Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 252: The Perfect Distraction

Chapter 252: The Perfect Distraction

Electra’s POV

The moment I saw Seraphina’s text about Iris, I couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh.

I knew this was coming—I had expected it, but what surprised me was how fast it had happened. Did they plan Iris’s transfer long before I met her at General Aurelian’s house? Or did they rush the process after realizing I had seen her there?

Either way, I wasn’t annoyed.

If anything, I was excited.

For days now, my mind had been occupied with a never-ending cycle of problems: my mother, Hunter, the council, and of course, the whole slowly dying situation. There had been nothing but stress and paranoia looming over me and weighing down my every thought.

But Iris?

She was different.

She was a new piece in the game, and if I played my cards right, she could be the perfect distraction.

I was still grinning to myself when Penelope’s voice cut through my thoughts.

"You look creepy as hell right now, Electra. What’s with the evil smile?"

I glanced up to find all three of them—Irina, Roxana, and Penelope—staring at me. Roxana had a knowing smirk on her face, while Irina just raised an eyebrow, waiting for my response.

I sighed, leaning back into my seat.

"Iris," I said casually. "The Valternor General’s daughter. She just transferred into Seraphina’s class."

Roxana let out a low whistle. "Damn. That was fast."

Irina scoffed, shaking her head. "Of course, it was fast. They probably had her ready to go the moment you walked into that house."

Penelope, on the other hand, looked completely lost. She blinked at me, then at the others, before crossing her arms.

"Okay, hold up. Who the hell is Iris? And what general are we talking about?"

That was when it hit me—I hadn’t filled Penelope in yet.

After finding out about Deena’s betrayal, I had kept Penelope at arm’s length, unsure if she was involved or if she knew anything. After all, she was Deena’s roommate and the closest to her amongst us. But after keeping a close eye on her for the past few days, I was starting to think she was clueless.

Still, I wasn’t the type to trust easily.

"I’ll explain," I said, stretching my arms out lazily before giving her a sharp look. "But first, tell me this—did Deena ever say anything suspicious to you before we found out she was a rat?"

Penelope blinked in surprise, then frowned.

"No?" she said hesitantly. "I mean, I’m not going to deny that she and I were pretty close because we were roommates and all, but I didn’t think she was actively betraying you. The only reason she and I even became friends was because we became friends with you, and when you helped us change rooms, you made us roommates, but you better not think I’m anything like her."

I tilted my head, analyzing her reaction.

She looked genuinely confused—no flicker of guilt, no hesitation like she was trying to hide something.

After a long pause, I finally nodded.

"Alright then. Let’s talk about Iris."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the desk.

"I met her at General Aurelian’s house in Valternor when I went to meet my supposed uncle, Hunter," I began. "And let’s just say, she’s not as simple as she looks. Something about her felt odd, but I can’t explain what just yet."

Penelope arched an eyebrow. "And? What’s the big deal if she’s odd? You’re odd too, if we’re being completely honest."

"The big deal," I drawled, "is that Iris isn’t just some random general’s daughter. She’s the daughter of the man who is clearly on my uncle’s side, and she’s also somehow connected to Hunter."

Irina crossed her arms. "And probably the queen as well," she added.

Roxana let out a laugh. "And now she’s here, in Seraphina’s class, of all places. You really think that’s a coincidence?"

"Hell no," I muttered, shaking my head. "She was sent here for a reason. Whether it’s to spy, to manipulate, or to get close to Seraphina... I don’t know yet. But what I do know is that she’s a problem."

Penelope’s lips curled into a smirk. "Then why do you look so damn happy about it?"

I met her gaze, my own smirk widening. "Because problems are fun, Penelope, and I’ve been dying for a little fun. Everything about Elysium has been way too boring. I mean, when was the last time someone threw themselves off the rooftop? The school’s losing its magic, and I need a perfect victim to help me restore it."

Penelope gave me a weird look, her lips curling in mild disgust.

"Are you seriously about to make another student off themselves just because you’re bored?" she asked, her tone laced with exasperation.

I rolled my eyes, shrugging casually.

"I never said I wanted anyone to kill themselves," I corrected, leaning back in my chair. "I just think this school has been way too monotone. Too boring. Too predictable, and I don’t like it."

For a while now, Elysium had been... dull. Sure, I had my own issues to deal with—especially keeping my slow death a secret and making sure Hunter didn’t steal my crown—but where was the excitement? The thrill?

I wasn’t the type to sit around and stress over problems all day. No, I needed entertainment, and I needed a challenge. A challenge that wasn’t political.

And now, with Iris showing up, I finally had one.

