Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 47: The shock of her life

Electra's Pov

I stood frozen, my gaze fixed on the empty doorway where Seraphina had disappeared. It was like the entire room had fallen silent in a thick, heavy fog, and I could hardly comprehend what had just happened.

My cheek was still stinging, reminding me of the painful fact that Seraphina—sweet, timid Seraphina—had dared to slap me.

No one, and I meant no one, had ever dared to slap me, well, except my mother, and that was different. But Seraphina? She wasn't even anyone important in my life, but somehow, her slap had left me more shaken than any reprimand from Queen Jella.

My mind was spinning, trying to come to terms with what just happened, but none of it made any sense, and the shock rooted me in place, as if moving would somehow acknowledge that what happened was real.

I kept my hand on my cheek, as if pressing my palm to the sting could lessen it and could take away the bizarre, bewildering ache that wasn't just physical.

I, Electra Vale, the princess of Elmeria, the one everyone feared, got slapped by a girl who couldn't even look me in the eye a few days ago.

While I was still processing everything, my friends walked back into the classroom, their chatter quickly dying out when they took in my state.

Deena was the first to speak, her voice tentative as she glanced around the room, her gaze settling on me with confusion. "What happened? Why did Seraphina run out like that?"

I didn't answer; I couldn't answer because the words refused to come. A single tear trailed down my cheek, catching me so off guard that I didn't react until I felt it cool against my skin. I moved my hand to swipe it away, almost like I was trying to erase the evidence that this moment had affected me in any way, but the tear was there.

I'd felt it, and now the others were noticing it too.

Irina took a cautious step closer, her expression shifting from confusion to genuine horror as she peered at me. "Electra… what… what the hell happened with Seraphina, and why the hell are you crying? What happened here?"

My throat tightened, my voice hiding somewhere under the humiliation and disbelief, and before I could gather myself, Roxana gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.

Her eyes were wide, a shaky hand pointing to my cheek. "Why...why is your left cheek so red?" Her voice trembled with shock. "Electra, please tell me it's not what I'm thinking."

All their eyes turned to my cheek, a mixture of disbelief and horror filling their faces, as if they were trying to comprehend the impossible. I felt my fingers drift to that spot again, the place Seraphina's hand had struck, leaving a tingling ache under my skin.

This had to be some sick joke, but it wasn't.

A dry laugh escaped my lips, hollow and strange. "I got slapped," I said, the words as foreign to me as if they were spoken in another language. I glanced at each of them, seeing the disbelief mirrored in their eyes. "Can you believe that? She slapped me."

Deena's face twisted, caught between rage and bewilderment. "Are you being serious, Electra? Seraphina slapped you?"

When I didn't answer right away, Roxana's eyes flashed with rage. "I'm going to kill that bitch," she spat, already turning around to march out of the room.

I could see it in her stance: she was set on finding Seraphina and probably wouldn't stop until she'd left her with more than a few bruises. Since Roxana wasn't one to bluff, especially in her overprotective state, I knew that in her current state, she'd be willing to beat Seraphina into a coma.

"Stop," I snapped quickly. "Don't go anywhere near her."

Roxana froze mid-step, slowly turning back to look at me, a mix of fury and disbelief etched across her face. Her eyes narrowed, and for a moment I thought she would defy me, but instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, her expression seething with frustration.

"What?" she sneered. "You're really going to protect that bitch after what she did to you?"

Irina, her jaw clenched and brows furrowed, joined in with a voice dripping with irritation. "Electra, she slapped you. She slapped you, and you're standing here defending her? What in the hell is wrong with you, and why the hell are you even crying?"

I met Irina's gaze with a glare of my own. "It was just a single tear, Irina. I wasn't crying," I snapped back, trying to control the bite in my tone.

I couldn't stand how they were all looking at me, as if I were weak, as if Seraphina's slap had actually broken something in me. It was infuriating.

Roxana scoffed, crossing her arms with a look of disgust. "Then why stop me from teaching her a lesson? That good-for-nothing, pathetic excuse of a human being deserves more than a slap. She deserves a few broken bones for daring to lay a finger on you."

Before I could answer, Penelope, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, raised a brow at me. "Is there another reason you're suddenly acting soft, Electra?" she asked, her tone tinged with suspicion. "Don't tell me you actually like her."

A surge of irritation shot through me, and I gave Penelope a death glare. "Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?" I retorted, feeling the heat rise in my face.

Penelope leaned against the table with a smirk. "It's not such a stupid question, you know," she chimed in. "You're playing nice with her, and it's not like you to let anyone get away with even the smallest hint of disrespect."

My frustration bubbled, and I ran a hand through my hair, letting out a long, irritated breath, while struggling to find the right words to shut them down without revealing too much.

"I'm not playing nice," I finally ground out through clenched teeth. "I just need a minute to process the fact that some kid slapped me. It's not something that happens every day."

I paused, letting my words sink in. "As for 'liking' her," I continued, meeting each of their gazes one by one. "I would never like anyone enough to let them get away with disrespecting me like that. So just because I'm fond of little Seraphina doesn't mean she'll get off scot-free."

My friends exchanged knowing glances, but the suspicion in their eyes hadn't quite disappeared. Roxana rolled her eyes and scoffed again, looking away as if trying to hold back a retort.

I could feel their frustration and their disbelief, but I was done trying to justify myself.

Irina crossed her arms, looking as if she was still waiting for me to give her permission to go after Seraphina. "So… what's the plan, then?" she asked.

The plan.

I didn't even know myself. My mind was still a blur, filled with images such as Seraphina's look of disgust, the sting of her slap, and the shock in her eyes as she stormed out.

I could feel something strange shifting inside me, something I wasn't ready to name, but I wasn't about to let my friends see any hint of indecision.

"I'll handle Seraphina myself," I said firmly, crossing my arms. "None of you are to touch her, understand?"

Roxana let out a derisive laugh. "Handle her yourself? Oh, this should be good. Are you planning to sit her down and have a heart-to-heart, maybe confess whatever this 'fondness' is that you feel?"

I shot her a withering look, barely keeping my temper in check. "Believe me, Roxana, whatever I have planned is the opposite of a heart-to-heart. She'll regret ever laying a hand on me."

Deena raised an eyebrow. "Just as long as you actually follow through this time, Electra. You keep saying she'll regret it, but you're still holding back, and this isn't like you."

I clenched my jaw, my frustration building even more. They were pushing me, prodding at something I didn't even fully understand myself, but I couldn't let them see my uncertainty. They weren't allowed to let them see how deeply Seraphina's actions had actually cut.

I was their leader. They followed my decisions because they trusted me to not change, and the Electra they trusted never hesitated or faltered.

"I'll do what I need to, girls. Just leave it to me," I said coldly, daring them to challenge me.

They exchanged glances again, but after a tense pause, they all nodded in agreement.

I'd have to prove that they weren't right about me playing nice to Seraphina, but for now, I needed a plan, a way to regain control—not only over Seraphina but over myself as well.

Roxana shrugged, finally breaking the silence. "Fine. Just don't let that little bitch think she got away with it. She should know that touching you is a line you don't cross."

"Trust me, Roxana," I said. "She won't get away with anything."