Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 209 209: Drawing attention

Seraphina's POV

There was a brief pause after I said my name, and then Darius's voice came through the line again, but it was laced with clear amusement.

"Well, I can't say I expected to hear from you this soon," he admitted. "In fact, I didn't think you'd call at all."

I sighed, immediately feeling like this had been a mistake. Maybe he had only given me his number to be polite, not because he had any intention of actually keeping in touch.

"I didn't expect to call either," I muttered. "But if your highness is too busy, I understand. Forget I—"

"I'm not busy." His voice cut through before I could finish. "I'm just… surprised. That's all."

I let out a breath, gripping my phone a little tighter. At least he wasn't brushing me off.

"So," he continued, his tone shifting slightly. "What's going on? Is everything alright?"

A wave of relief washed over me. He was listening. That was all I needed for now.

I exhaled, swallowing the slight embarrassment threatening to creep in. "Okay, look," I started, "this is a little… humiliating for me to admit, but right now, I'm stuck in my room, and I really need your help."

Silence.

For a moment, I thought the call had been cut, but then—

"…What?" Darius's voice finally came through, sounding genuinely confused. "Seraphina, are you seriously calling me because you're stuck in your room? Couldn't you just—I don't know—get someone in the house to help you with the door?"

I groaned, realizing how I had completely butchered my explanation.

"No, no—that's not what I meant," I said quickly, pressing a hand to my forehead in frustration. "I'm not stuck—I'm locked in."

There was another pause.

"…Locked in?" His tone had changed slightly. Less amusement now. More intrigue.

"Yes," I said through gritted teeth. "Locked in. As in, my lovely aunt Gianna locked me in my room and is planning to keep me here—without food—until further notice."

I waited, bracing myself for his response.

And then—

"…Excuse me?"

Darius's voice had dropped several degrees, his usual collected tone replaced with something more intense than I was used to.

I let out a deep sigh, gripping the phone tighter. "Look, I know it sounds pretty shocking," I admitted, "but it's the truth. I'm locked up in my room, and you're the only person I could think of who might be able to help me get out."

There was a brief pause before Darius spoke again, his tone noticeably colder than before.

"…Would you like me to send officers to the house and have your aunt arrested?"

I froze.

I wasn't sure what surprised me more—the matter-of-fact way he said it or how genuinely appealing the idea was.

The thought of seeing Gianna dragged away in handcuffs was delightful, but… my father's death was still too fresh. The last thing I needed was a scandal tied to his name.

If I had Gianna arrested, everyone in Aldoria would start speculating. The media would twist the story, rumors would spread, and suddenly, I wouldn't just be the grieving daughter of the late general—I'd be the center of a public scandal.

Being anywhere near the news was not on my to-do list.

"Seraphina?" Darius's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. "Do you want me to send officers?"

I inhaled sharply. "No," I said quickly. "I'd rather not draw public attention to this."

Darius let out a slow, exasperated breath. "Alright," he muttered, and I could tell he wasn't thrilled with my decision.

Then, after a short pause, he added, "In that case, I hope you won't mind me showing up at your place instead."

My eyes widened. "Wait—what?"

"I'll be there soon," he said simply.

I sat up straighter. "Are you serious? You're really going to come all the way here?"

Darius chuckled softly. "Seraphina," he said, his voice smooth now, "you just told me you're locked in a room by your own aunt. What kind of man would I be if I didn't do something about it?"

I blinked, caught completely off guard. He was actually coming here? To help me?

I wasn't sure if I was relieved, shocked, or just incredibly confused.

I gripped my phone tighter and asked, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Darius let out a soft chuckle on the other end of the line. "You sound like you're trying to talk me out of helping you."

I sighed, rubbing my temple. "I am trying to talk you out of it." I hesitated before adding, "I told you, I don't want to draw public attention to this situation. If you come all the way here, the media will notice, and then suddenly, my father's death will be yesterday's news, and this will be all anyone talks about."

Darius sighed this time, and I could hear the irritation creeping into his voice.

"Then what do you want me to do, Seraphina?" he asked, exasperated. "I already offered to send officers, which would have been the easiest solution. You refused. If I can't send officers, then the only other option is for me to come there myself and handle it."

I stayed silent, biting my lip.

Darius took my silence as a chance to continue. "Besides," he added smoothly, "it would actually be a good opportunity to show your dear aunt that you have my backing. I doubt she'd be so quick to throw you around like a prisoner if she saw that the Crown Prince of Aldoria was willing to show up at the Hook residence just to help you."

I frowned, thinking about it.

He had a point.

If Gianna saw that someone as important as Darius was willing to personally intervene in my affairs, it would send a clear message—she couldn't just do whatever she wanted with me anymore.

But at the same time…I still hadn't made up my mind about the king's proposal.

If Darius came here himself, it would definitely raise questions. People would talk. It wasn't like I could just brush it off and say we were friends—because we weren't, and I had a feeling Darius wasn't the type of person to do something for nothing.

Still, what choice did I have?

Gianna had locked me in, and I needed to get out, and right now, Darius was the only one who could help me.

I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes for a second before finally exhaling. "Fine," I muttered. "You can come."

I could practically hear the smirk in his voice when he responded, "That's more like it."

"But," I added quickly, "I'd appreciate it if you could keep things as low-profile as possible."

Darius chuckled. "I'll try," he said, and before I could argue, he ended the call.

I let out a long breath, staring at my phone screen. I wasn't sure if I had just made the right choice, but one thing was certain—Gianna was in for a shock.