Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 157 157: She could be desperate

Seraphina's POV

Deena's voice wavered as she stammered out her response. "H-how would I have ever met your mother?" she said, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "I mean… in case you've forgotten, your mother is Queen Jella—the Queen of Elmeria. A common subject like me wouldn't have had the privilege of meeting her."

I nodded slowly, keeping my face neutral even though my mind was spinning. Deena was clearly lying. It was written all over her face—in the way her eyes darted away from mine, in the tremble in her voice, and in the restless way she kept fidgeting with her fingers.

For a moment, I just let her words hang while pretending to accept her explanation, but inwardly, my thoughts were racing. Her nervousness confirmed what I had just started to suspect. At some point, she must have met Queen Jella, and if that was true… then what else was she hiding?

I thought back to the conversation I'd overheard on the rooftop, and at that time, I hadn't been too curious to figure out who she'd been speaking to since I wouldn't have found out anyway, and I was planning on minding my business, but now, the pieces of the puzzle were finally starting to fall into place.

Could it have been Queen Jella? Was it possible that Electra's so-called "mother" had been conspiring with Electra's friend to try to harm her own daughter?

The idea sent a shiver down my spine, and I clenched my fists, struggling to keep my composure. If I was right, then this was bigger than I'd initially thought, but I needed to be sure before I jumped to conclusions, even though I wouldn't put it past a mother who was capable of sexually assaulting her own daughter to also be capable of wanting her dead.

I also needed to share this with Electra, and even though the idea of approaching her first made my stomach churn, this was too important to ignore.

Still, I wasn't about to let Deena know what I was thinking. For now, I needed to keep her off guard, to make her think I wasn't suspicious. So when she cleared her throat, I quickly schooled my expression into one of casual curiosity.

"Sorry," I said, forcing a light laugh. "I didn't mean to put you on the spot with that question. I was just… you know, trying to make a point."

Deena blinked, her brow furrowing. "A point?" she echoed uncertainly.

"Yeah," I said, leaning back slightly as if to make myself seem more at ease. "I mean, can you imagine what it's like to have someone like Queen Jella as a mother? She's so… regal. Intimidating, even. It's hard to live up to someone like that." I shrugged, giving her what I hoped was a convincing smile. "I guess I was just trying to say that it hasn't been easy for me, either."

Deena seemed to relax a little at my words, even though the tension in her shoulders didn't completely disappear. "I suppose that makes sense," she said after a moment, her tone hesitant. "I mean… she is the queen. That's a lot of pressure to deal with."

"Exactly," I said, nodding. "It's not like we have a perfect relationship or anything. In fact, we don't really… connect much at all."

As I spoke, I watched her carefully, looking for any signs that she might let something slip, but she remained guarded, and her expression remained neutral. She was clearly trying to steer the conversation away from herself, and I decided to let her—for now.

"I guess I've just learned to deal with it," I said with a shrug, feigning nonchalance. "But what about you? You said you were having issues with your own mother. Do you want to talk about it?"

She hesitated, her gaze flickering toward the archery field where Irina and Roxana were still practicing. For a moment, I thought she might try to come up with a story or anything, but then she shook her head. "It's not really that important," she said quietly. "Just… family stuff."

I nodded again, not wanting to push her too hard. It was already more than clear to me that she wasn't going to say what I wanted to hear, but that didn't mean I was going to stop digging. If anything, her evasiveness only made me more determined to find out the truth.

I got up from my spot beside her and brushed off the stray bits of grass clinging to my skirt. "Well," I said, offering her a faint smile, "if you ever feel like talking, you know where to find me. I don't mind listening if you need someone to vent to."

She glanced up at me. After a brief pause, she nodded. "Thanks, Seraphina. I'll keep that in mind."

I hesitated, unsure whether to push her further, but eventually decided against it. Instead, I took a lighter tone. "Also, you should really consider joining the rest of the girls. Sitting here like this, looking all gloomy, isn't going to help much. Moving around might clear your head a little, you know?"

She gave a noncommittal shrug. "I'll think about it," she said, her voice low and dismissive.

I nodded, deciding to leave it at that for now. Turning on my heel, I made my way across the field toward Irina and Roxana, who were standing near the archery targets.

As I approached, they both looked up, and Irina was the first to speak. "Hey, is everything okay with Deena? She's been… well, she's been looking kind of down since this morning."

"She mentioned she's dealing with some family stuff," I replied, folding my arms across my chest. "But she didn't go into detail. Do either of you know what might be going on with her?"

Irina and Roxana exchanged a quick glance before Roxana stepped closer, gesturing for me to do the same. "Come here," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Both of you."

Curious, I leaned in, and Irina followed suit, her brow furrowed. Roxana glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was eavesdropping before lowering her voice even further.

"According to the rumors going around," she began, "Deena's family has gone bankrupt."

I blinked, startled by the revelation. "Bankrupt?"

Roxana nodded solemnly. "Yeah, and not just a little. Apparently, it's bad enough that there's talk of her getting kicked out of school."

Irina let out a sharp breath, her eyes widening. "That's awful," she murmured. "But… how reliable are these rumors? I mean, you know how people can be here—they'll spread anything for the sake of drama."

"I know," Roxana said, "but this feels different. It's not just gossip from the usual crowd. I don't know if you noticed, but some of the teachers have been acting weird around Deena lately—like they're avoiding her, and if her family really has lost their fortune, it would explain why she's been so out of it."

My mind raced as I processed Roxana's words. It made sense, in a way. Deena's distant, distracted behavior… her refusal to join the others in practice… and the way she had dodged my questions about her mother.

If her family was in financial ruin, she might be trying to hide it—or at least keep it from becoming a bigger topic of gossip than it already was.

"That's…" I began, but I trailed off, unsure of what to say.

On one hand, I felt a pang of sympathy for Deena. Losing everything and facing the possibility of being expelled couldn't be easy. On the other hand, it only deepened my suspicion of her.

If her family had gone bankrupt, it might explain her desperation—and desperation could lead people to make dangerous choices. Choices like conspiring with someone like Queen Jella.