Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 43: You’ve been warned

Electra's Pov

Astor's expression was priceless, her eyes wide and horrified as she looked at me, clearly struggling to keep her composure. She had no choice but to tread carefully with me, but I could see the anger barely concealed under that tense, forced smile.

She turned her gaze to Yuna and Yura, still seated in front of her desk, and forced herself to remain neutral.

"Yuna, Yura," she said, voice strained yet polite, "please step outside for a moment. I need to speak with Her Highness privately."

Yuna glared at me with unrestrained hatred as she rose from her seat, but her sister gave me a look that was laced with fear, and her body tensed as she followed Yuna out of the office.

I watched them leave, my smirk widening as they glanced back with expressions that could kill. Once the door clicked shut, I turned back to Astor, waiting for the inevitable scolding.

Sure enough, Astor took a deep breath, her hands clasped tightly as she turned her gaze back to me.

"Your Highness," she began, her tone low but brimming with frustration, "what on earth were you thinking? Binding Yura's hands and feet and throwing her into the pool to drown... Electra, this is a serious matter! She could have died."

I scoffed, already bored of her dramatics. "If I wanted Yura dead, she would be dead," I replied smoothly, flicking a lock of hair over my shoulder. "I'm not some amateur who leaves loose ends, Principal Astor. If her death had been my goal, you wouldn't be sitting here questioning me. Instead, you'd still be trying to find out who was responsible."

Astor looked as though she'd swallowed something bitter. She opened her mouth, likely to reprimand me further, but I cut her off before she could start another tedious lecture.

"Besides," I continued, voice casual as if discussing the weather, "I'm the one who texted Yuna, and I made sure she got there in time before leaving Yura. So let's not act like this was some reckless, unplanned act." I allowed a smirk to settle on my lips. "Yuna simply needed to learn a lesson, one that would make an impression, and her sister was the perfect target."

Astor's face twisted in frustration, but she forced herself to speak in that infuriatingly respectful tone she always reserved for me. "Princess Electra, you may hold authority as the princess of this kingdom, but the other girls here are daughters of other prestigious families, from kingdoms allied with ours. You can't just... treat them however you please."

I rolled my eyes, fighting the urge to laugh outright. "Prestigious families," I repeated, the words dripping with mockery. "Let me be clear, Principal. Their 'prestigious' families are irrelevant to me, and if any of these girls think they can cross me without consequences just because they're from prestigious families, then they're sorely mistaken."

Astor inhaled slowly, clearly trying to keep her patience. "Even if that's your stance, Your Highness, surely you understand that your methods could be... more discreet? Did it not occur to you to ensure that no one would know you were responsible? Now that they've spoken to me and you've openly admitted it, how do you expect me to contain this situation without having to punish you in some way?"

The word "punish" slipped out of her mouth, a hesitant threat as though she actually thought it would intimidate me. I couldn't help it—I burst out laughing, the sound echoing around the office. The idea of anyone punishing me was laughable, very absurd beyond belief.

"Punish me?" I repeated, barely holding back my laughter. "Are you serious, Astor? The only thing you're afraid of is word getting out, and if that's the case, then leave it to me." I leaned forward. "I'll handle the twins, and they'll soon remember their place, and if not, I'll be more than happy to remind them."

Astor's face turned an alarming shade of red, but she kept herself from responding immediately, likely biting back every argument running through her mind.

"If you insist on... handling it yourself, then do so carefully," Astor finally said, each word laced with frustration. "But understand that I will not allow this to endanger other students or compromise the integrity of this school. If any further incidents arise, I may be forced to report this higher up."

I gave her a dismissive wave. "Oh, please, Astor. Report away if it makes you feel better. I can assure you, my father has heard worse, but do keep in mind that any disruption to my education—especially one prompted by some trivial incident—won't reflect well on you or this institution. You'd do well to remember that."

