Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 151 151: Could it be Jealousy?

Electra's POV

Walking back into the cafeteria, I was too caught up in my thoughts, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Seraphina dragging me into the hallway just to ask about Iris? It didn't make any sense.

The whole thing had left me both confused and angry, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to it.

Why did Seraphina care so much about Iris? The thought kept circling in my mind, but no matter how I looked at it, I couldn't find a logical explanation.

The only thing that made even a little bit of sense was a possibility I didn't want to entertain—a possibility that Seraphina's irritation might have been fueled by jealousy.

I scoffed at myself for even thinking it. Sure, Seraphina had once had a crush on me back in our real lives, but that was before everything went south.

Whatever feelings she might have had were long gone, buried under weeks of resentment and anger. Still, I couldn't help but wonder why she cared enough to pull me aside and even go as far as asking about Iris.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I approached my table and forced a neutral expression on my face. Yuna and Iris looked up as I returned, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern.

"Sorry about that," I said, sliding back into my seat. "Didn't mean to leave you guys hanging."

Yuna immediately leaned in, her eyes alight with curiosity. "What was that about? What did Queen Seraphina want this time?"

"It was nothing important," I replied quickly, not wanting to give Yuna any fuel to start digging into something she didn't need to know. "Just a random question."

Yuna raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "A random question that required you to leave the cafeteria? Come on, Electra, spill."

I let out a dramatic sigh, rolling my eyes at Yuna for what felt like the thousandth time that afternoon.

"I'm not going to spill anything," I said, making my voice as firm as I could while I shoved the last of my fries into my mouth. "Mainly because there's nothing to spill. End of story."

Yuna gave a short, disappointed huff. "Fine, fine," she muttered, waving a hand in the air. "But I'm telling you, Electra, the minute I get proof that you're hiding something—"

I shot her a glare. "Can we talk about something else now? Please? The lunch break is going to be over in ten minutes, and I'd rather not spend the rest of it being interrogated by you."

She leaned back, feigning hurt. "Ouch. I'm not that annoying."

I only raised an eyebrow in response, my look making it clear that I disagreed. Beside her, Iris lowered the food she'd been nibbling on, eyes flicking between Yuna and me as if she wasn't sure whether she was allowed to speak.

I might have felt bad about making her uncomfortable, but I was too annoyed to show it.

"Alright, alright," Yuna conceded, throwing her hands up in surrender. "If you don't want to talk about her—" She said the word with a pointed tone, clearly referring to a certain person whose name I refused to bring up. "—then we can talk about something else."

She turned to Iris with a bright smile. "So, Iris!" she chirped, clapping her hands together. "You said you're from the Kingdom of Valternor, right?"

I immediately rolled my eyes at Yuna's relentless questioning. The girl had an uncanny ability to dig into people's lives like she was a reporter hunting for a story.

I thought Iris would start getting uncomfortable or overwhelmed, but to my surprise, she seemed eager to answer Yuna's questions, her shyness melting away with each response.

"Yes," Iris said softly, "I'm from Valternor. My father is a general there."

Yuna's eyes lit up. "Wow! That's impressive. I've read about your kingdom. It's mostly known for its army and alleged discipline. I don't know anyone else from there that attends Elysium. So how did you end up here?"

Iris smiled faintly, her fingers nervously toying with the edge of her tray. "Well, my father wanted me to have a different experience—something away from the intense military environment of Valternor. He thought Elysium would give me the chance to learn and grow in ways I couldn't back home."

Yuna nodded enthusiastically. "That makes sense, but do you like it here? Or is it too different from what you're used to?"

Iris tilted her head thoughtfully. "It's different, yes, but I think it's been good for me. Back home, everything was so regimented. Here, it's… freer, I guess. Even if it's been a little overwhelming at times."

I watched the exchange, silently observing Iris's expressions. There was just something oddly refreshing about how open she was being with Yuna, despite her initial shyness.

Yuna leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "So, do you have siblings, or are you the only child?"

Iris's face softened. "I'm the youngest. My elder siblings are all married now, so it's just me at home with my parents."

"Wow," Yuna said, nodding appreciatively.

Yuna continued firing off questions, ranging from what Iris liked to do in her free time to her favorite food. To my surprise, Iris didn't seem annoyed by the barrage. If anything, she seemed to enjoy the attention, her answers growing more animated as she spoke.

I couldn't help but smirk. "You know, Yuna, you're going to scare her off with all these questions."

Yuna waved me off. "Nonsense. I'm just getting to know our new friend here."

Iris chuckled softly, glancing at me with a shy smile. "It's okay, really. I don't mind."

Her response caught me off guard, and for a moment, I wasn't sure what to say. I ended up nodding, pretending to focus on my food instead. There was definitely something about the girl that threw me off balance, and I wasn't sure how to handle it.

As the conversation continued, I found myself tuning in and out, letting Yuna handle most of the talking. I didn't want to admit it, but a part of me was glad that Iris seemed comfortable around us—or more accurately, around Yuna.

It felt… nice, in a way I hadn't expected.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch break, I let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that I disliked the company, but the growing tension in my chest was starting to become unbearable.

I needed some time to myself to process everything—Seraphina's behavior, Iris's sudden presence in my life and my sudden interest, as well as the growing chaos in my head.

"Guess we'd better head to class," Yuna said, standing and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She turned to Iris with a grin. "You're sitting with us again tomorrow, right?"

Iris looked surprised but nodded. "If that's okay with you."

"Of course, it is!" Yuna said, nudging her with her elbow. "Right, Electra?"

I managed a small smile, nodding. "Yeah, sure."

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