Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 213 213: Let's do it!

Seraphina's POV

After Gianna was forced to apologize to me—something that had never happened in my entire life—I decided that I was done. I couldn't stay in this house any longer.

Not with her, or at the very least, not until I was able to cool off for a bit.

I was very much aware that if I had to spend one more second under the same roof with her and deal with the nonsense she'd try to pull once Darius was out of sight, I might actually lose control and do something worse than just slapping her.

So, without hesitating, I turned to Darius and said, "Get me out of here."

He raised an eyebrow, still smirking like this whole thing was wildly entertaining to him. I could tell that he wasn't the type to experience many exciting situations, maybe because of his position as prince, which was why a situation as significant as this seemed very interesting to him.

"And where exactly am I taking you?" he asked, and as soon as I heard his question, that was when it hit me.

I had nowhere to go.

Absolutely nowhere.

I opened my mouth, then shut it again when I couldn't figure out what to say in response to where I wanted to go. My mind raced to think of something, but no matter how much I tried to think of a place—any place—I came up empty.

Because the truth was, I had nowhere to go. For starters, I had no friends in Aldoria, and there was no one I could pay a visit to as a way to clear my mind.

I had always been the awkward girl who barely spoke to anyone, who spent her days hiding in the background, and who never tried to form connections, and now?

Now, I was paying the price for it.

I could barely even remember the places my mother used to take me when I was younger, and after she died, I had resigned myself to a life of isolation. I never went out, not even when my father begged me to.

Not even when he forced me to. That was how the old Seraphina used to live, and now, because of that, I suddenly felt like a stranger in her own kingdom.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, I turned to Darius, crossing my arms. "Honestly?" I muttered. "I have no idea where to go. No place comes to mind at all."

His brows furrowed slightly. "You don't have any friends you could stay with? I mean, there has to be someone you can catch up with while you're here."

I let out a dry laugh. "Darius, I don't even have any acquaintances in Aldoria, let alone friends."

He blinked. "Well, that's… depressing, and here I was thinking my life was sad. Yours suddenly seems much worse."

"Tell me about it," I muttered, shaking my head.

Darius hummed in thought before glancing toward the direction that Gianna had gone. After she apologized, she had simply walked away, and I couldn't care less.

"So, if you don't have anywhere to go," he mused, "then why do you want to leave so badly?"

I didn't even hesitate.

"Because if I stay under the same roof with Gianna for one more second," I said flatly, "I can't guarantee that I won't do more than slap her if she so much as breathes in my direction."

Darius laughed, actually laughed like I had just told the funniest joke he had ever heard.

"Well then," he said, grinning. "I guess I better get you out of here before you commit murder."

As we made our way out of the house and into Darius's car, I let out a slow breath, feeling the tension of being trapped inside with Gianna finally start to loosen.

I had been locked in that house for less than a day, but it had been enough to remind me of why I never wanted to live under Gianna's roof again.

Darius climbed into the driver's seat, and I settled into the passenger side, buckling my seatbelt before turning to him.

"So… where are you taking me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Darius let out an exaggerated sigh, shaking his head as if the answer was obvious.

"Well," he started, throwing me a sideways glance, "your stomach has been growling for a while now—very loudly, might I add—so how about I feed you first?"

I felt my face heat up slightly, crossing my arms. "It hasn't been that loud," I muttered.

Darius smirked. "Seraphina, I almost thought there was a wild animal in your house."

I shot him a glare, and he laughed before continuing. "Anyway," he said, "we'll eat first, and then after that, we can get some ice cream and chat like normal people."

I arched an eyebrow. "Do you ever do anything like a normal person?"

Darius placed a hand over his chest in mock offense. "I try."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head, but then, a real concern entered my mind. I hesitated for a moment before turning to him.

"Are you sure you can be seen in public with me?" I asked. "I mean… the fact that you came to my house is one thing, but being seen out in public with me? That's another."

Darius let out a small hum, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. "You might have a point," he admitted. "That did kind of slip my mind."

I sighed. I figured as much. He wasn't exactly the most subtle person.

"Well," he continued, "if being out in public won't work, we can just head to the palace instead."

I immediately shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to be stuck indoors again, and besides…something else had just occurred to me. A thought that made me reconsider everything.

I exhaled. "Forget I said anything," I muttered.

Darius raised an eyebrow.

I continued, "If speculations arise from us being seen together, then… well, that would actually be better."

Darius fully turned to me this time, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Better?" he repeated. "Explain."

I bit the inside of my cheek, knowing exactly where this was headed. Darius wasn't stupid, and if I was going to say this out loud, then I might as well say it directly.

Letting out a slow breath, I turned my head to face him and said, "I'm agreeing to your father's proposition, Darius. That is, I don't mind letting the palace announce an engagement between you and me."

The words left my mouth, and suddenly, the car felt ten times quieter. Darius blinked once.

Then twice.

Then—

"…Huh?"