I allowed a smirk to play on my lips, watching her squirm under my gaze. I knew she wouldn't push the matter further.

With a final, disdainful glance, I got up from my chair and straightened my skirt, adjusting the fabric as though it were the most important task in the world.

"If that's all, Principal," I said, voice dripping with condescension, "I'll be leaving now. I've wasted enough of my morning here, dealing with nonsense."

Astor's jaw tightened, but she said nothing as I turned and walked out of her office, not bothering to spare her a backward glance.

Stepping out of the principal's office and into the reception area, I immediately spotted Yuna and Yura seated on the waiting chairs opposite Hawthorne's desk.

Their eyes flickered toward me; Yuna's still defiant, and Yura's still slightly fearful.

I turned my gaze to Hawthorne, who was watching the situation unfold with an unmistakable nervousness in her eyes. Her fingers drummed lightly against the desk, and I could see the subtle shift in her posture as she attempted to stay out of whatever confrontation she sensed was about to erupt.

"Hawthorne," I said. "I'd like you to wait outside for a few moments."

Her eyes widened slightly, a hint of alarm flashing across her face. "Your Highness, if I may ask—"

I didn't let her finish. I simply leveled her with a glare, a look that I knew conveyed exactly how much patience I had left with her questioning. Hawthorne swallowed, immediately rising from her seat, and without another word, she stepped outside, sparing one final glance at Yuna and Yura as she passed.

Turning back to the twins, I allowed my eyes to settle on Yura with a sly smile. "I'd like to have a little chat with Yuna here... alone."

Yura's face hardened, her lips pressing into a thin line. "I'm not leaving my sister alone with you," she snapped.

Before I could even open my mouth to respond, Yuna placed a gentle hand on her sister's shoulder, giving her a firm look. "Yura, wait outside. I'll be fine. I'll join you soon."

Yura hesitated, her eyes darting between Yuna and me, but Yuna's look was unyielding. "Go," she said firmly.

I met Yura's gaze with my own. "Listen to your sister, Yura. Do as you're told, or I might lose my patience."

Reluctantly, Yura rose to her feet, her gaze filled with anger and worry as she left the room. The door clicked shut behind her, leaving just me and Yuna in the silence.

Before Yuna could even react, my hand flew across her face in a slap that reverberated through the room, and her head snapped to the side, a faint red mark immediately forming on her cheek. She barely had a moment to recover before I grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up from the chair with a tug and slamming her against the wall.

A small whimper of pain escaped her lips, and my hand wrapped around her throat, pressing just enough that she could feel the pain, even though I resisted the urge to unleash the heat I could feel building in my fingers.

I wanted to burn that fear right into her skin, but I held back—for now.

"You should be grateful, Yuna," I whispered coldly. "Grateful that I didn't kill your precious little sister, but trust that if you don't learn to know your place soon, I won't hesitate to make sure you find her body next time."

Her breaths came in quick, shallow gasps, and though her face was contorted in fear, she still managed to force out a choked response. "It wouldn't be the first time you tried to kill someone." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

A thrill ran through me at her words, and I tightened my grip just slightly. "I'm glad you still remember what you witnessed, kid," I said softly, my tone almost mocking. "Keep that memory fresh, Yuna. Let it remind you of what happens when you cross me, and if you ever step out of line like you did with reporting me, there's no telling what I might do. Your sister may not be the only one who turns up dead."

With one final look into her eyes, I released her throat, watching as she stumbled, her hand instinctively reaching up to touch her neck where faint burn marks were already forming, and I took a step back, a smirk of satisfaction curling my lips as I watched her try to catch her breath.

The look in her eyes was one of pure hatred, but it didn't bother me in the slightest. Hatred was a weak emotion, and it only fueled my amusement.

Satisfied, I adjusted my jacket, brushing imaginary dust from my sleeve. "Consider this a warning," I told her. "Next time, I won't be so kind."

And without waiting for a response, I turned and strode out of the office.