Ryett's Frustrations

"Who's the girl that managed to tame the unbridled lion's heart?" There was a teasing tone etched in the youths' question directed at the flustered blond. His tousled blonde hair resembled a lion's mane.

The tip of the stick missed the cue ball by a large margin, earning Rhett waves of cackles from the youths.

"Look like Mr. Andrews will lose his car tonight." The games they played always had stakes. This was a silent rule in their circle of friends to make it lively and interesting. The blonde had won quite a fortune from them, and seeing him so distracted was a breath of fresh air.

The intentions of amplifying his frustrations was tacitly supported by the rest.

Ryett tossed the cue stick aside and made way for his friend. His eyes deep as the ocean sea bed flickered with occasional ripples that further triggered banters from the crowd.

"I say if Mr. Andrews spills the beans. Us, your supportive friends, would each spare you any advice to pursuing girls."

"I agree."

"Count me in. I'm dying of curiosity."

"I won't be able to sleep tonight if Ryett doesn't divulge it. My boy is experiencing the first spring of his life."

The grins plastered on their faces irritated the blonde. Ryett crossed his legs in a silent rejection of their requests. His once amiable countenance displayed a moment of stubbornness. Such a rare sight immediately widened their grins.

"They're not even together yet, and the man is already protecting the girl's reputation. I got a feeling he would be a henpecked husband in the future.

"Don't say such ominous things. Our Ryett is immune to female charms. Even his parents thought he was gay."

"Are you implying I'm gay as well?" The youth whose well versed in the art of billiard finished his round with ease. The female attendant presented him with a silver tray. Wine glasses filled halfway were placed on the tray.

Another youth stood up and took his place. After the female staff finished preparations. The youth bent down and struck the white cue ball with precise strength.

Two marble spheres rolled down the billiard holes. He was satisfied with the outcome but also didn't forget to aggravate someone's mood. "Spare Ryett will you, he is probably silent and upset because the girl's background is troublesome."

"Oh, I know this case. My younger sister often bothered me with fairy tale books. There's this story about a mermaid who can't be with the prince because her identity hinders their relationship."

An understanding look settled on their faces after the man shared his opinion. Almost immediately, gazes filled with pity were cast on Ryett. They have no control of their marriages. The sacred union was always bartered for a profitable alliance between the two families. Frequently than not, the bride and the groom will only be wed in name and have their own private relationships afterward. This was the price of their privileged lives.

The man leaning on the sofa took a sip of his wine. "How serious are you?" His question captured the interests of the young men.

The man on the billiard table twisted his neck towards Ryett. The spirit of gossip spewed his stare.

At the same time, the other three also fixated their eyes on Ryett, not wanting to miss any words he will reply.

Under their intense stares, Ryett stood up and snatched a glass from the female server's tray and swallowed the spicy wine in one breathing. His lips stretched into a depressing line before dropping a shocking confession, "Very serious."

His friends were infected with his seriousness and restrained their impulse to dig deeper.

"If that's the case, how about opening up an outside residence?" The suggestion came out of the blue. These particular words were stated so causally that the listeners thought it was a normal solution.

The other youths held no opinions against it and slowly expressed their agreements. "It's not a bad idea." They started to tease Ryett again. After all, they were not a stranger to the concept of polygamy.

The men continued their silly discussion until Ryett smashed the tray to the floor. His dark expression reflected on the silver tray by his feet.

Crash-

The female attendants were startled by the sudden situation, especially the girl with the broken glasses. The smell of alcohol became strong because of the spilled liquid on the marble floor.

The young men didn't manage to see what happened in that short time, but based on the suffocating pressure Ryett was discharging right now, they had an assumption that he was not in a good mood, and it must be because of their discussion.

"Ryett, are you okay?"

The man didn't turn around and only gave them a name. "It's Arianne Cromwell." His eyes slightly veiled by his golden tendrils were filled with inexplicable emotions.

They knew Ryett for a long time and as close buddies, his current disposition brought them a massive surge of disbelief. The funeral song played in their minds, and images of a blonde youth being dismembered appeared in their heads.

"Ryett, there are too many fishes…." in the sea. The man never finished his speech, he only saw the blonde walked out the room and close the door with a loud bang.

"Our boy Ryett is grown up."

"I'm afraid for his life."

"It would be fine if there was only that snake Rothschild. Unfortunately, a dragon like Magnus is around. Ryett, even with his entire wealth as armor, would still be reduced to ashes."

---

Meanwhile, Arianne, the main subject, was climbing down the six meters black neoclassic wrought iron fences of their estate. The hem of her beige dress was folded on her waists to prevent the fabric from latching on the decorative scrolls cast on the fence. Her lower body was only covered by a white foot long cotton shorts. Two slender firm legs were exposed in the air, painting a tempting scene.

The man watching her unladylike actions behind a tree a few meters away from the fence dialed Magnus' phone number.

Magnus immediately picked it up, even though he was in the middle of an important meeting. "What?"

"What's Arianne's zodiac sign?" The man with spectacles turned the settings of the call to a different mode.

"An ox. Why ask?" Puzzled and curious, Magnus replied, disregarding the representative's discontent.

The man pointed the camera of his phone towards Arianne and captured her bold deeds. "You must be wrong. She's clearly a monkey."

"Arianne!" Magnus reprimanded the young lady through the screen with a loud, booming voice, completely stunning the people in the room.

Arianne, with her hearing enhanced by the system's potion, could hear the familiar voice loud and clear. The short distraction caused her to slip and fell.

[Be careful!]

The hearts of two men skipped a beat.

One shadow sprang to the rescue.