Takashi Ichinose's POV
"Brother, you're amazing, even in front of those elites you can stay calm."
My sister didn't even bother to hide her admiration for me, her eyes shining as she watched how I made those arrogant, high-class people back off with just a single glare, how I forced my cold and prideful fiancée into holding a proper conversation instead of throwing tantrums.
After all, it's the nature of humans to fear strength and submit to authority. That instinct is engraved deep inside our DNA, passed down since the days we were still primates, crawling on the earth as the ancestors of both apes and humans.
Back then, they feared the thunder, feared the merciless hand of nature, and they followed the alpha of their groups without question, only later did they evolve into the so-called "humans" of today.
From my sister's perspective, it was obvious she hadn't fully adapted to her new identity yet.
She was still clinging to the mentality of her previous background where we came from nothing more than a middle-class family, instead of standing here now as heirs bound to a mega-corporation.
So of course she still felt awe and fear toward those people, she still saw them as giants, when in reality they were nothing more than fragile dolls.
But unlike her, I've already stared death straight in the eyes in my past life. I've learned the one truth that crushes all illusions: everyone is equal before death. Poor or rich, genius or mediocrity, saint or sinner, none of them can escape the erosion of time and decay.
Not one. And to top it all off, the background the system gave us placed us far above all of them, with only a few exceptions like the Koenji, Shinomiya, and Kiryuin families, who could be considered equal to us in scale and status within Japan's business world.
"You'll get used to it, Honami." I reached out and stroked her hair gently, encouraging her to start being bolder, to walk the same fearless path I walked.
She smiled shyly, lowering her head with a soft sigh of resignation. "I don't think I can, brother."
"Don't worry. You will, eventually. You'll make it through." I grinned, confident in my words.
"Then… I will try my best." Honami didn't refute me this time.
She nodded firmly instead, her voice steady even if her heart still wavered.
"Good." I smiled in satisfaction at her resolve.
Without will and determination, how could she ever change that humble, self-doubting character of hers?
Only when we decide to change, when we push ourselves to improve, can we rise above the shackles of our past selves.
Now the engagement party had finally ended.
I had already spoken with Fuuka and was satisfied with the results, especially seeing how my sister's confidence and self-esteem had grown so noticeably during this banquet.
The business here was done.
And when the business is over, it means only one thing...
It's time for us to go home.
...
Rokusuke Koenji's POV
I am beautiful, no, not just beautiful, I am magnificent.
That's beyond doubt.
If you dare to question it, then the problem isn't with me, it's with yours.
Now then, let's introduce myself.
Of course, it may not even be necessary, because who doesn't already know who I am?
But still, I must say it, because the world deserves to hear it again and again.
Who am I?
I am the Great Koenji.
Yes, the Great Koenji himself, a man so radiant that even repeating my own name fills me with delight.
Introducing myself repeatedly is not redundant, it is a gift to the ears of anyone fortunate enough to hear it.
This time, my grandfather told me to attend this banquet.
The reason?
To assess some so-called "new chess player" who had suddenly appeared in our family's field of vision.
We were to observe whether this newcomer might become a friend, a neutral party, an ally, or an enemy.
But honestly… I don't care.
Why should I?
Because I am beautiful.
I have been chosen as the heir of my family not because of some trivial talent or minor achievement, but because of my overwhelming greatness, my unmatched magnificence.
How could some upstart, some common piece on the board, possibly distract me?
How could they even stand on the same stage as me?
At best, maybe they're worth a glance.
Just a glance.
Nothing more.
And then, before I could even waste that glance, I discovered the boy and his sister had already left.
How anticlimactic.
I shrugged.
It made no difference.
My mirror, my reflection, my true rival and only equal, was still with me.
I continued gazing upon myself, as radiant and flawless as ever.
What possibly could go wrong?
"Rokusuke Koenji, as always, you are annoying."
A voice intruded, sharp, venomous, belonging to another heir.
Fuka.
She dared to spit her petty words at me, trying to provoke the Great Koenji.
How ridiculous.
How laughable, indeed.
How could a mere sparrow ever hope to comprehend the majesty of the sun?
