Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]
Chapter 95 95: Verbal Foreplay

Third-person Pov

Electra leaned back slightly, her gaze never wavering from Seraphina's face as she waited for her reaction. She expected the question to throw her off, perhaps even make her stammer in confusion, but Seraphina's expression didn't waver. Instead, she looked... amused.

It wasn't the response Electra had anticipated, but it was intriguing.

The real shock, however, was written all over the faces of Irina, Roxana, Deena, and Penelope. Electra could feel their eyes darting between her and Seraphina, as if trying to figure out if they had misheard.

Seraphina, her voice steady, squinted slightly and asked, "Why do you want to know if I like girls? Is that why you keep staring at me?"

Electra ran a hand through her hair, her lips curling into a smirk. She shrugged nonchalantly, as if this were the most natural conversation in the world. "Well," she replied, her tone casual, "you're hot, and I just wanted to know if you were into girls."

Electra could feel the tension building among her now-former friends. Irina, in particular, looked like she might choke on her disbelief, while Roxana was frozen mid-bite, her fork hovering inches from her mouth.

Penelope and Deena exchanged wide-eyed glances, and for a brief moment, it was almost comical how out of sorts they all seemed.

Seraphina tilted her head, clearly taken aback by Electra's bluntness but still calm. "You think I'm hot?" she asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and intrigue.

Electra gave her an easy grin. "I don't lie about things like that," she said smoothly. "But don't read too much into it. I'm just making conversation."

The amusement in Seraphina's eyes deepened, and Electra found herself unexpectedly fascinated. She certainly hadn't expected Seraphina to handle this with such composure.

Still, she couldn't forget her original goal. She needed to figure out if Seraphina knew anything about the truth behind their identities, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that pressing the topic too soon could backfire.

So, for now, she decided to lean into her role as Electra Hook, but unlike Seraphina Hook, who was a weakling, she had every intention to remain fearless, bold, and just a little reckless.

Seraphina let out a dry laugh, amused by the fact that Electra was clearly trying to provoke her. Her sly smile and the way her gaze lingered on Seraphina with an almost predatory curiosity gave everything away. It was obvious that she was testing her, trying to push her buttons and gauge her reaction.

But Seraphina wasn't about to give Electra the satisfaction. Not tonight. She adjusted her posture, crossing her arms over her chest, and fixed Electra with an amused look, tilting her head slightly.

She decided that if Electra was going to play games, she might as well play back.

"Well," she began, her tone light, "if you're that curious about me, maybe you'd like to spend your first night in Elysium in my room. My bedroom door's wide open if you want to find out whether I'm into girls or not."

Irina, seated beside her, immediately let out a loud cough, clearly taken aback by Seraphina's reaction to the new girl. Roxana and Deena exchanged wide-eyed glances but said nothing, though the way they shook their heads was enough to make Seraphina aware of just how unexpected her comment had been.

Electra, for her part, froze for a moment, her confident smirk faltering ever so slightly. For a brief second, she seemed genuinely caught off guard, and Seraphina relished the flicker of surprise she saw in Electra's eyes, but then, just as quickly, she recovered.

"Oh?" she said, leaning back slightly in her chair, her voice dripping with mock curiosity. "Are you really offering, Seraphina? I mean, we only just met today, and I didn't take you for someone who liked to share personal spaces so... freely."

The way Electra emphasized "freely" sent a shiver down Seraphina's spine, but she refused to let it show. She kept her expression neutral, even as her heart raced.

Before she could respond, Penelope—seated at the far end of the table—rolled her eyes dramatically and interjected, her voice thick with sarcasm. "Look, if the two of you want to hook up, could you at least spare us the foreplay? Some of us are trying to enjoy dinner here without choking on all this tension."

Irina snickered under her breath, and Roxana muttered something inaudible, clearly unimpressed by the whole exchange. Deena, however, remained silent, her sharp eyes flicking between Seraphina and Electra like she was trying to piece together a puzzle.

Seraphina felt her face heat up at Penelope's comment, but she quickly pushed the embarrassment aside. She couldn't let Electra or anyone else see that they had managed to fluster her.

Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her lips curling into a sly smile as she regarded Electra. "So what do you say, Electra?" she asked casually, her tone light. "Are you going to take me up on my offer, or are you not as bold as you're trying to seem?"

Electra's eyes narrowed slightly, not in anger, but in thought. The Seraphina she knew—timid, easily flustered, and utterly predictable—would never have the audacity to say something like this.

Her invitation to join her in the bedroom was unexpected, out of character, and even disarming. Was it possible that Seraphina wasn't aware of the switch? Could it be that in this reality, only she, was conscious of the fact that their lives had somehow been switched up in a way it shouldn't have?

The thought gnawed at her. Her chest tightened, and for a moment, she wondered if she would ever get to be her real self ever again.

Fortunately, years of maintaining an impenetrable facade had taught her how to conceal her emotions, so she forced herself to look calm as her gaze remained locked on Seraphina's.

"Well," she began, her tone calm and laced with subtle amusement. "The last thing I am is a coward."

"Trust me, I'll be there," she added, a small smirk forming on her lips. "And you better not change your mind when I show up."