, just come back with me for research.”

“I hate stupid people…”

Leaving aside what interesting things might transpire between Shinku and Alice, on the other side, after his departure, Lin Luo encountered an unexpected person—or rather, a highly anticipated one.

“I need to talk to you about a few things. Come with me for a moment,” Yuuka Kazami stated, looking at Lin Luo. She then turned and walked toward a certain location.

Lin Luo knew more trouble was brewing.