I snorted, disdain dripping from my tone, my eyes burning with contempt as I looked down upon her. "Go and mind your own business, Fuka. Your behavior is far from beautiful. That elegant dress and that pretty face of yours are completely wasted on such a foul attitude."
Her lips twisted into a sneer.
She fired back at me with words meant to cut. "Hmph. Good luck then, Koenji. You and my fiancé will be in the same school, the same grade. Let's see if you can defeat him and seize Class A's throne… or if you'll be remembered only as a disgraced heir who failed in the end."
With that ominous little warning, she turned on her heel and left, her presence as insignificant as the flutter of a moth's wings.
Did I care?
Not in the slightest.
Women are troublesome creatures, constantly talking nonsense, endlessly trying to entangle men with pointless drama.
Why should I listen to such prattle?
How could some upstart, some random fiancé, ever defeat the beautiful me?
Am I right?
Of course, I am right.
I am always right.
And so, I returned to the only thing that mattered.
My mirror.
My perfect reflection stared back at me, and I admired it with satisfaction.
I grinned, basking in the undeniable truth: no one at this banquet, no matter what they said or did, could tarnish the radiance of the Great Koenji.
...
Fuka Kiryuin's POV
Finally, everything was over.
I thought I could return to the academy, back to the solitude of my own little kingdom, where no one could intrude on the peace.
At least, that was what I thought until my father arrived and spoiled the entire mood.
"That's my daughter," he said, clapping his hands with that smug, sarcastic tone he always used to belittle me. "You did well, Fuuka. Seems you've got a talent for charming the heir. Looks like giving birth to you was a blessing after all."
His mocking words made my stomach twist. He knew well that I hadn't lifted a finger to seduce anyone.
All I had done was wear my usual cold, icy mask.
Everything else, the steps forward, the effort to bridge the distance had been made by the heir himself.
I stood there like a statue, letting him do the chasing, while my father twisted the narrative into some scheme of my making.
The only reason Father didn't explode in rage, the only reason he coated his words in sarcasm instead of venom, was because he'd noticed something. He'd seen my expression soften around the heir.
My supposedly unbreakable ice had cracked.
That tiny shift was enough for him to feel smug.
But even with that, the truth couldn't be denied: I had done nothing.
I had simply let the heir do everything while I remained unmoving.
And that, to my father, was unforgivable.
His dissatisfaction clung to the air between us.
"We've already agreed to marry, Father," I said, my voice carrying challenge in every syllable. "What more do you want from me?"
His expression darkened instantly.
His brows furrowed, his pride wounded at being questioned.
He despised being challenged by anyone, especially me, his daughter.
"That is never enough," he said sharply. "I want you to be the only woman in his life. I want him hopelessly in love with you, unable to look at anyone else. You will give him a child, son or daughter, it doesn't matter."
"Once your children are born, and once that man and his grandson, the Ichinose head and heir, are gone, your bloodline will inherit everything. Their empire, their business, their legacy, their wealth, their property, all of it will become ours."
"But that depends entirely on you, Fuuka. It depends on whether you are capable enough to secure him for yourself completely."
Then his eyes narrowed further as he gave me hints, each word heavier than the last.
"The headmaster's daughter is one of his women. He also has another lover hidden somewhere. Eliminate them. Don't ever let them come near him again. Fail me, and I will strip you of everything. Your right to inherit my business, my empire, your very place as my successor gone."
He left it at that, snorting like my silence wasn't even worth his time, and then he turned and walked away.
I remained frozen in place, fists clenched, my body burning with fury.
How could there even exist a father like this?
A man who would use his own daughter as a tool, who would reduce marriage, love, and children into nothing more than a weapon for conquest?
The taste of bile lingered in my mouth, and yet beneath the disgust, I knew his words were chains binding me tighter than ever.
...
My update schedule will change to this hour from now on. The story has also reached the bonus chapter milestone for 250 power stones, so I'll release it later, around 5 hours from now, or up to 7 hours at the latest.
Update stability will also change. I'll release:
1 chapter per week if the number of stones is very low.
3 chapters per week if the number of stones is moderate.
1 chapter per day if the number of stones is high.
2 chapters per day if the number of stones is very high.
If you're enjoying this story, feel free to throw in all your power stones, rate it 5 stars, or add it to your library and collection. For every 250 power stones will unlock a bonus chapter.