Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 128 128: Royal Duty

Electra's POV

My jaw dropped slightly, and I stared at Yuna in disbelief. "Wait a minute," I said, leaning forward with wide eyes. "Are you telling me you have a crush on Seraphina Vale?"

Yuna's reaction was immediate and dramatic. She froze mid-bite, her face twisting into an expression of pure disgust. "In what world," she said, her tone dripping with disdain, "would a sane person have a crush on someone like Seraphina Vale?"

For some reason, her response didn't sit right with me. I wasn't sure why, or maybe I had an idea why, but all the same, it made something twist uncomfortably in my chest. "What's wrong with having a crush on her?" I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

Yuna dropped her sandwich on the plate and gave me an unimpressed look. "Seriously, Electra?" she said, crossing her arms. "With everything that girl has done to you? Do you really think it's possible for someone to have a crush on her?"

I let out a dark chuckle, leaning back against the wall. "Having a crush on anyone isn't exactly my thing," I said flatly. "So I wouldn't know."

Yuna tilted her head, her brows furrowing in confusion. "Wait," she said slowly, studying me like I'd just confessed to being an alien. "Are you being serious right now?"

I frowned, taken aback by her reaction. "What do you mean, am I serious?" I asked. "Why are you acting so surprised?"

"Because," Yuna said, gesturing toward me as if the explanation were obvious, "you're literally saying you've never liked anyone. Ever. And that's... impossible."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Why is that so impossible?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Not everyone gets butterflies and writes love songs in their diary, you know. Some of us have more practical priorities."

Yuna's unimpressed look deepened. "Okay, fine," she said, narrowing her eyes at me. "Maybe you don't write love songs, but you're seriously telling me you've never had feelings for anyone? Not even a little crush? Come on, Electra."

"I'm serious," I said with a shrug. "People usually fall for me, not the other way around. I don't do feelings. I operate strictly on sexual attraction and nothing else."

Yuna's jaw dropped slightly, and she blinked at me like I'd just confessed to a crime. "You can't be serious," she said again, her voice filled with disbelief. "You've never liked anyone? Ever?"

"Not even once," I said firmly, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at her stunned expression. "It's just... not my thing."

Yuna stared at me for a long moment, clearly trying to process what I'd just said. "That's... kind of sad," she said finally, her tone softer now.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Sad?" I repeated. "How is it sad? It's practical. Feelings just complicate things. Who needs them?"

"Everyone," Yuna said bluntly, shaking her head. "Electra, feelings are, like, the best part of being alive. They're messy and complicated, sure, but they're also what make life worth living."

I rolled my eyes again, leaning back against the wall. "Spare me the dumb take, sweetheart," I said dryly. "I've done just fine without feelings so far."

Yuna let out a soft sigh, leaning forward slightly as she rested her chin in her hand. "You know," she said thoughtfully, "I think you're lying."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "Excuse me?"

"I think you have felt something for someone before," she continued, her gaze steady. "You just don't want to admit it."

I laughed, shaking my head. "You're delusional," I said. "There's nothing to admit because it's never happened."

Yuna shook her head at me, her expression both amused and exasperated. "Electra," she said, her tone laced with mock pity, "you're either lying to me, or you're so emotionally immature that you don't even realize when you like someone."

I opened my mouth to argue but quickly thought better of it. Arguing with Yuna was like trying to win an arm-wrestling match with a brick wall. She was too stubborn and too good at twisting my words. Instead, I decided to take the conversation in a different direction.

"Okay," I said, leaning back against the headboard and crossing my arms. "Let's play a little game. Answer a hypothetical question for me."

Yuna perked up immediately, her eyes sparkling with interest. "A hypothetical question?" she asked, tilting her head. "You have my attention, babe. Let's hear it."

I smirked faintly. "Alright," I said, choosing my words carefully. "Let's say that, in some alternate world, Seraphina wasn't the nutcase everyone believes her to be right now. Instead, she was your best friend—someone you trusted, someone you were close to. Would you ever have feelings for her? You know, as more than a friend?"

Yuna's playful expression faltered slightly, and she frowned as if trying to process the question. "Wow," she said after a moment, shaking her head. "You definitely have a wild imagination."

I rolled my eyes, irritated that she wasn't taking the question seriously. "Just answer it, Yuna," I said. "It's hypothetical. Use your imagination."

Yuna sighed, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling as if deep in thought. After a few moments, she let out another sigh and shrugged. "Okay, fine," she said. "If such a world existed where Seraphina was my best friend... I don't think I'd ever have feelings for her. Even if I might find her attractive, I don't think I'd ever cross that line."

I blinked, surprised by her answer. "Why not?" I asked, genuinely curious.

The truth was, back in my real life, I'd always had a sneaking suspicion that Yuna might have liked Seraphina as more than a friend, and hearing this version of Yuna earlier say that Seraphina Vale was her type had brought that suspicion rushing back.

Yuna tilted her head, as if trying to find the right words. "Because," she said finally, "there's a difference between being attracted to someone and actually wanting to be with them. Attraction is easy. It's surface-level, but wanting to be with someone? That's... deeper."

She paused, her gaze thoughtful. "And if Seraphina were my best friend in this hypothetical world, I don't think I'd want to risk ruining that friendship. Even if I were attracted to her, I'd value the friendship more."

I nodded slowly, muttering, "Interesting," as I mulled over Yuna's words.

Internally, I was already piecing together my theory—that Yuna, back in our real lives, had liked Seraphina but had decided never to act on it.

Yuna broke the silence again, leaning back casually on my bed. "But honestly, I don't let myself get too serious with any girl," she said.

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden confession. "Why not?" I asked.

She shrugged, looking down at her sandwich as if it held the answer. "Because I already know I'm not going to end up with one," she said, her tone matter-of-fact. "According to the customs of my kingdom, I'm expected to marry a man. So what's the point of getting attached to someone I can't have a future with?"

Her words caught me off guard, and I furrowed my brows in confusion. "Wait," I said, leaning forward slightly. "What are you talking about?"

Yuna let out a soft laugh, as if amused by my confusion. "Come on, Electra," she said, shaking her head. "You should know how these things work. I'm not just some random girl from my kingdom. My family's kind of... important, and for someone like me, it's impossible to have a long-term relationship with another girl. Sooner or later, the kingdom will pick out a suitable man for me to marry."

I stared at her. "And you're okay with that?" I asked.

She shrugged again, her expression resigned. "It's not about being okay with it," she said. "It's just reality, and I've accepted it."

For a moment, I didn't know what to say. Hearing her say such a thing out loud reminded me of when my parents tried to set me up with some prince from another kingdom, and it both amused and annoyed me.

She glanced at me, her expression softening. "It's the same thing for someone like Seraphina Vale," she said, her tone almost sympathetic. "That's probably why she's never stuck to one girl. She knows, deep down, that it doesn't matter who she falls for. In the end, her parents are going to pick a husband for her."

I stiffened at her words, instantly recognizing that she wasn't just talking about Seraphina. She was indirectly referring to me. She didn't know it, of course, but the sting of her statement hit me all the same.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, keeping my voice even.

Yuna gave me a knowing look, as if the answer were obvious. "Because Seraphina's royalty," she said simply. "And royalty doesn't get to choose. Her parents will pick a partner for her, and whether she likes it or not, it's going to be a man. Not a woman."