The Happy Ball "Male Pet"

"We're friends, right?" Ron asked softly. "At least, that's how I see it."

Andre raised his head, a complicated emotion flashing through his eyes. "Of course. I feel the same way."

"Then why don't you tell me what's troubling you?" Ron's tone was calm and sincere.

"I can't promise I'll be able to help, but I can at least listen. Sometimes, even the worst things become much easier to bear once you've said them aloud."

Andre sighed again. He set down his teacup and clasped his hands together, his knuckles paling from the force.

"I don't know where to begin..." he finally said, a rare vulnerability in his voice. "This matter... is too complicated."

Ron waited patiently without urging him on. He knew that at times like this, the best way to comfort someone was to give them enough time.

"Do you remember when we were chatting last month and you mentioned Trish, and my reaction was a little unusual?" Andre finally spoke again.

Ron nodded. "I did notice, but it didn't seem appropriate to ask at the time."

It hadn't happened just once or twice. Whenever that girl who had risen from being the Daughter of the Hunter to becoming an Intermediate Apprentice was mentioned, Andre's emotions would always fluctuate.

"As for Trish, I saw her once at the Herb Shop more than half a month ago." He continued calmly, maintaining an appropriate distance. "She looked very busy."

"Of course. As Lady Corinna's disciple, her status is quite high now."

There was an indescribable emotion in Andre's voice, and his lips pressed into a straight line.

"Do you remember when we first gathered in the Black Mist Forest? At that time, she was still so..."

His voice grew quieter and quieter, a trace of longing and bitterness flashing through his eyes.

Ron didn't respond, merely listening in silence.

He had a feeling that the other man was about to reveal something he had kept hidden for a long time.

"I once..." Andre hesitated, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the button on his lapel. "I once wanted to get close to her. I wanted to court her. I hadn't been in the Black Mist Forest for long back then, and I still had some foolish ideas from the kingdom."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "You tried to court Trish? Seriously?"

"Don't look at me like that." Andre rolled his eyes. "I'm still the Thirteenth Prince of the royal family. You know how many noble ladies secretly flirted with me in the Royal Capital."

"And then? She rejected you?" Ron asked bluntly.

"Of course she rejected me." Andre gave a self-mocking laugh. "And she was quite direct about it—'I came here to change my fate, not to relive my miserable past. A pampered royal noble like you should stop bothering me.'"

"Ouch, that was brutal." Ron couldn't help laughing. "So you were heartbroken and finally came to terms with reality?"

Andre punched Ron hard in the chest, though he knew the blow barely registered against him.

"Have you laughed enough? Yes, that was when I truly understood the rules of this world. No matter where you are, the weak can only look up to the strong. Here, no one cares which prince of the royal family you are. They only care how strong you are."

"But that's only part of the problem..." he continued, his voice growing quieter.

"The truth is, the people who sent me to the Black Mist Forest never expected me to become a qualified Wizard Apprentice."

Ron raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

"The royal family had long since given up hope on my spiritual aptitude."

Andre gave a bitter smile. "They sent me here with the true purpose of using the abundant extraordinary resources here to nurture my aptitude as a Knight."

"Your aptitude as a Knight?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Yes. My talent for Knight cultivation is far better than my spiritual aptitude."

Andre explained, "The royal family's plan was for me to become the guard Knight of the person they were investing in heavily, and to break through to become a Formal Knight while I was here."

His voice suddenly became unbearably pained. "And that so-called 'person they were investing in heavily' was Trish, the very person I initially wanted to approach."

Ron finally understood part of this complicated relationship, but he sensed that there was an even deeper reason for Andre's pain.

"I can understand why Trish rejecting you made you feel humiliated," Ron said softly. "But that doesn't seem enough to explain your current state."

"Because things got even worse!" Andre practically shouted the words. "My plan to win Trish over failed, so now they're demanding that I follow another female apprentice—Cynthia."

The name made Ron frown slightly. "Sorry, but I don't think I've ever heard you mention her."

"She came to the Black Mist Forest ten years ago." The blond youth's expression became as bleak as a parched field that hadn't seen rain for months. "She's a High-level Apprentice now, though she only advanced recently."

His fingers clenched tightly, almost digging into his flesh. "Cynthia... has an atrocious reputation. She always toys with her slaves when she isn't cultivating, especially handsome young men."

The blond youth's face was twisted with pain. He brought his fingers together and made a drilling motion.

"That madwoman enjoys some very... special games. For example, she uses Thornball Grass to drill into men's sensitive parts... They say she 'uses up' one slave every year on average."

Ron clicked his tongue when he heard this, vaguely feeling phantom pain from below. He was beginning to understand the source of Andre's suffering.

The royal family actually wanted him to serve such a person. It was practically the same as sending him away as a male pet—and the most degraded kind at that.

"Does the royal family know about this?" Ron asked cautiously.

"Of course they know." A flash of fury and despair crossed Andre's eyes. "But they don't care. In their eyes, what does one disregarded Thirteenth Prince matter if he can secure the support of a High-level Apprentice?"

His voice nearly choked. "Ron, I don't know what to do. I've always hoped I could escape this fate through my own efforts, but..."

"But your progress wasn't fast enough." Ron picked up the thread. "And my breakthrough gave you a glimmer of hope."

Andre nodded, complex emotions flickering in his eyes.

"I originally hoped to form a stronger alliance with you, but even after you became a Primary Apprentice, your influence and strength are still far from enough to oppose a High-level Apprentice."

"So you kept hesitating over whether to tell me."

Ron suddenly understood. "Because you weren't sure whether I could help, and you weren't sure whether I'd be willing to risk offending a High-level Apprentice for your sake."

Andre nodded weakly. "I know this is selfish, but I truly don't know what else to do."