Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 72: She’s different...

Electra's Pov

I arrived in front of Astor's residence, feeling both irritated that I had to come all the way here and worried at the same time.

From what I had heard, Seraphina had somehow managed to get herself into a fight so bad that one of her roommates ended up with a broken nose, and I struggled to reconcile this story with the image of the timid Seraphina I knew. Yet here I was, on my way to "rescue" her.

The guard outside Astor's residence stood to attention the moment she saw me, bowing low and addressing me by my royal title.

I waved her off impatiently, not in the mood for formalities. "Is Astor inside?" I asked curtly, my eyes already scanning the place.

"Yes, Your Highness," the guard responded with a slight tremor in her voice. "But Mrs. Astor isn't alone. I would need to inform her of—"

I cut her off with a dismissive flick of my hand. "Don't bother. I'll announce myself."

Without waiting for her to finish, I pushed past her and walked into the house. If Astor wanted to reprimand me for barging in, she could try. freeωebnovēl.c૦m

The house was just as I remembered it—grand yet stuffy, the kind of place that tried too hard to seem authoritative, and I made my way through the foyer and into the living room.

And there she was.

Seraphina sat across from Astor, her shoulders hunched and her hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. Her head jerked up the moment I entered, and I expected to see the tension in her eyes—the fear that had become all too familiar to me, but surprisingly, she looked calm. And as for Astor? She looked... amused. Not angry, not frustrated, just amused.

I stopped in my tracks, letting my gaze flicker between the two of them. "What's going on here?" I asked sharply, folding my arms across my chest. "I expected to walk into a lecture or, at the very least, an interrogation. Instead, it looks like you're having a tea party."

Astor chuckled softly, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Your Highness," she greeted me, standing to her feet and offering a small bow. "This is an unexpected surprise."

"I'm sure it is," I replied, my tone dripping with sarcasm.

Astor tilted her head slightly, her eyes sharp yet entertained. "With all due respect, Your Highness, is there a particular reason for this impromptu visit?"

I ignored her and turned my attention to Seraphina, who was seated way too comfortably.

"Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice calm but firm.

Seraphina hesitated, her lips parting slightly before she nodded. "Y-yes," she stammered, clearly confused.

I raised a brow, not entirely convinced. She seemed surprised by my question, like she hadn't expected me to ask, and in truth, I wasn't entirely sure why I did either.

Before I could ask her anything else, I shifted my gaze to Astor before shifting it back to Seraphina. "Did she give you any punishment yet?" I asked.

Her mouth opened slightly, likely to answer, but Astor jumped in before she could.

"I let her off with community service, Your Highness," she said smoothly, folding her hands in front of her. "And of course, a stern promise that such violent behavior won't be repeated."

I scoffed, crossing my arms as I stared her down. "Community service? For what? A little scuffle between roommates?" I let the words hang for a while before continuing. "Can't you just scrap the punishment altogether? I don't want her getting punished."

Astor's eyebrows shot up, the first crack in her composed demeanor. I could see the gears turning in her head as she assessed my words, and she was likely wondering why I, of all people, would intervene for someone like Seraphina.

She recovered quickly. "Unfortunately, Your Highness, the punishment cannot be completely nullified," she said. "Ashleigh's father is one of your father's most loyal advisors and—"

"Ashleigh's father?" I interrupted with a sharp scoff, stepping forward so I was directly in front of her. "Are you seriously telling me that some no-good lackey's daughter is more important than me? Is my word not enough?"

Astor blinked, clearly caught off guard by my bluntness, and for once, she didn't have that infuriatingly smug expression. "Of course not, Your Highness. I merely meant—"

"In that case," I said, cutting her off again, "Seraphina won't be getting any punishment, and if Ashleigh or her dear father have anything to say about it, you can send them to me. I'll be happy to address them."

Astor opened her mouth to argue but thought better of it. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes darting to Seraphina briefly before settling back on me. "As you wish, Your Highness," she finally said, her voice tight.

Satisfied, I turned back to Seraphina, whose expression was a mixture of confusion and disbelief. Her wide eyes watched me as though I'd grown a second head.

"Get up," I said, gesturing for her to stand.

She hesitated but obeyed, her movements stiff and cautious, like she didn't know what to expect from me next. I didn't bother waiting for her to speak or thank me. Instead, I turned to leave the office, fully expecting her to follow me.

The second we stepped out of Astor's residence, I turned to Seraphina, unable to contain my curiosity—or my irritation. "What the hell happened, kid?" I demanded. "How did you end up getting into a fight?"

Seraphina didn't look at me immediately. Her shoulders were stiff, and her steps were hurried, as though she couldn't get away from me fast enough.

When she finally turned around, her expression caught me off guard. There wasn't an ounce of the usual timidity I expected from her. Instead, her face was a mix of exhaustion and barely contained anger.

"It's none of your business, Electra," she snapped, her tone harsher than I'd ever heard.

She didn't stop there. "Also, if you think for a second that I'm about to thank you for 'helping' me avoid community service, then you're delusional, Electra," she said, her words dripping with disdain. "I never asked for your help, and I certainly don't owe you anything."

I felt a flicker of surprise, followed closely by amusement.

"I'd appreciate it," she continued, "if you stayed very far away from me. Especially today, because I'm in the worst mood, and I don't trust that I won't bite."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving me standing there, staring after her like an idiot.

I crossed my arms, watching her retreating figure as a smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. "Well, that was unexpected," I muttered to myself.