I didn’t know exactly why she was here yet, but I was sure of one thing—she was connected to Hunter, and by extension, my mother. Which meant she was dangerous.

And I loved it.

"So, what?" Irina lowered her voice, smirking as she leaned in. "Are we messing with her? Making her life a living hell? Because if you need someone to push her off a building, I’d be more than happy to volunteer."

Roxana and Penelope immediately turned to her with looks of pure disbelief.

"Why are you always so quick to bring up murder?" Roxana demanded, shaking her head.

"Yeah," Penelope added, narrowing her eyes. "I can admit that we’re bullies, Irina, but we’re not serial killers."

Irina rolled her eyes before nonchalantly shrugging. "Well, my dream is to join the military back home, so I might as well get my first kill out of the way."

Silence.

Three pairs of stunned eyes locked on her, and for a moment, nobody said a word.

Then, Irina let out a short laugh. "I’m joking."

Roxana let out a sigh of relief, but Penelope still looked slightly concerned.

I, however, was amused.

"Good to know," I chuckled, shaking my head. "But no, we’re not killing her—at least, not yet. Right now, we play. We see what she’s made of. I have a feeling this one won’t be easy to intimidate, and that just makes things more fun."

Penelope still didn’t look entirely convinced.

"And what if she’s not a threat? What if she’s just some dumb girl they threw in your path to distract you? What if she’s just here to make you feel conscious for no reason?"

"Then I’ll be really disappointed," I admitted with a sigh. "But come on, Pen, do you really think a general would send his daughter to where a well-known unhinged princess was without a reason? She has to have some balls."

Penelope pressed her lips into a thin line, but she didn’t argue because she knew I was right.

We were still talking when the classroom door suddenly opened, and when it did, I knew someone had made a mistake.

Lunch break belonged to me.

I had made it very clear to my class that when lunch began, this room was off-limits unless I allowed someone in. And yet, someone had the audacity to step in, completely disregarding my instructions.

My friends and I turned at the same time, expecting to see some foolish classmate who had conveniently forgotten that I booked this space. But the second I laid eyes on the intruder, my lips curled into a smirk.

Well, well...

So she had come to play.

The reactions were instant. Irina, Roxana, and Penelope all turned to each other in confusion before Penelope snapped, "Who the fuck are you, and why are you in here?"

She didn’t even flinch.

In fact, she smiled.

A slow, amused smile that told me this wasn’t just a mistake. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Before I could say anything, she took a step forward, her hands clasped behind her back, as if she were strolling into a meeting rather than into my class.

Interesting.

I leaned back against my desk, watching her with mild curiosity as she stopped a few feet away from me. Her blue eyes locked on mine, and there was something behind them—an intelligence that I wasn’t sure if I liked or hated yet.

Then, with that same damn smirk, she bowed.

She fucking bowed.

"It’s good to see you again, Your Highness," she said smoothly, as if she were addressing me at a royal function and not in the middle of a high school classroom.

The room fell into stunned silence.

I barely noticed my friends turning to me with wide eyes. I was too busy staring at the girl who had just walked into my space, standing before me like she belonged there, and was now bowing as if she were making a formal introduction.

Iris Aurelian.

She’s smart, I realized. Very smart. She wasn’t coming in here to start a fight. She was clearly only establishing her presence.

Making herself known, probably to see how I would react.

So I gave her exactly what she was looking for.

I smirked. "Well, well, well... Isn’t this a surprise?"

She straightened from her bow, amusement flickering in her eyes.

"I should have come sooner, but it took me a while to find this class," she admitted, tucking a stray strand of red hair behind her ear. "But I figured I should make an effort to greet the Princess of Elmeria now that I’m here."

Her words dripped with something that wasn’t quite mockery but wasn’t full sincerity either.

I let my smirk widen. "It’s nice to know you have respect, Iris."

She chuckled softly before bowing again—this time shorter, almost like she was playing along. "Of course, Your Highness. Respect is important."

Liar.

She wasn’t here because of respect. She was here because she wanted me to know she wasn’t afraid of me. She was here because she wanted to be noticed, and she succeeded.

I had no doubt that Iris Aurelian was going to be a very fun distraction.

"Well," she said, stepping back toward the door, "I’ll excuse myself now. Enjoy the rest of your lunch break, Your Highness."

And with that, she turned on her heel and walked out, leaving behind an eerie silence.

The second the door shut, I heard Irina let out a long whistle. "Damn."

Penelope was still staring at the door, her brows furrowed. "Okay, what the hell just happened?"

Roxana turned to me, crossing her arms over her chest. "You were right, Electra. That girl is definitely not ordinary. I like her."