Chapter 5: Prince Ryuguin III
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Prince Ryuguin was listening.
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This is a tale about the personality of a certain individual known as Prince Ryuguin. It may sound grand, but in reality, it’s quite a trivial matter.
Prince Ryuguin harbored a contradiction within himself. First and foremost… he sought intelligence in women. Those who read this might have an inkling of what I mean. However, for the moment, I ask you to bear with me and set aside the question of whether he himself possesses any intelligence.
When it came to his sexual preferences, he found that women who “thought for themselves” aligned more closely with his tastes than those he referred to as “ignorant women.” In short, he liked smart women.
But consider this. It’s not about Ryuguin’s feelings; what truly matters is how the women he admires—those who “think for themselves”—perceive him. In such cases, if a woman of that caliber were to evaluate Ryuguin, the likelihood of her discovering his true nature would be quite high.
During his time as a student in Japan, Ryuguin’s facade functioned reasonably well, and he was liked by both genders. Especially among women, many were captivated by his gentle demeanor, his melting voice, and his sweet looks, often falling for him. However, not all women were so easily swayed. Indeed, the few who did not harbor feelings for him were precisely those who “thought for themselves.”
Ironically, the very women who matched his preferences posed the greatest challenge for him, a contradiction he remained blissfully unaware of.
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Ryuguin was not particularly good at studying, but he had come to terms with that, considering it not a significant issue. His athletic abilities were average as well, but similarly, he deemed it unworthy of note.
In the event that “studying” became necessary in the future, he could simply employ someone who was good at it, and if “athletics” were required (if such an opportunity ever arose), he could hire someone capable in that area too.
In essence, he believed that with his charisma, he could manage a diverse array of people in their appropriate roles. He had confidence in his ability to charm such talent. For him, being liked by others was a given, and especially with women, a soft whisper in a cat-like voice would have them swooning. Thus, he had never struggled with being disliked.
So—
“My beloved is—”
After hearing about Itsuki Saki, he felt as if his veins were about to boil over.
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The girl named Itsuki Saki was entirely different from any other girl in Ryuguin’s eyes. He would say, “No matter how many glass beads you collect, they can never compare to a jewel.”
Itsuki Saki was among the top students in her school, positioned outside the social caste that existed within the class. With a calmness that belied her status as a first-year high school student and an air of dignity, her beauty was well-known throughout the school. Her shoulder-length black hair shimmered, and her elongated eyes and straight nose harmonized perfectly, capturing the attention of many.
She disregarded the social caste entirely, never flattering Ryuguin, and maintained her unique position, treating everyone equally as if such matters were trivial. That was what he found appealing. For Ryuguin, a woman like her was truly valuable. A woman like her was meant to be his.
Ah, how delightful it would be to display her like a trophy… Just imagining it made Ryuguin’s breath quicken.
It was on a day during the first cultural festival preparation period since entering high school.
As always, Ryuguin did nothing himself, simply charming those around him, maintaining a smile and a friendly demeanor, and casually navigating the situation as if it were just another maintenance task. There was no sense of urgency; rather, he flitted about like a butterfly dancing from flower to flower.
For him, it was merely part of his routine maintenance. Ryuguin had been aware for some time of a certain individual who had been casting dissatisfied glances his way. His name was Motegi. Average in both academics and athletics, he was a bit of a troublemaker and belonged to the upper-middle tier of the social caste. Ryuguin had never thought much of him, but upon learning that Motegi was heading to the break room with Itsuki Saki, he thought, “Well, I suppose this is part of my job (maintenance),” and decided to follow them.
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The two had entered the break room ahead of him. Ryuguin caught up just in time to hear their voices from inside.
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The story of the modern age doesn’t require much thought. If you’ve enjoyed getting to know what kind of person Ryuguin is…
The modern tale will probably conclude next time. I might make many corrections since the editing is rough, so please forgive me…